Sportsfrog.com

Last year, my predictions were not as bad as I originally, thought. I hit 13 out of 16 postseason teams last season after getting 14 the year before. Someday, I’ll believe in Atlanta enough to put them in the postseason.

EASTERN CONFERENCE:

1. Cleveland
2. Boston
3. Orlando
4. Washington
5. Atlanta
6. Toronto
7. Chicago
8. Philadelphia
9. Miami
10. Detroit
11. Indiana
12. New York
13. Charlotte
14. New Jersey
15. Milwaukee

WESTERN CONFERENCE:

1. Los Angeles Lakers
2. San Antonio
3. Portland
4. Dallas
5. Utah
6. New Orleans
7. Phoenix
8. Denver
9. Los Angeles Clippers
10. Oklahoma City
11. Houston
12. Golden State
13. Memphis
14. Sacramento
15. Minnesota

AWARD ROLL CALL:

MOST VALUABLE PLAYER: LeBron James, Cleveland

COACH OF THE YEAR: Flip Saunders, Washington

ROOKIE OF THE YEAR: Blake Griffin, Los Angeles Clippers

SIXTH MAN AWARD: Lamar Odom, Los Angeles Clippers

MOST IMPROVED PLAYER: Greg Oden, Portland

DEFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE YEAR: Dwight Howard, Orlando

ABSURDLY PREMATURE PLAYOFF PREDICTIONS:

The first round will show how the top teams in the league are far ahead of the rest of the league. In the East, all the favorites advance in the opening round in five or fewer games, save for the Wizards, who get pushed to seven games in a very entertaining series. The first round in the Western Conference features a first-round romp by the Lakers while the other three higher seeds all advance in six games.

The conference semifinals feature a return of the Cleveland-Washington playoff rivalry that has been dormant for a couple years. The Wizards go small to offset the skilled big men of the Cavaliers and push the series to six before getting ushered into the offseason. Boston and Orlando wage a war that lasts seven games with the Celtics pulling it out in a tight finale. The Lakers get past Dallas in six games in the West while Greg Oden proves to be a force, but Tim Duncan gets the best of him in seven games.

Cleveland and Boston meet in the conference finals in the East while the Lakers and Spurs butt heads in the West as the chalk reigns supreme. Both series go seven games and set up a television executive’s dream NBA Finals: Kobe vs. LeBron and Shaq. The Ron Artest signing pays off here, as his defense throws off LeBron enough in a couple games for the Lakers to win the title in six games.