NBA Offseason: Cleveland Cavaliers

Are They Relevant Again?

Why in God's name am I writing about the Cleveland Cavaliers right now? They were so terrible they ended up with the first pick in the draft, again. Here's a quick step down memory lane. Now that you've watched the video you can realize that three years have passed, LeBron James has won two rings and the Cavaliers have won the lottery twice. Seems like David Stern did Cleveland a couple of good deeds after LeBron left Cleveland for dry to hang out with Dwyane Wade and Little Foot in South Beach.

With the first pick in the 2013 NBA Draft the Cavaliers went out and drafted Anthony Bennett. Not the name anyone expected besides ESPN's Tim Legler. Then they made two signings that have potentially set them up well going forward in Andrew Bynum and Jarrett Jack. Jack basically left a Golden State team where he was the sixth man behind two young stud guards for Cleveland which is basically the same thing, just slightly younger. Don't be shocked if Jack's the sixth man of the year this year.

The Cavaliers went out and signed Andrew Bynum after he didn't play a single game last year. As much as I think you stay away from players that have injury problems the year before he was arguably one of the top five centers in the NBA when he posted 18.7 points and 11.8 rebounds per game. In eight seasons he's only played more than 60 games only twice so if they can get 70 games out of him this season then I think the Cavaliers could be headed for a spot in the playoffs.

I might be getting ahead of myself, but I'm guessing that come April they won't be worrying about what lottery pick they are getting. They might actually be heading for the playoffs again in Cleveland.

The Draft:

When the Cavaliers got the first pick in the draft most people wondered if it would be a smart decision to draft Nerlens Noel number one. Noel had surgery to repair his knee after getting injured at Kentucky and will miss half of this year's NBA season. The Cavaliers along with 4 other NBA teams all passed on the chance to draft him and when he finally got drafted he was traded so it's starting to appear as most teams weren't big on a guy who already has an injury history.

If you told me the Cavaliers weren't going to draft Noel I would guess they'd go with either Ben McLemore or Victor Oladipo who both have the potential to be great shooting guards in the NBA. Oladipo is the better defender and McLemore is the better scorer, and either would have been good picks at number one, just not if you are Cleveland. The Cavaliers already have Irving and Waiters at guard so it made plenty of sense for why they passed on the both of them.

With the first pick the Cavaliers shocked everyone especially ESPN's Bill Simmons when they drafted Bennett. I'm going to be completely honest, I hadn't actually heard of him until about two weeks before the draft. I didn't watch a lot of UNLV during the year as they aren't showed all that frequently and come March  I didn't have a lot of time to get to know him as the Running Rebels were eliminated in the first round of the NCAA Tournament by California.

With the little that I have seen of Bennett he reminds me a lot of another former UNLV player, Larry Johnson. Both were drafted with the first pick of their NBA Drafts, both could play either forward position, and they are almost the exact same size (Bennett is 6'8" and weighs 240, Johnson was 6'7" and weighed 235).

Was this the right move? At the time it didn't look like it. Now with the roster they have assembled by adding Jack and Bynum, it looks like going with a combo forward was the best choice for them. I don't really know how good he is or how good he might end up being, but if the best he ends up is Larry Johnson, I think the Cavaliers made the right pick for what they have on their roster.

The Coach:

Timeline:

June 2005: Cavaliers hire Mike Brown as head coach

May 2010: Cavaliers fire Mike Brown as head coach

April 2013: Cavaliers rehire Mike Brown as head coach

Sometimes teams actually realize that maybe it wasn't the coaches fault that the team didn't succeed like they wanted to and it looks like the Cavaliers finally realized that with Mike Brown. Brown was fired after the Cavaliers were knocked out of the playoffs in 2010 and may have been fired to hopefully convince LeBron James back to stay in Cleveland.

LeBron ended up leaving anyways and Brown is then hired by the Lakers a year later. Brown struggled to do as well as the Lakers expect and was fired after the first five games of last season (Who the hell fires a coach through five games in a season by the way? Why couldn't they fire him in the offseason if they didn't want him to come back). Then the Lakers made the great hire of Mike Antoni (if you don't coach D you don't deserve the D in your name).

