NBA Predictions Sure to Go Wrong. (Granted there is a season.)

Dwight Howard and Chris Paul will end up with the Lakers before the start of 2012-2013 season.

I don’t know how they do it, but some how the Lakers always have superstar players fall right into their lap. Example: The Pau Gasol trade a couple of years ago.
This year it will not only happen once, but it will happen twice involving two of the biggest names in the NBA Dwight Howard and Chris Paul.
Now I might be a little a crazy for suggesting it, but just hear me out. Neither Howard nor Paul is happy with their current clubs. They want to go to teams that will contend for championships and the Lakers are a perfect fit.

To get Dwight Howard the deal is pretty simple. Lakers VP Jim Buss needs to get over his big ego of his favorite draft find, the injury prone Andrew Bynum and trade him for Howard. There has already been rumblings that the Magic would entertain such an offer.
From Orlando's perspective, they don't want to lose Howard for nothing like the Cavaliers did with LeBron. So at the trade deadline they will most likely be forced to trade him and LA is the perfect destination.  
Even if the Magic want more in return the Lakers could go to a third team like the Detroit Pistons and involve Rip Hamilton's expiring contract or Philadelphia who is looking to ditch Andre Iguodala for the younger Evan Turner.

The Paul deal on the other hand is a little bit more difficult. Not only will the Hornets be asking for a kings ransom, but the Lakers will have too make sure they have enough cap space with the new CBA on its way to sign Paul and Howard.

As of right now the Lake show are one of the few teams in the league that have enough ammunition to pull off the deal. They can package a deal involving Lamar Odom, Paul Gasol and Ron Artest. I’m guessing sending two of the three to New Orleans and some draft picks will not only clear enough cap space but also get the deal done.
That leaves the Lakers with the newest big three of Kobe Bryant, Chris Paul and Dwight Howard. Not only does it give the Lakers and Kobe a chance to win now, but it also guarantees them a bright a future once Kobe finally retires. It’s just scary to think about.

The Timberwolves will struggle the start of the season, but come on strong late.

Coming from a guy who thinks the Timberwolves are the biggest joke in all of professional sports, this is a huge compliment.
The problem with the T-Wolves is they are young and can’t play defense. I personally believe they should hire Rick Adelman as coach, but knowing David Kahn, he’s going to go ahead and hire Don Nelson who’s teams play absolutely no D.

The athletic T-Pups will struggle to start the season with a rookie point guard in Ricky Rubio running the offense.

The emergence of fellow rookie Derrick Williams, plus all the off the court issues will send Michael Beasley out of town for some defensive help and draft picks.

This will then cause the T-Wolves to become a more complete team. Rubio will realize he doesn’t have to do his major weaknesses, shoot. He can just pass it off to Williams and Kevin Love and watch them do the rest.

After finding their niche, the T-Wolves will finish strong the last 20 games of the season, but it will be too little too late causing David Kahn to lose his job.

Oklahoma City, not Miami will finish with the best regular season record.

The Miami Heat are favored by most to win the NBA title and rightfully so. They over achieved and made it all the way to the Finals last season before falling to the Mavericks.

But I’m going to go out on a limb though and say that the Thunder will finish the regular season with the best record in the league. It’s nothing against the Heat, I just believe third year guard James Harden is poised for a break out year.
Harden has had his ups and downs since entering the league in 2009. This season he will finally play with more consistency allowing Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook to trust him, giving the Thunder that third scoring option they have been desperately looking for. 

On Miami's side, this season will be strictly business given the fact that last year was a complete circus. After seeing how LeBron James and D-Wade preformed in the playoffs when they weren’t a 100%, Head Coach Eric Spoelstra will give the two and Chris Bosh some extra rest throughout the regular season. It may cost them in win column during the regular season, but all that really matters is what happens in the playoffs. (Continue reading.)

Demarcus Cousins will have a monster year.

In his rookie season Cousins averaged 14 points and 8 rebounds a game and he was only 20 years old. A year older will only help him develop into the star player the Sacramento Kings wanted when they took him number five overall. 

Cousin’s upstart Kings are quietly building a very good young nucleus with he, Tyreke Evans and now Jimmer Fredette. Most teams will focus on stopping the King’s perimeter shooting thus allowing Cousins to get freed up down low in the paint. He’s so gifted and athletic, that the Kings will have no choice but to give him the ball. With a lack of talented centers in the league, Cousins will play so well that he will warrant a spot on the Western Conference All Star team.

NBA Finals: Lakers vs Heat.

Every year I guess who will be in the NBA Finals and each year I’m wrong. Hopefully this year is another story.

The Lakers underachieved last year, but with Kobe getting up their in age I think he will be more determined than ever to get that one last ring.

They have practically the same team that won the title two years ago intact and could add even more talent this off season.

While we all know what the Lakers can do, I feel we are just starting to scratch the surface of how good the Miami Heat can be. They lost just 10 games the last three months of the season and when they are determined to accomplish something they do it and in dominating fashion. Just ask the Celtics.

If the two teams meet as constructed, I got the Heat winning in six.
If the Lakers pull off one of the moves I talked about at top, I see them taking it in six.

Last years Mavericks vs. Heat Final was a classic. A Heat vs. Lakers could go down as the best ever.
 

Where the Top 10 NFL FA will land

Its been months, but the NFL lockout is almost FINALLY over. With less than a couple of weeks before training camps are set to begin that means free agency will happen most likely within days of the settlement. It's going to be unlike anything we have ever seen and I'm going to try and predict where the "Top 10" free agents will land. 

