2015-16 NBA Predictions

Here are my predictions for the 2015-16 NBA season.

Eastern Conference
1. Cleveland Cavaliers (55-27)- There is no doubt that the Cavaliers are the team to beat in the Eastern Conference. LeBron James is still the best player on the planet and this team (when healthy) is arguably his best team he's going to be on. Kyrie Irving and Kevin Love are still recovering from their injuries they suffered in the playoffs, but are supposed to participate in training camp although they won't be ready to start the season. Iman Shumpert had wrist surgery and is out for the first two months of the season. Role players such as JR Smith, Timofey Mozgov, and Matthew Dellavedova will help out while three of their five starters are out with injuries. Tristian Thompson signed his contract extension and that's great for the Cavs because he's a key piece for them. Despite the team being banged up right now, they'll be healthy come later in the season and expect another big run from this team.

2. Chicago Bulls (50-32)- Out of town is Tom Thibodeau and in town is Fred Hoiberg. This team remains the same as last year pretty much. Derrick Rose fractured his left orbital during training camp and this is hope he'll be ready for the season opener. Jimmy Butler played like a franchise player last season and ran away with most improved honors last season by emerging as a great two-way player. Mike Dunleavy is also a quality two-way wing player as well. The front court is stacked but there are two declining players in Pau Gasol and Joakim Noah. Taj Gibson and Nikola Mirotic are great options for the Bulls as well. Two of those four Bulls bigs I mentioned will come off the bench and there is talk that Noah may come off the bench, so that's interesting to watch. Tony Snell is a nice perimeter guy that will come off the bench and play with the second unit. Aaron Brooks is a quality back up point guard that will help them off the bench and will probably start if Rose misses games throughout the season. This team should be a bit more healthier and Butler is poised for another big year, so expect them to do some damage in the East this season.

3. Miami Heat (47-35)- Miami is perhaps the biggest wild card in the league this season in terms of health and how far they can go this season. Dwayne Wade is getting older, but he's still a very good player when healthy. Groan Dragic re-signed with the team in free agency after the team traded for him. Chris Bosh is back from his blood clot incident. Hassan Whiteside wants to prove last season was no fluke for him. Luol Deng opted in his contract so he's still around. Those five players I just listed are their starting five. That may be the best starting five in the East. Their bench is also pretty good too with guys like lottery pick Justice Winslow, Chris Andersen, Amar'e Stoudemire, Gerald Green, and Mario Chalmers. It will be interesting to see how this season plays out for Pat Riley and Erik Spoelstra and it they will certainly be a tough out this season.

4. Atlanta Hawks (47-35)- Atlanta was definitely the most surprising team in the NBA last season after finishing with the East's best record. Mike Budenholzer is among the leagues best coaches and he gets a lot out of his players. Jeff Teague and Dennis Schroeder are a good point guard duo. Thabo Sefolosha is recovering from his leg injury that he suffered in that ugly incident last spring. Kyle Korver is still around and he's among the best three-point shooters in the league. DeMarre Carroll signed with Toronto this offseason and he will be missed. The Hawks have a great frontcourt with Paul Milsap, Al Horford, and Tiago Splitter will join them this season after being traded from San Antonio. The bench consists of Schroeder, Splitter, and Tim Hardaway Jr, who came over in a trade from New York. This is still a good basketball team, but it won't replicate it's success from last season.

5. Washington Wizards (46-36)- Washington has been a solid team in the East over the last two seasons and it should continue this season. John Wall is arguably a top-five point guard in the league right now. Bradley Beal should continue to improve his game this season. Paul Pierce will be missed on this team, but Jared Dudley isn't a bad option to replace Pierce and Otto Porter Jr showed some signs of improvement in the playoffs last season. Their front court has aging guys in Nene and Marcin Gortat, but their still quality players who can get the job done. The bench isn't to shabby either with guys like Porter, Kris Humphries, DeJuan Blair, Ramon Sessions, and Alan Anderson. This should be a fun team to watch, but if they don't perform to expectations, Randy Wittman may get axed.

