And The ESPN Experts Say......

Twenty-five of ESPN's best and brightest recently got together to collectively decide how the NBA will shake out in the upcoming 2008-2009 season.

The consensus dictates that the Wizards will get 43 wins and finish 7th in the East. So far, SportsNation says this prediction is on the money. What say you?

Predictions: EAST | WEST

over 3 years ago Kyle Weidie 13 comments 0 recs |

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Well, obviously

Any time you add a guy who’s been on the all-NBA third team or better every year since 2005 back in the fold, you’re going to stay the same.

You know you'll get devoured by Cheaney, Wallace, and Juwan Howard.

by Mike Prada on Aug 29, 2008 5:33 PM EDT reply actions

Don’t forget 1/4th of Caron Butler!

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by Jake Whitacre on Aug 29, 2008 7:09 PM EDT up reply actions

Not to mention obtaining a veteran Back-up Center for nothing…. that couldn’t help at all.
Adding a Point Guard with one of the best assist to turnover ratio’s to the bench, probably not worth mentioning.
And having a full compliment of 14 players to practice with…. gee, why would that help?

by Rook6980 on Aug 29, 2008 8:26 PM EDT reply actions

The ESPN ‘experts’ say: "So will the return of Arenas and Jamison be enough to get the Wiz out of the first round of the playoffs for the first time in four years? Probably not. "

But in the same breath…. the return of Dwayne Wade propels the Heat from worst team in the league in 2007-2008 to the Playoffs in 2008-2009?

They also said: "If the Cavs can find chemistry ….if Big Z and Big Ben have anything left ….if J.J. Hickson makes an immediate impact inside … Cleveland can win 50 "

Boy, that’s a lot of IF’s… and on that, they’re predicting the Cavaliers as the 3rd best team in the EC? Sorry, but that’s not a bet I’d take.

How come they didn’t rate the Wizards as 2nd best in the league; based on IF’s? – “IF Arenas comes back full speed…… IF Caron Butler can stay healthy…. IF the team can play better defense…. Washington can win 55”

by Rook6980 on Aug 29, 2008 8:35 PM EDT reply actions

Not giving the Wizards enough credit

43 wins is simply too low. I’d say 45-50 is more accurate, assuming very few injuries, of course.

The most ridiculous ranking is Cleveland’s. Mo Williams does NOT improve the team to that degree. It’s pretty ridiculous.

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by Evan Dunlap on Aug 30, 2008 5:26 PM EDT reply actions

well...

one of their big problems last year was point guard, and they picked up a very solid one for next to nothing. i would say that an improvement of 5 games isnt so outlandish

by joshp on Aug 31, 2008 6:17 PM EDT up reply actions

Until this team actually stays healthy

Then I am going with SportsNation and the experts and saying 40-44 wins. Show me Wizards you can stay on the floor. Show me Eddie Jordan that you won’t run these guys into the ground. Show me that and I might buy 50 wins or better.

"Would you like to shoot me now or wait till you get home." --- Daffy Duck

by George Templeton on Aug 31, 2008 1:45 AM EDT reply actions

I'm not buying 50 wins yet

But winning 43 again would definitely be a disappointment.

You know you'll get devoured by Cheaney, Wallace, and Juwan Howard.

by Mike Prada on Aug 31, 2008 3:24 PM EDT up reply actions

National Media bias

The ESPN “experts” think the Wizards are going to be exactly the same….that somehow, Arenas will become injured again? That Caron Butler won’t play 80 games? The only way the Wizards come up with 43 wins, is if Arenas misses the entire year AGAIN, and Butler misses significant time AGAIN. Otherwise, they HAVE to be better than last year. But the ESPN “experts” have obviously discounted the return of Arenas as a non-factor…

SO, then why did they catapult Philly into the 5th spot (above the Wizards) after acquiring the injured Brand? Brand’s injury, by the way (a torn achilles) , is a much more troubling injury than a meniscus tear – especially for a 6’10" Center/Forward that relies on his explosiveness around the basket. Obviously, the ESPN “experts” believe that the addition of Brand will help Philly get better. (by 7 games)

Why did they include the addition of Brand as an asset for Philly, but discount the addition of Arenas as a non-factor for the Wizards?

