It’s never too early for predictions.

Since LeBron James (or Ray Allen depending who you talk to) sealed the Miami Heat’s second straight NBA title, the other 29 teams have been making many moves to try and compete with the defending champs. While not all teams will even be given a chance to dethrone the champs, I thoroughly believe that most teams throughout the league improved from a year ago, which is going to make a great NBA season in 2013-14.

Will the American Airlines Area be hosting it’s 4th NBA Finals in as many years? By Ines Hegedus-Garcia, via Wikimedia Commons

1. Miami Heat: How can I not put them at the top of the East? They are the two time defending champs who didn’t lose any players plus added Greg Oden to try and add to the championship mix. I’m not sure if they will win the three-peat but they will definitely be a strong contender for it.

2. Indiana Pacers: This team has pushed Miami to the brink the last two seasons in the playoffs, and Paul George had an incredible coming out party in the playoffs. They kept David West and added swingman Chris Copland from the Knicks and Luis Scola from the Suns. Plus Danny Granger should finally be healthy, look for the Pacers to have another great season.

3. Chicago Bulls: While they lost Nate Robinson, they welcome back former MVP Derrick Rose, which should make Chicago fans cheerful again. They are pretty much the same team as last year whom was pretty darn good despite all the injuries. Hard-nosed defense and Derrick Rose back, seems like a good combination to me.

4. New York Knicks: For some reason people doubt the Knicks and I don’t understand why. They finally won a playoff series last season only to lose to a great Pacer team in the second round. They have improved the 2^nd place team by adding Andrea Bargnani, Metta World Peace and drafting Tim Hardaway Jr. Until proven otherwise, the Knicks still own New York as far as I’m concern.

5. Brooklyn Nets: Having Kevin Garnett, Paul Pierce, Deron Williams, Brook Lopez and Joe Johnson as your starting lineup looks amazing on paper but only time will tell if they mesh well together under rookie head coach Jason Kidd. As we saw last year from the Lakers, names don’t mean wins.

6. Cleveland Cavaliers: Adding Andrew Bynum will give the Cavs an inside presence that they have been looking for, as long as he stays healthy. With both Bynum and Irving healthy, I really like this Cavs team. Also adding Jarrett Jack adds scoring off the bench and veteran leadership on a young team. For the first time since the whole LeBron James decision, the Cavs make it back to the playoffs.

7. Washington Wizards: It is about time the Wizards start winning with John Wall. They are a young team with tremendous upside, and to many peoples surprise the Wizards were one of the league best defensive teams last season ranking 8^th in the league. Not too bad for a bottom of the standings team last year.

8. Detroit Pistons: This was a hard choice because both the Pistons and Raptors could make the eighth seed but as of right now I think the Pistons edge them out a little bit. Adding Josh Smith and Brandon Jennings should improve this team enough to make the playoffs for a short date with the defending champs in the first round.

9. Toronto Raptors: Having Rudy Gay makes the Raptors somewhat relevant but not enough to make the playoffs. Maybe with one more piece to the puzzle, Toronto could win but not this year I don’t think.

10. Atlanta Hawks: Losing Josh Smith was a big blow and I’m not sure they can recover from that but adding Paul Millsap helps a little bit. The Hawks will drop, not to the bottom but out of the playoff race.

11. Charlotte Bobcats: I am going to go out on a limb here and say that the Bobcats won’t be completely terrible this season, good enough for 11^th in the East. I liked the signing of Al Jefferson to a young team. Don’t expect the Bobcats to do more than play spoiler for on the bubble playoff teams at the end of the season.

12. Milwaukee Bucks: While the Bucks made the playoffs last year, I believe it was because of how weak the East was and that isn’t the case as much this season. They lost both Brandon Jennings and Monta Ellis and replaced them with Brandon Knight and O.J. Mayo whom aren’t bad but this isn’t a playoff team for the second straight year.

13. Boston Celtics: The roster looks very, very different for the first time in awhile except for Rajon Rondo. The Celtics will drop to the bottom this season but with players like Rondo, Jeff Green and Avery Bradley they won’t be the worst team in the East. It’s a rebuilding process for the green that starts in 2014.

14. Orlando Magic: The Magic will be just as bad as they were a year ago except this time they will have added a soon to be star in Victor Oladipo. He is a special talent and I believe will translate in the future to being a star but for now, he like the rest of the Magic must wait out the bad years to get to the good ones.