So when Byron Scott got fired it took the Cavaliers only a week to re-find the man that got them to the NBA Finals with LeBron James and ... (I'm not a LeBron fan but the man played with nobody in Cleveland, this is the first time I think I'm actually admitting it.).

Now that the Cavaliers have Brown back I think he might be the right coach to get this young team going in the right direction. He took the Cleveland LeBron's to the Finals so expect him to turn this young team into something good in a couple of years. I'm not expecting them to do too much this year, but just imagine a playoff series against the Miami Heat.

This Season:

Potential Cavaliers Starting Lineup:

Point Guard: Kyrie Irving

Shooting Guard: Dion Waiters

Small Forward: Anthony Bennett

Power Forward: Anderson Varejao

Center: Andrew Bynum

Key Bench Players:

Guard: Jarrett Jack

Guard: C.J. Miles

Forward: Alonzo Gee

Forward: Tristan Thompson

Center: Tyler Zeller

2013-2014 Cleveland Cavaliers = 2012-2013 Golden State Warriors. Yes I know this is a bit of a stretch but look at the rosters and tell me why I should think any differently. On paper they also look like they are a better defensive team compared to the Warriors of last year (Addition of Iguodala makes Golden State a much better defensive team now).

The main question Mike Brown will have with this team is who sits between Anthony Bennett, Anderson Varejao and Tristan Thompson? I know neither Varejao or Bynum are going to be healthy all season long, but when they are one of those three is going to have to come off of the bench. My guess is that Thompson will end up being the guy off of the bench for now as the Cavs might look to trade Varejao down the road.

^

I hope he never gets rid of this hairdo.

Bennett won't likely come out and be the Rookie of the Year this year, but I still see him being a 12 points and 5 rebounds a game guy from the start. He will be splitting too many minutes to get enough looks to average 15 a game as a rookie.

If the Cavaliers are able to play as well as I expect them to then Irving and Brown might have to be in consideration for MVP and Coach of the Year respectively. Here's a look at his stats from his first two years in the NBA and what I'm projecting for the next.

Uncle Drew's Stats:

2011-2012 - 18.5 pts, 5.4 ast, 1.1 stl

2012-2013 - 22.5 pts, 5.9 ast, 1.5 stl

2013-2014 - 25.0 pts, 7.0 ast, 2.0 stl (Projected)

If Irving and the Cavaliers can get this team back to the playoffs it will definitely help Cleveland move back in the right direction and help them forget "The Decision" all that much more. With how bad the Browns are and how likely the Indians are to fall apart in the second half of the season, the Cavaliers are going to have to be the team to bring the city of Cleveland back to their feet. I couldn't imagine being from Cleveland and rooting for all three of those teams over the last 25 years.

But, if for any reason that the Cavaliers end up in the lottery again next season, Dan Gilbert better have his son ready to go when the lottery comes around. He's either really good luck or the lottery might already be predetermined. 

Other NBA Offseason Posts:

Boston Celtics

New York Knicks

Brooklyn Nets

Looking Back at Last Year's Howard-Bynum-Iguodala Trade

Remember on August 10, 2012 when the NBA had one of it's biggest blockbuster trades in a long time? Dwight Howard ended up on the Los Angeles Lakers, Andrew Bynum went to the Philadelphia 76ers, Andre Iguodala was sent to the Denver Nuggets and the Orlando Magic ended up with a few young players and picks.

That trade looks a lot different now. If you are a Magic fan, the chances are you're happier than the fans of those other three teams.

The Trade:

Los Angeles Lakers Receive:

Dwight Howard, Earl Clark & Chris Duhon

When the trade happened it looked like they were the winners. They finally had the center that could possibly lead their team to glory again as his predecessors had done before (Wilt Chamberlain, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar & Shaquille O'Neal). The Lakers also added free agent signing Steve Nash and then nothing seemed to work for this Lakers team.

Only five games into the season and already the Lakers had fired Mike Brown and then hired Mike D'Antoni over Phil Jackson. What team could possibly think choosing a guy who never wins playoffs series over a guy who has won 11 rings as a head coach is a good idea?

