2009 NBA Predictions: Ranking the Top Teams

October 26, 2009

The NBA season starts on Tuesday. It is always important to make early season NBA predictions in order to help you identify which teams will be most profitable during the year. This is a good practice to use in all sports. It is important to have power ranking in place so that you can take advantage of key match-ups that create tremendous value for the bettor. I will break down what I feel are the top 3 teams in each league. This may lead you into making better decisions throughout the course of the season.

Western Conference:

1. Los Angeles Lakers- Kobe Bryant has stumbled into the ideal situation for him. With the help of some key additions over the last couple of seasons, he finds himself as the proven leader of a team that has high-quality role players. With the help of 10 time Champion Phil Jackson, this team has meshed well and adapted to the triangle offense. Pao Gasol has been a key acquisition over the last couple of years. His length inside along with Lamar Odom and Andrew Bynum, make it extremely difficult for opposing offenses to get easy points. The Lakers haven’t lost any key players with the exception of Trevor Ariza. While he was a key element to the Lakers success, the signing of Ron Artest will more than make up for his loss.

2. San Antonio Spurs- Tim Duncan isn’t getting any younger, but the rest of the starting 5 for the Spurs still have plenty of life in their legs. The key to this season for SA won’t be the addition of Richard Jefferson, it will be the health of Manu Ginobilli. Ginobilli creates mach-up problems for almost every defender that guards him. He is too quick off the dribble and can go to the basket with an explosive first step. Many oddmakers have made NBA picks for the playoffs that have the Spurs in the 3-5 spot. I don’t agree. Duncan still has a couple of good years left, and with the help of his surrounding cast can make it to another Western Conference Finals.

3. Portland Trailblazers- Brandon Roy has proven himself to be one of the elite players in the game today. He averaged 22.6 points and over 5 assists per game in the 2008 season, and will defiately increase those numbers this year. The key to this team is the health and mind-set of their previous #1 pick Greg Oden. Oden had a descent year in 2008, but has had a nagging knee injury that seems to have made him passive. They clearly have the Lakers number (especially at home), but will need to find a little more consistency against the rest of the league to compete with the Lakers and Spurs for the Western Conference Championship.

Eastern Conference:

1. Cleveland Cavaliers- Any team with LeBron James has a chance. This Cleveland squad now has an inside presence. Shaquille O’Neal ma be at the tail end of his amazing career, but he still posses as a major defensive presence that has been missing from a small Cavs team. Mo Williams added a much needed outside threat last season, and now they have the Diesel inside. They have a well balanced attack, and will be a serious threat to win the East and possibly the NBA Championship.

2. Boston Celtics- It was amazing to see how competitive this Celts team was in the post-season without Kevin Garnett. Now that he’s back at full strength, and has Rasheed Wallace backing him up, we can expect a season more along the lines of the 2007-2008 year in which Boston won the Championship. They will need Rajon Rondo to not be as flashy and take care of the ball, and Ray Allen to keep knocking down shots to win the conference. The age of this team is concerning, but if we assume they all stay healthy, they’re as good as any team in the league.

3. Orlando Magic- Dwight Howard has become the most dominant inside presence in the NBA. His size and agility are a combination that is not seen too often in big men. I’m concerned about adding Vince Carter to what seems to be an unselfish team. He tends to not give up the ball enough, and will take wild shots occasionally. The 10 game suspension Rashard Lewis to start the season won’t help the chances of the Magic to repeat as Eastern Conference Champions. I do think that they have a good chance to be competitive especially if the Shaq experiment doesn’t work out in Cleveland, and the Celtics break down physically.

Having these teams earmarked going into the season will help you be more successful in handicapping the NBA. This should be done from top to bottom for both leagues to give you an advantage against the books when it’s time to put your money down. These NBA predictions I’ve created are my opinion. Doing your homework before the season starts puts you at an advantage going in. Good Luck!

Written by Cover The Number · Filed Under NBA

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