6. Toronto Raptors (46-36)- Toronto is a very interesting team to watch this season because they were a tail of two teams last season. They got off to a terrific start last season and than they faltered at the end, which led for them to be swept in the first round last season. Kyle Lowry is a good point guard. DeMar DeRozan is a pretty good player as well. Terrence Ross hasn't lived up to expectations thus far in his career. DeMarre Carroll will help them on both ends. The Raps will miss Amir Johnson as he left for Boston in free agency. Jonas Valančiūnas should improve this season as well. They will also miss Geravis Vasquez, who they traded over to Milwaukee in the offseason. Their bench got weaker since they lost Johnson, Vasquez, and Lou Williams in the offseason although Luis Scola, Bismack Byambo, and Cory Joseph are solid additions to their bench. I do think this is a playoff team still, but the pressure is on Dwayne Casey this season and he may get a pink slip if they don't live up to expectations, either.

7. Milwaukee Bucks (45-37)- Jason Kidd's squad was also one of the more surprising teams last season by making the playoffs and pushing the Chicago Bulls to six games in the first round. This squad is very intriguing this season as well. Greg Monroe gives the Bucks much needed scoring in the post although he's a liability defensively. Jabari Parker returns after tearing his ACL last season and he should be a scoring threat. One of the more intriguing young players in the league is Giannis Antetokounmpo, who Kidd may use at all five positions. Khris Middleton has emerged as one of the more underrated two-way players in the game. Michael-Carter Williams can't really shoot, so it would be interesting how they use him. Geravis Vasquez was a good pickup and he should help them off the bench. John Henson, Chris Copeland, and OJ Mayo are also solid bench options. I probably should have them higher than this, but I think a slow start is possibly in the cards here.

8. Indiana Pacers (44-38)- Frank Vogel's squad went through a pretty big overhaul during the offseason. Paul George is back from his bad leg injury and the Pacers want to start him at power forward since they want to be a small ball team. Jordan Hill and lottery pick Miles Turner are the options at the center spot and they'll start one of those players as Roy Hibbert was traded to the Los Angeles Lakers. David West also left this offseason as a free agent as he signed with the San Antonio Spurs. Monta Ellis joined this team as a free agent and it gives the Pacers another scoring option to go with George. Chase Buddinger is likely a starter on this team as well. George Hill is still around as the starting point guard. Solomon Hill, Rodney Stuckey, and Ian Mahinmi are viable bench options as well. Vogel gets a lot out of his players year after year and a healthy George should lead this team to the postseason.

9. Detroit Pistons (40-42)- Detroit is an interesting team coming into the season. I don't think the loss of Greg Monroe will hurt them very much because they have Andre Drummond, who's a quality big man with a lot of potential. Ersan İlyasova is the new starting power forward after being traded from the Milwaukee Bucks and he's not a bad option. Lottery pick Stanley Johnson has shown potential in the preseason and he should help them now and long term. Kentavious Caldwell-Pope was a lottery pick a few years back and he should be better going forward. Reggie Jackson is back and he was overpaid over the summer and now he has to prove he's worth the money. Brandon Jennings is still recovering from his torn ACL from last winter and likely won't be back until December. The bench is pretty solid too with guys like Marcus Morris, Danny Granger, and Aaron Baynes. Jennings will likely come off the bench when he comes back from injury too. Expect Stan Van Gundy's club to be better than last season, but to fall short of the playoffs.

10. Boston Celtics (37-45)- Brad Stevens is a top-five coach in this league and he gets a lot out of his players. Marcus Smart and Isaiah Thomas are a nice point guard duo. Avery Bradley has quietly improved year after year. Jae Crowder was a nice pickup for the team that came in the Rajon Rondo trade last season. Amir Johnson and David Lee were nice offseason pickups for the C's as well. Kelly Olynyk and Jared Sullinger are still around and that gives Boston nice front court depth. Perry Jones was picked up in a trade with the Oklahoma City Thunder and he has a lot to prove. James Young should see more playing time this season as well. I do not think last seasons run was that much of a fluke, but I feel that some of the competition has passed them by.

