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Belly Up Panel: NBA Predictions and Season Awards

Belly Up Panel: NBA Predictions and Season Awards

  • Shmeed
  • December 22, 2020
  • 770

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
<a rel=
Will the Nets outperform our Belly Up panel’s expectations? NBAE via Getty Images

Belly Up Consensus

  1. Bucks (1.45 avg. spot)
  2. Celtics (3.18)
  3. Nets (3.64)
  4. Sixers (3.72)
  5. Heat (3.72)
  6. Raptors (6.09)
  7. Wizards (7.45)
  8. Pacers (7.91)

Shmeed

  1. Milwaukee Bucks
  2. Philadelphia 76ers
  3. Boston Celtics
  4. Brooklyn Nets
  5. Miami Heat
  6. Toronto Raptors
  7. Indiana Pacers
  8. Atlanta Hawks

Sykes

  1. Boston Celtics
  2. Milwaukee Bucks
  3. Brooklyn Nets
  4. Miami heat
  5. Philadelphia 76ers
  6. Toronto Raptors
  7. Indiana Pacers
  8. Washington

Edwards

  1. Milwaukee Bucks
  2. Philadelphia 76ers
  3. Brooklyn Nets
  4. Miami Heat
  5. Toronto Raptors
  6. Boston Celtics
  7. Indiana Pacers
  8. Washington
Western

Belly Up Consensus

  1. Lakers (1.45 avg. spot)
  2. Nuggets (2.82)
  3. Clippers (3.18)
  4. Mavericks (3.64)
  5. Trailblazers (5.27)
  6. Jazz (5.36)
  7. Warriors (5.55)
  8. Suns (7.64)

Shmeed

  1. LA Lakers
  2. LA Clippers
  3. Denver Nuggets
  4. Dallas Mavericks
  5. Portland
  6. Utah Jazz
  7. Phoenix Suns
  8. New Orleans

Sykes

  1. LA Lakers
  2. Denver Nuggets
  3. LA Clippers
  4. Dallas Mavericks
  5. Utah Jazz
  6. Houston Rockets
  7. New Orleans
  8. Portland

Edwards

  1. Portland
  2. Utah Jazz
  3. LA Lakers
  4. LA Clippers
  5. Denver Nuggets
  6. Dallas Mavericks
  7. Phoenix Suns
  8. Houston Rockets

Stines

  1. Milwaukee Bucks
  2. Brooklyn Nets
  3. Philadelphia 76ers
  4. Miami Heat
  5. Boston Celtics
  6. Atlanta Hawks
  7. Washington
  8. Charlotte Hornets

Macchitelli

  1. Milwaukee Bucks
  2. Boston Celtics
  3. Miami Heat
  4. Brooklyn Nets
  5. Toronto Raptors
  6. Philadelphia 76ers
  7. Indiana Pacers
  8. Washington

Blackwood

  1. Philadelphia 76ers
  2. Milwaukee Bucks
  3. Boston Celtics
  4. Toronto Raptors
  5. Brooklyn Nets
  6. Miami Heat
  7. Washington
  8. Indiana Pacers

Walsh

  1. Miami Heat
  2. Boston Celtics
  3. Milwaukee Bucks
  4. Washington
  5. Philadelphia 76ers
  6. Toronto Raptors
  7. Atlanta Hawks
  8. Brooklyn Nets
Conference

Stines

  1. LA Lakers
  2. LA Clippers
  3. Portland
  4. Denver Nuggets
  5. Golden State
  6. Utah Jazz
  7. Dallas Mavericks
  8. Phoenix Suns

Macchitelli

  1. Denver Nuggets
  2. LA Lakers
  3. Dallas Mavericks
  4. LA Clippers
  5. Portland
  6. Utah Jazz
  7. Houston Rockets
  8. Golden State

Blackwood

  1. LA Lakers
  2. Denver Nuggets
  3. LA Clippers
  4. Dallas Mavericks
  5. Portland
  6. Utah Jazz
  7. Golden State
  8. Phoenix Suns

Walsh

  1. Dallas Mavericks
  2. LA Lakers
  3. Denver Nuggets
  4. Phoenix Suns
  5. Minnesota
  6. LA Clippers
  7. New Orleans
  8. Portland

