Grady Gallagher | Blogger

Sup y’all?

So what have I done with my last couple nights, you ask? Tuesday night was spent glued to the tube with the Royals, Sons of Anarchy, and the Warriors/Clippers preseason game. Wednesday night was spent flipping between the two NBA preseason games as well as the Royals game. It doesn’t get much better than that. (Insert Tim with a homework comment.) And Thursday night I watched (on IPTV) the congressional debate held on campus. The amount of awkward conversation and moments when Steve King didn’t know he was still in the TV shot and made a face to the moderator were way more entertaining than they should’ve been. #InformedVoterGrind

Not to give too much away too soon, but if you’re not that interested in the NBA, just warning you, it might be time to close the window. I say this because it’s time for my 2014-2015 NBA Preview. I know I said this last year, but it’s never been more exciting to be an NBA fan. So many things to look forward to this season: good rookie class, sneaky free agent signings, homecoming, #TheReturn2.0, and an Iowa Hawkeyes Basketball player not named Reggie Evans is on an NBA roster!!!!!! No disrespect Reg. If only Paul George and KD were healthy. Get well soon boys. How about some predictions?

Rookie of the Year: Jabari Parker, Milwaukee Bucks- Because I hate Duke, I rarely watched Jabari in an actual game. I did watch their game against Mercer in the NCAA Tournament (and loved every minute of it) and there’s no doubt in my mind he’s the most “NBA –ready” rookie right now. Wiggins, Exum, Randle, Elfred Payton and Vonleh will all improve a lot throughout the year. In my mind, the rookie who is nearly as polished as Parker is my boy Douggie Fresh. Unfortunately, Doug won’t get enough playing time on a really good Bulls team to put up the numbers that Parker will on a below average Bucks squad. I’m sure Doug’s fine with that. Also, I’m sure Jabari’s fine with that, too. Sleeper Pick: Nerlens Noel spent all last season (his rookie year) sidelined with injury. With a year of watching and learning the NBA, he has the upper hand on actual NBA rooks. He’s a beast on defense but will his offense be electric enough to win him the NBA ROY award? Also, he’s on the worst team in the NBA, but I suppose you could argue that their point guard won the award last year….. Back to back years with a 76ers player winning rookie of the year? Yeah, I doubt it too.

Most improved: Gorgui Dieng, Minnesota Timberwolves- Zach Kastantin’s favorite player. (Any average NBA fan has no idea who this is.)

MVP: The King, Cleveland Cavaliers- It’s kind of scary to think this Cleveland team might be the best team (especially offensively) that the King has played on. LeBron has a legitimate shot at a triple-double EVERY SINGLE NIGHT. This team might score 120 points per game. LeBron will only make Kyrie and K Love better. (Those guys are already in the top 13 players in the league!) I’m not jumping to a title prediction, but this is LeBron’s best year yet. He doesn’t have to carry the Cavs’ offense, but he will. He doesn’t have to give Kyrie 4 open treys a game, but he will. He doesn’t have to catch and finish full court alley-oop passes from K Love, but he will. He doesn’t have to make sure Dion Waiters score 16 points per game, but he will. LeBron has transformed from one of my 10 least favorite players to one of my 12 favorite players. How? When watching LeBron you have to appreciate his play on both ends of the floor. He can guard ANYBODY and can do anything he wants on offense. He’s such a fantastic passer and is so unselfish, almost to a point where it’s a blemish on his game. How could you not love playing with LBJ? I feel like guards could get wide open three after wide open three and bigs who run and set his screens always get rewarded and play better than they actually are, for example: Birdman. He almost reminds me of Peyton Manning at times just by how he knows where people are on the floor and where they are going to be. His efficiency should be off the charts this year. Also, I don’t think he’ll have to log the minutes he’s had to in the last couple Miami seasons 1) because they’ll be killing really weak East teams and 2) because Kyrie, Dion, K Love, and Tristan Thompson are not an old, aging, resting Dwayne Wade. I’m also glad LeBron chose the #23 to wear again in Cleveland because his jersey looks so cool, especially when they wear their alternates.

Projected Playoffs

East:
1. Bulls- It all hinges on the health of D Rose. Just picture Rose in 2011 form with this lineup: Butler, Dunleavy, Gasol, Noah, McDermott, Snell, Hinrich, and Gibson. This team is scary good. They got a good coach too, ya know.

2. Cavs- Only LeBron can take a team from worst to first. Oh wait, they have Kevin Love too? And Kyrie Irving just looked unstoppable in the FIBA World Cup this summer? Do they even need two more players on the floor? Oh, they also have Dion Waiters? That’s nice, I guess.

