Now that the dust has finally settled out west, it is time for predictions…

(1)    San Antonio vs. (8) Memphis Grizzlies

The Match-ups:

PG: Tony  Parker vs. Mike Conley, JR.

SG: Gary Neal/Manu Ginobili vs. Sam Young

SF: Richard Jefferson vs. Tony Allen

PF: Tim Duncan vs. Zach Randolph

C: DeJuan Blair vs. Marc Gasol

This should be very competitive, especially for a 1 vs. 8 match-up. Memphis has never won a playoff game, let a lone a series, while the Spurs have multiple championship winners filling its roster. Memphis’ bigs, however, match up very well with San Antonio’s. Not to say he’s a better player, even in this stage of Duncan’s career, but Zach Randolph has a clear statistical advantage in both points and rebounds. Likewise, Marc Gasol is a big, physical body that had a great season for the Grizz. San Antonio has 270 lbs. of DeJuan Blair to throw at him, though, and I expect both to have gaudy rebounding numbers in this one.

When the Grizzlies signed Mike Conley to that extension, I thought they were crazy. While I still think it was premature, Conley has played well enough to restore Memphis’ front office’s sanity in my eyes. Quicker at this stage in their respective careers than Tony Parker, they should be fun to watch running up and down the floor. Tony Allen has stepped in admirably for the injured Rudy Gay, easily Memphis’ best player. I like his match-up against Richard Jefferson, as Allen could completely take him out of some games. Fortunately for San Antonio, Memphis does not have a dominant shooting guard to exploit the loss of Ginobili. Manu is still listed as doubtful, but tweeted that the pain in his hyper extended elbow is almost gone. I expect a game 2 or 3 return for San Antonio’s X-Factor. I like Memphis, but not enough to pick them over the championship experience of San Antonio. Expect a huge spike in Tim Duncan’s numbers, as Poppovich limited his playing time (career low 28.4 minutes per game) with an eye towards the playoffs.

Pick: San Antonio 4-2

(2)    L.A. Lakers vs. (7) New Orleans Hornets

The Match-ups:

PG: Derek Fisher vs. Chris Paul

SG: Kobe Bryant vs. Marco Belinelli

SF: Ron Artest vs. Trevor Ariza

PF: Pau Gasol vs. Carl Landry

C: Andrew Bynum vs. Emeka Okafor

New Orleans has a lot of heart, and has played well in spite of the loss of their second best player, David West, to an ACL tear. I like the Hornets, and ironically, West’s injury may be the only thing keeps him affordable, and allows New Orleans to keep their core together. With or without West, however, New Orleans is not big enough to hang with LA, as their center is shorter than LA’s third big man, Lamar Odom. The brilliance of Chris Paul is the only thing that will keep this one somewhat competitive. Kobe Bryant will abuse Marco Belinelli.

The most intriguing battle will be Ron Artest vs. Trevor Ariza. It’s a shame this one won’t be closer, for watching the two defensive specialists truly duke it out (maybe literally) would have been great to watch. However, their performances could give a more definitive answer to the Ariza vs. Artest debate. Carl Landry is a nice player, and has filled in admirably for West, but Gasol is just too big and too skilled for him. Again, Okafor is a very good, tough, and physical player, but Bynum is too big of a body. Look for LA to run away with this series early, and rest Bynum. They have had two scares with his troublesome knees in the last couple of weeks, and a third could be catastrophic to their championship hopes.

Pick: LA 4-1

(3)    Dallas Mavericks vs. (6) Portland Trail Blazers

The Match-ups:

PG: Jason Kidd vs. Andre Miller

SG: Rodrigue Beaubois vs. Wesley Mathews

SF: Shawn Marion vs. Gerald Wallace

PF: Dirk Nowitzki vs. LaMarcus Aldridge

C: Tyson Chandler vs. Marcus Camby

                Will the size of the Portland Trail Blazers’ shooting guards prevail, or will it be the quickness of the Roddy Beabois and Jason Terry that give the bigger guards fits? The teams are almost freakishly well matched up every where else, and the series could go as the shooting guard battle goes. Earlier in the season, I pegged Dallas as a team that cold give the Lakers fits in the playoffs, as they seemed to have the combination of size, talent, and playoff experience to do it, plus the championship hunger. Dallas immediately became less dangerous, however, when they lost Caron Butler for the season. The remaining players seemed to become disheartened when the trade deadline came and went without a trade to replace Butler’s defense and scoring, as they finished the season 1-9 against the West’s playoff teams.