11. New York Knicks (35-47)- Coming off their worst season in franchise history, Phil Jackson had the cap space to overhaul his team and he did just that. They may not have landed the big fish, but they added some nice players and drafted pretty well. Lottery pick Kristaps Prozingis probably won't contribute much this season and probably won't peak for another two-three years. Jerian Grant was another nice pickup as they traded Tim Hardaway Jr for Grant's rights at the draft. Jose Calderon will likely start at point guard though. Aaron Afflalo and Robin Lopez were solid offseason pickups and will help. Most importantly, Carmelo Anthony returns from his knee injury and he's looked like himself in limited preseason action. The Knicks bench will consist of guys like Kyle O'Quinn, Derrick Williams, Kevin Seraphin, Langston Galloway, and Cleanthony Early. Derek Fisher is still an unknown as a coach since the Knicks tanked last season so that's something to watch. A return to the playoffs can't be ruled out entirely, but like I said about the Celtics, the competition is better now.

12. Charlotte Hornets (33-49)- Charlotte was one of the more disappointing teams in the league last season as many experts thought they were a playoff lock last season. The Lance Stephenson experiment was an utter disaster as he was traded to the Los Angeles Clippers for Spencer Hawes. Nic Batum is in town now after being traded from the Portland Trail Blazers. Michael Kidd-Gilchrist is likely out for the season with a shoulder injury. Al Jefferson is one of the better centers in the league and he should have a good season. Kemba Walker is a solid point guard and Jeremy Lin is in town to back him up. Jeremy Lamb is in town now and he has something to prove. Lottery pick Frank Kaminsky should have a nice impact as well. The Kidd-Gilchrist injury will cost Charlotte a few wins, but they probably would still fall short if he were healthy too. The pressure is on Steve Clifford to get back to the playoffs this season or else he may be axed.

13. Brooklyn Nets (32-50)- Brooklyn has been a solid basketball team the last few years, but I think we see a drop off this season. Deron Williams was a massive disappointment with the Nets in his tenure and they bought him out over the summer and he signed with the Dallas Mavericks. Brook Lopez and Thad Young re-signed with the team in the offseason and they helped them to the playoffs last season. Jarrett Jack is now the starting point guard now that Williams is gone. Bogan Bogdanovic was good for them last season and he should start for them. Joe Johnson is still in town, but he's a likely trade candidate since he's on an expiring contract. Former Knicks Shane Larkin and Andrea Bargnani had their moments last season on a bad team, so it should be interesting to see how they fit on this team. Mason Plumlee was traded on draft night to the Portland Trail Blazers for the rights of Rondae Hollis-Jefferson, who should be an interesting part of what Brooklyn tries to do. Lionel Hollins is a solid coach, but his roster has gotten a lot worse (and the team will miss Williams, Plumlee, and Alan Anderson) while the competition has improved.

14. Orlando Magic (30-52)- Orlando is a very interesting team to watch with a nice young nucleus in place for new head coach Scott Skyles. Elfrid Payton was pretty solid last season as a rookie at the point. Victor Oladipo has a lot of upside and he should have another good season. Lottery pick Mario Hezonja is an intriguing player who should have a nice impact on the team. Tobias Harris re-signed with the team and he is a good scoring option. Aaron Gordon has a lot to prove in his second season as well. Nikola Vucevic has improved the last few years and his improvement has shown that Orlando may have won that Dwight Howard trade. The bench is actually pretty solid with guys like CJ Watson, Channing Frye, Evan Fournier and Jason Smith. The Magic will be a lot better this season, but the win-loss record won't show it.

