Tag Archives: knicks

2016-2017 NBA Predictions!

October 25, 2016 rdtworldofsport@gmail.com

It’s finally time for some NBA basketball! Last season was historic for plenty of reasons as Golden State broke the 96 Bulls’ record for wins with 73…but fell to LeBron and the Cavs in the NBA Finals. Of course, for the city of Cleveland that was historic of itself. Other crazy stuff happened too…like Kevin Durant joining those Warriors and spurning the Oklahoma City Thunder (can we just make the late 90s Magic/2010s Thunder comparison documentary now). Dwyane Wade also switched teams to Chicago. The Knicks also built an alleged superteam, even though all of those guys peaked from 2010 through 2013. We also had one stacked retirement class in Tim Duncan, Kobe Bryant, Kevin Garnett, Amar’e Stoudemire and Elton Brand. Sadly, Chris Bosh may be added to that if he isn’t cleared to compete. Sorry for the spoilers, but all of this is just going to lead to Warriors-Cavs III anyway. Yeah the NBA is predictable, but when that predictability gets toppled (like the Cavs beating the Warriors) those moments are incredible.

Atlantic Division

Celtics: 51-31 (2)
Raptors: 42-40 (7)
Knicks: 41-41 (8)
76ers: 18-64
Nets: 13-69

Boston is correctly the off-season darling as they are a well coached team (President Stevens!), added Al Horford and already have a solid team overall. There are a lot of Cavs hangover-Celtics in the Finals predictions, but Boston will probably lose in the Eastern Conference Finals to Cleveland. Even though Toronto was a good team last year (and I didn’t even believe in them), the team will go as far as Kyle Lowry takes them and I don’t really know what to make of DeMar Derozan. I sense he’s that good stats guy who’s not really that great. The Knicks might have been a title contender in 2011, but Derrick Rose, Carmelo Anthony and Joakim Noah just isn’t going to make for a high profile offense at this point. They’ll have their nights for sure. But Noah has been one of the worst offensive centers in his last full season (and he was good at one time), and all he’s going to do it logjam the middle for Melo and Rose (and Brandon Jennings), none of whom are great outside shooters although Melo gets hot once in a while. The 76ers still have a long way to go and I sadly believe Embiid, great as he’s looked, has Greg Oden injury potential written all over him. The Nets are the laughing stock everyone predicted when they traded their future for old Paul Pierce and old Kevin Garnett.

Central Division

Cavaliers: 54-28 (1)
Pacers: 49-33 (3)
Pistons: 45-37 (5)
Bulls: 40-42
Bucks: 29-53

Once again, there are a lot of “Cavalier hangover” articles out there, but they’ll get over it before the playoffs anyway. I mean this is a team that overcame a mid-season coaching change and beat the greatest regular season team ever. Yeah, maybe LeBron is slightly past his prime, but so was Jordan in the 2^nd three-peat and that worked out fine. They are going to the Finals again. Paul George was great in his return season and I see no reason he won’t be better next year, and in the East that’s enough. They almost beat the Raptors in Round 1 afterall. Detroit is a team that I need to see get it done before I can put them higher, but Andre Drummond has best center in the league potential. He just needs to hit a free throw. Putting the Knicks over the Bulls might have been homerism from me…but Chicago has a lot of the same issues the Knicks have in regards to spacing, and it may actually be worse. They’ll miss Pau Gasol too. I know the Bucks have Giannis, but he seems more highlight reel worthy than actually leading to wins.

Southeast Division

Wizards: 45-37 (4)
Hawks: 43-39 (6)
Hornets: 33-49
Magic: 32-50
Heat: 31-51

What a mess of a division. I think it’s time for John Wall to put up or shut up. He has the talent to be an elite guy, but whether he will be is another question. The Hawks mainly dropped Horford for Dwight Howard. I think there’s some homerun upside here…but it’s probably leading to a small regression. Hornets are one of the teams I don’t believe in this year. Kemba Walker had a good year and all, but just look at that roster. I think it falls apart. Serge Ibaka isn’t going to lead to wins for a Magic team with no identity. The Heat are a mess. Goran Dragic gets another chance I guess to make something happen and return to All-NBA 3^rd Team form, but Hassan Whiteside is either really good or deceptively bad, Chris Bosh is gone and I think Miami has to start from scratch.

