2014-15 NBA season: A fearless forecast

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A lot has happened since the San Antonio Spurs got redemption by torching the Miami Heat in last season’s NBA Finals.

With the 2014-15 campaign set to tip off, I take a look into my crystal ball and try to predict how things will shake out six months from now.

Let’s get down to business …

Eastern Confernce

Atlantic Division
Predicted winner: Toronto Raptors
The Raptors won’t sneak up on anyone this time around. After winning their first Atlantic Division crown since 2007 last season, expect the Raptors to repeat as champs in 2014-15. Toronto didn’t do anything flashy in the offseason, but the club took care of its top priority by re-signing leader Kyle Lowry. The Dinos did add some depth in guard Lou Williams and big man Greg Stiemsma that should help a well-balanced and tight group. The Brooklyn Nets and New York Knicks have more talent overall, but the Raptors remain the best team.

The rest of the pack
2. Brooklyn Nets
3. New York Knicks
4. Boston Celtics
5. Philadelphia 76ers

Central Division
Predicted winner: Cleveland Cavaliers
Forget the Decision. Forget the burned jerseys. Forget the success in Miami. The King has returned. With LeBron James back home, flanked by Kyrie Irving and Kevin Love, the Cavaliers are poised to do some serious damage with the league’s newest Big 3. Add in a few solid depth additions like Shawn Marion, Mike Miller and James Jones, and the Cavs should go from the cellar back to the top of the Central in no time. It won’t be easy with the revamped Chicago Bulls lurking, but Tom Thibodeau grinds his team to the ground just enough during the regular season to miss out on the division title.

The rest of the pack
2. Chicago Bulls
3. Indiana Pacers
4. Detroit Pistons
5. Milwaukee Bucks

Southeast Division
Predicted winner: Washington Wizards
In what will be the most competitive and intriguing division in the East, the Wizards will come out on top. Much like the Raptors, the Wizards proved to be a team on the rise in 2013-14 and now is the chance to show they have staying power. The early absence of Bradley Beal will hurt, but John Wall and the team’s bruisers on the block should be enough to secure the perch that Miami occupied over the past four seasons.

Rest of the pack
2. Miami Heat
3. Charlotte Hornets
4. Atlanta Hawks
5. Orlando Magic

Western Conference

Northwest Division
Predicted winner: Portland Trail Blazers
The Thunder are one of the few teams that bring an A-plus effort every night of the regular season. Last year was no different and they managed to edge the up-and-coming Blazers by just a handful of games in the standings. With Kevin Durant sidelined by a fractured foot, the Blazers have their opening to snag the division. The Damian Lillard-LaMarcus Aldridge combo appears ready for elite status. That starts by winning the Northwest.

Rest of the pack
2. Oklahoma City Thunder
3. Denver Nuggets
4. Utah Jazz
5. Minnesota Timberwolves

Pacific Division
Predicted winner: Los Angeles Clippers
All the front-office drama behind them, the Clippers can shift their focus solely to basketball. And that’s a good thing because they’re one of the best teams in the entire league. Up the coast, the Golden State Warriors also boast an uber-talented roster, but the Clippers have the superstars in Chris Paul and Blake Griffin. Plus, the Clips have the proven leader in Doc Rivers over first-year head coach Steve Kerr. That will be the difference as Clippers roll to their third division title in franchise history. Just 20 behind the Lakers.

Rest of the pack
2. Golden State Warriors
3. Phoenix Suns
4. Los Angeles Lakers
5. Sacramento Kings

Southwest Division
Predicted winner: Houston Rockets
This has more to do with the San Antonio Spurs’ approach to the regular season than the Rockets’ ability to overtake them in the division. After logging all the minutes associated with another run to the Finals, expect Gregg Popovich to be even more mindful of resting his key guys. With that said, the Rockets started to put some things together last season. James Harden and Dwight Howard will be much more comfortable together in Year 2, and vets Trevor Ariza and Jason Terry will provide the additional punch the team was lacking a season ago.

Rest of the pack
2. San Antonio Spurs
3. Dallas Mavericks
4. Memphis Grizzlies
5. New Orleans Pelicans

Who’s in the NBA Finals: It’s pretty much a two-team race in the East. Will it be the James Gang in Cleveland riding that new wave of talent to the promised land? Or will it be the retooled Bulls and that influx of scoring reaching the Finals for the first time since some guy named Jordan ruled the Windy City?

For my money, it’s the Bulls reaching the Finals. They’ve always had the defense. Now Pau Gasol, Doug McDermott, Nikola Mirotic and Aaron Brooks are in the fold to provide more offensive firepower to a group led by Derrick Rose and Joakim Noah.

In a deep Western Conference, the Spurs will use the extra rest throughout the season to reenergize for another deep run to the Finals.

In a tight matchup, I see the Bulls coming out the winners. They’ve added the proper pieces to improve their offense, and their defense will do just enough to throw the Spurs' ball movement-driven attack off the mark.

Now, let’s get to the real fun by predicting who will take home some regular-season hardware.

Rookie of the year
Predicted winner: Jabari Parker
It’s all about opportunity. On a team not projected to do much of anything, Parker will have every chance in the world to succeed or fail. Look for the Duke product to put up points in bunches and hit the boards as one of the few bright spots for a lowly Milwaukee Bucks team.

Most improved player of the year
Predicted winner: Anthony Davis
Going from good to great in any sport is extremely difficult, but that’s the path that Davis is on at the moment. The big man showed the improvements in his game on the world stage during the FIBA World Cup this past summer and expect that to carry over into a dominant regular season for the Pelicans.

Defensive player of the year
Predicted winner: LeBron James
James was reportedly miffed that his spot in the DPOY ranks kept slipping during his time in Miami as he packed on the pounds to help in the paint. Shift to the offseason as James shed a drastic amount of weight to help transition back to strictly playing on the wing. Back in a comfortable setting, look for James to lock down opponents in an effort to claim the lone major award that Michael Jordan has over him.

Sixth man of the year
Predicted winner: Andre Iguodala
It must be a nice luxury for Kerr in his first season at the helm in Golden State to think about moving a player with Iguodala’s skill set to the bench and expect the team to get better. However, that’s likely to be the case for the Warriors. Kerr is weighing that option because Iguodala’s ability should make for a productive reserve. He can survey the game and give the Warriors exactly what they need, whether that be scoring, rebounding, defense or even setting up the offense. All while not making a fuss about no longer being a starter.

Coach of the year
Predicted winner: Terry Stotts
This Blazers squad is right on the verge of reaching the upper echelon. If they get to that level, Stotts should receive plenty of the credit. In a loaded Western Conference, the head coach has his guys expecting to win every night. With a potential Northwest Division crown in Portland's sights, Stotts could bring this prestigious honor home to Rip City.

Most valuable player
Predicted winner: Chris Paul
The time is now for the Clippers and Paul knows it. The Clips have had fun the past couple of years, putting the franchise’s dark days in the past by enjoying unprecedented success on the court. But for a competitor like Paul, that’s simply not good enough. He knows it’s time for the team to transition from serious contender to actual winners and he will be get them to that level by not only being the game's best point guard but also its best player on a nightly basis.

Well, what do you think? Am I right? Am I way off base? Make your feelings and personal predictions known in the comments.

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