Above the Rim: NBA Season Preview

The NBA season kicks off with the Cavaliers and the Celtics tomorrow night in a rematch of the 2008 Eastern Conference Finals (the Magic derailed the Celtics to ruin another matchup in the 2009 Conference Finals). This year’s offseason was fairly quiet with a lot of movement early and an unusual lack of off the court drama.

The contenders in the East and the West got richer this year without any teams making moves to join their ranks (the Pistons picking up Ben Gordon and Charlie Villaneuva should be enough to get them into the playoffs, but they will lose in the first round).

• The Cavaliers picked up Shaquille O’Neal early in the offseason to start the movement. While many seem to think that Shaq won’t perform at a high level, I think they are underestimating the Big Aristotle. He was an all-star last year in Phoenix averaging 17.8 points and 8.4 rebounds and Cleveland will be able to keep him fresh with Zydrunas Ilgauskas backing him up at center. Also, even if Shaq does not match his numbers from last year and settles around 14 points and 7 rebounds, it is still a large improvement over what the Cavs got from Ben Wallace and Sasha Pavlovic last season. The Cavaliers then added Anthony Parker and Jamario Moon to increase their depth and athleticism at the shooting guard, small forward, and power forward positions. The Cavs are also expecting former Celtic Leon Powe back by the all-star break after off-season knee surgery.


• The Celtics also improved by adding Rasheed Wallace and Marquis Daniels to their bench and, currently, are healthy after losing Kevin Garnett down the stretch. I think Wallace will be an effective pickup, but will not match his 12 points and 7.4 rebounds from last season with less looks on offense. I have always liked Daniels and he has proven he can be effective off the bench.


• The Orlando Magic had surprisingly high turnover on their roster after winning the Eastern Conference last season. The net result: Hedo Turkoglu, Rafer Alston, and Courtney Lee are all gone after contributing to the Magic’s run in the playoffs and are replaced by Vince Carter, Brandon Bass, and Ryan Anderson. I feel the Magic are worse off for the changes. Their bench is weaker with Mickael Pietrus stepping into the starting lineup at small forward because there isn’t an explosive player on the bench to replace him. Bass will help at the power forward and Anderson can shoot, but neither can match how effective Pietrus was. Lee was poised to break out this season and should have a good year in New Jersey where he will get more looks on offense. Carter is good, but he is getting older and has peaked. Swapping him for Turkoglu in the starting lineup also eliminates the matchup problems that a 6’11” point forward like Turkoglu created. His flexibility was a big reason why the Magic were able to knock off the Cavs last year. With a more traditional offense, the Magic lose that advantage and will struggle with both the Cavs and Celtics.


• The Lakers were the champions and then swapped Trevor Ariza, a potential star, for Ron Artest, an established star who I thought deserved top finish in the top 5 for MVP last season. The Lakers may also get something from Adam Morrison off the bench this season after getting him from Charlotte last season. After getting Shannon Brown from the Cavs, Brown developed into a nice role player within a season, and Morrison could be on track to follow in his footsteps.

Off-court drama in the NBA this off-season that could carry over into the regular season.

• How is the Stephen Jackson situation in Golden State going to unfold? After signing an extension, Jackson wants out for New York, Cleveland, or a team in Texas. The Cavs don’t have the pieces to make it happen and New York wants to maintain cap room for the 2010 free agent class. So where will Jackson end up…


• Toronto? The rumor a few weeks ago was a trade that would send Jackson to the Raptors for Chris Bosh. Bosh is a free agent in 2010 and is probably on his way back to the states. Toronto may try to cut its losses and get something back for Bosh if they are not in contention. However, the Raptors picked up Turkoglu this off-season and should be able to make the playoffs. Also, if they trade Bosh for Jackson, their leading rebounder from last season would be Andrea Bargnani, a 7 footer who plays more like a shooting guard instead of a post player, with only 5.3 rebounds per game. I look for Bosh to stay put in Toronto until at least the all-star break when the front office will have to evaluate how the season is going.


• Delonte West in Cleveland broke the silence of the off-season when he was arrested outside of Washington D.C. with pistols on his ankle and in his waistband, and a shotgun in a guitar case on his back. West left the team last year in training camp to get help with depression and bi-polar disorder. Supposedly, he was off his medication at the time of the arrest and is back on it now. Based on last season, West should be ok once the season gets started; he seems to cope better when he is around the other Cavs as he had his best season last year. However, the Cavs will probably have to play without him for a while as he will probably get suspended for a few games for his arrest.