Northwest Division

Thunder: 50-32 (4)
Utah Jazz: 49-33 (5)
Timberwolves: 48-34 (6)
Trail Blazers: 42-40
Nuggets: 28-54

The Thunder will still be there because Russell Westbrook is a Top 5 guy. Victor Oladipo may find a new lease on life playing with him too. And you know Westbrook is determined to show he can do it without Durant. Utah’s put all the pieces together over the last five years and it should finally show something. Minnesota has Tom Thibodeau as coach and an exciting young core led by KAT. They remind me of the 09-10 Thunder. Portland looked good thanks to a big year from Lillard and big improvement from CJ McCollum, but all the pieces fell in place perfectly last year for them just to end up at 44-38 (bad Anthony Davis year, no Wolves, Rockets falling apart). The Nuggets are just there and that’s the best way to describe them at the moment.

Pacific Division

Warriors: 64-18 (1)
Clippers: 52-30 (3)
Kings: 40-42
Lakers: 36-46
Suns: 30-52

I was absolutely wrong about how this division would shake out last year. This year it’s clear the Warriors will be at the top adding Kevin Durant, and they’ll settle for a nice 60+ win season while probably resting key guys down the stretch. That’s because the Clippers have peaked (and really peaked in the 14-15 season). While Blake Griffin should be amazing now and Chris Paul is still the best pure point guard, the chemistry isn’t there anymore and all the Blake trade rumors from last year has to take its toll. I think it may be time to start over really. The Kings will improve because Cousins is hitting his prime, although the roster is still a mess. Lakers should automatically improve without having Kobe on the roster and adding Ingram. I know I picked D’Angelo Russell as ROTY last year, but I think the toxic Laker make-up cost him that chance. Not much to be happy about post Goran Dragic with the Suns to be honest.

Southwest Division

Rockets: 53-29 (2)
Spurs: 48-34 (7)
Pelicans: 45-37 (8)
Mavericks: 41-41
Grizzlies: 34-48

The Rockets ended up being an embarrassing division winning prediction last year, but I love the idea of a Mike D’Antoni coached James Harden point guard team. If Harden can be efficient, he may swipe MVP. Chemistry should only be better too. The LaMarcus Aldrige grumblings have already begun. Gregg Popovich is an amazing coach and the Spurs still seem stacked, but Gasol is on his last legs, Aldridge is unhappy and I want to see Kawhi Leonard be the man. I think that post Duncan era regression begins slowly. Anthony Davis got a shooter in Buddy Hield, but either a star needs to be put with him or we need to prepare for Davis to leave New Orleans in a few years. It’s too late for the Mavericks. And we are way past the correct era for the Grizzlies with their $153 Million man to succeed.

Warriors over Cavs in 7 for the title. I think LeBron is top 3 all time…but the Warriors just added Kevin Durant for free. Imagine if Jordan had to run into the 98 Jazz but they added Grant Hill or something? This is actually worse!

Basketball

NBA Predictions 15-16

October 27, 2015 rdtworldofsport@gmail.com

It’s almost time for another season of NBA basketball. The Pre-Season is usually the last time fans can have a realistic outlook for how their team will perform. While the NBA has traditionally lacked parity, several roster changes and several young stars making the leap allowed a Final Four involving four teams that hadn’t made a Final Four in years (Cleveland last made the Eastern Conference Finals in 2009 thanks to the return of LeBron, Atlanta has to go back to 1970 before they were that close to the Finals, Golden State’s last Conference Finals was way back in 1976, and the emergence of Stephen Curry was a big reason why, and Houston last got to the WCF in 1997, led by the emerging James Harden). Once again the off-season had big pieces moving all around. That, combined with the emergence of some new stars (read: Anthony Davis) plus the return of some others (Kevin Durant) makes this another unpredictable NBA season…

Right?

