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10-26-2010, 02:36 AM
Scouts' forecast for 2010-11 season (http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2010/writers/ian_thomsen/10/21/scouts.picks.nba.season/index.html)
By Ian Thomsen ( Sports Illustrated)
Once again I've empaneled a half-dozen NBA advance and personnel scouts to predict the standings and champion for the 2010-11 season. These are the same league experts who have broken down all 30 teams in exhaustive detail for our annual scouting reports in this week's magazine, with their full reports to be posted on SI.com Friday.
Let's start with their view of the regular-season race in the East. Miami will run away with the No. 1 seed in conference, according to votes cast in our recent survey (the average rating by the six voters is in parentheses).
Conference Finals
Here are all of the predictions for the Western finals:
Lakers over Oklahoma City
Lakers over Oklahoma City
Lakers over Dallas
Lakers over Dallas
Lakers over San Antonio
San Antonio over Lakers
Everyone thinks L.A. will reach the NBA's Final Four, and one voter alone believes they won't advance, thanks to the rejuvenation of the Spurs by Tiago Splitter.
The Heat are almost as solid in the East. Every voter likes Miami to reach the conference finals in what is viewed as a three-team race.
Miami over Boston
Miami over Boston
Miami over Boston
Miami over Orlando
Boston over Miami
Orlando over Miami
NBA Finals
Lakers over Miami
Lakers over Miami
Lakers over Miami
Miami over Lakers
Boston over Lakers
San Antonio over Orlando
The experts think five teams have a chance to play in June and four can win the championship. The Lakers are favorites but they're not a dominant pick, based on their tenuous win in Game 7 last year and the health concerns of Kobe Bryant and Andrew Bynum.
And yet, as much as Miami has established the agenda for this season, most of the experts believe the hype will backfire on the Heat while serving to inspire Kobe. "This whole thing could light a fire under Bryant," said one scout, "because he's still that good and he's going to realize he doesn't have too much time left."
The most surprising pick has Tim Duncan's Spurs beating Dwight Howard's Magic. "It will be the story of the great center bowing out," the scout said of Duncan, who hates to be viewed as a center, "against the young great center."
(http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2010/writers/ian_thomsen/10/21/scouts.picks.nba.season/index.html#ixzz13RqO3qu0)
By Ian Thomsen ( Sports Illustrated)
Once again I've empaneled a half-dozen NBA advance and personnel scouts to predict the standings and champion for the 2010-11 season. These are the same league experts who have broken down all 30 teams in exhaustive detail for our annual scouting reports in this week's magazine, with their full reports to be posted on SI.com Friday.
Let's start with their view of the regular-season race in the East. Miami will run away with the No. 1 seed in conference, according to votes cast in our recent survey (the average rating by the six voters is in parentheses).
Conference Finals
Here are all of the predictions for the Western finals:
Lakers over Oklahoma City
Lakers over Oklahoma City
Lakers over Dallas
Lakers over Dallas
Lakers over San Antonio
San Antonio over Lakers
Everyone thinks L.A. will reach the NBA's Final Four, and one voter alone believes they won't advance, thanks to the rejuvenation of the Spurs by Tiago Splitter.
The Heat are almost as solid in the East. Every voter likes Miami to reach the conference finals in what is viewed as a three-team race.
Miami over Boston
Miami over Boston
Miami over Boston
Miami over Orlando
Boston over Miami
Orlando over Miami
NBA Finals
Lakers over Miami
Lakers over Miami
Lakers over Miami
Miami over Lakers
Boston over Lakers
San Antonio over Orlando
The experts think five teams have a chance to play in June and four can win the championship. The Lakers are favorites but they're not a dominant pick, based on their tenuous win in Game 7 last year and the health concerns of Kobe Bryant and Andrew Bynum.
And yet, as much as Miami has established the agenda for this season, most of the experts believe the hype will backfire on the Heat while serving to inspire Kobe. "This whole thing could light a fire under Bryant," said one scout, "because he's still that good and he's going to realize he doesn't have too much time left."
The most surprising pick has Tim Duncan's Spurs beating Dwight Howard's Magic. "It will be the story of the great center bowing out," the scout said of Duncan, who hates to be viewed as a center, "against the young great center."
(http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2010/writers/ian_thomsen/10/21/scouts.picks.nba.season/index.html#ixzz13RqO3qu0)