2015-16 NBA Predictions: Who You Got Playing Cleveland in the Finals?

We've arrived at my third set of pre-season predictions, and (if 2014 was any indication) presumably my last post of 2015. In looking over picks elsewhere on the web, I've noticed two things:

1. Most sites are limiting predictions just to which two teams will be playing in the NBA Finals this June (maybe I should really start considering that); and
2. Every single person has the Cavaliers winning the Eastern Conference.

I'm not going to be one to argue with that last belief, seeing as LeBron managed to carry the team to the Finals last season even after Kevin Love and Kyrie Irving fell to injuries. There's not much reason to believe that won't happen again this year.

The West, however, is once again wide open with possibilities. A person could pick any one of four or five teams and have a reasonable argument as to why that team will win a title.

I guess NBA fans could probably use the basketball starting, what with the recent near-death experience of Lamar Odom and now the unfortunate passing of Flip Saunders. I really didn't have time to do up any special graphic for these picks, so I instead offer that softened photo of a man everybody generally seemed to regard as a good guy.

EASTERN CONFERENCE

Atlantic

Toronto Raptors

Boston Celtics

Brooklyn Nets

New York Knicks

Philadelphia 76ers

Central

Cleveland Cavaliers

Chicago Bulls

Milwaukee Bucks

Detroit Pistons

Indiana Pacers

Southeast

Atlanta Hawks 

Miami Heat

Washington Wizards

Orlando Magic

Charlotte Hornets

WESTERN CONFERENCE

Northwest

Oklahoma City Thunder

Utah Jazz

Minnesota Timberwolves

Denver Nuggets

Portland Trail Blazers

Pacific

Golden State Warriors

Los Angeles Clippers

Phoenix Suns

Sacramento Kings

Los Angeles Lakers

Southwest

San Antonio Spurs

Houston Rockets

Memphis Grizzlies

New Orleans Pelicans

Dallas Mavericks

NBA Playoffs Opening Round

#1 Cavaliers over #8 Celtics in 4 games

#2 Bulls over #7 Wizards in 7 games

#3 Hawks over #6 Bucks in 6 games

#5 Heat over #4 Raptors in 6 games

#1 Thunder over #8 Jazz in 4 games

#2 Warriors over #7 HornetsPelicans in 7 games

#3 Spurs over #6 Grizzlies in 6 games

#5 Clippers over #4 Rockets in 7 games

Conference Semifinals

#1 Cavaliers over #5 Heat in 5 games

#3 Hawks over #2 Bulls in 6 games

#1 Thunder over #5 Clippers in 7 games

#3 Spurs over #2 Warriors in 6 games

Conference Finals

#1 Cavaliers over #3 Hawks in 5 games

#2 Spurs over #1 Thunder in 6 games

2015 NBA Finals

San Antonio Spurs over Cleveland Cavaliers in 6 games

Last year I said my playoff picks very closely resembled the picks from the year before that. I think there's a lot of similarities once again, so of course I'll probably be way off on more than a few. I'm confident in my predicted winner though because the Spurs typically rebound from a year of bitter defeat (a close Game 7 loss last year to the Clippers, although I don't know that it stings as much as those losses to Miami or the Lakers that triggered titles in the following seasons), and this Wall Street Journal story today ("The NBA Wages a War on Attrition," sure to be behind a paywall when I want to revisit it) speaks to the strength of Gregg Popovich: roster management. The Spurs have a good amount of talent and should be able overcome the injuries that may undo lesser teams.