Injuries plagued the Lakers all season and struggled to make the playoffs. They were able to finish seventh in the West after Kobe Bryant through the team on his back towards the end. All of the minutes that Bryant played in the season is probably what led to him going down with an injury late in the season. In the first round of the playoffs the Lakers were swept by the San Antonio Spurs in four games with Bryant unavailable for the playoffs. A first round exit wasn't exactly the finish anyone expected from the "Lake Show."

Two and a half months later and Dwight Howard is no longer wearing the purple and gold. Both Clark and Duhon are also no longer with the Lakers either, but I'm sure most Lakers fans don't really care. Looking back at this trade, Los Angeles must hate themselves. They gave away a center that wanted to be there for a guy that didn't and never reached the potential that this 2012-2013 team had.

When the Lakers look back at this trade now they must be regretting it. The Lakers failed in the 12-13 season and they took themselves out of the running for any titles for another 2 years. By then Bryant will likely retire and never get the sixth ring that would tie him with Michael Jordan.

When free agency rolled around it didn't appear that the Lakers even had a chance of bringing back Howard. The Rockets were the favorites from the beginning and the Warriors almost swooped in and stole him. The Mavericks and Hawks had almost as much a chance as the Lakers and neither of them were ever really in the picture. The Lakers even stooped to as low as putting up a banner for Dwight in hopes of him not leaving. Since when do the Lakers have to try and convince players to come play at the Staples Center.

By the way the Clippers were able to get their guy. What the hell is going on in Los Angeles?

Grade: D+

While the team didn't live up to expectations, they at least made the playoffs and had some glimpses of hope during the season. Injuries plagued the team more than anything else and they weren't going to win without Kobe Bryant.

Philadelphia 76ers Receive:

Andrew Bynum & Jason Richardson

0. That's the amount of games that Andrew Bynum ended up playing for the Philadelphia 76ers.
12.8 Million. That's how much the 76ers are stuck paying for Jason Richardson total for the next two seasons.

Talk about getting the worst of the deal. The only reason they made this trade was in the hopes that Bynum could be their franchise center. Bynum then gets injured and misses the entire season with an array of problems and the only thing Sixers fans had to bring smiles to their faces was this.

In the 2011-2012 shortened season the Sixers went 35-31 and finished with the eighth best record in the East. The following season they won one less game in a full season and finished with a record of 34-48. Not exactly what anyone expected from the "Illadelph."

The Sixers will likely be a lottery team this year. They'd be lucky to win any more than 30 games with their current roster. They couldn't have screwed up with this trade anymore than they did. In what was supposed to be a trade that helped the Sixers, it was actually a trade that completely killed this team and led them to starting over.

Bynum has now signed with the Cleveland Cavaliers, so he will never end up playing a game for Philadelphia. There really is no way for anyone dealing with the 76ers to actually look at this trade in a positive way. They got worse from the trade and took on a bad contract. I can't think of a trade where a team did so poorly in it. At least the Phillies and Eagles are doing good right? Wait they both still suck too. Sorry Philly.

Grade: F

They gave away their best player, traded for a guy that didn't play a game all season for them and got stuck with an overpriced player that nobody wanted. Good Job!

Denver Nuggets Receive:

Andre Iguodala

"Iggy" to the Nuggets was a trade that really helped Denver this season. I know that Iguodala is no longer with the Nuggets as he has signed with the Golden State Warriors, but this trade wasn't bad for them at all.

Injuries plagued the Nuggets for a majority of the season and Iguodala was one of the few guys on this team that was on the court on a consistent basis. He was the leader of a team that ended up with the three seed in the playoffs somehow and if it wasn't because of so many injuries they might have actually advanced in the playoffs.

This trade was really a rental for Denver as they only had him for the season, but they have to know that they did better than LA and Philly. Their team made it to the playoffs and the player they received was the main reason for it. They didn't give up too much in the trade either outside of losing Arron Afflalo and a first round pick so they have to keep their chins up.