Where is LeBron going?

• This story has been relatively quiet during the off-season as the economy will probably lower the salary cap next season restricting the number of teams that can offer him a full contract, or offer LeBron and another player max contracts. While the New York media, especially the New York Post, likes to write articles about why LeBron is coming to the Knicks, the rest of the country seems to think that LeBron will be back in Cleveland with an extension after the season. While I think that is probably what will happen, I still expect a steady stream of articles about LeBron leaving every time the Cavs play the Knicks or the Nets.

So what do we have to look forward to this season?

• LeBron James will win his second straight MVP award. His scoring may dip a bit as he shares the ball with Shaq and the other newcomers, but his rebounds and assists could jump as he plays off the ball a little more. I expect his assists to go up especially with Shaq in the post and Parker, whom coach Mike Brown said was the best shooter he has seen since Reggie Miller, on the wing. The Cavs were a 66 win team last season and improved, so they should be the top team in the East again which will help James in the MVP vote. Dark horse- Brandon Roy will lead the Blazers to the second best record in the West and will become one of the league’s elite players.


• Blake Griffin will run away with the Rookie of the Year. Last year’s best college player will get plenty of opportunities to produce for the dysfunctional Clippers and should average close to 15 points and 8 rebounds. A double-double average is an outside possibility as well. Second round surprises- Pitt Panthers Dajuan Blair and Sam Young were both productive and fundamentally sound players in college that will produce in the NBA this season. Blair will be a force in the post off the bench for the Spurs and Young should get looks for the Grizzlies at multiple positions.


• The Cavaliers and Celtics will play a classic series to decide the Eastern Conference championship for the second time in three years. This series will probably come down to who has home court advantage, but the Cavaliers are younger overall and have a little more depth on the bench and will be able to avoid and overcome injuries better than the Celtics. The series will go to seven games, but the Cavs should make their second appearance in the NBA Finals in four years where they will play …


• The LA Lakers. The Lakers are head and shoulders above every team in the West. It is kind of like when Larry Bird asked the other 3-point shooters who was going to finish second behind him at the 3-point shootout; there are talented teams out West, but this race is basically already decided. The only team I expect to give the Lakers trouble are the emerging Blazers. They played LA tough in the playoffs last season and should improve with another year of experience. I expect the Blazers to take the Lakers to six or seven games in the Western Conference Finals.


• In the NBA Finals, the NBA will finally have its Kobe-LeBron matchup. While the Lakers have the experience and may be the better team on paper, this series is too close to call. I would probably give the Lakers a 60-40 advantage today (which kills me as a Clevelander), but this series could go either way if LeBron or Kobe gets hot or if Shaq gets an adrenaline boost from playing against Kobe again.

Above the Rim: Playoff Update

The first round of the NBA playoffs gave us some blowouts (Cavs-Pistons, Nuggets-Hornets) and a classic (Bulls-Celtics). Overall, there was only one real upset, the Mavericks knocking off the shorthanded Spurs. With the second round kicking off yesterday, here is a look at the next round.

First round results:
Eastern Conference
Cavs in 4 (my prediction- Cavs in 5)
Celtics in 7 (me- Bulls in 6)
Magic in 6 (me- Magic in 6)
Hawks in 7 (me- Hawks in 5)
Western Conference
Lakers in 5 (me- Lakers in 5)
Nuggets in 5 (me- Nuggets in 5)
Mavericks in 5 (me- Mavericks in 7)
Rockets in 6 (me- Rockets in 6)