Tyson Chandler will be going against his older alter-ego in Marcus Camby, and both men should man the post effectively, while Dallas has a more effective backup in the 7 footer Brendan Haywood. Seeing Lamarcus Aldridge and Dirk Nowitzki duke it out will be a spectacle, and has the makings of an all-time duel. If Dirk can get over the championship hump, he will go down as a modern day Larry Bird. As it stands now, he may be more responsible for his team’s success than any other player in the league.

                Dallas’ best matchups against Portland may include Jason Terry and Deshawn Stevenson in the same backcourt. Dallas has not utilized this offensive specialist/defensive specialist combination yet, so it is unlikely to see them do it now. The wild card here is the effectiveness of Brandon Roy. Has Portland been resting him so he can play significant minutes in the playoffs, or are his knees really shot to the point where he can no longer play 30 minutes per game, even for a playoff series? If I am Nate McMillan, I am playing Roy for a total of 15 minutes in the first three quarters, before letting him play the entire fourth. Roy was well on his way to becoming a perennial All-Star before the knee problems that scared teams off in the draft acted up. I say he can be give an all-star performance for a quarter per game. I want to pick Dallas, but their recent playoff and late-season struggles suggest otherwise.

Pick: Portland 4-3

(4)    Oklahoma City Thunder vs. (5) Denver Nuggets

(5)    The Match-ups:

PG: Russell Westbrook vs. Ty Lawson

SG: James Harden vs. Aaron Afflalo

SF: Kevin Durant vs. Danilo Gallinari

PF: Serge Ibaka vs. Kenyon Martin

C: Kendrick Perkins vs. Nene

                This will be the most exciting and high-scoring series in the West’s opening round. Expect multiple over times, and final scores with both teams in the 120s. For all of his exceptional gifts, Russell Westbrook will have his hands full with the dynamic duo of Ty Lawson and Raymond Felton. He will be facing two of the very few guards that are quicker than he is, and must use his strength to his advantage by posting up the smaller duo. James Harden is playing his best basketball down the stretch, and must use his size advantageously when Lawson and Felton share the backcourt. Arron Afflalo and J.R. Smith will have to knock down big threes for Denver.

Danilo Gallinari will have his spurts where he matches Durant shot for shot, but is not consistently near Durant’s level. This is Durant’s time to shine as one of the premiere players on a premiere stage. There weren’t a lot of expectations last season in his first playoff experience as an eight seed, but now is his time to prove he is on the level of Kobe, LeBron, and Wade. We may see the making of a legend an all-time performer in this one.

Serge Ibaka will have his chance to prove the “young KG” references are warranted. Kenyon Martin will do his best to dispel that theory. While his athleticism has gone with his knees, and he doesn’t stand a chance with Ibaka in a slam dunk contest, Martin is still strong as an ox, battle-tested in the playoffs, and uber-competitive. Kendrick Perkins gets his first chance to show off his championship grit to his new teammates, and will not disappoint. Earlier in the season, I wrote how lack of size would kill this team in the playoffs. By trading Jeff Green for Kendrick Perkins, Ibaka can slide into his natural position of power forward, giving the Thunder some of the best protection around the six feet in front of the basket in the league. The Thunder also brought in true center Nazr Mohammed, a starter for the Spurs’ 2005 championship team, in an underrated move. By turning a weakness into a strength, the Thunder are ready to turn some heads and contend for a championship. Now.

Pick: Thunder 4-3 in a super-thriller.

While the Wild West lives up to its name (we won’t know most of the seedings until after tonight) I guess we will skip ahead to Eastern Conference Round 2 predictions…

(1)   Chicago Bulls vs. (4) Orlando Magic

The Match-ups:

PG: Derrick Rose vs. Jameer Nelson

SG: Keith Bogans vs. Jason Richardson

SF: Luol Deng vs. Hedo Turkoglu

PF: Carlos Boozer vs. Brandon Bass

C: Joakim Noah vs. Dwight Howard

            The Bulls won the final three regular season match-ups against Orlando after their worst loss of the season, 107-78 on Dec. 1 (Carlos Boozer’s first game of the season). That, of course, was before the huge trade that shook up the Magic roster and made them look like the cast from The Expendables. A mixture of washed-up, slightly past their prime, and barely-hanging-on talent thrown together in a big budget film that will produce a lot of oohs and ahs, struggle with cohesion and chemistry, and at the end of the day, won’t be holding any Academy Awards. Otis Smith/Sylvester Stallone should be ashamed. 

