Belly Up Contributors: Joe Palencia, Max Stines, Parker Ainsworth, Jeremy Macchitelli, Robert Cordero, Emir Sykes, Bob Blackwood, Bradley Stahl, Kyle Edwards, Shannon Walsh
With the upcoming 2020-21 NBA Season start upon us, it’s time to put our money where our mouth is (or at least our credibility) and make our season award picks and playoff predictions for the year. So, without further ado… our Belly Up Panel Picks:
Playoff Predictions
Eastern Conference Standings
Belly Up Consensus
- Bucks (1.45 avg. spot)
- Celtics (3.18)
- Nets (3.64)
- Sixers (3.72)
- Heat (3.72)
- Raptors (6.09)
- Wizards (7.45)
- Pacers (7.91)
Shmeed
- Milwaukee Bucks
- Philadelphia 76ers
- Boston Celtics
- Brooklyn Nets
- Miami Heat
- Toronto Raptors
- Indiana Pacers
- Atlanta Hawks
Sykes
- Boston Celtics
- Milwaukee Bucks
- Brooklyn Nets
- Miami heat
- Philadelphia 76ers
- Toronto Raptors
- Indiana Pacers
- Washington
Edwards
- Milwaukee Bucks
- Philadelphia 76ers
- Brooklyn Nets
- Miami Heat
- Toronto Raptors
- Boston Celtics
- Indiana Pacers
- Washington
Western
Belly Up Consensus
- Lakers (1.45 avg. spot)
- Nuggets (2.82)
- Clippers (3.18)
- Mavericks (3.64)
- Trailblazers (5.27)
- Jazz (5.36)
- Warriors (5.55)
- Suns (7.64)
Shmeed
- LA Lakers
- LA Clippers
- Denver Nuggets
- Dallas Mavericks
- Portland
- Utah Jazz
- Phoenix Suns
- New Orleans
Sykes
- LA Lakers
- Denver Nuggets
- LA Clippers
- Dallas Mavericks
- Utah Jazz
- Houston Rockets
- New Orleans
- Portland
Edwards
- Portland
- Utah Jazz
- LA Lakers
- LA Clippers
- Denver Nuggets
- Dallas Mavericks
- Phoenix Suns
- Houston Rockets
Stines
- Milwaukee Bucks
- Brooklyn Nets
- Philadelphia 76ers
- Miami Heat
- Boston Celtics
- Atlanta Hawks
- Washington
- Charlotte Hornets
Macchitelli
- Milwaukee Bucks
- Boston Celtics
- Miami Heat
- Brooklyn Nets
- Toronto Raptors
- Philadelphia 76ers
- Indiana Pacers
- Washington
Blackwood
- Philadelphia 76ers
- Milwaukee Bucks
- Boston Celtics
- Toronto Raptors
- Brooklyn Nets
- Miami Heat
- Washington
- Indiana Pacers
Walsh
- Miami Heat
- Boston Celtics
- Milwaukee Bucks
- Washington
- Philadelphia 76ers
- Toronto Raptors
- Atlanta Hawks
- Brooklyn Nets
Conference
Stines
- LA Lakers
- LA Clippers
- Portland
- Denver Nuggets
- Golden State
- Utah Jazz
- Dallas Mavericks
- Phoenix Suns
Macchitelli
- Denver Nuggets
- LA Lakers
- Dallas Mavericks
- LA Clippers
- Portland
- Utah Jazz
- Houston Rockets
- Golden State
Blackwood
- LA Lakers
- Denver Nuggets
- LA Clippers
- Dallas Mavericks
- Portland
- Utah Jazz
- Golden State
- Phoenix Suns
Walsh
- Dallas Mavericks
- LA Lakers
- Denver Nuggets
- Phoenix Suns
- Minnesota
- LA Clippers
- New Orleans
- Portland
Palencia
- Milwaukee Bucks
- Boston Celtics
- Miami Heat
- Brooklyn Nets
- Philadelphia 76ers
- Toronto Raptors
- Atlanta Hawks
- Indiana Pacers
Ainsworth
- Milwaukee Bucks
- Boston Celtics
