Zach Lowe's 30 Crazy Predictions (2 Blazer-related)

[PtldPlatypus]

http://www.espn.com/nba/story/_/id/17734638/30-crazy-predictions-2016-17-nba-season-zach-lowe

1. No lockout, baby!
2. LeBron James reclaims the MVP
3. Utah wins 50 games
4. Houston finishes No. 2 in points per possessions
5. Houston takes more 3-pointers than any team in NBA history
6. Miami tanks
7. The Clippers, not the Spurs, will be the No. 2 seed in the Western Conference
8. Alan Anderson wins the Clippers' starting small forward spot
9. LaMarcus Aldridge's name will surface in trade talks
10. Kawhi Leonard three-peats as Defensive Player of the Year
11. Both Dallas and Memphis miss the playoffs
12. Sacramento trades Rudy Gay and Ben McLemore, but not Boogie
13. The Kings complete the greatest protected pick streak in world history
14. Giannis Antetokounmpo and Karl-Anthony Towns make their All-Star debuts
15. Utah extends Derrick Favors
16. Gordon Hayward re-signs with Utah
17. The new CBA: Extensions, home-court advantage and more
18. Orlando trades Nikola Vucevic
19. Portland trades a salary for ... ?
20. Charlotte drops at least four spots in points per possessions
21. Denver and Toronto (mostly) stand pat
22. Contract extension mania!
23. Boston leads the league in forcing turnovers
24. Someone signs Chris Bosh for the minimum
25. Oklahoma City posts the best offensive rebounding rate since 2003-04
26. Allen Crabbe and Moe Harkless start more combined games than Evan Turner
27. Brandon Jennings starts at least 30 games
28. Jordan Clarkson gets his starting spot back
29. Terrence Jones has a bounce-back season
30. Bobby Portis gets his starting shot

 

[KeepOnRollin]

Not exactly going out on a limb on either of the POR ones.

 

[JfizzleBlazer]

If chris bosh even has a 10% chance of playing we should be the team to sign him to the minimum.

 

[PtldPlatypus]

He also mentions us in his discussion of #11 (essentially saying we're in the playoffs while Dallas/Memphis aren't), and #18 (essentially saying Vucevic would be better than our current center-by-committee group).

 

[illmatic99]

3. Utah wins 50 games

meh

9. LaMarcus Aldridge's name will surface in trade talks

bwahahahahahahah. I don't care if SA gets more assets for him than we ever did, but sending him to podunk Milwaukee or somewhere similar for NBA treadmill hell for the rest of his career would be VERY satisfying for me.

15. Utah extends Derrick Favors
16. Gordon Hayward re-signs with Utah

When was the last time an NBA team with so many major free agents actually over acheived? Having this many FA decisions looming usually leads to discord among the ranks. Take our 2011 season as a perfect example.

26. Allen Crabbe and Moe Harkless start more combined games than Evan Turner

Not really going out on a limb there.

 

[ripcityboy]

Damn. The whole league media set has jumped on this Utah circle jerk. At first it was kind of funny now it's getting redundant. As for LMA trade talk heating up.... It wouldn't suprise me in the least bit. SA fans think he's going to fill the large void left by Duncan..... good luck with that!

 

[PtldPlatypus]

Damn. The whole league media set has jumped on this Utah circle jerk. At first it was kind of funny now it's getting redundant. As for LMA trade talk heating up.... It wouldn't suprise me in the least bit. SA fans think he's going to fill the large void left by Duncan..... good luck with that!

Gasol is going to fill the Duncan void much better than Aldridge ever could.

 

[BonesJones]

Utah is weak as fuck. Boooo

 

[Boob-No-More]

http://www.espn.com/nba/story/_/id/17734638/30-crazy-predictions-2016-17-nba-season-zach-lowe

7. The Clippers, not the Spurs, will be the No. 2 seed in the Western Conference
8. Alan Anderson wins the Clippers' starting small forward spot

These two don't really make sense together.