15. Philadelphia 76ers: Yikes….that is what I thought when looking at their roster with the exception of Nerlins Noel and Michael Carter-Williams whom are both rookies. It’s going to be a dark year in Philadelphia unless Kwame Brown somehow decides to finally play like he was supposed to when the Wizards drafted him years ago. But even if that long shot happened, it probably won’t be enough for the Sixers.

Indiana Pacers star Roy Hibbert let loose on the media Saturday night in a strange press conference appearance following the Pacers’ impressive Game 6 win over the Miami Heat that pushed the Eastern Conference Finals to a decisive Game 7. When asked to comment on his own 10th place finish in the NBA Defensive Player of the Year voting, Hibbert had this to say:

Roy Hibbert (left) and the Pacers have proven themselves better than all but one Eastern Conference team. By Zach Primozic

(Before I get into the crux of the issue, I do want to point out that while Hibbert was outranked in DPOY voting by several more well-known players on higher-profile teams, he also received less points than the Pacers’ own Paul George as well as Larry Sanders of the Milwaukee Bucks, who isn’t even the most well-known person with his own name).

And he’s right, nobody watches the Pacers. Not their local residents — they have the 25th-best attendance in the league. Not San Antonio Spurs’ MVP Tony Parker, who admitted earlier last month to not watching any of the Pacers’ less-than-riveting first round playoff series against the Atlanta Hawks. The truth of the matter is that the Indiana Pacers are, in fact, a little boring. As a die-hard NBA fan and League Pass subscriber, I watch at least a couple of hours and multiple games of basketball almost every day of the regular season. I don’t think there was even one point this season where I looked at the full offering of games on a given day and said, “You know, I’m really interested to see what the Pacers are up to today.”

Can you blame me? As much as they say that defense wins championships, the Pacers’ staunch defensive style (2nd in the league in opponent points per game) does little to make them inherently watchable to anyone other than that one tool some of us know who believes his superior appreciation of defense in the NBA makes him a better fan than us mainstream cretins who prefer to watch teams who score once in a while. The Pacers have been woeful in this regard, ranking 23rd in the league in points per game. Not only do the Pacers struggle to score, they struggle to score in ways that are fun to watch, ranking in the bottom five league-wide in categories like field goal percentage and assists per game. And while fundamentally, winning games only requires that you score more points than your opponent, winning games doesn’t necessarily translate to an enjoyable fan viewing experience.

Then there are the intangibles. While Frank Vogel is a gifted head coach who has led the Pacers into the elite of the Eastern Conference, whenever I see him, I experience an odd phenomenon. I’ve seen him many times before, but for a split second I’m surprised by what he looks like. He comes off as just kind of a nondescript type of guy. His Pacers take after him in this way. Although Paul George, Roy Hibbert, and the currently-injured Danny Granger have represented the Pacers in the All-Star Game in the past three seasons, none are the type of flashy offensive talent that inspires fans to go out and buy their jerseys–although it’s becoming apparent in these playoffs that Paul George may evolve into that sooner than anyone expected.

I don’t blame Hibbert for his apparent affliction with Jan Brady syndrome. In a league where respect can be measured by things like number of nationally televised games and jersey sales, Indiana is barely on anyone’s radar. However, he and the Pacers can do something about that. With a win tonight on the road against the defending NBA champions, the Indiana Pacers have a chance to not only advance to their first NBA Finals since 2000, but perhaps also to put us all on notice that they’re a team worth watching. Their prospective Finals opponents, the now very well-rested San Antonio Spurs, could teach the Pacers a little something about that. While also somewhat unfairly saddled with the “boring” label, they’ve proven their worth and earned their respect by winning multiple championships and being one of the most consistently elite teams in the last decade. You earn cred with people who love basketball through sustained excellence. You earn it by performing on the big stage. Now you have the opportunity tomorrow to come and get it.

And if Hibbert and the Pacers pull this off, I promise that once in a while I’ll choose their games on League Pass next season.

Predictions in sports can be just as fun as what actually happens and a lot of time many people do it. Every person has their own unique way of predicting outcomes, some go through the purity of stats or some use just the heart and will of a team or player. Either way, predictions can be a way for a fan, analyst or gambler to have and feel like they are involved with the actual games being played. As for me, I have made many predictions throughout my life. Some have come true and some haven’t, and I will be the first one to admit when I am wrong. On that note, here is my prediction for the Eastern Conference when the season comes to an end in April, a small breakdown of each team and some playoff predictions with a little over half the season complete:

1.    Miami Heat:

The reigning NBA champions have looked like the champions…when playing at home. They are 18-3 at home but only 11-11 on the road. Winning on the road is what the playoffs is about and the Heat have yet to prove they can do that. This team improved from last season, but I’m not so sure I trust them.