15. Philadelphia 76ers (18-64)- Philadelphia is flat out awful and for the third straight season, they will be the worst team in the NBA. They did actually make a good draft selection with lottery pick Jhalil Okafor, who will be a candidate for Rookie of the Year and will be a franchise player in the future. Nerlens Noel pairs with Okafor in the front court and is coming off a fine rookie season. The starting back court will be Tony Wroten and Nik Stauskas. Jerami Grant will probably be starting at the small forward position. Joel Embiid is possibly becoming a draft bust by not playing at all due to injuries. I feel sorry for Brett Brown, who has his players play hard for the most part, but just aren't talented. Expect Philadelphia to have the worst record in the NBA this season.

Western Conference
1. Golden State Warriors (60-22)- The defending champs should absolutely be considered to be the favorites to repeat as NBA Champions, but Vegas disagrees. I don't care what Vegas thinks. Steve Kerr is arguably the leagues second best coach already. Reigning MVP Stephen Curry is arguably the best point guard in the NBA right now. Klay Thompson and Draymond Green improved big time last season. Andrew Bogut is dealing with a broken nose, but he should be fine soon. Harrison Barnes also improved last season. Reigning Finals MVP Andre Igoudala is a great sixth man off the bench. The rest of the bench is pretty darn good with guys like Shaun Livingston, Festus Ezeli, Marreese Speights, and Leonardo Barbosa. This team is amazing and it would be no shock if they repeat as champs although it maybe harder this time around.

2. Oklahoma City Thunder (59-23)- People better lookout because the Thunder are back and healthy. Out of town is Scott Brooks and replacing him is Billy Donovan. Kevin Durant is back from his foot injuries and he's looked like himself in preseason play. Russell Westbrook is awesome as well and he's poised for a big year as well as Durant, who's in a contract year. Serge Ibaka should also be healthy and ready to go this season as well. The depth on this Thunder team is pretty solid with guys like Kyle Singler, Enes Kanter (although he's a defensive liability), Steven Adams, and Anthony Morrow. Dion Waiters is one of the leagues more polarizing players who hasn't lived up to his high draft selection since Cleveland drafted him. Andre Roberson will likely start the season as the starting
P shooting guard, but I'm sure Sam Presti will make a deadline acquisition to try to upgrade the position. Like I said, the Thunder will be back in the playoffs and it shouldn't be a surprise if they hoist the Larry O'Brien trophy come June.

3. Los Angeles Clippers (57-25)- This could be the best team in Clippers franchise history. Doc Rivers is still a great head coach and he has a lot to work with. Chris Paul is still one of the leagues elite point guards. Blake Griffin is getting better every single year. DeAndre Jordan is back after agreeing to sign with the Dallas Mavericks. Paul, Griffin, and Jordan all made an All-NBA team last season. JJ Redick is one of the more underrated players in this league. Paul Pierce is in town now and is reunited with Rivers. Lance Stephenson was acquired in a trade with the Charlotte Hornets after a disastrous season last year. Josh Smith should be a nice fit on this team as well. Jamal Crawford brings instant offense all the time and he should be among the best sixth man in the league. The depth is a lot better as well with guys like Smith, Crawford, Pablo Prigioni, Wesley Johnson, Glen Davis and Cole Aldrich. This team can absolutely make the finals, but we shall see how the new additions play out first.

4. San Antonio Spurs (57-25)- San Antonio probably had the best offseason of any team (and they usually do). LaMarcus Aldridge joins Tim Duncan and Boris Diaw in a great front court rotation with Diaw coming off the bench. David West joined the team in the offseason and took a significant pay cut to do so and will come off the bench as well. Danny Green and Kawhi Leonard re-upped with the Spurs in the offseason and there a terrific wing duo on the perimeter and Leonard is quietly making his way into the conversation of whether he's a top-ten player in the league and I believe he is making his case. There is some chatter that Tony Parker is declining, but I need to see it to believe it. The bench is solid with West, Diaw, Patty Mills, and Manu Ginobili. Gregg Popovich is the leagues best coach and yet another championship could very well be in the cards.