First, I could probably claim the starting small forward spot for the Clippers. That spot has been occupied by a Help Wanted sign for years. That and their hideous bench has been what's kept them from getting past the second round during the Blake/CP3 era in spite of having the third best cumulative won/loss percentage in the Western Conference over that 5 year span. I don't see than changing anytime soon. Both of their stars are a year older and more injury prone than ever. If 34 year old Alan Anderson, who averaged 5 ppg in 13 games last season on .356 FG% is "the answer" at starting SF, you're not going to have the second best record in the Western Conference. He will be the latest in a line of single digit PER guys who can't shoot to hold that position.

They added some scoring off the bench in Mo Speights, but gave up a LOT in terms of defense, rebounding and versatility in Cole Aldrich and Jeff Green. Paul Pierce should have just retired. He was HORRIBLE during the regular season, and flat our embarrassing in the playoffs last year. Last time I checked, Raymond Felton is still Raymond Felton.

Jamal Crawford's 6MOY award was a lifetime achievement award. He didn't deserve to win that award. His WS/48 of .076 was the lowest in the 34 year history of the award and was 17th among those receiving votes last season. His total WS of 3.3 was 16th among those receiving votes. He wasn't the best 6th man in the league, he was slightly below average. His shooting and other advanced stats declined for the 4th year in a row. He is 36 years old and now a very inefficient scorer, yet he was still 3rd on the team in both minutes played and points scored last year. He may technically be a 6th man since he doesn't start, but they use him like a 3rd/4th man - and that's not good for a guy who is pushing 37 and is in fairly rapid decline.

CP3 and Blake may have bounce back years, but they would both need to have career years for that team to finish anywhere in the top 4 in the West, let alone 2nd.

BNM

 

[H.C.]

So when Utah finishes the season around the 6th-8th seed..
Which clearly will be underachieving according to everyone. What excuse will be thrown out?
I'll go out on a limb and say Utah blames Quin Snyder. Then we hear how good Utah will be in the 17-18 season with a new head coach.

 

[Boob-No-More]

So when Utah finishes the season around the 6th-8th seed..
Which clearly will be underachieving according to everyone. What excuse will be thrown out?
I'll go out on a limb and say Utah blames Quin Snyder. Then we hear how good Utah will be in the 17-18 season with a new head coach.

Or, as I call him, Quin McSnyder. With all these new additions that are supposed to push them over the top, I wonder if they'll stick to playing the slowest pace in the league again this year.

BNM

 

[H.C.]

Or, as I call him, Quin McSnyder. With all these new additions that are supposed to push them over the top, I wonder if they'll stick to playing the slowest pace in the league again this year.

BNM

I'd say yes they do stick to the snail pace.
Between ISO Joe and Boris I put on 30lbs Diaw are far from players you can get up and down the court with.
Well... unless you're the other team.

 

[Boob-No-More]

I'd say yes they do stick to the snail pace.
Between ISO Joe and Boris I put on 30lbs Diaw are far from players you can get up and down the court with.
Well... unless you're the other team.

It will be interesting to see how the addition of those two will impact their overrated defense.

BNM

 

[Natebishop3]

I would sign Bosh in a heartbeat if he can play.

Dame
CJ
Harkless
Bosh
Plumlee

I would be all about that.

 

[Pinwheel1]

The key for Utah is Hood. From what I saw against the Clippers, he now attacks the basket very well. As a 6'8" SG he will be tough because he also has the 3ball and can finish.

Not sure how many games they will win because I can see them starting off slow without Hayward, but by the end of the season they might be pretty damn good.

I agree they are over hyped, but with their D, I would not sleep on them.

 

[Natebishop3]

The key for Utah is Hood. From what I saw against the Clippers, he now attacks the basket very well. As a 6'8" SG he will be tough because he also has the 3ball and can finish.

Not sure how many games they will win because I can see them starting off slow without Hayward, but by the end of the season they might be pretty damn good.

I agree they are over hyped, but with their D, I would not sleep on them.

