1st Annual NBA bold predictions

After my brutal MLB predictions - Adrian Gonzalez wins MVP, Red Sox win the WS - I decided to stop making predictions, and just start going for bold predictions.  That way when I'm wrong I don't feel as bad about myself, and if any of them are right I look like a prophet.  So here's the first annual NBA bold predictions:

James Harden leads the league in scoring.  The Thunder basically told him they'd rather have Ibaka.  In his first game since then, he scored 37 and had 12 assists playing with a bunch of guys he's never met.  Arguably Andrew Bynum should be in more F U mode, but he's probably chilling on his couch already getting ready for his guaranteed max offer next summer.  Harden in eff you mode all season could be a sight to see.  Plus - he'll shave the beard to increase the hype. 

so much more aerodynamic

Spurs win the west.  Maybe it's not bold to some people, but out of 32 espn analysts only 1 picked the Spurs.  The Thunder took a step back losing Harden.  Ibaka is good, but he doesn't have that same edge Harden has.  When push comes to a shove in a big playoff game, it just doesn't feel like you could rely on Ibaka to come through - offensively OR defensively.  At the same time, Harden HAS come through at those moments already.  At age 23.  I feel like they should've gone with Durant-Westbrook-Harden core than Ibaka.  The Lakers - could easily be the most dominant team in the west, but they need a healthy point guard.  They need to keep that core 4 healthy and they need to destroy the other team whenever they're on because it doesn't look like Antawn or Steve Blake are going to provide much help.  So who else could win?  Maybe the team that won 21 games in a row? 

The Chicago Bulls repeat as #1 in the East.  They tied for the best record in the league with only 60% of Derrick Rose.  Who says they can't hang in there around the middle of the conference until January when Rose comes back?  This guy cried at a rehab update, there's no way he's sitting out a season when he could be playing.  Plus, I love every single Adidas commercial about him.  Don't try to tell me that guy is not a gamer. 

Brooklyn misses the playoffs.  If Deron Williams doesn't have this miraculous return-to-the-olden-days season, or worse - gets hurt, they're left with a core of Brook Lopez and Joe Johnson.  It's a conglomeration of guys who want the celebrity and cash of playing in Brooklyn. 

Chris Paul gets traded.  I don't know enough about NBA trades and salaries to tell you where he'd go, but if the Clippers get off to a slow start, I could see it.  They've clearly committed to Blake for the long-term, and CP3 doesn't really play a Blake-style game.  He wants to run efficient defensive minded basketball.  Some team will be willing to take a risk and get in on the CP3 sweepstakes early. 

Carmelo Anthony wins MVP.  As Lin and Stoudamire move out of the picture, this becomes the Melo show again.  They went 18-6 with Mike Woodson, don't tell me they couldn't sneak into the 2 spot in the east.  If they pull that off - who else would get more hype, and isn't that really what the MVP award is about? 

See you on the other side,

from ken