NBA predictions: Jazz make playoffs, Lakers your champs

SALT LAKE CITY — It's the most beautiful time of year! The long awaited 2012-2013 NBA basketball season is here and all 30 teams training camps are officially open. Its time for rankings and predictions as the NBA regular season is right around the corner.

Before the rankings begin, lets first start with a prediction for the MVP award. There is no better basketball player on this planet right now better than LeBron James. I remember playing against LeBron his rookie season and telling anyone that would listen that this guy is going to end up being the best player that has ever played the game. MVP of 2012-2013 season—LeBron James.

Lets rank the East.

1. Heat - No surprises here. I would love to be able to write the Heat will lose in the Eastern Conference Finals but I don't see that happening. As long as King James stays healthy, no one in the East can contend. Additions of Ray Allen and Rashard Lewis make them even better than last year. Scary!
2. Celtics — Father time is catching the Celtics. However, still good enough to make a lot of noise in the east. I like the addition of Jason Terry after loosing Ray Allen. Rondo has emerged as a top 3or 4 point guard in the league. The x-factor no one is talking about is Jeff Green. He missed last year but seems to be back in prime shape. If the Celtics stay healthy, they have a fighting chance.
3. Pacers - Looked really good last year. If Granger is an All-Star, this is the year he needs to start playing like one. The strength of the Pacers is their depth at multiple positions. They play team basketball and are a very good defensive team. Going to be tough to beat and a team nobody wants to face.

1. 76ers - Hello Andrew Bynum. If I had to pick a sleeper team in the east, it would be the Sixers. It is yet to be known what kind of impact Bynum will have on a team when Kobe Bryant isn't around. A massive upgrade for this team with an already good supporting cast. If Bynum can play 75 games, Sixers are a top 4 team in the east.
2. Knicks - Knicks fans be happy, you have an upgraded roster from last year. Raymond Felton and Jason Kidd will help lead this team that desperately needs leadership on the court. Marcus Camby and Ronnie Brewer are nice additions that will add some much needed depth. I'm not a huge Stoudemire-Anthony combination fan although it will really work against the bad teams. Tyson Chandler is a probably the 2nd best defensive center but the Knicks don't play good enough team defense to get home court in round one of the playoffs.
3. Nets - Nets will finally be playoff bound this year. When Deron Williams has talent surrounding him, he is arguably the best point guard in the league. They didn't get Dwight Howard, but landing Joe Johnson is a fantastic signing. Brook Lopez, although not worth max contract money, is a very good piece for this team. Kris Humphries will do the dirty work and they will be a very tough out in the playoffs.
4. Bulls - Sorry Bulls fans, the Bulls have decided to take a step back before they move forward. Knowing Derek Rose is out the first part of the year they got rid of their bench and dumped salary. They will let this year play out and not push Rose to get back. Their focus is going to be positioning themselves for the 2013-2014 season.
5. Bucks - Well, technically I have to have an 8th place team. This is hard as we are picking a team right now that will not be very good but still make the playoffs. Steph Curry and Monte Ellis didn't work in Golden State and not sure Jennings and Ellis will work in Milwaukee either. Losing Bogut will hurt the Bucks inside play this year as well. Pistons and Magic have a chance here but the Bucks have better talent. Western Conference

1. Lakers - no surprise here. I'm not sure how things always fall the Lakers way but they have the magic touch. The addition of Steve Nash and Dwight Howard to go with Kobe and Gasol makes it look like a fantasy team. On paper, this team looks really good and even unfair at times. Don't forget Antawn Jamison and Jodie Meeks are new additions that will be coming off the bench for a nice lift. Only chance other teams have is that D Howard isn't healthy or Kobe goes down with an injury.
2. Thunder - This is a tough pick. I was thinking this was going to be their year until the Lakers pulled a Dwight Howard out of their hat. The Thunder will take the Lakers to the Brink. They have youth, talent, and now experience on their side. Durant will be the scoring champ again. Westbrook and Harden will continue with their dominant play. Their roster gets a small boost with Eric Maynor coming back from injury.
3. Spurs - Every year the Spurs are supposed to be too old and washed up. Every year they end up in the top rankings of the NBA. The last two years they have earned the number one seed in the west going into the playoffs. They have the best coach in basketball in Greg Popovich and Parker, Ginobili, and Duncan are still hard to beat. Spurs have depth and play the best team defense in the NBA.

1. Clippers - This could be the sleeper team in the West. They have tremendous talent and are hands down the most exciting team to watch. Griffin is coming off minor knee surgery but still will be the most explosive player in the NBA. Watch out for CP3 to have his best year of his career. I like their talent and free agent signings of Lamar Odom and Jamal Crawford. Much needed leadership will be in the hands of CP3, Chauncey Billups, and Grant Hill. If the clippers figure it out, they have the talent to move up to two or three.
2. Denver - Denver is a very good team that nobody recognizes. George Karl has done a great job in the post Carmelo Anthony era. They have a lot of similar positions players but can be a very versatile team. Iguodala is an upgrade but not sure he can play the two in the west. Gallinari is the small forward for the Nuggets going forward. Wilson Chandler will be welcomed back and Ty Lawson and Andre Miller will sure up the point guard position. George Karl will find a way to win and will use bizarre lineups to get the job done.
3. Grizzlies - Grizzlies are a very good team but I couldn't find a way to move them higher. It's a case of the western conference being so deep. Grizzlies are physically the toughest team and flat out make it hard on their opponents. Rudy Gay and Marc Gasol among some of the best at their positions. Conley is a good point guard that is an emerging talent that will be even better this year. Zach Randolph will be the key as I never thought he was healthy last year. If Zach can get back to where he was in 2010-2011, Grizzlies could be a lot higher seed.
4. Mavericks - Most teams loosing a Jason Terry, Jason Kidd, and Tyson Chandler a year ago would take a step back. Not the case here. Nowitzki is getting older but still an All-Star. Key additions of Darren Collision at point guard, OJ Mayo at the two, Chris Kaman and Elton Brand have reloaded this roster. Credit Cubin and the GM for finding three starters in the offseason. Not only will they not have a let down this year, they will be better than they were last year. Not a team anyone will want to face in the playoffs.

Related:

2012-13 Utah Jazz season preview

Last season the Jazz came together without a lot of continuity, a coach that would be in his first full year and a lockout that forced them to play without any training camp. They still made the playoffs.

1. Jazz - National media guys think Jazz will be fighting just to make the playoffs. I like the youth and depth of this team. When healthy and with the right lineups, Jazz can beat anyone. Favors has the tools to be a "Dwight Howard" caliber player, but he is still far away from that. Hayward has a very bright future and is versatile enough to play multiple positions. The additions of the William's (Mo and Marvin) and Foye make this a much better roster than last year. Will guys get enough minutes to get into a groove and will there be enough minutes to make everyone happy? Is Kanter emerging as the 3rd pick they thought he could become? If so, what are they going to do with the log jam at the 4 and 5? Can Mo Williams run a system offense and be a pass first point guard? My bet is that Corbin does a great job keeping everyone happy and the Jazz win enough to get them into the playoffs. They need to be watchful as Minnesota and Golden State will be right beside them the entire year. Both the T-Wolves and Golden State think they have enough this year to make a run into the playoffs. These are very exciting times in the NBA. Great talents are back and player movement has made for a more competitive league. The west will be once again more dominant than the east. There are 10 teams in the west that have a legitimate chance of making the playoffs. The reality of the situation is that only one team out of 30 is happy at the end of the year.

My last prediction, if all teams stay injury free, the Lakers will upset the Heat and Dwight Howard and Kobe Bryant will be champions.

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