This team has a future with Ty Lawson, Kenneth Faried and Danilo Gallinari so they have to look forward to their future. If Javale McGee can become a little less of a headcase and Wilson Chandler can stay healthy they will be fine without Iguodala this season. They will still be a playoff team without him, just not as good.

Grade: B

They were a much better team due to the addition of Iguodala. Even though he didn't stay with the team he gave the Nuggets a real chance during last season. They also didn't lose too much in the trade either.

Orlando Magic Receive:
Arron Afflalo, Al Harrington, Nikola Vucevic, Moe Harkless, Josh McRoberts & Christian Eyenga
3 1st Round Picks (2014 Nuggets (or Knicks), 2017 Lakers (Conditional) & Future 76ers (Conditional))
2 2nd Round Picks (2015 Lakers & 2017 Lakers (Conditional))

The Magic traded away Dwight Howard because he wanted nothing to do with playing for them anymore. This happened only a short while after he extended his contract after being questioned about whether or not he was going to stay all season long. I think he just felt guilty about leaving even though it was all he wanted to do. You can only go to Disney World so many times before you get sick of the rides I guess. (I've been twice and I'm terrified of heights so roller coasters aren't exactly my cup of tea.)

If you really look at it, Howard did Orlando a favor. By extending his contract for another season and then saying he wanted to leave, he allowed the Magic to actually get something for him. I know they hate him in Orlando now and will probably hate him for a long time, but he actually helped give this team a future through the trade.

If you look at what they gave up, they really did an excellent job in this trade. They were able to get rid of Howard and three players that they didn't want in Duhon, Clark and Richardson. They made it so that if they were going to get rid of their key player, they were going to get rid of guys they didn't want and stack up on young talent and draft picks.

Of the four guys they still have on their roster from the trade, the only one that isn't really a part of the team's future is Al Harrington. Harrington didn't play all that much for Orlando last year and will likely see even less minutes this year. Eyenga was released before the season started and McRoberts was traded during the season.

When you look at the other three players they received, Orlando has to be happy. Afflalo ended up being the Magic's best scorer last year as he averaged 16.5 points per game. Mo Harkless ended up putting up relatively good numbers in his rookie campaign as he scored eight points and had four rebounds per game. But the key piece in the trade was Nikola Vucevic. That's right Vucevic. One of those foreign centers actually playing up to what Fran Fraschilla said about him.

I think it was halfway through last season when I finally realized who this dude was. Vucevic went from being a guy I hadn't really heard of to a double-double machine. He finished the year starting in all 77 of the 77 games he played in and averaged 13.1 points and 11.9 rebounds per contest. Not bad numbers from a guy playing in his second season.

This team won't likely compete this season so a lottery pick is on the horizon. They likely won't be ready next year either but three years from now this team could be moving up in the Eastern Conference. With the young pieces they received in this trade in Harkless and Vucevic and the addition of Oladipo they could be a pretty good team in the future. Another early pick in this year's draft could really set them up. Now they just have to get rid of Jameer "remember when people thought St. Joe's was good" Nelson.

Grade: A-

Traded away the guy that didn't want to be there. Ended up getting rid of a guy they didn't want. Added two young studs and a bunch of draft picks. The Magic once again have a future.

Groundhog Day Basketball

Tonight's NBA Games:

Chicago Bulls (28-18) @ Atlanta Hawks (26-19)

25 years ago you would've gotten to see Michael Jordan go up against Dominique Wilkins. Today you get to see Luol Deng and Josh Smith. Not exactly the same great rivalry that it once was but both of these teams are still contenders every year in the East. Derrick Rose should be back soon for the Bulls who have remained one of the four best teams in the East all season. The Hawks traded away Joe Johnson before the season started and haven't really played that much differently. Expect the Hawks to win this one at home.

My prediction: Hawks win 98-93

Sacramento Kings (17-31) @ New York Knicks (29-15)

The Queens are coming to the Big Apple. The Knickerbockers have been playing much better since the return of Raymond Felton and have been unstoppable when playing at "The World's Most Famous Arena." While there have been times where the starting lineup hasn't been reliable enough for the Knicks this year, being able to go to J.R. Smith and Amare Stoudemire off the bench has really helped ignite the offense. Boogie Cousins is one of the best offensive bigmen in the NBA today so the matchup to watch will be him against last year's Defensive Player of the Year, Tyson Chandler.