If Derrick Rose comes back healthy, the Bulls have a real chance to go to the NBA Finals. By Keith Allison from Owings Mills, USA, via Wikimedia Commons

2.    Chicago Bulls:

The Bulls and coach Tom Thibodeau have done an incredible job thus far without former MVP Derrick Rose. Getting him back will only make this team that much better. They are ranked third in the league in points allowed, only allowing 90.9 PPG. Defense is what this team is all about and its something that will help them come playoff time.

3.    New York Knicks:

The Knicks started 6-0 and haven’t slowed down, as they are tied with the Heat for the number one seed at the moment. They have already beaten the Heat twice, once without MVP candidate Carmelo Anthony (in Miami). This team looks like a complete team and coach Mike Woodson has them firing on all cylinders. The oldest team in the league is also one of the best.

4.    Indiana Pacers:

With the emergence of Paul George, the Pacers have continued their winning ways from last season. Despite not having former All-Star Danny Granger, the Pacers seem to be doing just fine. If he can come back into the lineup and fit-in smoothly, this can be a dangerous team. Who doesn’t remember that physical playoff series last year with the Heat? And being the second ranked team in points allowed with only 89.9 a game, the Pacers can do some damage.

5.    Boston Celtics:

Like the Lakers, the Celtics aren’t normally this low in the standings but injuries and poor play have put them here. My pre-season pick for the finals from the Eastern Conference suffered a huge blow last week, losing all-star point guard Rajon Rondo to a season-ending injury and then yesterday lost rookie Jared Sullinger to injury. But they still have hall of famers Paul Pierce and Kevin Garnett who, if anything have heart and will — something you can never bet against.

6.    Brooklyn Nets:

After a hot start and then a coaching change, the Nets seem to have finally gotten things together. Big man Brook Lopez and point guard Deron Williams lead the Nets and look to have this team poised for a playoff run. New look, new city, new players — can it all lead to new winning ways for the Nets? Both them and their new Brooklyn fans hope so.

7.    Milwaukee Bucks:

I really like this team and what they have done this season. They have beaten the Celtics three times and the Heat once and they look ready for the playoffs. Brandon Jennings and Monta Ellis make a good backcourt duo for the Bucks and give them a tandem that teams don’t like to play against. The Bucks get back to the playoffs for the first time since 2012. Fear the Deer!

8.    Philadelphia 76ers:

In a hard decision, I think the 76ers beat out the Atlanta Hawks for the eighth and final seed. The Sixers have hovered around the eighth seed all year and will be getting back big man Andrew Bynum after the all-star break. Bynum is a game-changer and I believe will really help the Sixers out. Although the Hawks have been very good this season, I think the Sixers will overtake them when it’s all said and done.

Notable Mentions: Atlanta Hawks and Toronto Raptors

PREDICTIONS:

First Round:

1. Miami Heat vs. 8. Philadelphia 76ers: Heat in six

2. Chicago Bulls vs. 7. Milwaukee Bucks: Bulls in six

3. New York Knicks vs. 6. Brooklyn Nets: Knicks win the battle for New York in seven

4. Indiana Pacers vs. 5. Boston Celtics: Celtics in six

Semi Finals:

1. Miami Heat vs. 5. Boston Celtics

In the best series of the playoffs, I have this hard fought, mentally grinding series going to seven games with the Boston Celtics knocking off the reigning champions. Yes I know this is a crazy accusation (especially for a Laker fan), but I believe that the road struggles for the Heat will be the downfall of this years squad. I believe the Celtics can go into American Airlines Arena and still a game or two. This will be very difficult to do without Rondo, but these Celtics have a will to them, that you can’t describe. I may be wrong but Celtics in seven.

2. Chicago Bulls vs. 3. New York Knicks

Finally the Knicks get out of the first round, but its short served. I have the Bulls taking out the Knicks in six games. But it’s a promising sign for the Knicks to even win a playoff series. The Bulls head back to the Eastern Conference finals where they have a date with the green machine.

Conference Finals:

2. Chicago Bulls vs. 5. Boston Celtics

After the hard-fought series against the Heat, the Celtics finally run out of gas against a younger Bulls team, so I’m picking the Bulls in six. Kudos to the Celtics for making it this far without Rondo but the Bulls make it back to the finals for the first time since the Jordan era.