 Orlando was hot from the outside in that game, going 10 for 21 from three-point land. The Magic will have to continue to dominate from distance to keep up with the Bulls. Chicago falls asleep on perimeter D from time to time, but I don’t see it happening often, if at all, in the playoffs. Dwight Howard and Derrick Rose will not find much resistance in getting their points. The difference, however, is Rose takes over the end of games, where as Howard, with his poor free throw shooting, is easy to take out at the end. The Magic still do not have a closer, a problem that has plagued them since their Finals run two years ago.

The Magic’s porous D could lead to foul trouble for Howard, as he will be the only thing stopping Rose on his ferocious drives to the basket. After the recent near Howard-less loss the Magic, I expect the Bulls to pick it up, especially in their defense on Ryan Anderson, who made Noah look bad in route to his career-high 28 points (Noah was eventually benched in favor of Taj Gibson). Turkoglu will have a tough time offensively and defensively with Luol Deng, and his stat line could look pretty ugly buy the end of the series. Keith Bogans and Ronnie Brewer should be able to handle Jason Richardson defensively. Dwight Howard’s dominance and a couple of hot shooting nights should be enough to make this one competitive.

Pick: Chicago 4-2

(2)   Miami Heat vs. (3) Boston Celtics

Match-ups:

PG: Mario Chalmers vs. Rajon Rondo

SG: Dwyane Wade vs. Ray Allen

SF: LeBron James vs. Paul Pierce

PF: Chris Bosh vs. Kevin Garnett

C: Erik Dampier vs. Jermaine O’Neal

Ladies and Gentlemen, the moment you’ve all been waiting for…

            This is the series we have all wanted to see since the words “I’m taking my talents to South Beach” escaped LeBron’s mouth on that fateful Summer day that changed the NBA as we knew it. If the Magic are The Expendables this match-up is The Departed. It’s got the brilliant star power who complement each other brilliantly. It has more twists in its plot than a ride at Hershey Park. Overseeing it all is Pat Riley, who shipped Carlos Arroyo’s contract to Boston for Marty Scorsese’s director’s chair. It’s Matt Damon vs. Leonardo Dicaprio. It’s Dumbledore vs. Voldemort. It’s Big Three vs. Big Threegos.  It’s… Miami vs. Boston.

            Mike Bibby and Mario Chalmers have been splitting time and starting opportunities, but unless Bibby gets hot from deep in the first two minutes he’s on the floor, he should not play more than 15 minutes in any game this series. In spite of his performance in the recent 100-77 loss to Miami, Rondo will shred Bibby to pieces. Chalmers has the length and speed to contain Rondo, is already known as a defensive specialist, and can knock down the three pointer to keep Rondo honest (not gambling for easy steals by sagging off). Every year in the playoffs, Ray Allen surprises me with his defense. I’ve never seen such a huge disparity in regular-season defense to playoff defense. Allen is a solid and capable defender who plays his part in the regular season, but in the playoffs he is all-world. He did an amazing job on Kobe in the finals last year, including helping force him into an 8 for 24 shooting performance in game 7.

            Paul Pierce vs. LeBron James. We have seen this one before, and it can only get better. They are the two best small forwards of the generation, going toe-to-toe. They’ve hounded each other into bad offensive nights, and they’ve lit each other up, like they did in game 7 of Boston vs. Cleveland in 2008, when they went off for 45 and 41 respectively in the Celtics’ victory en route to their championship. Predictably, LeBron has had the slightly better stats, but Pierce has the hardware. Pierce represents the proverbial monkey on LeBron’s back. Can he throw him off this time around?

            And of course, who could forget about Chris Bosh vs. Kevin Garnett. Bosh, once referred to as “A young Kevin Garnett” will have his chance on the biggest stage to prove he is not the forgotten man of the Big Threegos. Bosh has been a much more efficient part of the offense since his demand of getting the ball in his comfort spot. To their credit, Wade and James have delivered, and the Heat have been rolling ever since.