My prediction: Knicks win 107-96

Oklahoma City Thunder (35-11) @ Cleveland Cavaliers (13-34)

Kevin Durant and the Thunder are visiting Kyrie Irving's Cavaliers tonight in a game that probably won't be a close one. Irving has looked impressive so far in his short NBA career and is showing why it was smart of the Cavaliers to draft him first overall two years ago. The only thing to really look forward to in this game will be whether or not we get to see Russell Westbrook have another temper tantrum. We can only hope.

My prediction: No temper tantrum tonight and Thunder win 114-96

Charlotte Bobcats (11-34) @ Houston Rockets (25-23)

Will the Bobcats ever be good? Will Michael Jordan ever do anything successful with basketball when he's not playing? These are questions that the city of Charlotte has to really ask themselves. The greatest basketball player of all time just can't seem to run a team at all. After almost 10 years of being a team their greatest draft pick might end up being Emeka Okafor or Raymond Felton. Not something that you can really build a team around. They also drafted the guy below over Brandon Roy and Rudy Gay once too. He wasn't exactly the second coming of Larry Bird.

My prediction: Morrison will get a reality TV show about mustaches some day on Spike TV
(Rockets win 102-90)

New Orleans Hornets (15-32) @ Minnesota Timberwolves (17-26) (NBATV)

The city of New Orleans has had some up and downs over the years. They're known for Hurricane Katrina and Mardi Gras. The Saints won a Super Bowl a couple years ago that is now being remembered as "Bountygate." In the NBA they had the great times of Chris Paul leading the Hornets and are now moving forward as the Pelicans with Anthony Davis. It doesn't matter how good this team may ever get, people will always laugh when they hear the Pelicans are coming to town. I'm really sorry New Orleans, David Stern doesn't care about your basketball team.

My prediction: Timberwolves win 99-90

Orlando Magic (14-32) @ Milwaukee Bucks (24-21)

Bucks just lost on the road against a better Knicks team and will now be at home against a worse Magic team. They should be able to win this game rather easily. Expect a boring win for the Bucks tonight.

My prediction: Bucks win 104-95

Washington Wizards (11-34) @ San Antonio Spurs (37-11)

Can this team just go back to being called the Bullets? The Bullets was an awesome team name and the Wizards sounds like a horrible team name for anything besides quidditch (I've never read or seen any of the Harry Potters). This is all I could really write about this game. Any kind of insight would have been me just talking about how awesome the Spurs are and how bad the Wizards are.

My prediction: Spurs win 104-86

Utah Jazz (26-21) @ Portland Trail Blazers (23-23)

It's been 15 years since Stockton and Malone were in the NBA Finals with the Jazz and somewhere Byron Russell is still complaining about the push off. That's been about the only thing this state has been able to talk about besides Jimmer Fredette being a virgin for BYU. The team once known as the Jail Blazers are a team that Portland probably misses these days. Those old Blazers teams always competed and contended in the late 90's early 00's and now this team never seems to play as well as they should.

My prediction: Jail Blazers win 102-94

Phoenix Suns (16-31) @ Golden State Warriors (29-17)

The Suns wore their old school uniforms the other day from back in the 90's and managed to beat the Lakers. I'm starting to think the Suns need to go back to wearing those old unis and just drop the bright orange things they wear everywhere. The Warriors might get Steph Curry back for tonight's game, but I wouldn't bother rushing him back. Warriors should be able to take this game without him.

