Let’s hope 2021 is different. Everything about it. In 2020, the phrase “unprecedented circumstances” became the most popular spoken expression in the world. (I made that up, maybe.)
What we initially thought was a temporary interruption to our daily lives has now become normal.
That said, I would love to see some unprecedented circumstances in the NBA this year. No, I don’t want COVID to run rampant among the players and coaches — I just want things to be different. Much like I don’t want to watch Clemson and Alabama square off for the national championship every year for the next decade.
Think about it. Baseball, the major North American sport that 63 percent of people don’t think will be around in 100 years (also made that one up), is the only sport we can’t predict. Baseball! The least exciting, though my favorite, sport in the world.
The point is that all the NBA predictions you’ll find out there are pretty much the same.
Not here. It needs to be done, so I’m going to offer you some unpredictable NBA predictions.
Unpredictable things
- COVID.
- Kyrie, KD, and the Nets.
- Number of Draymond Green techs.
- The Cavs lottery result.
Random things
1. After going 8-0 in the bubble, the Suns will keep winning. To help their case, they went ahead and added Chris Paul, who may not be washed up just yet.
2. Steph Curry will return to the court and do Steph Curry things, but the Warriors will be good, not great.
3. Bam Adebayo will be a breakout player for the Heat, but Tyler Herro and Duncan Robinson will come back to earth. The Heat will still be a contender in the East.
4. LeBron James will nap until late in the playoffs, and it’ll hurt the team in the long run.
5. Zion Williamson will have a great sophomore campaign. He should be healthy and, in turn, efficient. However, much to the disappointment of all the major news outlets, he’s not the second coming.
6. The Bulls will win the lottery. They’re gonna be awful.
Rookie of the Year
Who cares about defense? Certainly not the people that vote for things like NBA awards! That’s why your 2021 ROY Award winner will be the high-flying kid out of Dayton, Obi Toppin. The only thing stopping him from this is the number of minutes he may or may not get in a crowded Knicks frontcourt. But, considering they have nothing to lose, I expect he’ll play more than enough.
MVP
Last year, someone averaged 30 points and eight assists, with a PER of 26.9, finished fourth in VORP, hit all the MVP numbers, and checked all the MVP boxes. This special someone finished eighth in the MVP voting. That’s not going to happen again. A healthy Portland team will finish the year well over .500, and Damian Lillard will win his first MVP at the age of 30.
Champion
Unfortunately for future MVP Lillard, he won’t be able to get past the surprising Dallas Mavericks, grinding their way to the Finals. Dallas had four players last season with a PER over 20. For context, the champion Lakers had two. Count on Luka Doncic and company to out-hustle Lebron and Anthony Davis in the West, and later dismantle a weaker Eastern Conference opponent.
Maybe we could use some certainty in these days of uncertainty, and I should have told you that the Lakers are going to repeat. Instead, let’s count on 2021 being different.
