Our take: Golden State, no contest
Expect Curry, Durant & Co. to capture NBA championship trophy this time.
he NBA season begins Tuesday, and AmericanStatesman columnists Kirk Bohls and Cedric Golden break down the action: 1. Who’ll cut down the nets in 2017?
Bohls: Golden State, for any number of reasons. Unfifinished business. No way Kevin Durant, Klay Thompson and Steph Curry all go cold for four games in a Finals series.
Golden: I’d love to wow with a bold prediction, but I like being right. Golden State gets its championship in fifive games over the Cleveland Cavaliers. 2. Will Kevin Durant thrive or struggle with the Warriors?
Bohls: He’ll thrive and put up big numbers because he’ll get so many more open looks than he did in Oklahoma Cit y.
Golden: How can he not thrive? The Dubs are an unselfish group. Players will go out of their way to get him buckets, and he’ll average about 25 points a game. 3. What has to happen for Cleveland to repeat?
Bohls: Kyrie Irving needs to keep improving, new small forward Mike Dunleavy needs to
become another 3-point weapon, and the Cavaliers need to be healthy in April. Golden: LeBron James will have to stay healthy, and one of the Warriors will have to suffer a serious injury. Beyond that, it’s Golden State’s title to win or lose. 4. Who’s the most overrated team?
Bohls: Memphis. The Grizzlies keep getting older and more and more brittle. They eventually will break down.
Golden: The Los Angeles Clippers. Their title window has closed, and I can see them taking a step back in the West. 5. Who’s the most underrated team?
Bohls: Minnesota. I think the fast-breaking Timberwolves will surprise and contend for a playoff spot.
Golden: Indiana. Paul George is over that gruesome leg injury from a couple of years ago, and Larry Bird made some nice offseason upgrades. 6. Who can knock off the Cavaliers in the East?
Bohls: Boston. I love Isaiah Thomas, and the Celtics play strong defense and added Al Horford, the second most impactful addition in the league after Durant.
Golden: Boston. The Celtics have a young nucleus, and if the other Isaiah Thomas and Horford can build some chemistry, they can make a deep run. 7. Who’ll be the MVP? Bohls: San Antonio’s Kawhi Leonard, the most complete player at both ends of the floor. He officially takes over the team.
Golden: Durant. He’ll play pressure-free and help the Warriors to a title.
8. Is LaMarcus Aldridge happy in San Antonio?
Bohls: Absolutely. He’s the second option on a Spurs team that wants him to thrive.
Golden: He’s the first inside option on the most unselfish team in the league. He’s a one-hour flight from the Metroplex, and he gets to play for the best coach in the NBA. What else does he need? 9. Who’s your pick for rookie of the year?
Bohls: No. 2 overall pick Brandon Ingram, a scoring machine and Durant lookalike and playalike who’ll fast become the Lakers’ centerpiece.
Golden: Kris Dunn. The Timberwolves were smart not to trade him on draft night. 10. Can Russell Westbrook win the MVP?
Bohls: No. Some will make him the favorite, but I just don’t see the Thunder winning enough for voters to tab him the winner on a second-tier playoff team. Golden: No. Durant leaving and subsequently
throwing shade his way will only fuel Westbrook to play even harder, but Oklahoma City won’t win enough games to garner him serious contention. 11. Do you care if players sit for the national anthem?
Bohls: Not really. After two months, it’s become a tired ploy. Love the message, hate the method.
Golden: Yes I do, because I support the message behind it. I disagree with not acknowledging the flag, but I do respect why they’re doing it. 1 2 . Wil l Ch r i s Bo sh’s health scare keep the Heat out of the playoffs?
Bohls: Yes, it will. He has to put his health ahead of his career.
Golden: It will, but that ship sailed when Pat Riley botched the LeBron negotiation, then low-balled Dwyane Wade, who bailed for Chicago. 13. How will the Rockets fare with Dwight Howard gone?
Bohls: Not well. Houston won’t miss Howard at all but will still try to
outscore folks for a second-tier playoff berth.
Golden: The void in the middle can’t be overlooked. James Harden will get his 28 a night, but the Rockets aren’t going anywhere. 14. How many games will Golden State win?
Bohls: I’ll say 67. The Warriors probably don’t even want to see 70 again. What did 73 in the regular season get them?
Golden: Sixty-eight. Steve Kerr will take a page from Gregg Popovich’s book and do a better job of resting his starters. 15. How long before the Lakers are relevant?
Bohls: At least two years, but probably three. Golden: They’ll be back in the playoffs by the 2018 season. 16. Who’s the league’s best coach (not named Popovich) and worst coach?
Bohls: Best is the bright and savvy Brad Stevens. Worst is the 76ers’ Brett Brown, who’s 47-199.
Golden: Best is Rick Carlisle; the worst has to be Phoenix’s Earl Watson. 17. If you were starting an NBA franchise, which current player would you take?
Bohls: I’d start with the Pelicans’ 23-year-old power forward, Anthony Davis. Golden: LeBron. Even at 31, he’s arguably the most versatile player in league history.
18. Should the Mavericks try to trade Dirk Nowitzki?
Bohls: No. That ship sailed far from the harbor, and his two-year, $50 million deal makes him unswappable.
Golden: It’s too late. Let him finish his Hall of Fame career in Dallas. 19. Who’ll be the worst team in the NBA?
Bohls: Don’t the 76ers own that label every year? Golden: The Suns. Steve Nash doesn’t live here anymore. 20. After Durant, which former Longhorn will have the best year?
Bohls: Myles Turner, who exploded onto the scene as a 10/5 player with the Pacers.
Golden: Aldridge, with Tim Duncan now retired. I see him averaging 21 points and 10 rebounds a game.