My prediction: Warriors win 108-92

Yesterday's NBA Results: 

Los Angeles Clippers (34-14) @ Toronto Raptors (17-30) - Raptors won 98-73

Miami Heat (29-14) @ Indiana Pacers (28-19) - Pacers won 102-89

Milwaukee Bucks (24-21) @ New York Knicks (29-15) - Knicks won 96-86

Orlando Magic (14-32) @ Boston Celtics (23-23) - Celtics won 97-84

Chicago Bulls (28-18) @ Brooklyn Nets (28-19) - Nets won 93-89

Sacramento Kings (17-31) @ Philadelphia 76ers (20-26) - 76ers won 89-80

Cleveland Cavaliers (13-34) @ Detroit Pistons (18-29) - Pistons won 117-89

Washington Wizards (11-34) @ Memphis Grizzlies (30-16) - Grizzlies won 85-76

New Orleans Hornets (15-32) @ Denver Nuggets (30-18) - Nuggets won 113-98

Portland Trail Blazers (23-23) @ Utah Jazz (26-21) - Jazz won 86-77

Dallas Mavericks (20-27) @ Phoenix Suns (16-31) - Mavericks won 109-99

Los Angeles Lakers (21-26) @ Minnesota Timberwolves (17-26) - Lakers won 111-100


Thursday's NBA Results:

Memphis Grizzlies (29-16) @ Oklahoma City Thunder (35-11) - Thunder won 106-89

Dallas Mavericks (19-27) @ Golden State Warriors (29-17) - Warriors won 100-97

Tonight's Key NCAA Games:

(* #5 Duke @ Florida State - I was going to pick Florida State to upset Duke today. I'm very glad that I didn't get this written up before that game started because the Seminoles look lost out there)

Oklahoma State (14-5) @ #2 Kansas (19-1) (YES & ESPN3)

The Cowboys will be visiting the the Jayhawks tonight at Allen Fieldhouse tonight. The Jayhawks will be looking to continue their 18 game winning streak tonight and could end up being the only team with 1 loss by the end of the night.

My prediction: #2 Kansas wins 74-60

#14 Miami (FL) (16-3) @ #19 NC State (16-5) (CBS)

In a nice ACC matchup on CBS today, these are the only teams that have defeated the Cameron Crazies this year. Both the Hurricanes and Wolfpack have shown this season that they can contend with any team that they go up against. Right now they are arguably the second and third best teams in their conference and are teams that could go pretty deep in the NCAA Tournament this upcoming March.

My prediction: #19 NC State wins 71-67

#18 Kansas State (16-4) @ Oklahoma (14-5) (ESPN2)

The Wildcats are visiting the Sooners in a Big 12 matchup tonight on ESPN2. In the first meeting between these two teams earlier this season the Wildcats came out victorious 69-60 in the Little Apple. I'm expecting Oklahoma to even up the season series tonight and move back into the top 25.

My predicton: Oklahoma wins 69-65

#16 Ole Miss (17-3) @ #4 Florida (17-2) (ESPNU)

The Gators are welcoming the Running Rebels to "The Swamp" tonight. The Gators haven't lost any games at home yet this season and have remained very consistent in Gainesville. Ole Miss lost earlier in the week to a Kentucky team that isn't having one of their best seasons currently. Expect the Gators to remain undefeated at home and Ole Miss to lose their second straight.

My prediction: #4 Florida wins 80-71

#1 Michigan (20-1) @ #3 Indiana (19-2) (ESPN)

In a battle of BIG 10 powerhouses tonight, could the #1 team in the country go down? The Hoosiers have already been ranked as #1 earlier in the season and have their sights set on regaining that position tonight. This game features a lot of players that will more than likely be drafted in the first round on the upcoming NBA Draft including Tyler Zeller and Victor Oladipo of Indiana, and Trey Burke and Glenn Robinson III or Michigan. The Wolverines and Hoosiers are currently the best two scoring teams in the country, and are so well-rounded that whenever one key player has a bad game someone else has stepped up all season.