1.) Nnamdi Asomugha-CB: Arguably the best CB in the league, Nnamdi is set to cash in big this offseason. After years of losing in Oakland I expect Asomugha to sign with a playoff caliber team that will also give him the big bucks he deserves. The Texans are in desperate need for secondary help and with Wade Phillips coming to town I expect them to give him as many toys as possible to finally get the Texans into the playoffs. Keep an eye on the Cowboys, Patriots, Eagles and Jets.

Prediction: Houston Texans
Sleeper: Last years Super Bowl Teams (Packers & Steelers) The Steelers haven’t had an elite corner in over a decade and it was rumored a couple of months ago that Asomugha wanted to come to Green Bay, but Ted Thompson won't allow it.

2.) Sidney Rice-WR: It maybe a little high for Sidney, but when he had a quarterback that could get him the ball he was a top 10 WR. The Patriots robbed the Vikings of a 3rd round draft pick at last years trade deadline in the Randy Moss trade. I see them doing it once again by signing Rice to a long-term contract and giving Tom Brady his replacement to Moss.

Prediction: New England Patriots

Sleeper: St. Louis Rams. Not really a sleeper, I just like the fit.

3.) Logan Mankins-G: Its not official but I expect Mankins to become a free agent and I don’t see him returning to the Patriots who could also be losing their LT Matt Light. There is just too much bad blood between the two sides with Mankins getting franchise tagged yearly.  Mankins is a hard one to predict. He already has Super Bowl rings, but also doesn’t need the money. I could see a team like the Browns throwing the barn at him. In the end I think his bitterness with the Patriots and the Jets possibly losing three WR will cause them to throw big money at Mankins landing him in New York

Prediction: New York Jets

Sleeper: Chicago Bears. The Bears line was terrible last year. Adding Mankins would be a huge addition.

4.) DeAngelo Williams-RB: One of the more underrated runners in the league, Williams is good at everything but not really special at any one thing. He can step into almost any scheme right away and contribute. With a goofy offseason that will be critical. I expect Williams to go to a place where he’s going to get more national attention while also getting paid top dollars. Hello New York. Cincinnati could also be an option with Cedric Bensons off the field troubles.

Prediction: New York Giants

Sleeper:  Denver Broncos. Williams old coach John Fox is now in Denver and could be starting the project Tebow. A good run game will help him succeed.

5.) Antonio Cromartie-CB: Cromartie is a very interesting free agent. Some people, like yours truly, view him as an elite corner. Others are scared off because of his intangibles. Either way he’s going to get top dollar. It seemed he had a lot of fun playing for Rex Ryan and the Jets last season so look for him to stay with gang green.

Prediction: New York Jets

Sleeper: New England Patriots. Billy B has had success with troubled players and is looking for another CB.

6.) Cullen Jenkins-DE: There is no way Jenkins is going back to Green Bay. When healthy Jenkins can be an great DE in either a 3-4 or 4-3 scheme. He fits better in a 3-4 and wants top dollar and that’s exactly what the Redskins can offer. He could also end up in Dallas or Denver who both need D-Line help.

Prediction: Washington Redskins

Sleeper: San Diego Chargers. The Chargers desperately need someone who can get pressure on the QB.

7.) Santonio Holmes-WR: Holmes had a very good season despite missing a handful of games. It was very clear that he became Mark Sanchez’s go to wide receiver especially late in games. I fully expect the Jets to keep Holmes. If he doesn’t resign look for him to join another young quarterback in Sam Bradford down in St. Louis.

Prediction: New York Jets

Sleeper: Carolina Panthers. Cam Newton will need someone to throw to especially if Steve Smith leaves.

8.) Vincent Jackson-WR: Yes another WR. A bit of a wild card, Jackson is viewed by a lot of experts as a premier wide receiver. I disagree. While he is good, I don’t see him as a true number one. If Sidney Rice leaves like I expect, look for the Vikings to sign Jackson who they had interest at last years trade deadline. If not Minnesota, Seattle, Washington, St. Louis or even a return to San Diego could be possible.

Prediction: Minnesota Vikings
Sleeper: San Francisco 49ers. Crabtree hasn’t developed into the number one they thought when they drafted him.

9.) Ike Taylor-CB: A bit underrated, Ike Taylor has allowed Troy Polamalu to run around and make plays by locking up other teams number one wide receivers. He’s a bit up there in age, but for the right price his Super Bowl experience can help any team on the verge of making a championship run. I’m guessing there’s an 80% chance he returns to Pittsburgh. If he doesn’t I could see a team like the Ravens signing him to a multi-year deal.

Prediction: Pittsburgh Steelers
Sleeper: Indianapolis Colts. Not only does Taylor get a chance at winning another ring, but the Colts get a player that will help their up and down defense.

10.) Eric Weddle-S: At 26, Weddle is still developing as a player. This former second round pick will be in high demand for a number of teams because of a lack of safeties this offseason. The Cowboys, Vikings and Texans could all use him. Given the fact that the Cowboys safeties played so terrible last season, I see them outbidding everyone else for his talents.

Prediction: Dallas Cowboys

Sleeper: Jacksonville Jaguars. The Jags have wasted a bunch of picks on safeties the past ten years so why not sign a proven veteran?

Bonus:
11.) Plaxico Burress-WR: Burress is finally out of jail after shooting himself and is looking for a return to the NFL. He came out of prison wearing a Philadelphia Phillies hat and the city of brotherly love is where he will end up. He will most likely be a bit rusty, but the Eagles don’t need him to be a 100% right away. They will sign him and give Vick a big target for when he gets down in the redzone.

Prediction: Philadelphia Eagles

Sleeper: Oakland Raiders. Come on it’s the Raiders. I could see them offering Burress a ridiculous amount of money he can’t say no too.