Eastern Conference
Cavaliers (1) vs. Hawks (4); regular season- Cavs 2-1
Prediction- Cavaliers in 5
The Cavs have not played since April 26th, but this is not a team to get lazy and by unprepared, despite the long layoff. The veterans on this team (Joe Smith and Zydrunas Ilgauskas for example), along with LeBron James, will not let this team suffer a letdown. I expect the Cavs to come out fired up on Tuesday for game 1 and pick up where they left off against the Pistons. With the first two games in Cleveland where the Cavs are 41-2, including the playoffs, this year, the Hawks could be in for a couple of long games. After a bruising seven game series against the Heat that left Al Horford and Marvin Williams battered, the Hawks will not be 100% for this series. The Hawks are an improvement over Detroit and should be competitive in two games in Atlanta where I expect them to give the Cavs their first loss of the playoffs, but Cleveland will end this series in game 5 back in Cleveland.
The Hawks do have a younger, more athletic team than the Pistons, but Josh Smith, Joe Johnson, and Mike Bibby will not be able to give the Cavs a serious test in round 2. The Cavs have too much talent and depth. With Delonte West and Mo Williams having rough opening series against Detroit, LeBron James played like a monster, but had solid support from Ilgauskas and Smith. Joe Smith (aka Joe Beast on his new rap album) showed why the Cavs picked him up after the Thunder bought him out. Smith was arguably the Cavs second best player in the series.
Look for Williams and West to bounce back in this series and LeBron to continue his dominance; he is playing like a man possessed right now. Smith, Bibby, and Johnson should make the series more competitive than the Pistons in round 1, but the Cavs are by far the superior team and are well rested. The chance of a sweep in this series is better than the Hawks chance at an upset.

Celtics (2) vs. Magic (3); regular season- 2-2 (Magic won the last two)
Prediction- Magic in 6
The Celtics were banged up going into the playoffs with Kevin Garnett, then they lost Leon Powe in their first round series with the Bulls. Stephon Marbury has not been effective since the Celtics picked him up. Point guard Rajon Rondo’s ankle may not be 100% either. On top of all this, the Celtics are coming off of a brutal seven game series with the Bulls that featured 4 overtime games and 7 overtime periods. The Magic are looking good after beating the Sixers in 6 games, including game 6 without Dwight Howard who was suspended. If the Magic can get their shooters (Hedo Turkoglu, Rashard Lewis, Rafer Alston) hot, they will be very tough to beat in the playoffs. Courtney Lee should be back from his fractured sinus and J.J. Reddick (15 points on 5-7 shooting from 3-point range) played well in game 6 when he replaced him in the starting lineup.
The Celtics will be tough in this series, but the extra time and hits from this series will wear on them as this series goes longer.
The most important match-up in this series is Kendrick Perkins against Dwight Howard. Perkins needs to stay out of foul trouble for the Celtics to win this series. Against the Bulls, the Celtics struggled without Perkins in the game because there was no interior defender to intimidate the Bulls. If Perkins misses time with foul trouble, Dwight Howard will have a monster series. If Perkins can play 40-45 minutes a game, the Celtics may have a chance to pull this series out. Any production offensively from Perkins would be nice, but if he can neutralize Howard’s impact in the paint and on the boards while picking up some rebounds and discouraging the rest of the Magic from driving, he could help the Celtics win this series. Without Perkins, the Celtics will have to get outstanding shooting from Ray Allen, Paul Pierce, and Eddie House to pull this one out. Even with good series from those shooters, the Celtics will have to contain the Magic’s stable of shooters as well. Expect a good series, but the Celtics will get worn down and lose the last few games to get eliminated.

Western Conference
Lakers (1) vs. Rockets (5); regular season- Lakers 4-0
Prediction- Lakers in 6
I know the Lakers swept the season series against the Rockets, but this Houston team has just started playing well together. Aaron Brooks and Kyle Lowery have stepped up their games down the stretch after the Rockets traded Alston to the Magic, and the front line rotation of Shane Battier, Yao Ming, Luis Scola, and Ron Artest may be one of the strongest frontlines in the league. Those four players are what I think should scare the Lakers in this series. The Rockets just beat a very good Blazers team in just 5 games, and they will not be intimidated by the Lakers. The Rockets matchup with the Lakers very well defensively. Artest will make this series extremely frustrating for Kobe Bryant and if he needs a break, Battier is one of the best defensive players in the league. In the post, Yao’s length should bother Pau Gasol, and Luis Scola is tough and physical and should neutralize Andrew Bynum. That leaves Battier and Artest to guard Lamar Odom, another favorable matchup for the Rockets. Lakers point guard Derek Fisher should have an edge on Brooks and Lowery, and the Lakers bench of Sasha Vujacic, Jordan Farmar, Trevor Ariza, and Shannon Brown (and Luke Walton if he can play) should have their way with the Rockets bench of Von Wafer, Lowery, and Carl Landry.
For the Rockets to win this series, their veteran post players and Artest need to have big series both offensively and defensively. This team gets after it defensively, so the Rockets could make the series interesting, but overall, there isn’t enough firepower to knock off the Lakers. This will be the Lakers hardest series until the NBA finals though.
The Lakers will rely heavily on their stars, Kobe and Gasol, to pull them through the tough defense in this series. They have been here before and they want the burden of putting the team on their backs and leading them back to the finals. Fisher and Odom are also veterans that know what it takes to buckle down and do what it takes to get it done in the playoffs. But the key to this series will be how Kobe plays against Artest and how the Lakers bench plays against the Rockets. On paper, the Lakers should win these matchups and take the series, but Artest has played very well this season and could surprise everyone and play Kobe close to even. If that happens the Lakers will need their deep, but occasionally streaky bench to execute and give the Lakers the edge in this series. Don’t be surprised if this is a low scoring, physical series with a lot of close games. The Lakers should win, but if the Rockets get a couple of breaks early in the series, the Lakers could be in for a scare.