            Since before the season started, I’ve gone back and forth approximately 153,472 times on who would win this one. It comes down to this: Can the Big Threegos cease to be LeBron James, Dwyane Wade, and Chris Bosh? To come out on top, they must be WaBron and Bosh. The reason Bosh’s stats haven’t been affected by the highs and lows of Miami’s season is because, at their worst, Miami has played a two man game with Wade or LeBron pounding the ball at the top of the key, then creating his own shot, or creating for Bosh. They cannot advance past the second round doing this. At their best, WaBron and Bosh team with the other two players on the court to create beautiful ball movement and chemistry. I say WaBron can show up for four out of seven games.

Pick: Miami 4-3*

That’s right. A 7’1” 350 lb. asterisk. My prediction was still with Boston up until Shaq’s calf injury. 30 minutes per game of Shaq from the second round on is the difference between Boston losing here in 7, and them beating Miami in 7, and Chicago in 7 to return to the finals. As the teams stand now I have to take Miami. 30 minutes from Shaq can replace 90% of what Kendrick Perkins did for this team defensively, while simultaneously being an upgrade offensively. The fate of the most exciting season in decades resting on Shaq’s shoulders? The Big Fella wouldn’t have it any other way.  

Welcome to the NBA Tournament

                                                           The Beasts in the East

                                                 Chicago Bulls (1) vs. Indiana Pacers (8)
                                                                     Match-ups:
                                                 PG: Derrick Rose vs. Darren Collison
                                                  SG: Keith Bogans vs. Paul George
                                                   SF: Luol Deng vs. Danny Granger
                                               PF: Carlos Boozer vs. Tyler Hansbrough
                                                     C: Joakim Noah vs. Roy Hibbert

             This match-up will end up very similar to that of the Bulls’ last season, though on the opposite end of the spectrum. This time Chicago is the top dog playing host to the upstart Pacers. Indiana is a young, tough, and well-coached team that won’t have enough talent to hang with Chicago. However, like Joakim Noah last season vs. LeBron’s Cavs, Danny Granger has made it clear Indiana will fight through every game. The stars here are obviously Derrick Rose and Danny Granger. However, Rose should exploit Collison through the series, as like most match-ups for Rose, he has every physical advantage over the solid Collison. The Bulls however, have a fringe All-Star and probable All-NBA defender in Luol Deng to throw against Granger, as well as the best team defense in the NBA to help slow him down. Expect some tough shooting nights from Granger. Tyler Hansbrough’s spasmic energy may frustrate Boozer down low, and a few Duke vs. UNC bad blood shoving matches between the two would not be a surprise. With young talent at one through five, the Pacers have a bright future. If the Pacers determine Hibbert and Hansbrough aren't building blocks, they could package the pair for another star scorer to pair with Granger. However, this team’s ceiling may be to lose entertaining match-ups year in and year out to the Heat and Bulls. Party like it’s 1996.
Pick: Bulls 4-1

                                              Miami Heat (2) vs. Philadelphia 76ers (7)
                                                                Match-ups:
                                           PG: Mario Chalmers vs. Jrue Holliday
                                             SG: Dwyane Wade vs. Jodie Meeks
                                            SF: LeBron James vs. Andre Igoudala
                                                PF: Chris Bosh vs. Elton Brand
                                           C: Erik Dampier vs. Spencer Hawes

           With the Big Threegos, we know where the obvious match-up advantages are here. And unfortunately for Philly they may hae the superior point guard and center positions, in Jrue Holliday and Spencer Hawes, but that duo is not striking fear in anybody. Expect Dwyane Wade to abuse Jodie Meeks and cripple his confidence by game 2. You can’t really ask for a better defender to put on LeBron than Andre Igoudala, but will it matter? Elton Brand had his best season in Philadelphia, but the length and athleticism of Bosh will frustrate him. It’s unfortunate the 76ers drew this match-up, as with their youth, athleticism, and team offense I think they could have put a scare in Boston had they been able to hold onto the 6 seed. Great work by Doug Collins on the season, as he took one of the worst teams in the NBA and made them a playoff team with virtually the same roster. Evan Turner will have to make huge strides in the next two seasons for this team to advance any further than a first round exit. As it stands, however, I only see over-confidence leading to any wins for the scrappy 6ers.
Pick: Miami 4-1