Palencia

  1. Milwaukee Bucks
  2. Boston Celtics
  3. Miami Heat
  4. Brooklyn Nets
  5. Philadelphia 76ers
  6. Toronto Raptors
  7. Atlanta Hawks
  8. Indiana Pacers

Ainsworth

  1. Milwaukee Bucks
  2. Boston Celtics
  3. Brooklyn Nets
  4. Miami Heat
  5. Philadelphia 76ers
  6. Toronto Raptors
  7. Washington
  8. Atlanta Hawks

Cordero

  1. Milwaukee Bucks
  2. Miami Heat
  3. Brooklyn Nets
  4. Philadelphia 76ers
  5. Boston Celtics
  6. Toronto Raptors
  7. Indiana Pacers
  8. Chicago Bulls

Stahl

  1. Brooklyn Nets
  2. Milwaukee Bucks
  3. Philadelphia 76ers
  4. Boston Celtics
  5. Miami Heat
  6. Washington
  7. Atlanta Hawks
  8. Toronto Raptors
Standings

Palencia

  1. LA Lakers
  2. LA Clippers
  3. Dallas Mavericks
  4. Denver Nuggets
  5. Golden State
  6. Utah Jazz
  7. Portland
  8. Phoenix Suns

Ainsworth

  1. LA Lakers
  2. Denver Nuggets
  3. LA Clippers
  4. Golden State
  5. Portland
  6. Dallas Mavericks
  7. Houston Rockets
  8. Utah Jazz

Cordero

  1. Denver Nuggets
  2. LA Lakers
  3. LA Clippers
  4. Dallas Mavericks
  5. Portland
  6. Utah Jazz
  7. Memphis Grizzlies
  8. Phoenix Suns

Stahl

  1. LA Lakers
  2. Dallas Mavericks
  3. LA Clippers
  4. Denver Nuggets
  5. Golden State
  6. Portland
  7. Phoenix Suns
  8. New Orleans

Champions

EAST
Can Giannis (pictured) and Milwaukee meet their expectations this year?
Can Milwaukee meet their expectations this year? Jesse D. Garrabrant/NBAE via Getty Images

Milwaukee Bucks (Palencia, Macchitelli, Cordero, Blackwood, Stahl)

Boston Celtics (Shmeed, Sykes, Walsh)

Brooklyn Nets (Stines)

Miami Heat (Ainsworth)

Philadelphia 76ers (Edwards)

WEST
Will LeBron (pictured) and AD (pictured) run it back?
Our entire panel picked the Lakers. Here are the two reasons why. Steve Dykes / Getty Images

Los Angeles Lakers (Walsh, Edwards, Stahl, Blackwood, Sykes, Cordero, Macchitelli, Shmeed, Ainsworth, Stines, Palencia)

NBA
LeBron (pictured) is looking for a fifth NBA Championship this season.
The NBA’s best team got even better this offseason, what did you expect? via Getty/Jesse D. Garrabrant

Los Angeles Lakers (Palencia, Stines, Ainsworth, Shmeed, Sykes, Blackwood, Stahl, Edwards)

Milwaukee Bucks (Macchitelli, Cordero)

Boston Celtics (Walsh)

NBA Awards

MVP
<a rel=
Luka’s ascension to stardom was meteoric, now can he take the next step to MVP candidate? via Patrick Smith/Getty Images

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 (pictured) will try to win Rookie of the Year
Our Belly Up panel was divided on ROTY for a very unpredictable draft class. via Jared C. Tilton/Getty Images

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
<a rel=
If Doc can bring the Sixers back to contention, COTY could be his to lose. via Bill Streicher-USA TODAY Sports

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
After a return to defensive greatness last season, AD (pictured) is primed for the DPOY.
After a return to defensive greatness last season, AD is primed for the DPOY. via Getty Images

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
Can <a rel=
Can Lou Will get an unprecedented fourth Sixth Man of the Year award? via Marcio Jose Sanchez/Assoctiated Press

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
<a rel=
Ayton could be getting a DeAndre Jordan sized improvement with Chris Paul joining the Suns this offseason. Sergio Estrada-USA TODAY Sports

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

Liked this article? Follow me @ShmeedShmeed on Twitter and check out all of our other NBA content here at Belly Up Sports.

About Author

Shmeed

Grew up near Chicago, so am naturally a Bulls and Bears fan, but also grew up loving soccer, where I root for Inter Milan and Italy.

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