3. Wizards- The “House of Guards” is almost as good of a nickname as “Splash Bros” for the Wiz backcourt, so that’s a start. They lost Trevor Ariza but gained Paul Pierce. They should have no problem finishing 3rd in the weak East.

4. Raptors- It’s fun to root for teams that were hopelessly irrelevant when you were a child. In fact, I don’t think I had EVER watched a Raptors game until last year. (This is when I realize that I actually watched a Raptors/T’wolves game IN PERSON 2 years ago. Wow, I am ashamed. I think I should underline hopelessly irrelevant just to show its importance.)

5. Hornets- I might be low-balling the Hornets here. They have the potential to finish 3rd or 4th if Pr. Al Jefferson stays healthy. I think their new uniforms, Si-fi court design, and addition of Josh McRoberts will probably sway me to check ‘em out on League Pass once or twice.

6. Hawks- Kyle Korver. Enough said. Oh yeah, Al Horford is back too.

7. Nets- Coach Kidd and Pierce are gone. Brook Lopez is back. KG is still in the league (and yes I still receive text messages of his stats after every game). Mason Plumlee made some progress this summer, but this team should be happy to be in the East.

8. Heat- Does D-Wade have anything left? How good of a coach is Spo? How does Luol Deng fit in? Who will yell at Rio Chalmers now? Will Norris Cole emerge as a top 10 point guard? With all of these questions surrounding the new era in Miami, I still think they sneak in the playoffs.

West:

1. Spurs- The favorites to repeat have the same roster back and the same hunger. They always maintain one of the best records in the league regardless of injuries, a great Western Conference, and age. You can’t not appreciate their unselfish, T-Kast methodical cleaning service, style of play.

2. Clippers- Even with Chris Paul missing a ton of games last year, the Clips still finished 3rd in the West. If Blake Griffin isn’t murdered by all the hard fouls and chippy wars he encounters during the year, the Clips have to like their chances.

3. Warriors- Trying to keep my bias down, the Dubs (if healthy) are serious contenders this season. Steph will make a run for MVP and Klay will emerge as a top 20 player. These guys are a League Pass must watch and with Coach Kerr running the show, I might need to plan a trip to Oakland for the Finals. Weeden, you in?

4. Grizzles- Last year, the Grizzles battled significant injuries throughout the entire year and STILL made the playoffs. They may be old, but, simply put, they GRIND. Mike Conley is underrated and I’ve always been a big fan of their jersey colors. Not sure why, but they just get me.

5. Thunder- Due to Durant’s injury, the Thunder will not have as good of a year as expected. This is Westbrook’s chance to be the guy. Can he be as explosive and controllably insane for all 48 minutes and also make the last shot for the win? Maybe now Nick Collison will get a few more touches. Touches he deserves.

6. Mavericks- I really hope Dirk’s last season was not a fluke. He’s fighting father time, but he’s trying to do it Tim Duncan style. They added Tyson Chandler, Raymond Felton (this isn’t necessarily a good thing), and Chandler Parsons (big time). I don’t see this team missing the playoffs this year.

7. Suns- After barely missing the playoffs last year, Jeff Hornacek coaches his butt off and this team makes the playoffs. Shout out to Thomas McMullin, the biggest Suns fan I know.

8. Pelicans,Rockets,Blazers- I don’t know who to pick here. Anthony Davis will dominate, but can he carry his squad? If the Rockets lose Harden or Howard, they’re done, and I just don’t think Lillard is the most clutch player in the league. He’s up there, but he’s not #1.

So, who’s the NBA Champion in 2015? I’ll tell you.

Spurs 4, Bulls 2– I know this is a boring pick, but I think the two best teams reach the Finals in the NBA. Underdogs can get a couple games but it’s so hard to win and take four games away from a better team, especially deep in the playoffs. LeBron and the Cavs can’t handle the Bulls’ bigs and can you really trust Kyrie and K Love who have both NEVER played in a NBA playoff game? The Spurs roll the West because they’re the Spurs. I just can’t pull the trigger on CP3 and the Clips 1) because they’re like the biggest rival to the Warriors, and 2) neither have made it passed even the 2nd round of the playoffs. Doc Rivers is a great coach, but Coach Pop is on another level. After the Spurs capture the title, Duncan and Pop ride off into the sunset and Hall of Fame.

Thanks for the read everyone. Go Beaver athletics!!!!