How I see it: Hoop season predictions

Somebody cue the “Welcome Back Kotter” theme. The NBA season is here again, and it should be an exciting year. Mr. Stern is rolling a new ball on the court, Isiah Thomas put his neck on the line in the Big Apple, and the Bulls are looking to make confetti rain in Chicago once again. How will it all turn out?

Isiah Thomas will lose his job

I am a huge fan of Zeke’s. But his front office blunders will come back to haunt him on the New York Knicks’ bench. Making Eddy Curry a legitimate center, keeping his field goal-hungry backcourt happy, and validating his posh payroll moves will be more than Thomas can handle.

Kobe Bryant will score 100 points in a game

That’s right. Number 24 will light someone up for 100 points this year. Kobe dropped 63 points in 33 minutes on last year’s Western Conference champion Dallas Mavericks, and 81-points (54 points in the second half) against Toronto.

If Kobe can put up that type of brilliance for an entire game, by the end of the year we will be saying “Wilt who?” It’s simply a mathematical possibility.

LeBron James will win the MVP award

King James won’t be the NBA’s best player this year, but his importance to the Cavs’ gameplan will give him the MVP nod. Expect the young superstar to put up 30, seven and five this year.

Steve Nash will put up numbers that will mirror his last two MVP seasons , but there is no way the league will allow him to get three in a row.

The Bulls will win the Eastern Conference

Apparently John Paxson knows what he is doing in the Bulls front office. First round pick Thabo Sefolosha proved he could be a factor after an impressive preseason. And last year’s core that challenged the Heat in the playoffs remains. And did I mention that the reigning Defensive Player of the Year Ben Wallace comes to the Windy City this year?

The end result – an Eastern Conference championship banner hanging in the rafters at the United Center.

The Mavericks will win the West again

Although Stoudemire will make the Suns a contender, Dirk and the Mavs will retain their spot atop the Western Conference. The presence of newly acquired veterans Devean George, Anthony Johnson and Austin Croshere will make a big difference in the Mavs’ title aspirations.

Bulls v. Mavericks…

As good as the new and improved Bulls are, the Dallas Mavericks will have just a little more firepower. The series will go six or seven games, but the Mavericks will be the team holding the coveted NBA championship trophy.

Akeem Anderson is a sophomore newspaper journalism student from Chicago. He can be reached at thefamuansports@hotmail.com.