Atlantic Division
Celtics: 46-36 (5)
Nets: 35-47
Raptors: 34-48
Knicks 32-50
76ers: 21-61

I swear each year this division gets worse and worse. There are two intriguing teams here. First we have who I predict will win the division, the Boston Celtics. The Celtics honestly are primed for another dynasty with a bunch of Brooklyn Nets picks and even a Dallas Mavericks 1^st too. Isaiah Thomas’ trade to Boston last year led to a 21-4 season finish and a playoff berth. Adding David Lee will only help the offense. The Raptors had made the playoffs two straight years and bring back potentially a more dangerous team than the last two years (adding DeMarre Carroll) but there was a lot of doubt in Coach Dwane Casey after a disappointing playoff exit and I think the Raptors go downhill until there’s a switch. The Nets are a mess, the Knicks need a huge Carmelo year and really I think they’re going to trade him anyway as he got his money, and the 76ers are like a PS2 Madden Franchise hoarding picks all over the place. Problem is, unlike Madden, those picks haven’t been guaranteed to be anything yet.

Central Division
Bulls: 54-28 (1)
Cavaliers: 52-30 (2)
Pacers: 44-38 (7)
Bucks: 38-44 (8)
Pistons: 35-47

Derrick Rose problems aside, I think the Bulls will improve from the coaching switch. Tom Thibodeau tired players throughout the season and played a defensive heavy system. Fred Hoiberg should open up the offense and rest guys appropriately. It’s like the poor man’s version of The Warriors switching from Mark Jackson to Steve Kerr last season. I expect Jimmy Butler to have a huge season as well. The only thing that will derail the Bulls will be if Rose and Butler have issues. The Cavs are the Cavs…which is a great thing for them. Irving’s injuries and the need to rest LeBron a bit will cost them some wins, but at this point it’s clear it doesn’t really matter as long as LeBron is good for the playoffs. The Pacers lost tons of pieces and even added Monta Ellis, but Paul George returning should be enough for 44 wins in the East, even if he plays the 4. The Bucks might be better than 38-44, but I think adding Greg Monroe will clog the pain and actually add problems for Jabari Parker. As long as Reggie Jackson starts at point guard for Detriot, the longer they’ll be stuck in mediocrity unless Andre Drummond goes off (and don’t rule that out).

Southeast Division
Heat: 49-33 (3)
Hawks: 48-34 (4)
Wizards: 45-37 (6)
Hornets: 35-47
Magic: 29-53

Miami should be able to reach the expectations they had last year post-LeBron. As long as Hassan Whiteside wasn’t a fluke, Chris Bosh is healthy, Dwyane Wade realizes he’s not who he once was and Goran Dragic gets to play his game they should be good. The Hawks lost Carroll but should be fine. 60 wins was a bit on the luck side last year. Washington has yet to tell me why they’ll be improving, and losing a veteran like Paul Pierce is only going to hurt. Could John Wall and Bradley Beal bring their games to the next level? Maybe, but I think they both actually have limited upsides and we’re close to them already. The Hornets would be a lot worse if they weren’t in the East. Orlando has a lot of young talent but has a long ways to go.

Northwest Division
Thunder: 51-31 (5)
Utah Jazz: 44-38 (8)
Trail Blazers: 31-51
Nuggets: 29-53
Timberwolves: 18-64

Of course, the return of a healthy Kevin Durant will be a huge deal, and Russell Westbrook played like a MVP candidate last year, but I sense that won’t work out too great here. 51-31 isn’t a bad record, but all the fears fans had in the past about Westbrook taking too many shots and Durant not taking enough will manifest this season now that Westbrook experienced the year he had last year. Yes Westbrook led the league in scoring last year. Yes he was ridiculous. But he’s not Kevin Durant. The Thunder have serious depth problems with Dion Waiters potentially in a starting role as well. My pick for the young team to improve is Utah. The Stifle Tower and Derrick Favors were pretty good last year. They were 19-10 after the All-Star Break. I think Damian Lillard is a dark horse for leading the league in scoring this year…to go along with 40% shooting. Denver’s pretty much a mess and will probably trade off all of their pieces, and Minnesota needs a couple of years still.