5. Houston Rockets (55-27)- Houston is coming off a surprising appearance in the Western Conference Finals and their looking to build off that (don't forget some of their players were injured during the playoffs last spring). James Harden looks to build off his MVP caliber season. Ty Lawson comes over in a trade with the Denver Nuggets and he joins Harden in the backcourt. Trevor Ariza is a fine two-way player who fit right in with the Rockets last season and he should be good again this season. It's usually a mystery at who starts at the power forward position for the Rockets whether it's Donatas Motiejūnas or Terrence Jones. Dwight Howard may not be the same guy he was when he was with Orlando, but he still can give you double-doubles on a nightly basis. The Rockets bench is pretty solid with guys like Corey Brewer, Patrick Beverley, and Jason Terry. Expect the Rockets to be contenders and a tough out in the West yet again.

6. Memphis Grizzlies (54-28)- Memphis has been in the mix in the West the last few seasons know and expect that to continue. Marc Gasol re-signed with the team in the offseason and he and Zach Randolph are still a big part of their "Grit-N-Grind" identity. Mike Conley is one of the more underrated point guards in this league. The Grizzlies have always had different starting wings and right now they are slated to be Courtney Lee and Jeff Green, who aren't bad options. The bench is pretty solid with guys like Beno Udrih, Tony Allen, Matt Barnes, and Vince Carter. Dave Joerger is an underrated coach in this league and he's done a great job the last two seasons. Expect Memphis to be a force to be wrecked with once again this season.

7. New Orleans Pelicans (47-35)- New Orleans is poised to take the next step after making the playoffs last season only to be swept against the defending champs. Anthony Davis is only going to get better and will supplant LeBron James some point as the leagues best player (if he didn't already yet). Jrue Holiday looks to be healthy and ready to go, but Tyreke Evans is not. Evans is out for about two months since he had knee surgery. Eric Gordon is coming off a solid season from a year ago. Omer Asik's production has declined last season so that's a bit of a concern. Ryan Andersen is always a threat from three-point range and he's a great sixth man off the bench. Quincy Pondexter was a great pickup in a midseason trade last season, but now he's dealing with knee injury and expects to be ready for the season. Norris Cole, also a midseason pickup from last season is dealing with a sprained knee. The injury bug may hit this team early on in the season, but Davis is good enough to carry them early on before everyone is back and healthy.

8. Utah Jazz (45-37)- Utah is a trendy pick to be the eighth seed and they deserve to be. They were one of the better teams in the NBA after the All-Star break last season and I believe they build on that. Rudy Gobert will be a candidate for Defensive Player of the Year this season. Derrick Favors is one of the more underrated players at his position. Gordon Hayward improved last season after a down season in 2013-14. Alec Burks is a nice player who shown improvement last season. Trey Burke will likely start the season at the point now that Dante Exum is out for the season with a torn ACL. The bench isn't too shabby either with guys like Elijah Milsap, Rodney Hood, and Trevor Booker. Expect the Jazz to take the West's final playoff spot.

9. Phoenix Suns (41-41)- Phoenix is also an interesting team to watch this season. They surprisingly were a finalist to sign LaMarcus Aldridge, but ultimately didn't sign him and signed Tyson Chandler instead, who will help them big time and give them rim protection. Markieff Morris and TJ Warren probably will start at the forward positions. The backcourt duo of Eric Bledsoe and Brandon Knight will be interesting to see how it plays out for a full season. The bench is pretty solid this season with guys like PJ Tucker, Alex Len, Archie Goodwin, and Mirza Teletovic. The Suns can't be ruled out for the playoffs but I think they fall short.

10. Dallas Mavericks (35-47)- Dallas is somewhat of an interesting team this season as they seem to be heading in the wrong direction. Everyone knows about the DeAndre Jordan fiasco by now and instead they ended up signing Sam Dalembert, Zaza Pachulia, and JaVale McGee? Those players are no where as good as Jordan and Dalembert, who was horrible last season on the Knicks will probably be the starter. Dirk Nowitzki is still around, but his game is clearly declining. Chandler Parsons was is coming off knee surgery and he may not be ready for the season. Wesley Matthews coming off a torn ACL and he probably won't be the same player for a while. Deron Williams replaces the disaster that was Rajon Rondo at the point and Williams has been dealing with injuries this preseason as well. The bench is not very good either and that features guys like McGee, Pachulia, JJ Barea, Devin Harris, Ray Felton, and Charlie Villanueva. I feel sorry for Rick Carlisle and it wouldn't be shocking if he pulled a Jim Harbaugh and left after a disappointing season.