Hood has a better chance of being a go-to-guy than Hayward. I look at Hayward as a nice secondary star, maybe gets a couple All-Star nods, but he's not All-NBA material.

 

[H.C.]

I would sign Bosh in a heartbeat if he can play.

Dame
CJ
Harkless
Bosh
Plumlee

I would be all about that.

I don't know how reliable this site is but it says heat won't wave him until after playoffs.

http://basketball.realgm.com/wireta...iving-Chris-Bosh-Until-After-Playoff-Deadline

 

[THE HCP]

I don't know how reliable this site is but it says heat won't wave him until after playoffs.

http://basketball.realgm.com/wireta...iving-Chris-Bosh-Until-After-Playoff-Deadline

Was reading the most likely situation is he wouldnt be waived until 1 year after he was determined unfit to play which was last month right? If they wait a year they get insurance money on his contract. Probably will get ugly.

 

[Natebishop3]

Was reading the most likely situation is he wouldnt be waived until 1 year after he was determined unfit to play which was last month right? If they wait a year they get insurance money on his contract. Probably will get ugly.

Hmm..... they could get nailed for insurance fraud.

Heat's doctors deem him unfit to play.

Heat won't play him, taking away his ability to prove that he's healthy.

Heat wait a year to waive him.

That's shady as fuck. If they think he's done, they should waive him. If he goes someplace else to play, that's too bad. We had to deal with that shit with Miles.

 

[PtldPlatypus]

Hmm..... they could get nailed for insurance fraud.

Heat's doctors deem him unfit to play.

Heat won't play him, taking away his ability to prove that he's healthy.

Heat wait a year to waive him.

That's shady as fuck. If they think he's done, they should waive him. If he goes someplace else to play, that's too bad. We had to deal with that shit with Miles.

Insurance claim is based on doctors' assessments, not simply the team's willingness to play him. Not really a fraud situation unless they're bribing doctors to provide inaccurate diagnoses.

 

[chzbrgr]

http://www.espn.com/nba/story/_/id/17734638/30-crazy-predictions-2016-17-nba-season-zach-lowe


3. Utah wins 50 games

Oh no Zach not you too!.....fuuuuuuuuuck

 

[SlyPokerDog]

I like Bosh but this blood clot problem is serious. You run the very real risk of him dying on the court. Kersey died from a blood clot. Bosh should retire.

 

[e_blazer]

I see that the prediction about the championship parade in Portland was left off the list. Must have decided it wasn't crazy.

 

[Chris Craig]

Clippers at #2....Hahahaha

 

[Cippy91]

Clippers at #2....Hahahaha

Exactly what I thought. Don't know why people love hopping on the clippers and jazz bandwagon year after year when nothing great has come From those teams

 

[THE HCP]

The Clips if healthy should be the 2nd best team out west if you ask me.

 

[THE HCP]

IF

 

[H.C.]

The Clips if healthy should be the 2nd best team out west if you ask me.

I personally think it has more to do than just health. CP3 and Griffin have player options after this season.
If they start off slow like last year 100% trade rumors will start to swirl.
Griffin has already shown he's a metal midget... So I doubt the Clippers can handle the situation if they start the season like they did in 15-16.

 

[Boob-No-More]

I personally think it has more to do than just health. CP3 and Griffin have player options after this season.
If they start off slow like last year 100% trade rumors will start to swirl.
Griffin has already shown he's a metal midget... So I doubt the Clippers can handle the situation if they start the season like they did in 15-16.

Plus, they STILL have a horrible bench and not a single player on their roster that is a starting caliber small forward.

In the five years they've had CP3, Griffin and Jordan, they've never finished higher than 3rd in the West (3rd twice, 4th twice and 5th once). Is the West really going to be weaker this year?

BNM

 

[Natebishop3]

Insurance claim is based on doctors' assessments, not simply the team's willingness to play him. Not really a fraud situation unless they're bribing doctors to provide inaccurate diagnoses.

The doctors work for the team, no? I had read that Bosh wanted to seek other opinions after the team decided he was done.