Pacific Division
Clippers: 62-20 (1)
Warriors: 59-23 (3)
Suns: 33-49
Kings: 33-49
Lakers: 30-52

My big prediction: this is the year the Clippers have a dominant regular season, and Chris Paul actually wins his first MVP trophy. When Stephen Curry (rightfully) won the ’15 MVP with a 23-7, that opened up the doors for someone like Paul. Golden State will be right there of course, unless Curry gets hurt. The Suns added Tyson Chandler, which made little sense at Phoenix is a team that needs to rebuild and won’t be contending. I see more George Karl-DeMarcus Cousins problems in Sacramento. Let’s be honest, the Lakers need to rebuild at this point. I think D’Angelo Russell is my Rookie of the Year pick though, unless Kobe never lets him touch the ball.

Southwest Division
Rockets: 60-22 (2)
Spurs: 52-30 (4)
Grizzlies: 48-34 (6)
Pelicans: 45-37 (7)
Mavericks: 38-44

James Harden should only get better (and he was actually my MVP pick last year) and Dwight Howard has somehow become underrated. The Ty Lawson upgrade, as long as his head is on straight, is going to be huge for Houston. Everyone seems to think the Spurs are going to control the league with LaMarcus Aldridge joining, but in reality it’s going to take some time for him to get used to the Spurs system after being the go to in Portland. Still…I think it works out by April. The Grizzlies are the same team they are every year. Anthony Davis is amazing, but the reality is his team is awful around him and guys like Tyreke Evans only looked better last year because of Davis’ presence. Davis is going to be in that Davis Robinson position for a while. As much as I love Dirk Nowitzki…Dallas just lost too much with Chandler and who knows what Chandler Parsons will be like this year.

But I did mention that I think the Spurs figure it out by April, and when they do they’ll get through this as tough as ever West and defeat Cleveland to win the franchise’s sixth Championship.

Baseball, Basketball, Football, Hockey

Should I Bandwagon the 2015 Mets?

April 25, 2015 rdtworldofsport@gmail.com 1 Comment

I haven’t seriously watched baseball since 2007. Being a New York Mets fan left me with an obvious feeling of inferiority living in the New York City area, as everyone and their mother rooted for the Yankees. Heck, even later in 2009 I found myself cheering on the Yanks in their quest to win the World Series. Being a Mets fan just brought upon struggles that really didn’t seem worth it to be a dedicated fan. 2007 of course was the nail in the coffin, when Tom Glavine didn’t come through and the Mets completed an epic collapse to miss the playoffs. That killed it for me. At the time all my teams were either struggling or irrelevant, and it felt like the Mets were all I had left (Knicks were terrible, Jets were whatever, I lost interest in the NHL and Chris Benoit nearly destroyed wrestling).

So I detached myself from the Mets. Sure I was still annoyed about yet another late season collapse to miss the playoffs, but I didn’t care as much as I used to. The whole Wilpon-Madoff scandal flew right by me, and it was nice not to care. The only thing that peaked my interest and had me still following the Mets from a distance was Matt Harvey. But the Mets, and baseball as a whole (yeah, the whole steroid-era deal disgusts me even today, as I built my fandom then) just wasn’t worth the trouble.

So…is it time to bandwagon the Mets? The 2015 Mets were expected to be terrible…and have shot out to a 13-3 record and an 11 game winning streak. A similar situation came up in 2012 for me, as I had lost most of my interest in the NHL in the late 2000s. In 2012 though, the Devils made a run and went all the way to the Stanley Cup Finals. I decided it was okay to bandwagon them for a few reasons. First, my favorite player, Martin Brodeur was still the starting goalie. Second, I did get a little into hockey over the few years prior thanks to Sidney Crosby, and did attend a Devils game earlier in 2012 before they even looked like a Stanley Cup contender. Lastly, there were several instances where I really saw just how many bandwagon fans there are for teams.

