We are 55 days away from the tip-off of the new NBA season. 55 days away from LeBron James, Kyrie Irving and Co. defending their championship and beginning their quest for a 2nd title. 55 days. So what better time than now to give some predictions?
MVP
LeBron James
After a stellar showing in the NBA Finals it is fair to assume that LeBron is ready to remind the world why he is still the best player in the NBA. After stating that he wants to be the greatest ever (some say he already is) we get to see LeBron playing with determination to adding to an already impressive resume. Trevor Book said it best after the Finals “LeBron just took his league back”
Rookie of the Year
Ben Simmons
An all-around player that will be able to step up and make an immediate impact for the Sixers, and one that LeBron James has decided to take under his wing. Simmons averaged an impressive 19 points, 11 rebounds and 4 assists at LSU, if his game can transition to NBA the 76ers will benefit from the franchise player the have desperately needed.
DPOY
Hassan Whiteside
The 2015-2016 leader in blocks that finished 3rd in voting. Whiteside has shown growth in his 2 and half seasons with the Heat and he can only go up from here. He has already shown he is great when it comes to help defense, and his timing on blocks is why he had nearly 100 more than the next player on the block list. Whiteside made it clear that he was not happy about not winning the award, we can expect tremendous effort from him to prove doubters wrong.
Sixth Man of the Year
Eric Gordon
Gordon is a player with a lot to prove, a very talented player that has gotten a fresh start that was desperately needed. If he can stay healthy, he will be the only player that would prevent Jamal Crawford from capturing his 4th claim to this award.
Most Improved Player
Harrison Barnes
The Black Sheep of the NBA Finals. Harrison Barnes ended his tenure with the Golden State Warriors on a bit of a sour note after a poor showing during the Finals. A fresh start on a new team where he will most likely be the focal point of the offense is what he needs and will lead to him winning this award.
Coach of the Year
Steve Kerr
Unless the NBA changes the way it calculates this award, there is no foreseeable way that Steve Kerr does not win this award for the 2nd consecutive season. With the addition of Kevin Durant to an already well oiled machine we can expect this team to be back at the top of the NBA records wise and in the Finals for the 3rd year in a row.
NBA Finals Matchup
Cleveland Cavaliers vs Golden State Warriors III
Possibly the greatest NBA Finals series of all time, the Warriors had their Championship aspirations crushed by outstanding performances from both LeBron James and Kyrie Irving. The Warriors upgraded their scoring potential with the acquisition of Kevin Durant. Its safe to say that these 2 teams are on a collision course to the finals, and basketball fans will be the beneficiaries of another round from this battle.
NBA Champions
Cleveland Cavaliers
There is no topping what the Cavs accomplished last season by coming back from down 1-3, but what would be sweeter than meeting the Warriors for the 3rd time in the Finals with their new addition Kevin Durant and beating them? We can expect another 7 game series and the King taking home title #5.
Of course these predictions are way too early but at the midway point, there will be an updated version just to see how well these predictions are going.
