The Chocolate Puma's Guide to the 2018 NBA Season

The NBA season is just a few days away and there are few people as excited as this guy. And if we're being real the NBA offseason was more entertaining than summer baseball and has offered more intrigue than anything the NFL has put forward in quite a while. With that said here's your predictions that you all clamored for!

Most Surprising Solid NBA Player:
Spencer Dinwiddie- SG : Brooklyn Nets
Now Dinwiddie was solid last season but let's be honest who was watching the Nets play last season?

Be real with me. Last season he averaged 12.6 points, 6.6 assists and given that I expect D'Angelo Russell to start this season at point guard I wouldn't be shocked if he was the Sixth Man and was able to get some pretty impressive scoring against the second unit of their opponents. That said,  if he has a great season I wouldn't know because let's be real, no one is really gonna be watching the Nets.

Most Surprising Team: 
Minnesota Timberwolves
Usually most surprising indicates a positive uptick. Not so much this time. No team has had a downward spiral since last season like these guys. Aside from the let's just call them troubling moves made by Thibs, who I was in hindsight giving a ton of credit I shouldn't have. Let's go through some of his moves recently shall we?

Taj Gibson: Solid player, good contract.
Derrick Rose: Wait...what you doing?
Luol Deng: THIBS NO!!!!
And with last week's just dumpster fire of Jimmy Buckets going scorched earth on EVERYONE there is no way this team can avoid the lottery.

Most Ready to become a Head Coach:
Rajon Rondo- PG: LA Lakers
I think that he has had one of the most interesting careers in recent history. I mean he came into the league with the basketball IQ and bravado of a grizzled old vet without any right to do so.

The patience of a saint.

Now that he actually is a grizzled vet and has played with some of the biggest and in a few case more difficult stars so there is no doubt that he cold delicately handle the balance of egos needed by coaches these days.

Rookie of the Year:
Luka Doncic- G: Dallas Mavericks
I'm usually very careful in my projections of foreign players simply because they are leaving their home country and learning a completely new style of basketball. Luka Doncic is not most Euro players.

This guy was signed at 13 years old and was playing against grown men at 16 years old. A supremely talented scorer, amazing passer and with his size he's a great rebounding guard. Team him with the high flying Dennis Smith Jr. and I think the Mavericks may have just stumbled onto something.

Defensive Player of the Year:
Anthony Davis- PF: New Orleans Pelicans
There is literally nothing Anthony Davis can't do on a basketball court. I say this as someone who saw him as a 82 lb freshman at Kentucky block away the hopes of a victory by my Tarheels.

Jerk.

I honestly think he may be the player not named LeBron I would start a team with right this moment. That said he is gonna win every major individual award barring injury and there isn't a thing any of us can do about. This season he makes way for his Defensive Player of the Year trophy.

Coach of the Year:
Brad Stevens- Boston Celtics
This is basically going to be a make up from last year and arguably 2 years ago as well. In terms of straught up x's and o's there may not be a better strategist than Stevens.

He looks 12.

Give him a full roster of Jaylen Brown, Jayson Taytum, a healthy Kyrie and Gordon Hayward not to mention dependable hands like Terry Rozier, Marcus Smart, Al Horford, and Marcus Morris this  is gonna be the year we see someone other than the Cavs play the Warriors in the Finals.

Most Valuable Player:
Giannis Antetokunmpo- SF: Milwaukee Bucks
Every year you can make the case for LeBron James so now that this is out the way I think this is the season that the next generation of superstars to put their mark on the league. Leading the way is going to be the Greek Freak.

Jiminy Christmas.

He's surrounded by a solid if not unspectacular back up crew, has improved immensely each year and has begun to improve his 3 point shooting in an effort to become a full blown Monstar. Now that LeBron is no longer in the East I think this is gonna be his time to truly shine and get the attention he would need coming from a small market to get the media attention for the award.

Well folks there you have it, my predictions for the upcoming season. Make sure to screenshot the really wrong ones like some of my friend's and be sure to text it to me every time the season starts. I'm never gonna live down thinking Dame Lillard was gonna be a bust.