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Ten Bold Predictions for the NBA in 2017

2016 was a crappy year, outside of basketball, and I don't want to relive or revisit it, by any means. So, let's look forward to 2017, and what it may hold for the NBA landscape.

DeMarcus Cousins will be traded to the Boston Celtics, Rudy Gay to the Oklahoma City Thunder, Andrew Bogut to the Portland Trailblazers, Brook Lopez to the Dallas Mavericks, and Ricky Rubio to the Sacramento Kings.

 Giannis Antetokuonmpo and Marc Gasol will be All-Star game starters and Kemba Walker will make his first All-Star team, in a game that'll feature Russell Westbrook as MVP.

The Milwaukee Bucks, Washington Wizards, and Denver Nuggets will make the playoffs. The Detroit Pistons, Indiana Pacers, Portland Trailblazers, and Sacramento Kings will not make the playoffs.

 James Harden will be MVP, Rudy Gobert will be DPOY, and Joel Embiid will be ROY.

The Houston Rockets and the Boston Celtics will make the conference finals in their respective conferences.

 The Finals will feature both the Warriors and Cavaliers, and the Cavaliers will repeat as NBA champions in six games.

 The top three picks in the 2017 NBA Draft will be point guards - some permutation of Dennis Smith, Jr., Lonzo Ball, and Markelle Fultz, followed by a trio of wings in Jayson Tatum, Malik Monk, and Josh Jackson. Harry Giles will not be a lottery pick.

 Chris Paul, in a negotiation battle with Steve Ballmer and Doc Rivers, will sign with the Chicago Bulls, after some cap space chicanery.

 One of Steph Curry or Kevin Durant will not resign with the Golden State Warriors after losing in the Finals.

 The Minnesota Timberwolves will win fifteen of their first twenty games in the 2017-18 season.

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