The ESPN “experts” put the Toronto Raptors in the 6th spot? EVERYONE knows that Jermaine O’Neal’s creaky knees won’t let him play an entire year… He’s only been able to play an average of 51 games per year for the last 4 years…….. but the “experts” don’t seem to discount that. The “experts” obviously feel that the addition of O’Neal makes the Raptors a better team than last year (4 games better)…

Again – it makes no sense. Why would the addition of a 13-year veteran Center, who has had a recent 4-year history of injuries, make the Raptors significantly better; but the addition of a Point Guard who was pouring in 28 ppg, and dishing 6 apg in 2007 be a non-factor for the Wizards?

Dwayne Wade missed significant time last year due to injuries. Miami was the worst team in the league as a result… Still, the “experts” believe that the return of Wade to a “mismatched” line up is good enough to propel them to the playoffs. That Dwayne Wade makes the Miami Heat a better basketball team ( 24 GAMES BETTER !!! ) – BUT the addition of Arenas (a three time All-Star and one of the best Guards in the League) to an already established Playoff Team merely gives the Wizards a chance to have the same record as last year….

Incredible.

by Rook6980 on Aug 31, 2008 6:06 PM EDT up reply actions

Well, the competition is stronger

To be fair. Brand and JO will add to their teams when healthy, and Miami cannot possibly be any worse that last year. Cleveland added Mo Williams, Boston and Detroit remain strong, etc. etc.

You know you'll get devoured by Cheaney, Wallace, and Juwan Howard.

by Mike Prada on Aug 31, 2008 6:16 PM EDT up reply actions

seriously, the raptors?

fine, you can rank cleveland higher than they deserve (just like every year)
fine, you can keep holding on to a rapidly aging detroit team
fine, you can buy into a 76ers team with a lack of perimeter shooting
but the raptors?
come on, now that’s low. jermaine o’neal is more washed up than shaquille, and he’s makes a team that was clearly less talented than we were last season better than the wizards with arenas back? very weak.
whether we can stop lebron >:( or not is irrelevant here;
how the espn experts can put the raptors above the wiz completely baffles me.
previous posts point out well the inconsistencies in the record impacts of d-wade vs. gil zero…
i can’t wait for when the sportscasters will have to pretend like they had predicted the wiz to fry the dinosaurs in the standings, and a few other teams to boot

by mr. 91 on Sep 1, 2008 12:34 AM EDT reply actions

Yeah

I also noticed that when they talked about the other teams in the East, they actually spoke about the impact of off-season moves on the upcoming season:

Boston: Departure of Posey, aging of big-3, etc… Boston loses a few more games. This is the most logical prediction the “experts” made.

Cleveland: Once again, the LBJ love comes through from the National Media. Cleveland, without James, is a lottery team. They picked up Mo Williams and JJ Hickson – ESPN is already giving early MVP love for the Queen? If Cleveland needs a big year from JJ HIckson to win 50, put me down for 2 bills on that bet !! Cleveland is NOT the 3rd best team in the East. Not even close. They’re a 45-37 club…struggling to earn the 6th Playoff seed.

Orlando: added Anthony Johnson, Mickael Pietrus and Courtney Lee (an upgrade over last year) – and they get worse?

Philly: they obviously mentioned Elton Brand – but conveniently omitted that Philly still can’t shoot the basketball.

Toronto: They said Jermaine O’Neal should have the ability to give Chris Bosh “relief” – And Chris will need it after the extra work from the Olympics. I predict less than 40 games for O’Neal.

Miami: Pointing out Dwayne Wade’s “scintillating Olympics performance” – like that’s gonna make up for the fact that they don’t have a PG, and have no inside game and too many forwards.

Atlanta: The East is deeper. They lose Josh Childress. But the Hawks end up with the same record? What kind of logic is that?

Milwaukee: The Bucks get better by getting rid of Mo Williams and Yi Jianlian – and replacing them with Richard Jefferson?

Then the “experts” talk about Washington… only to talk about the Playoffs…. not the regular season… the Playoffs. And how, the addition of Arenas means they have the SAME RECORD as last year and won’t make it out of the 1st round? !!

by Rook6980 on Sep 1, 2008 10:56 AM EDT reply actions

You Think

Gil (and Caron and Antawn) might use this for a little extra motivation? We know he is going to read all the negative predictions that negate his impact this year, and will have something to prove. I think we all know that a slighted Arenas is an unstoppable Arenas. Would we want it any other way? I say bring on the negativity, so Gil can prove the doubters wrong, again.

by DT711 on Sep 1, 2008 11:30 AM EDT reply actions