Before the start of the NBA season, I compiled a list of my top 5 bold predictions for the NBA’s calendar year. We’re at the halfway mark now, after a successful All-Star Weekend in New York, and looking back on that list, I could wholeheartedly say that…I was 50% right. Hitting the mark with DeMarcus “Boogie” Cousins being an All-Star, Rondo being traded by the deadline and Derrick Rose returning to MVP form. I was terribly wrong on the Knicks being anywhere near good and Gordon Heyward living up to his monster contract in Utah. I know that I can’t be right 100% of the time, so I’m thankful for small victories. With that being said, it’s time to look at my Top 5 bold predictions for the second half of this historic 2014-15 season. 5. The Houston Rockets will be a nightmare matchup if they add Goran Dragic before the deadline The Houston Rockets are currently 3rd in the Western Conference standings, behind only the Grindhouse Grizzlies and the White Hot Warriors. With the rumblings that the team from H-Town is seeking to add the Slovenian point guard, this makes them serious championship contenders in my eyes. The pairing of Dragic, (who said that he has no intentions of re-signing after the season) the surprise front runner for MVP in James Harden and a returning Dwight Howard is undeniable. While other suitors for Dragic have emerged, such as the Lakers and Celtics, if you’re Daryl Morey and the rest of their front office, you have to make this deal happen NOW. He is the biggest piece to a championship run. They won’t let him slip through their fingers. 4. The race for the 8th seed is about to get a whole lot easier. A continuum to number 5, WHEN Dragic is traded, the Phoenix Suns, who currently hold the 8th spot in the West will quickly fall out of playoff contention. I have nothing against the Suns, I think they play amazing up-tempo team basketball, but with losing someone like Dragic, who is the glue of your team, they won’t go far. Anthony Davis is primed to become the league’s next big star and, lets face it, the combined wills of Westbrook and Durant will not allow them to miss the post season. So with that, look for the Thunder to slide into the 7th spot and the New Orleans Pelicans to be in the final spot before the playoffs begin. 3. The Unbelievable seasons for the Warriors and Hawks will become a thing of the past in the second half. I’m a big believer in the saying “Expect the Unexpected” but at the midpoint of the season, I’m sure I am not the only one who is surprised to see that the top two records in the association belonged to the Golden State Warriors (42-9) and the Atlanta Hawks (43-11). Both teams have played out of their minds in the first 50+ games of the season. The Splash Brothers becoming undoubtedly one of the greatest backcourts in NBA history, knocking down three pointers at an alarming rate and tossing up 50 point games with the slightest of ease and shattering records. The Hawks being the biggest surprise of the season thus far, knocking off opposition left and right with an NBA record 17-0 January and playing some of the best team basketball I’ve ever seen. I’m certain Mike Budenholzer is the hands down favorite for Coach of the Year. Accolades and past achievements aside, the second half of the season will sing a different tune for the Hawks and Warriors. Don’t worry, I’m not predicting a monumental collapse for either franchise, I just think things will start to slow down for them, they’ve secured playoff status, so I look for both coaches to decrease star playing time after maybe 10 games as a way to get them ready for war in the playoffs. Pay close attention to the Warriors. In spots, they’ve seemed to struggle without Curry on the floor, plus they have to get David Lee and Andrew Bogut into the swing of things. I’m going out on a limb here, but I think the Hawks will finish the season at 58-24 while the Warriors will finish with a record of 63-19. 2. The Chicago Bulls and the Cleveland Cavaliers will finish with the top two records in the Eastern Conference. The Bulls (34-20) and Cavaliers (33-22) have both had their fair share of rough patches so far this year, the Cavs with trying to establish their new Big 3 and the Bulls with playing uninspired ball at times and fighting off the injury bug. In the end though, to quote the words of ex Arizona Cardinals Head Coach Dennis Green, “They are who we thought they were…” and they will be exactly where the basketball purist placed them at the beginning of the season, facing off in the Eastern Conference Finals. 1. The Chicago Bulls will win their first NBA Championship since the Jordan Era. This may just be the boldest prediction that I have ever made in my 24 years of existence. Listening to Bulls fans this season has been the most agonizing experience. They love them. They hate them. If it was up to them, the Bulls would’ve fired Thibs, traded the bench and elected Jimmy Butler Mayor of Chicago by now. At times, I have admittedly been angry with the play of the team, but they will get better. In the second half, I look for them to put their foot on the gas and go. They have Rose showing flashes of his MVP year, Jimmy Butler having a career year and Pau looking rejuvenated since his escape from L.A. Noah will get back on the floor and Taj will find his groove. The only problem I see is in bench production. Don’t be surprised to see them grab an Arron Afflalo or Gerald Green before tomorrow’s trade deadline. With a few tweaks left to make, I think the Bulls are poised to take it all this year. We’ll just have to wait and see how it all turns out.
Views from a Bleacher Geek 