                                                 Boston Celtics (3) vs. New York Knicks
                                                                     Match-ups:
                                                PG: Rajon Rondo vs. Chauncey Billups
                                                      SG: Ray Allen vs. Landry Fields
                                                     SF: Paul Pierce vs. Carmelo Anthony
                                                 PF: Kevin Garnett vs. Amare Stoudemire
                                              C: Jermaine O’Neal vs. Jared Jeffries

             This will be the most entertaining of the first-round series’ and a classic offense vs. defense match-up. The current trending of the two teams’ makes me want to pick New York in the upset. However, Boston has that championship grit, and is always capable of making a run. Seeing as how New York does not have any true centers, this as far as Boston can go without 30 minutes per game of Shaq. Rondo versus Billups is about as polar opposite of styles as a point guard match-up can be. Rondo is a young, slashing, creative passer with a specialty on defense. Billups is the smooth-shooting heady veteran whose defense has slipped a bit as his quickness has gone in recent years, but is a force to be reckoned with at the end of games. As if sticking LeBron James and Kobe Bryant weren’t enough, Paul Pierce now has Carmelo Anthony to hound for an entire series. Kevin Garnett seems fresher at this stage than Amare, who seems to have burnt out from carrying the Knicks for the first 2/3 of the season. The Celtics’ team defense and rebounding should be enough to carry them past the rising Knicks. Jared Jeffries and Shelden Williams are stiffs at center, and Boston should be fine with Nenad Krstic and whatever they can get out of the O’Neal brothers. Jermaine O'Neal's 37 minute double double against Washington was very encouraging to see for Boston. There is no chance of them getting out of the second round with Krstic playing 30 minutes.
Pick: Boston 4-2

                                              Orlando Magic (4) vs. Atlanta Hawks (5)
                                                               The match-ups:
                                                PG: Jameer Nelson vs. Kirk Hinrich
                                               SG: Jason Richardson vs. Joe Johnson
                                                  SF: Hedo Turkoglu vs. Josh Smith
                                                  PF: Brandon Bass vs. Al Horford
                                                C: Dwight Howard vs. Zaza Pachulia
           
             These teams deserve each other. They are the two biggest underachievers in the league and frequently seem disinterested, like winning games is not of importance. When Orlando made the big trade earlier, I was all for it. Now, seeing what Marcin Gortat has done with his minutes in Pheonix, I am wondering how they pass up the opportunity to put the perfect power forward next to Howard. How do you pass on having two 7 foot shot-blocking big men? Who would be able to drive against that duo? Who would even want to try? Offensively, they even complement each other, as Gortat can hit the midrange J, and even jacks up a few threes in Pheonix (then again once you cross into Arizona you are given the green light to throw up some triples). This has the potential to be an epic and high-scoring affair. However, both teams have proven thus far they are not going to live up to their potential. This has the makings of a going-through-the motions series, with the teams trading who will go through the motions with slightly more enthusiasm and energy.
Orlando 4-2
 

NBA Season Awards

End of year predictions

So I don’t have a vote for the NBA awards (maybe someday). But that won’t stop me from lending a hand in naming them anyway…

MVP: Derrick Rose

Sure, it’s easy to pick the guy who the media has named MVP in a remarkable season for the catalyst of the unexpected number one team in the east. But hey, the guy checks every box you would want in an MVP candidate. He averages 32.8 combined assists and points per game, second only to LeBron James. At 22 years old, he is the unquestioned leader of the Bulls, and a huge part of why the team has bought in to rookie coach Tom Thibedeau’s system. It’s a lot easier to coach a new team when your superstar follows your lead without question (just ask Erik Spoelstra). Beyond the statistics, he has improved his on-the-ball defense remarkably. He is the go-to guy and a killer in crunch time, unlike LeBron (the best player in the first 46 minutes of a game you will ever see). The only knocks on the guy are absurd stats within stats that question his efficiency. However, like my father said, there are lies, there are damn lies, and then there are statistics. Behind his lead, the team kept winning without Joakim Noah and/or Carlos Boozer for 60 games. Would the team be lost with an average point guard at the helm rather than Rose? With their outstanding team defense, and the brilliant Thibs, the answer is no. But they would not be the number one team in the east, either. Go-to scorer, willing passer, crunch time assassin, solid defender, and selfless teammate. Sounds like your 2010-11 MVP to me. 