11. Sacramento Kings (33-49)- Sacramento is a very intriguing team this season. DeMarcus Cousins has proven to be a franchise player the last few seasons. Willie-Cauley Stein was an interesting selection for the Kings in the draft and he'll likely start at power forward. Rudy Gay is still around and he's a good scorer. Ben McLemore has shown some improvement last season and I think he'll improve more this season. Rajon Rondo is in town now and I have no idea how that will play out because he was a mess in Dallas last season after being traded from Boston. The bench improved over the offseason and it features guys like Marco Belinelli, Kosta Koufos, Darren Collison, and Caron Butler. George Karl is a very good head coach and it's well documented about him and Cousins possibly not getting along. A playoff appearance can't be ruled out entirely but I don't see it because of the rumored turmoil going on and the Western Conference just being too good.

12. Minnesota Timberwolves (30-52)- Minnesota is a team that's quietly on the rise. Karl-Anthony Towns was the first pick in the draft last summer and he'll be a Rookie of the Year candidate. Andrew Wiggins was terrific last season and taking home Rookie of the Year honors as well and I expect him to be even better this season. Ricky Rubio is still in town and he should be pretty good. Zach LaVine has shown he can be good but he needs to be more consistent. Kevin Garnett is back for another season and that's a good thing from a leadership standpoint and he'll be a great mentor to these young players. Kevin Martin is still in town, but he's a possible trade bait. Nikola Pekovic is a great offensive center and he could be trade bait as well. Gorgui Dieng is a nice player who has shown potential the last few seasons. Flip Saunders is a solid head coach, but he's dealing with cancer and hopefully he'll get better soon as Sam Mitchell will be the interim head coach. The Wolves will show improvement, but the record won't show it.

13. Los Angeles Lakers (28-54)- The Lakers look to be better than the last two seasons and we shall see. D'Angelo Russell was selected with the second overall pick in the draft and he has struggled in the preseason, but he should be good down the road. Julius Randle is back after suffering a broken leg  in last seasons opener and it will be interesting to see how he plays. Roy Hibbert comes over in a trade with the Indiana Pacers and he will bring rim protection. Jordan Clarkson was great as a rookie last season and he should build off of it. And most importantly, Kobe Bryant is back for another season and it's possible that he may retire after the season. The bench is OK with guys like Lou Williams, Nick Young, and Brandon Bass. This team can score, but the defense without Hibbert on the floor will be a mess. Byron Scott has a lot of work to cut out for him if this team wants to make some noise in the West.

14. Portland Trail Blazers (27-55)- This team absolutely fell apart over the offseason. LaMarcus Aldridge, Robin Lopez, Nic Batum, Wesley Matthews, and Aaron Afflalo are all gone. Damian Lillard is the only starter from last season that's still on the team after signing a mega contract extension during the offseason. The rest of the starting lineup will likely consist of CJ McCollum, Mo Harkless, Ed Davis, and Mason Plumlee. That's a drop off from Matthews, Batum, Aldridge, and Lopez. The rest of the roster consists of guys like Meyers Leonard, Noah Vonleh, Al-Farouq Aminu, and Chris Kaman. This team is going to be terrible, but Lillard will put up his stats.

15. Denver Nuggets (25-57)- Denver is a weird team coming into this season. They traded away Ty Lawson than drafted Emmanuel Mudiay, who looked terrific in the preseason and is a candidate for Rookie of the Year. Kenneth Faried, Danilo Gallinari, and Wilson Chandler are still around and there's a chance those guys are traded this season. Jusuf Nurkic showed potential last season and he should be better this season. The bench is OK with guys like Darrell Arthur, Randy Foye, Mike Miller, and Jameer Nelson. Mike Malone is the new head coach and he has a lot of work to cut out from this roster. There's a chance a fire sale is coming and the Lawson trade may just be the start of it.