I always thought that the Yankees and Lakers (and Celtics) just had a strong fanbase for decades. In about 2011 I realized most Yankee fans from my era were full of it when the Yankees finally had to rebuild. Most of those Yankee fans disappeared because the Yankees stopped winning. It’s the same deal with the Lakers…now that Kobe’s done and they are terrible, fans have left in droves or even converted to the Clippers (including you Jack!). Ditto for the Celtics, I don’t think I’ve seen a piece of Celtic apparel all year. This works the opposite way too. I once met a Clipper fan who I said he was a Clipper fan since he was a kid, but didn’t know who Elton Brand was. The Brooklyn Nets suddenly became the cool team when they moved, but all I know is no one was sitting with me in Newark when I attended Nets games, and once it was realized that Deron Williams is one of the most overrated players in recent NBA history and the team as a whole wasn’t anything special, fans again left in droves. Don’t get me started on the Miami Heat either. Going into other sports, football always has a legion of bandwagoners, especially when it comes to the New York Giants. The list goes on and on.

My favorite bandwagon story actually involved me being called a bandwagoner. The one team I’ve always stuck by has been the New York Knicks, and it hasn’t been a pretty century. I was (am) a pretty big opponent of the Carmelo Anthony trade. In 2012 the Knicks were floundering with Melo. But when Linsanity saved the Knicks that season, everything changed. I made sure I had a Lin jersey and everything. One early Sunday, after Linsanity had cooled, the Knicks lost a pretty important game against the Sixers (I think). I remember walking through NYC afterwards and someone called me a bandwagon fan because of the Lin jersey. He was wearing a Melo jersey of course. And while it may not be the case, I’d be willing to bet that this particular fan didn’t go through Marbury and Francis, or Rose and Curry. I’m willing to bet he became a fan when Carmelo showed up. Ironic, isn’t it?

So I’ve made a list of rules that I consider to be the Book of Bandwagoning. Yes it’s okay to be a bandwagoner, as long as you abide by these rules.

You don’t pretend to know more than you do about the team. If you are bandwagoning this Mets team, don’t pretend to know about the 1986 Championship team just to fit in.
You don’t flip flop. If you are leaving a team you are sick of, don’t run back to them when they get good again and pretend you never left. For example, the Phoenix Suns became my 2^nd favorite team because my favorite player, Steve Nash, joined them. But if you asked me who would I want to win a hypothetical Finals between the Knicks and Suns at that time, I’d pick the Knicks. If your answer there is the Suns, then you’ve officially given up your Knicks fandom.
You can become a real fan if you stick with the lows. For example, if you are still a LA Laker fan now, then you’re a real fan and not a bangwagoner anymore.
You don’t call out others for bangwagoning. I absolutely hated seeing Giants fans call out Eagles bandwagon fans all over Facebook over the last few years. Of course, then both of those fanbases went after Dallas. Division rivalries are great without tons of fake fans. By the way, Yankee fans did this to Red Sox fans in 2004 too.
You admit you are a bandwagon fan. Perhaps the most important rule. If you are a bandwagon fan, say so. Everytime I talk about the 2012 Devils, I start with “I bandwagoned them”. Because I did. And I enjoyed it. And it was fun. And I can’t even name a Devil right now.

There are some exceptions to whether or not you are a bandwagon fan. It’s perfectly fine to become a fan of a team if you are a fan of a particular player (like Peyton Manning and Chris Paul fans…or nearly like me and Nash) as long as you explain it.

In conclusion, I’m not bandwagoning the Mets yet. It’s too early. But if they are in the mix come September, don’t be surprised to see me with a Mets cap on once again.

RDT World of Sport

Tag Archives: knicks

2016-2017 NBA Predictions!

NBA Predictions 15-16

Should I Bandwagon the 2015 Mets?

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