It's Prediction Time!!

by AJ
It's everyone favorite time of year again: prediction time. The season's opening tip is just weeks away as players whip themselves into shape after summers of steady blunting, extreme moped riding and whatever else multi-millionaire athletes do in their spare time. As it usually is with this league, things will almost never play out as scripted; it's anyone's guess who could be poppin' bottles, polishing trophies, changing cities or escalating their status this season. With that in mind, here's a few thoughts on what might go down this season, the (completely un-)Official Christian's Basketball Rants '08-'09 Season Preview:

Awards

Rookie of the Year - Michael Beasley

The guy's an absolute monster; strong, athletic, unlimited potential and a swagger that could prove dangerous, but is desperately needed in Miami right now. He sounds like he's hungry, played well in Summer League and Preseason, and For the first time in his life, Beasley won't be the best player on his team, and if his ego can handle it, he'll have plenty of opportunity to thrive in Miami. His MVP ambitions are a little premature, but settling for this award in a deep class is no slouch. (Runner-Up: Greg Oden)

Defensive Player of the Year - Ron Artest

I'm expecting big things from Ron-Ron because although he's clinically insane, he's also one of the most passionate players in the league. He's joining a team that's already reknowned for its ability to keep scores low, and playing for a legit contender after years of frustration will inspire him to be what he is: the league's best defender. (Runner-Up: Josh Smith)

Sixth Man of the Year - Manu Ginobili

He might lead the league in flop-related fines this year, but Manu should also be its best bench player if he reprises his role in the Spurs' system. With their core a year older and the need for fresh legs off the bench, it's hard to see him starting unless something very drastic happens (and when does it ever in San Antonio). It's even harder seeing another player taking this award from him as long as he's eligible. (Runner-up: Leandro Barbosa)

Coach of the Year - Nate McMillan

Trying to predict this award's tough; you know what you'll be getting with players in most cases, but so much of a coach's chances of winning this award are contingent upon what he gets out of his team versus what was expected of them. Lord Byron and Sam Mitchell, the past two winners, brought teams out of nowhere to top-3 seeds; every now and then a coach runs a truly tight ship and wins on outright excellence, but the COY's nature defeats predictions. It's really anyone's guess. Mine's based on the Blazers' continued growth and the outstanding job MacMillan did last year at keeping a bunch of kids so poised. He's in all likelihood not going to win though.

(Runner-Up: Phil Jackson)

Most Improved Player - Al Thornton

As both the Clippers' starting forwards bolted during the offseason, it created room for Thornton to slide into the starting lineup and likely emerge as the team's second scoring option. His long, athletic frame reeks of potential and he'll be given an increased opportunity to build upon numbers that shot up after the All-Star Break last year. (Runner-Up: Louis Williams)

Most Valuable Player - Lebron James

He enters every season as the prohibitive favorite to win this award, only to have his chances ruined by his team's incompetence. Expect his numbers to take a dip as the Cavs try to monitor his minutes and keep him fresh for the postseason, but even a relatively pedestrian 28/7/7 will win him an MVP if the Cavs can crack that mystical 50-win plateau. With more talent, no training camp holdouts and James' assertion that this is the best team he's had, bet on him to take the award that at his jersey-matching age, he already seems overdue for. (Runner-Up: Chris Paul)

East All-Stars

Starters - Dwyane Wade, Gilbert Arenas, Lebron James, Kevin Garnett, Dwight Howard

Bench Mob - Chris Bosh, Andre Iguodala, Caron Butler, Paul Pierce, Ray Allen, Elton Brand, Shawn Marion

West All-Stars

Starters - Chris Paul, Kobe Bryant, Tim Duncan, Amare Stoudemire, Yao Ming

Bench Mob - Deron Williams, Steve Nash, Carmelo Anthony,

Carlos Boozer, Marcus Camby, Tracy McGrady, Baron Davis

Playoffs

East Bracket: 1- Boston Celtics, 2- Cleveland Cavaliers, 3- Orlando Magic, 4- Philadelphis 76ers, 5- Toronto Raptors, 6- Detroit Pistons, 7- Washington Wizards, 8- Atlanta Hawks

West Bracket: 1- Los Angeles Lakers, 2- Houston Rockets, 3- Utah Jazz, 4- New Orleans Hornets, 5- San Antonio Spurs, 6- Phoenix Suns, 7- Dallas Mavericks, 8- Portland Trailblazers

East Finals: Boston over Cleveland

West Finals: Los Angeles over Utah

Finals: Lakers over Celtics (Finals MVP - Sasha Vujacic)