- 2016 NBA Playoffs

Quarterfinals
(E1) Cleveland Cavaliers vs (E8) Indiana Pacers: Paul George will give LeBron James and the Cavs a fight, but the depth on the Pacers won't be enough.
Prediction: Cavaliers in five games.

(E2) Chicago Bulls vs (E7) Milwaukee Bucks: Jason Kidd's squad will put up a fight yet again but the Bulls pull this one out.
Prediction: Bulls in six games.

(E3) Miami Heat vs (E6) Toronto Raptors: This should be a fun series between these two teams. I like the Heat in this one lead by their great starting lineup over a Raptors team that may not be great.
Prediction: Heat in six games.

(E4) Atlanta Hawks vs (E5) Washington Wizards: Here's a rematch of the second round matchup from last season. The Wizards probably should have won that series last season and I think they pull it off here behind John Wall.
Prediction: Wizards in six games.

(W1) Golden State Warriors vs (W8) Utah Jazz: The Jazz are a team on the rise, but the Warriors will still take this one in a short series.
Prediction: Warriors in four games.

(W2) Oklahoma City Thunder vs (W7) New Orleans Pelicans: This should be a fun series as Anthony Davis will give a motivated Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook a scare.
Prediction: Thunder in six games.

(W3) Los Angeles Clippers vs (W6) Memphis Grizzlies: These two teams have had great playoff series's against each other in the past and it should be the case here. Chris Paul and Blake Griffin will lead the Clippers to the second round in a classic.
Prediction: Clippers in seven games.

(W4) San Antonio Spurs vs (W5) Houston Rockets: This should be a classic as well. The Spurs are built for the playoffs and they'll take the series behind Kawhi Leonard defending James Harden pretty darn well.
Prediction: Spurs in seven games.

Semi-Finals
(E1) Cleveland Cavaliers vs (E5) Washington Wizards: This should be a fun series. The Wiz should make this interesting, but LeBron and Company will prevail.
Prediction: Cavaliers in six games.

(E2) Chicago Bulls vs (E3) Miami Heat: This series screams classic! I love it but home court advantage will be the difference here as the Bulls will move on to the Eastern Conference Finals.
Prediction: Bulls in seven games.

(W1) Golden State Warriors vs (W4) San Antonio Spurs: These teams met in the playoffs in 2013 and the Warriors were up at the time. This series will be great but the Spurs will pull it out this time as they seem to have the Warriors number.
Prediction: Spurs in six games.

(W2) Oklahoma City Thunder vs (W3) Los Angeles Clippers: This is a rematch from two years ago's semi-finals. The Clippers get their revenge here as they advance to the Western Conference Finals for the first time in team history.
Prediction: Clippers in six games.

Conference Finals
(E1) Cleveland Cavaliers vs (E2) Chicago Bulls: Here's a rematch of the Semi's from last season. Let's hope everyone is healthy though. This should be a good one as LeBron leads the Cavs to their second straight finals.
Prediction: Cavaliers in seven games.

(W3) Los Angeles Clippers vs (W4) San Antonio Spurs: Here's a rematch of last seasons first round classic. Expect another classic, but the Spurs will advance to their third finals in four seasons.
Prediction: Spurs in seven games.

2016 NBA Finals
(E1) Cleveland Cavaliers vs (W4) San Antonio Spurs: This would be an epic matchup. I see this similar to the finals between LeBron's Heat and the Spurs from 2013. The Spurs would have homecourt here because they would have the better regular season record. Like I said, this would be a classic, but the Spurs lead by the reigning Defensive Player of the Year and 2014 Finals MVP Kawhi Leonard will win their sixth title in franchise history.
Prediction: Spurs in seven games.