2013 Eastern Conference Champions: 2. Chicago Bulls

In my prediction, the Bulls make it back to the NBA Finals where they will meet up with the Los Angeles Lakers. Their defense, the return of Derrick Rose and the help of the Celtics knocking off the Heat, are what propel the Bulls back to the championship series. As I said for the Lakers, I’m not saying the Bulls will win the NBA title but they will be one of the last two teams standing.

Last night a friend of mine asserted “coffee is for closers, and LeBron doesn’t ingest caffeine,” after the dichotomous superstar missed a fall away jumper in regulation that would of sent home the Boston Celtics, and given the Heat a 2-0 series lead.

The Heat won anyway. LeBron finished with 30 points, 9 rebounds, 8assists and 2 blocked shots, controlling the game through his facilitation. Yet according to Spin Doctors & Fools, this doesn’t matter.

“Dwayne Wade is a closer,” said my friend. And later, “Kobe never would have missed those two free throws. No killer instinct.”

While many people see the fallen King as a quitter, incomplete, an athletically infertile in closing situations, others see a facilitator, unselfish, methodical, cerebral, complete and utterly unstoppable player. His numbers are surreal this post-season, posting 30 points per game on 50% shooting, while leading the team in rebounding, assists, steals and blocked shots. So I wonder, are we watching the same game? Or is the world a game room of mirrors, where we seek our most flattering reflection?

Oscar Robertson said James “was in a world of his own,” regarding his athletic comparisons to Michael Jordan, Magic Johnson, Kobe Bryant and Dwayne Wade. The Big O finished, “legacy conversations are for men long after their careers are over.” Robertson who won just one title in his fourteen year career with an average Buck franchise, empathizes with James. And despite the assertion that a great player must win multiple titles, the Big O’s legacy – aside from titles – topples the simpleton argument and re – questions what truly makes a player great.

Dwayne Wade agrees. Wade last year insisted,”nobody’s won a title on their own.” And in reality, nobody has won a title alone. Every great star won with other stars. Robertson’s coming alongside a young dynamic Kareem Abdul–Jabbar in 1971, Wade’s with the dominant Shaquille O’neal in 2006.

The dividing line for many fans, it seems, is whether or not stars organically grew into a franchise or inorganically put themselves there. This is, in no way, a fair assessment; blaming LeBron James for signing alongside Wade in Miami is like blaming a CEO for quitting his job with a lucrative private company in order to sign a deal with a publically traded powerhouse. Every person should have the right to “go up” in the world, and that, according to multiple sociological – science based research institutes (read here) is especially true of generations X, Y and Z. When X, Y, or Z feel “stagnate in their current job, they’ll usually move on elsewhere.” This is a tricky component to the hiring process for many job creators who hail from an era in American business when employees financially wed their bosses with an undying commitment to their working relationship.

Not so, for X, Y and Z. According to Kelly Services Business Model , the emergent generations crave a “team – sports atmosphere, [where they] feel they are being given a chance on the field from a younger age,” where as the older generation enjoyed working hard, long and fast on their own.  Generation X ( 1960 – 1980) is to blame for this shift, but it is LeBron James generation that has followed it through to it’s full fruition. This is the greatest pearl of wisdom describing the free agent era in American sports ( “given a chance…”) and the latest  super – team trend in the NBA.  Today’s players are not like their predecessors, who until traded, tended to play for one team and one team only.

Looking at James last three years in Cleveland, one can argue, the organization had become stagnant. While James continued to grow his game by improving his jump shot, perimeter defense and free throw shooting, Dan Gilbert continued to collect cheap wayfarers to build around the star. A 35 – year old Antawn Jamison or Shaq in his waning years, do not count. Both are moves to pretend away the reality, that Gilbert just didn’t want to spend the money to make the Cavaliers a true title contender.

Therefore, James did like any Gen Y kid, and moved on. He linked with a “team sports atmosphere,” in order to “give himself a chance from a younger age.” Entering his prime, James felt it necessary to seek a new employer that’d offer him a chance at sports – business superiority. And while it hasn’t been a perfectly smooth road in Miami ( no employer ever is ) it has been fruitful and productively assembled in the right direction.

50’s-era Modernists preach black, white, straight lines and edges. But to a man like James, who quietly promotes himself as a father, post-modern minority — American and NBA superstar, that old time thinking just does not add up. He is, after all, 100% like any other gen’ y or z American, where life’s lines are blurred and the world takes on a more artistic tapestry.  His move away from Cleveland was a move in a positive direction. He sought clarity of consistency from his employer and is now beginning to reap the fruit (whether bad or good) of making that difficult life – decision.