Runner-up: Dwight Howard

Defensive player of the year: Dwight Howard

How many years will this be Howard’s consolation prize for MVP? If your argument for value in a player is who would field the worst team without their best player, it would be Howard. But he can’t win a game like Rose can. Defensively, however, Howard has no peers. He is surrounded by a team of some of the worst on-the-ball defenders in the league, and that’s after dumping half-man half-amazingly-lethargic Vince Carter. While he needs a lesson from Bill Russell on keeping those blocks in bounds and saving possession, he erases his teammates’ mistakes more than anyone in the league. He shuts down the other teams’ big man, and stops penetration from everyone not named James, Wade, or Rose. He would win this award every season until his legs become old and Shaq-like if not for the simple reason that the voters feel the need to share the love fro time-to-time with the awards (see: Charles Barkley’s and Karl Malone’s MVP awards over Jordan in the ‘90’s).

Runner-up: Kevin Garnett

Rookie of the Year: Blake Griffin

With all due respect to John Wall, this is the by far the easiest award to pick. Blake Superior quite literally hurdled the competition, and a car, on his way to this award. King Blake puts up 22/12/4 and is still just a freak of an athlete, not a basketball player. The sky is the limit for Shake N Blake, but only he will determine how high it goes. He can continue at this pace and be a hell of an All-Star for the next decade plus. Or, he can follow the Derrick Rose method and polish his weaknesses to the point that he has none, making himself a perennial MVP candidate, thrusting himself into the best player in the game conversation, while simultaneously pressuring Dwight Howard for title of BBD (Biggest Baddest Dude). The Griffin has already taken LeBron’s fiercest dunker title, and it seems the polish on the rest of his game is two hard summers of work away. If they can get a full season of health from Eric Gordon, look out for the Clippers in 2012-2013.

P.S. After experimenting with the Blake Griffin nickname charade, I have decided that nothing sounds more badass/sounds better for Blake Griffin than Blake Griffin. And that’s that. No more nicknames, please.

Runner-up: John Wall

Most Improved Player: Kevin Love

This award could go to a number of players, pending how your opinion of most improved. Often it goes to the player who goes from marginal contributor to solid producer, similar to Kris Humphries. You could also go the route of star-turned superstar, a la Derrick Rose. In this case, you can’t deny Kevin Love going from solid player to historic performer. His rebounding numbers alone could seal it, but he also is an all-around offensive threat that averages 20ppg and shoots 42% from deep. For a franchise that seemed completely lost and without an identity, he has given the Timberwolves their first franchise player since the Kevin Garnett trade. Beasley has already established himself as a solid number two, and if the team gets a point guard (Ricky Rubio anyone??), GM David Kahn is not embarrassing all the writers out there who dream of being an NBA General Manager.

Runner-up: J.J. Hickson

6^th Man of the Year: Lamar Odom

Odom has been arguably the second most important player for the defending champs this year. He has truly been a real glue guy. Ron Artest is imploding? The team is bickering and pointing fingers? Bynum or Gasol are hurt? A little dab of Odom will do it. Lamar has selflessly accepted his role, knowing full well he would be the second best player on a lot of playoff teams, as he was in Miami before the Shaq trade. For his whole career I have wondered why Odom is not Kevin Garnett. They have similar build and athletic ability, and Odom may have a more-rounded skill set (he’s definitely a better ball handler and playmaker). Regardless, cool, calm, collected, and multi-talented, Odom was the perfect player to keep this team together when the pressure of the media seemed to get to them. If they do indeed meet his athletic alter ego in June, Odom will be key to the Lakers’ three-peat.

Runner-up: Jason Terry

Coach of the Year: Doug Collins

This is a toss-up. George Karl did a phenomenal job handling the Carmelo insanity. However, with or without Melo, the Nuggets have far more talent than Doug Collins has to work with in Philadelphia. With largely the same roster as one of the worst teams in the league last season, Doug Collins made the 76ers the six or seven seed in the east. They will be a competitive out for Miami and Boston, and if either team overlooks the hungry Sixers, Philly could give them a six or seven game scare. The one significant addition to the team, number 2 overall pick Evan Turner, did not even perform well (7.1ppg). However, he was a slow starter at Ohio State, not blossoming until his Player of the Year junior season. If Turner can play up to his draft status, and team with Andre Iguodala, the 76ers will have one of the most athletic and well-rounded 2-3 combinations in the game. They need Turner to perform, but look out for this team in the next two seasons.

Runner-up: George Karl

Next up….

March Madness gives way to Awesome April and May Mayhem. Playoff Predictions!!