- Brooklyn Nets
- Miami Heat
- Philadelphia 76ers
- Toronto Raptors
- Washington
- Atlanta Hawks
Cordero
- Milwaukee Bucks
- Miami Heat
- Brooklyn Nets
- Philadelphia 76ers
- Boston Celtics
- Toronto Raptors
- Indiana Pacers
- Chicago Bulls
Stahl
- Brooklyn Nets
- Milwaukee Bucks
- Philadelphia 76ers
- Boston Celtics
- Miami Heat
- Washington
- Atlanta Hawks
- Toronto Raptors
Standings
Palencia
- LA Lakers
- LA Clippers
- Dallas Mavericks
- Denver Nuggets
- Golden State
- Utah Jazz
- Portland
- Phoenix Suns
Ainsworth
- LA Lakers
- Denver Nuggets
- LA Clippers
- Golden State
- Portland
- Dallas Mavericks
- Houston Rockets
- Utah Jazz
Cordero
- Denver Nuggets
- LA Lakers
- LA Clippers
- Dallas Mavericks
- Portland
- Utah Jazz
- Memphis Grizzlies
- Phoenix Suns
Stahl
- LA Lakers
- Dallas Mavericks
- LA Clippers
- Denver Nuggets
- Golden State
- Portland
- Phoenix Suns
- New Orleans
Champions
EAST
Milwaukee Bucks (Palencia, Macchitelli, Cordero, Blackwood, Stahl)
Boston Celtics (Shmeed, Sykes, Walsh)
Brooklyn Nets (Stines)
Miami Heat (Ainsworth)
Philadelphia 76ers (Edwards)
WEST
Los Angeles Lakers (Walsh, Edwards, Stahl, Blackwood, Sykes, Cordero, Macchitelli, Shmeed, Ainsworth, Stines, Palencia)
NBA
Los Angeles Lakers (Palencia, Stines, Ainsworth, Shmeed, Sykes, Blackwood, Stahl, Edwards)
Milwaukee Bucks (Macchitelli, Cordero)
Boston Celtics (Walsh)
NBA Awards
MVP
Luka Doncic, Dallas Mavericks (Shmeed, Sykes, Stahl, Walsh)
Honorable Mentions: Damian Lillard (3 votes), Nikola Jokic (2), Anthony Davis, LeBron James
Rookie of the Year
Lamelo Ball, Charlotte Hornets (Palencia, Blackwood, Walsh)
James Wiseman, Golden State Warriors (Stines, Ainsworth, Stahl)
Killian Hayes, Detroit Pistons (Shmeed, Macchitelli, Cordero)
Honorable Mentions: Tyrese Haliburton (Kings), Isaac Okoro (Cavaliers)
Coach of the Year
Doc Rivers, Philadelphia 76ers (Shmeed, Blackwood, Edwards)
Honorable Mentions: Brad Stevens (2 votes), Mike Malone (2 votes), Steve Nash (2 votes), Stephen Silas, Rick Carlisle
Defensive Player of the Year
Anthony Davis, Los Angeles Lakers (Stahl, Blackwood, Sykes, Cordero, Shmeed, Ainsworth, Stines)
Honorable Mentions: Marcus Smart (2 votes), Pascal Siakam, Bam Adebayo
Sixth Man of the Year
Lou Williams, Los Angeles Clippers (Palencia, Sykes)
Tyler Herro, Miami Heat (Ainsworth, Macchitelli)
Seth Curry, Philadelphia 76ers (Stines, Stahl)
Honorable Mentions: Spencer Dinwiddie (Nets), Bogdan Bogdanovic (Hawks), Danilo Gallinari (Hawks), Jordan Clarkson (Jazz), Goran Dragic (Heat), Seth Curry (Stines, Stahl)
Most Improved Player
Deandre Ayton, Phoenix Suns (Shmeed, Stines)
Honorable Mentions: Lonzo Ball, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Kelly Oubre Jr., Matisse Thybulle, Caris Levert, Lauri Markkanen, Coby White, Michael Porter Jr., Robert Williams III
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