Nuggets (2) vs. Mavericks (6); regular season- 4-0 Nuggets; series currently 1-0 Denver
Prediction- Nuggets in 6
The Nuggets won the regular season matchup 4-0, but two of those games were decided by 2 points and a third by 3. The Mavericks were also banged up in the regular season, notably with Josh Howard battling injuries. The Mavs looked good in the opening round against the Spurs, winning in 5 games. Down the stretch and into the playoffs, the Mavericks started playing very well as they got healthy and are a dangerous 6 seed. However, the Mavs are only seven deep. They rely heavily on the scoring of Dirk Nowitzki, Josh Howard, and 6th man Jason Terry and the dual point guard play of Jason Kidd and Jose Juan Barea. Erick Dampier and Brandon Bass are also key contributors for this team with Dampier providing toughness and rebounding in the post and Bass contributing off the bench. Antoine Wright also contributes, but the Mavs don’t expect much from the rest of their squad.
The Nuggets, on the other hand, have a ton of depth. Starters Chauncey Billups, Dahntay Jones, Carmelo Anthony, Kenyon Martin, and Nene Hilario play together very well, and, with the exception of Jones, a defensive specialist, all are effective scorers. Off the bench, J.R. Smith matches Terry’s production, but the Nuggets add Linas Kleiza’s shooting, Anthony Carter’s ballhandling and penetrating ability, and Chris “Birdman” Anderson’s energy to the mix. The Mavericks have no answer for this trio of depth and versatility in skills. Anderson is the X-factor of this group as he can effectively shut down the lane when he is in the game. At 6’10” (without the mohawk) and a longer wingspan, Anderson controls the boards and has an affinity for blocking shots. While Kidd and Barea like to drive, they need to think twice with the Birdman waiting to swat their shots as soon as it leaves their hand. In game 1, Anderson picked up 11 points, but his 6 rebounds led the team and he also blocked 6 shots. With two point guards that like to penetrate, the Mavericks need to hope Anderson doesn’t do this every game or it could be a quick series. When you watch Anderson play, it appears that his favorite thing to do is block shots, which is probably why he picks up a few goaltending violations in many games, but that aggressiveness could win this series for the Nuggets.
Unless Nowitzki and Howard explode in this series, the Nuggets should continue to roll into a matchup with the Lakers, but they won’t average 20+ per victory over the Mavericks like they did against New Orleans. The Mavericks will keep the series competitive, but, like with the Lakers series, the bench will make the difference for the Nuggets leading to an intriguing matchup of deep teams in the Western Conference finals.

Above the Rim: Two Impact Players to Look At

With 2009 upon us, the NBA season is almost at its halfway point. Teams are beginning to look at ways to improve and injuries are starting to affect teams’ performances. Two contenders in the East, the Celtics and the Cavs, are experiencing this right now.

Celtics, Stephon Marbury
Marbury has not played in a game this season and only appeared in 24 last season, but the rumor mill started swirling last week with reports of Marbury headed north to Boston. In those 24 games last year, Marbury averaged 13.9 points and 4.7 assists per game while shooting 41.9% from the floor and 37.8% from 3-point range. Considering that those 24 games is the only game time Marbury in at least 20 months, he should be pretty fresh if the Celtics manage to acquire him. In 2006-2007, his last full season, Marbury averaged 16.4 points and 5.5 assists while shooting 41.5% and 35.7% from downtown. If Marbury plays for Boston, his statistics won’t approach either of these numbers, although it is reasonable to expect his percentages to remain about the same considering he stayed consistent over the past two seasons. His long absence from the game could lead to some rust on his game and even lower percentages, especially in the first games he plays.
Marbury’s acquisition will have a big effect on the Celtics, both on the court and for fantasy owners. Marbury has a track record of being a distraction on a team, and his teams do not have a lot of success. It would be interesting to see if Marbury would hurt the Celtics or if they team can focus him and overcome his tendency to irritate the players around him.
From a fantasy perspective, if the Celtics acquire Marbury, he would almost definitely mean a reduction in minutes for back up guards Tony Allen and Eddie House. Both are solid contributors off the bench, averaging approximately 8 points per game, but those numbers would not continue with their playing time getting cut. Starters Ray Allen and Rajon Rondo could also lose some minutes to Stephon if the Celtics pull the trigger on a deal. Even if the minutes are not cut significantly, there is a question of how well Marbury would gel with the current Celtics. The team plays pretty well together now and a player with such a strong personality could disrupt that.

