Last time on The New Millennium, Carmelo Anthony was traded from the Warriors to the Knicks for a boatload of picks, and the likes of Kyrie Irving and Kawhi Leonard were drafted to their old stomping grounds. Plus, top free agents Jay Williams and Cliff Moor found new homes in Philadelphia and Indiana respectively. How will these changes affect the 2011-2012 regular season?
Eastern Conference
1. Chicago Bulls(55-27)
2. New Jersey Nets(53-29)
3. Indiana Pacers(52-30)
4. Atlanta Hawks(52-30)
5. Philadelphia 76ers(51-31)
6. Boston Celtics(47-35)
7. Washington Wizards(46-36)
8. Detroit Pistons(41-41)
9. Charlotte Hornets(38-44)
10. New York Knicks(36-46)
11. Toronto Raptors(35-47)
12. Miami Heat(34-48)
13. Milwaukee Bucks(34-48)
14. Cleveland Cavaliers(33-49)
15. Orlando Magic(30-52)
New year, more wins for Chicago and New Jersey, who are yet again two of the best teams in the East. The Pacers achieved a shocking one year turnaround, thanks to rookie Klay Thompson(22 ppg) and new signing Cliff Moor(11.4 ppg, 10.1 rpg). LeBron and Atlanta will face former point guard Jay Williams(16.1 ppg, 6 apg) who had a career year leading the deadly Philly offense. Boston got a great year from young Eric Gordon(17.7 ppg) as did the Pistons from their young star Russell Westrbrook(19.4 ppg, 7.6 apg). The Knicks have to be disappointed after missing out on the playoffs despite acquiring Melo, and youthful teams like Toronto, Miami and Milwaukee will hope that their fortunes will change soon. And Orlando just fell off a cliff, as the second worst defense in the entire NBA negating most of their offensive weapons.
Western Conference
1. Los Angeles Clippers(55-27)
2. Minnesota Timberwolves(54-28)
3. Vancouver Grizzlies(52-30)
4. Los Angeles Lakers(47-35)
5. Denver Nuggets(44-38)
6. Portland Trail Blazers(43-39)
7. Houston Rockets(43-39)
8. Utah Jazz(43-39)
9. Dallas Mavericks(42-40)
10. Golden State Warriors(38-44)
11. Sacramento Kings(30-52)
12. Phoenix Suns(30-52)
13. New Orleans Pelicans(28-54)
14. San Antonio Spurs(26-56)
15. Seattle SuperSonics(18-64)
After years with only one Finals loss to their name, the Clippers, led by Dwyane Wade(19.8 ppg, 9.2 apg) and Pau Gasol(15.2 ppg, 10.9 rpg), have finally taken their spot as the best in the West. But right behind them are the Timberwolves, as Kevin Durant(30.2 ppg, 7 rpg) claimed his first MVP. The Grizzlies surprised many, as their stellar defense won them 52 games, and the Lakers slipped to fourth for another first round clash with the Nuggets. The Utah Jazz just snuck into the playoffs, thanks to a terrific season from power forward Dante Jacobsen(15.7 ppg, 8.2 rpg). The defending champion Mavericks missed out by just 1 game, as Stephen Curry's teammates tried their best to limit the young star's scoring, seemingly jealous over the attention Curry has already received. The Warriors improved despite trading Anthony away, and the Kings fell flat on their faces with a dearth of talent in the paint. The Suns couldn't defend, the Spurs couldn't score, and the SuperSonics failed to do either, as the franchise's management spent most of the year fighting off rumors of a move to Oklahoma City.
Awards
MVP: Kevin Durant, Minnesota Timberwolves
Rookie of the Year: Kawhi Leonard, San Antonio Spurs
Sixth Man: DeMar DeRozan, Seattle SuperSonics
Defensive Player: LeBron James, Atlanta Hawks
Most Improved: Paul George, Toronto Raptors
Coach of the Year: Vinny Del Negro, Los Angeles Clippers
Del Negro wins his second Coach of the Year, as he looks to help this talented Clippers squad finally put it all together. Can the little sister of the City of Angels bring home a title to their long suffering fanbase? Find out next time on The New Millennium!
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