My prediction: #3 Indiana wins 78-76


Thursday's NCAA Results: 

UConn (14-5) @ Providence (10-11) - UConn won 82-79

Illinois (15-7) @ #13 Michigan State (18-4) - Michigan State won 80-75

#8 Arizona (18-2) @ Washington (12-9) - #8 Arizona won 57-53

#9 Butler (17-4) @ Saint Louis (15-5) - Saint Louis won 75-58

#7 Gonzaga (20-2) @ Loyola Marymount (8-13) - #7 Gonzaga won 88-43

1/29 NBA & NCAA Predictions

Tonight's NBA Games:

Golden State Warriors (27-17) @ Cleveland Cavaliers (13-32)

Warriors won last night in Toronto and tonight are headed to Cleveland. The Cavaliers have won three straight coming into this game and I'm expecting them to make it four in a row tonight. Even with Curry, Bogut and Barnes I expected the Warriors to lose but after hearing all three of them are out I'm expecting the Cavs to win an easy one now.

My prediction: Cavaliers win 107-90

Milwaukee Bucks (23-19) @ Detroit Pistons (17-27)

In a battle of Central Division rivals, the Pistons have won the previous two matchups between these two teams. For a Bucks team trying to make the playoffs they should not lose to a non-contending team a third time in a row. While the Pistons are an alright home team, I think the Bucks have to come out tonight and make a statement.

My prediction: Bucks win 96-92

Dallas Mavericks (19-25) @ Portland Trail Blazers (22-22)

Both of these teams might have a shot at claiming one of the last spots in the West so they need to start putting together some wins in order to have any chance. Both sit on the outside of the playoff picture as of right now but both have great leaders in Dirk Nowitski and LaMarcus Aldridge so I'm expecting those two guys to make this a game. A big key in this game is that the Mavericks play very poor on the road and the Trail Blazers have played extrememely well at home this season.

My prediction: Trail Blazers win 109-105

New Orleans Hornets (15-29) @ Los Angeles Lakers (19-25)

The Lakers are currently four games better than the Hornets, but I'm starting to believe in this Lakers team with Kobe Bryant trying to facilitate more. Hornets might have a bright future with Erik Gordon and Anthony Davis, but for the Lakers it's all about now. Expect Kobe Bryant to put up 30 points, 8 assists and 5 rebounds tonight for the Lakers as they win this game in a blowout.

My prediction: Lakers win 112-90

Yesterday's NBA Results:

After these games I'm now 16-8 when picking the NBA

Golden State Warriors (27-17) @ Toronto Raptors (16-29) - Warriors won 114-102
(Originally predicted Warriors would win 105-97)

Memphis Grizzlies (29-15) @ Philadelphia 76ers (18-26) - Grizzlies won 103-100
(Originally predicted Grizzlies would win 99-86)

Sacramento Kings (17-29) @ Washington Wizards (11-32) - Kings won 96-94
(Originally predicted Wizards would win 105-101)

Orlando Magic (14-30) @ Brooklyn Nets (27-18) - Nets won 97-77
(Originally predicted Nets would win 102-86)

Charlotte Bobcats (11-33) @ Chicago Bulls (27-17) - Bulls won 93-85
(Originally predicted Bulls would win 96-79)

Indiana Pacers (26-19) @ Denver Nuggets (28-18) - Nuggets won 102-101
(Originally predicted Nuggets would win 98-92)

Houston Rockets (25-22) @ Utah Jazz (24-21) - Rockets won 125-80
(Originally predicted Jazz would win 106-101)

Tonight's NCAA Games:

I like all of the home teams tonight in these five games. Expecting the ranked teams of Ohio State, Wichita State, Ole Miss and Minnesota to win at home along with Virginia pulling off the upset.

Wisconsin (14-6) @ #11 Ohio State (15-4)

My prediction: #11 Ohio State wins 70-62

Indiana State (13-7) @ #15 Wichita State (19-2)

My prediction: #15 Wichita State wins 74-59

Kentucky (13-6) @ #16 Ole Miss (17-2)

My prediction: #16 Ole Miss wins 68-66

#19 NC State (16-4) @ Virginia (14-5)

My prediction: Virginia wins 71-70

Nebraska (11-10) @ #23 Minnesota (15-5)

My prediction: #23 Minnesota wins 76-52

Yesterday's NCAA Results:

After these games I'm now 9-4 when picking the NCAA

Pittsburgh (17-5) @ #12 Louisville (17-4) - #12 Louisville won 64-61
(Originally predicted #12 Louisville would win 71-67)

