Lang makes five bold predictions for the upcoming season - like the Bucks making the playoffs and Gerald Green making an impact!

October is rapidly approaching … so it couldn’t be a better time to lay down some bold predictions for the upcoming NBA season.  Yes – the HoopsVine team is going psychic.

  1.       Gerald Green will become a solid NBA role player

Green found himself out of the league for portions of last season, but he shouldn’t be considered a slouch or devoid of NBA talent. I mean after all, Ryan Bowen has carved out a solid niche in the league. If you take a look at the Dallas Mavericks’ tentative roster at the two and three spots – besides Josh Howard and Jerry Stackhouse – there aren’t that many obstacles to for the now 22 year old Green to overcome to etch 18-20 minutes per game.

The gatekeepers of potential playing time are the aging Eddie Jones, oft-injured Devean George and another first round disappointment in Antoine Wright.

The reality is that Green is only two seasons removed from averaging double digit points (10.4) for the Boston Celtics. There has to be a market for a 6’8 athletic, young player that can play the wing and even hit free throws (81 percent career) … right?

  2.       The Milwaukee Bucks will make the Eastern Conference Playoffs

No one we speak with believe that Milwaukee will make any noise this year, but look a little (or a lot depending on your view) closer. The Bucks became better by subtracting team cancers like Yi Jianlian – who demanded guaranteed playing time from day one – and added a legit 20+ point per game scorer in Richard Jefferson from the New Jersey Nets. Throw in the fact that Michael Redd spent the summer playing with Team USA earning a gold medal in China and there has to be a tad bit of leadership skills earned.

One of the biggest keys to the Bucks’ success is the development of Charlie Villanueva. He managed to average 11.7 points and 6 rebounds having to oblige with Jianlian’s playing time demands. If he can increase his production to the 15/8 range, coupled with two twenty point scorers and an emerging pivot force in Andrew Bogut – there is no reason that the Bucks shouldn’t be fighting for a playoff spot?

 3.       The Golden State Warriors will be better without Baron Davis

Who knows what type of player Monta Ellis will be after he returns from an ankle injury apparently suffered partaking in prohibited activities (after signing a $60+ million dollar deal) – but nevertheless the Warriors added an absolute stud in Corey Maggette who should thrive in his new environment and put up 20 – 23 points easily.

If Maggette wasn’t enough, the team stole (er) signed Ronny Turiaf from the Los Angeles Lakers, drafted Anthony Randolph from LSU, matched the Los Angeles Clippers offer sheet on Kelenna Azubuike and still have promising power forward Brandan Wright on deck. The team’s average age is 23 … sky is the limit.

4.         The Detroit Pistons will trade Rasheed Wallace

Sheed is a lovable figure around Motown but Joe Dumars wants to win and has been chattering a lot about making changes. We think there’s more to the signing of Kwame Brown than just an experiment. Sheed is set to earn $13.7 million this season in the final year of his contract.

Don’t you just get a feeling that at least a few teams around the league have close to $14 million they want to get off the books (like the New York Knicks who have been shopping Zach Randolph for the past six months – at least).  

It’s not that farfetched that Wallace is a prime candidate for the trading block, especially for a big man with diminishing skills evidenced by the rapidly declining field goal shooting percentage and over reliance on hoisting triples.

5.       The “Thug League” rhetoric will be put to bed … finally

Having direct experience with being in NBA locker rooms as part of credentialed press – I’ll be the first to tell you that the players are nothing like you read about. The average person probably thinks that there are stripper poles, gangsta rappers and loud music in the locker rooms … that’s simply untrue.

Why has this myth been accepted by the public? Race, tattoos, rap music and ignorance can all be factored in, but the mainstream media should’ve handled this delicate issue with more integrity and respect for the game. Here’s hoping that this year the “thug league” foolishness is put to bed by the “professional journalists.”

Lang is a senior writer for HoopsVine.com

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