Cavs, Anderson Varejao
I have been contemplating including Varejao in my articles for some time now as his play has steadily improved this season, especially his jump shot. Now, with starting center Zydrunas Ilgauskas out for at least a month with a fractured ankle, Varejao will be in the starting lineup and should see increased minutes. In 4 games starting in place of Ilgauskas this season, Varejao is averaging 16.8 points and 8.5 rebounds per game, as well as 1.8 steals. On the season, Varejao is shooting over 56% overall, and over 59% as a starter. Against Chicago on Friday, Varejao had 26 points, 8 rebounds, and 3 steals while shooting 9 of 14 from the floor and 8 of 13 from the free throw line. In the 3 games prior to his start, Varejao had 2 games of 10 rebounds and 1 of 13, including 2 double-doubles. In nearly 40 minutes of a loss to Washington on Sunday, Varejao contributed another double-double with 10 points and 10 rebounds. Look for Varejao to continue this type of production for at least the next month while Ilgauskas is injured. When Ilgauskas comes back, Varejao should still be a solid fantasy option, but owners may want to trade him while his value is still high before he returns to his back-up role.
While Ilgauskas is out, another intriguing option on the Cavs is rookie J.J. Hickson. In 18 minutes against the Bulls on Saturday, Hickson has 13 points, 6 rebounds and 2 blocks off the bench. He continues to earn playing time in Mike Brown’s rotation as the season progresses due to his improvement on defense, and, with Ilgauskas injured, he is now the main back-up in the post for the Cavs. Hickson followed up his impressive game against the Bulls with 18 minutes against the Wizards on Sunday, although his numbers dipped to 4 points, 4 rebounds, and 1 block. Hickson’s leaping ability will lead to consistent rebounds and blocks, while his ability to run the floor will help lead to some easy buckets. J.J.’s scoring ability in the half-court offense is still pretty raw, but he has a decent jump shot inside of 15 feet and can score with his back to the basket. While I wouldn’t rely on Hickson to score or rebound in double figures, he could average a solid 6 points and 6 rebounds with a block or two over the next month while Ilgauskas is out. If you are thin in the post, he may be worth a look.

(Statistics as of January 2nd)

State of the Union: Boston

Earlier this decade, fans in New England were treated to an exciting run of Red Sox and Patriots championships as both teams dominated their respective leagues. Meanwhile, to find a story about the Celtics or Bruins, you would've had to dig pretty deep into the sports section of the Boston Globe to find a recap of a game the night before. On December 7, for the first time in as long as many fans can remember, the Bruins were featured above the fold on the front page of the Globe. Has the torch been passed? Let's first take a look at the Bruins and try to figure out if this torrid start can possibly continue and somehow lead to a Stanley Cup Championship.

Following Tuesday's 2-0 shutout of the New Jersey Devils, the Bruins now find themselves perched atop the Eastern Conference with a 25-5-4 record. Their 54 points are second in the NHL only to red-hot San Jose who achieved the fastest start in league history through 30 games. Third-year winger Phil Kessel currently sits fourth in the league in goals with 21 while playmaker Marc Savard trails Pittsburgh's Evgeni Malkin by one for the assist lead with 21. The dangerous duo teams up with 6-4, 220 pound beast-child Milan Lucic to create one of the most balanced, talented, and fun-to-watch lines in the NHL. In goal, Tim Thomas and Manny Fernandez are ranked second and third respectively in goals against average behind Columbus rookie Steve Mason. How could this team possibly lose?

