From: vreddy@das.harvard.edu (Venkatesh Reddy)
Newsgroups: rec.sport.basketball.pro
Subject: Who's gonna win it all? (was Re: Predictions)
Date: 25 Aug 92 20:36:52 GMT
Article-I.D.: das.1992Aug25.203652.9107
Organization: Aiken Computation Lab, Harvard University

In article <1992Aug25.192309.7676@cc.umontreal.ca>, iacurtop@ERE.UMontreal.CA (Iacurto Paul) writes:
|> 
|> Here are my predictions
|>  for the 92-93 NBA season
|> 
|> ATLANTIC                  
|> New York              Best coach in NBA
|> Miami                 Team on the rise
|> New Jersey            Well balanced team
|> Philadelphia          Balanced team, but need a good center
|> Boston                Lewis is the whole team
|> Washington            Will not win with Adams shooting 39%!  
|> Orlando               Shaq will need more support
|> 

I don't think Miami is gonna do better than NJ... whereas NJ has made
a significant positive change this summer to give them a huge shot at 
finishing second, Miami isn't quite there yet... As you say for Charlotte,
give them one or two more years...

|> CENTRAL
|> Chicago               Jordan and Pippen too much
|> Cleveland             Strong at every position
|> Indiana               Better than bottom four teams
|> Atlanta               Good players, but no better than fourth
|> Detroit               Key players are aging. No more Dayley
|> Charlotte             Give them one or two more years
|> Milwaukee             Good beer

Indiana is on its way downhill (NO FLAMES, this is IMHO). Unless Atlanta doesn't get Nique back, they will easily top Indiana. Detroit and Indiana will be
fighting for 5 & 6. Both are headed down the incline. Charlotte, on the other
hand, and this of course in biased due to my being from the Carolinas, has
serious promise. They WILL make the playoffs, and considering how close
they came this year, after the all-star break, they can finish above Indiana
and Detroit. As long as they keep their act together and play like they did
at the end of last season, beating Detroit in 2 of their last 3 games, as well
as several others, they will be playoff bound. I still think Charlotte has the
most promise of the expansion teams, even though MIami made the playoffs
because of the changes made in the off-season (primarily adding Mourning
and Bennett). If we gave then one or two more years, we're talking about 
a team that could thresten to unseat Atlanta or Cleveland in the ranks of the
top two or three teams in the division.(Perhaps I went a bit too far, but of
course they DO show promise).

|> 
|> MIDWEST
|> Utah                  Malone, Stockton perennial all stars
|> San Antonio           Robinson, best center in NBA
|> Houston               Good for third
|> Denver                -- Three
|> Minnesota                   lousy
|> Dallas                             teams --
|> 
|> PACIFIC
|> Phoenix               Sir Charles, KJ and thunder Dan will push them to top
|> Portland              Aging team, but still powerful
|> Golden State          Lack of low post scoring
|> Seattle               -- Will fight
|> LA Clippers                        for fourth place --
|> LA Lakers             Magic's return will still not be enough
|> Sacramento            Not enough talent to compete with rest of division


The rest of it is great.

My picks look something like this:

Eastern Conference
	
	ATLANTIC

	New York	(They even threaten Chicago)
	New Jersey	(Very promising outlook with Daly)
	Boston 		(Strong team, even without Bird... good enough for 3rd)
	Miami		(:P - Unfortunately, they DO have promise)
	Philadelphia	(Bye bye Charles)
	Washington	(Fight for
	Orlando		 the cellar)

	
	CENTRAL

	Chicago		(Yes, again)
	Cleveland	(Still strong)
	Atlanta		(Assuming Nique is back, with Augmon, all-rookie 1st team)
	Charlotte	(My biased prediction with one of the strongest YOUNG 
			 teams)
	Indiana		(Not gone yet)
	Detroit		(Just not quite strong enough anymore, minus Daly)
	Milwaukee	(cellar city... stagnant team)


Western Conference

	MIDWEST

	Utah		(Great team getting better)
	San Antonio	(If Dave gets back into the swing of things...)
	Houston		(Hakeem? Still unhappy?)
	Denver		(Well... what can I say... see above)
	Minnesota	(Laettner ain't gonna cut it)
	Dallas		(see Milwaukee)


	PACIFIC

	Phoenix		(Title bound)
	Portland	(I agree old, but strong enough to take em up to 2nd)
	Golden State	(PLEASE don't choke in the playoffs this year!)
	Seattle		(Prettydecent rising team... gives everyone a fight)
	LA Clippers	(They just need to turn it up a notch)
	LA Lakers	(You're right... Magic ain't enough)
	Sacramento	(see Dallas... except not as bad by any account)


And of course, I give my playoff predictions:

EAST:

	(1) Chicago  (3 - 0)
				(1) Chicago   (4 - 1)
	(8) Charlotte

							(1) Chicago
	(4) New Jersey
				(5) Atlanta
	(5) Atlanta  (3 - 2)

									
	(3) Cleveland (3 - 1)
				(3) Cleveland
	(6) Boston

							(2) New York   (4 - 3)
	(2) New York  (3 - 1)
				(2) New York   (4 - 2)
	(7) Miami


WEST:

	(1) Phoenix   (3 - 0)
				(1) Phoenix   (4 - 1)
	(8) LA Clippers

							(1) Phoenix   (4 - 2)
	(4) Golden State (3 - 2)
				(4) Golden State
	(5) San Antonio


	(3) Portland   (3 - 2)
				(3) Portland
	(6) Seattle

							(2) Utah
	(2) Utah   (3 - 1)
				(2) Utah   (4 - 3)
	(7) Houston


And to top it all off:

		Phoenix (4 - 2) over New York in the finals...

NO FLAMES... THIS IS ALL MY OPINION... I'd appreciate constructive criticism
if anyone has it, but PLEASE don't flame it...


-- Venk Reddy --

Born 'n' bred in Georgia and the Carolinas, and damn proud of it!
Go Hornets, Braves, Falcons, and Gamecocks! :)
Newsgroups: rec.sport.basketball.pro