South Florida (10-10) @ #25 Marquette (15-4) - #25 Marquette won 63-50
(Originally predicted #25 Marquette would win 76-55)

#2 Kansas (19-1) @ West Virginia (9-11) - #2 Kansas won 61-56
(Originally predicted #2 Kansas would win 84-61)

1/26 NBA Predictions

Tonight's NBA Predictions:

New York Knicks (26-14) @ Philadelphia 76ers (17-25)

Tonight marks the return of Knicks starting point guard Raymond Felton. The 76ers are currently above .500 at home, but I don't see them having enough to win this game against the Knicks. Sixers starting point guard Jrue Holiday has been showing all-star qualities all season but without Andrew Bynum this team doesn't have the frontcourt size to compete with the Knicks big men in Tyson Chandler and Amare Stoudemire.

My prediction: Knicks win 99-90

Cleveland Cavaliers (12-32) @ Toronto Raptors (16-27)

In a battle of two teams that have no postseason hopes this year, this game will feature a lot of rising star Kyrie Irving. Irving has just been named to his first all-star game and I see him putting up big numbers tonight for the Cavs.

My prediction: Cavaliers win 102-96

Chicago Bulls (26-16) @ Washington Wizards (10-31)

The Bulls currently have more wins on the road this season (12) than the Wizards have total. I don't see this game being close at all.

My prediction: Bulls win 98-81

Minnesota Timberwolves (17-23) @ Charlotte Bobcats (10-32)

The only thing Bobcats fans have been able to look forward to all season is the possibility of them regaining their former name the Hornets. Other than that it looks like it will be another losing season for a team that continues to draft poorly and end up in the lottery year after year.

My prediction: Timberwolves win 97-88

Brooklyn Nets (26-17) @ Houston Rockets (23-22)

If you are interested in seeing a lot of scoring coming from the backcourt this is a game that you will enjoy. Both teams currently have starting guards that combine for 34+ points per game. The Nets have impressed in their first season in Brooklyn and the new starting backcourt of Jeremy Lin and James Harden have shown glimpses of a future that looks promising for Houston.

My prediction: Rockets win 94-92

Golden State Warriors (26-16) @ Milwaukee Bucks (22-19)

This game will mark the first meeting between Monta Ellis and his former team the Golden State Warriors this season. Both teams seem to have been better off since the trade a year ago and this game will be very similar to that of the Nets & Rockets. With a lot of guard scoring I see this game being very competitive all the way until the end.

My prediction: Bucks win 101-99

Phoenix Suns (15-28) @ San Antonio Spurs (35-11)

The Spurs have been unstoppable at home this season with only two losses and the Phoenix Suns have been abysmal on the road with only four wins. This game will be a blowout from the beginning.

My prediction: Spurs win 102-78

Sacramento Kings (16-28) @ Denver Nuggets (26-18)

This will more than likely be the last season of the Sacramento Kings as it's looking like the team is all but ready to be moved to Seattle and be renamed the Supersonics. That has really been the only newsworthy thing about the team besides "Boogie" Cousins causing problems for the team all season.

My prediction: Nuggets win 104-90

Indiana Pacers (26-17) @ Utah Jazz (23-20)

The Pacers have been one of the best defensive teams all season and have managed to slow down just about everybody. However, while the Pacers are on the road they tend not to perform as well as they do at home. The Jazz currently have a frontcourt that contains Paul Millsap, Al Jefferson and Derrick Favors. All three of these guys should be starting but only two of them can take up the spots at the 4 and 5. It's only a matter of time before 1 of those 3 is on the trading block and be shopped to half of the NBA.

My prediction: Jazz win 91-88

Los Angeles Clippers (32-12) @ Portland Trail Blazers (21-21)

In the last game of the evening the big question is when will Chris Paul return. That's the only thing that really matters to a Clippers team that has shown signs of contending for an NBA title this year. While the Clippers have been winning without Paul, he is what makes this team so successful. Without Paul in this game I see the Trail Blazers pulling the upset and beating the Clips.

My prediction: Trail Blazers win 103-98