I'm not about to say the Bruins will head into a freefall and miss the playoffs completely. I can't argue a team that starts 25-5-4 isn't one of the league's elite. But I will say they are about to cool off...and when that happens we'll begin to really see what this very young team is made of.

Boston currently leads the NHL with 126 goals...but aside from Savard and the injured Patrice Bergeron, not a single player on the roster has put up more than 63 points in a season. Once teams begin to find ways to slow down this offense, the Bruins will need to start winning some 2-1 defensive battles. While the Thomas-Fernandez tandem has been standing on their head through the first third of the season, they are facing far too many shots a game (ranked 22nd at 30.5 shots a game). Boston's defense currently features Zdeno Chara, Dennis Wideman, Matt Hunwick, Shane Hnidy, Mark Stuart, and Matt Lashoff...hardly an imposing top 6.

In many cases, all it takes is a few unlucky injuries to expose a team like this. Last Thursday, winger Marco Sturm suffered what looks to be a bad knee injury that might require surgery. There's no word on how long he'll be out, but two days later Patrice Bergeron absorbed another concussion which has the potential to threaten his career. If you'll remember, Bergeron was hit viciously into the boards last season by the Flyers Randy Jones and it took him months to recover enough to even ride a bike for 5 minutes. Losing key forwards like Sturm and Bergeron for a long period of time could bring this hot start to a screeching halt. I would still expect Boston to have no trouble making the playoffs, but this is a very young team. Inexperience can be deadly when the stakes are raised in the playoffs - look for the Bruins to last one round or two at the most.

If the Bruins' bubble is about to burst, what about the Celtics? SportsJudge's NBA expert Adam Primm decided to weigh in on the Celtics' chances at repeating and possibly topping the regular season wins record set in the Michael Jordan era:

On Sunday the Celtics won their 18th straight game to go to 26-2 on the season. With such a prolific start, fans have to wonder if the Celtics can keep up this pace. The Chicago Bulls record of 72 wins in a season is within reach even if the Celts cool off a little, but how feasible will it be for Boston to break that record.

Only 10 of the 26 wins have been within 10 points. However, one of those was to the 23-4 Cleveland Cavs, and two were to the South leading Atlanta Hawks. The Celtics have simply been obliterating the competition in the early part of the season. And the scary thing is, the 'Big Three' (aka the Boston Three Party) are scoring less this year than last year. Paul Pierce's scoring average is down one point and Kevin Garnett is down two. Ray Allen has improved by one point. The main reason for the Celtics improved play has been the maturation of point guard Rajon Rondo who is playing more aggressive this season and is showing he can score with the other three. The 'Big Three' may become the 'Four Horsemen' by the end of the season if he continues to improve.

The Celtics are currently on pace to finish roughly 76-6 at their current pace. However, there is no chance that the win at that rate for the full season. Given the age of this team, relatively older by NBA standards, I would expect to see them wear down a little come midseason. Also, this team has yet to experience any kind of injury. The Cavs were playing at a similar pace winning 19 out of 20 games during a stretch earlier this season. While the Cavs are now 23-4 overall, they struggled in two tough games against Philadelphia before losing on the road at Atlanta, a major reason why these three games were difficult was because two of the Cavs key players were injured in Daniel Gibson and Zydrunas Ilgauskas. When those two came back, the Cavs crushed the Nuggets in Denver. The Celtics currently have a better record, and Pierce, Allen, Garnett, and Rondo are probably are better starting unit than Lebron James, Mo Williams, Delonte West, and Ilgauskas, but the Cavs are a team that are 10 deep with the bench. The Celtics bench is good, but only has 3, maybe 4 players, that can be plugged in to avoid a letdown if someone gets hurt meaning the health of the Big Three is very important to their run at 72. The Cavs had 2 guys go down and promptly lost one game and struggled in the other two. A team that isn't quite as deep will probably have similar problems in the same situation.

While I think the Celtics have a very good chance to win 70 games, I think they will fall just short of the record at 72. I expect the veteran players to wear down a little and some major contributor to be hurt for a significant period, like 10-15 days. This doesn't mean that I don't think the Celtics are the best team in the league. I am confident that we can at least pencil the Celts in the Conference Finals right now because the only two teams that have a chance of beating them in a seven game series are the Cavs and the Lakers. The Celtics should easily finish with the best record in the league, but I don't think they will be able to keep up this pace and break the Bulls record for wins.

Agree? Disagree with where the Bruins and Celtics are headed this year? Feel free to speak your mind in the comments section.