It Has Arrived.

HyTop's predictions for 07-08:

-SW Division Champs: Dallas Mavericks. Titans of the regular season, they will once again be revealed as demigods when they ascend to the playoffs. It's their destiny. The Spurs, of course, will pick their spots and win a lot of games. They know how to save it.

-Pacific Division Champs: Phoenix Suns. Steve Nash has some years left in him. He has it figured out. Amare will be better, but still overrated. Grant Hill will make everyone smile. Marion will appear where he needs to be, and will leave his insecurities off the floor (he does this every year, people).

-NW Division Champs: Your Denver Nuggets! That's right. I'm hard on these guys because I know what they could become. This is the year. They will defeat an injury-plagued Utah team and win the division with 56 victories. Everyone else in the Division is cannon fodder.

-Eastern Conference Champs: Boston Celtics. They will play a pretty brand of ball as KG controls the offense and defense from the high post. Paul Pierce will reveal that, in addition to posting up, getting to the line, and drilling threes in crunch time, he can move without the ball. Ray Allen will be exposed as a brittle jump shooter who has always been second tier at best. Luckily, that's all this team needs.

The Eastern Conference Playoffs will be a war. Things are improving. Detroit knows how these things work. They won't go down easily. The Bulls are an extension of Scott Skiles' will, plus a midget shooting guard without a conscience. They get fractionally better each year. No one wants to play them. New Jersey still has the best point in the league (yeah I said it). But Boston will emerge, and they'll do it elegantly. However...

-NBA Champs: San Antonio Spurs. This is Duncan's last year of true greatness. He will take Nash's heart once more in the WCFs, then sweep the Celtics. These Spurs know the answers to questions the Celtics haven't even asked yet. Once more into the breach for T. Duncan.

After 07-08, the Spurs will ease into their new role: the Old Guard of the Western Conference. They will battle young squads in the Second Round, lose a few game 7s, and that will be that. There is no shame here. Duncan is already legit top 10 EVER, as is Popovich. But Ginobili has been aging in dog years. And Parker is less than you think. The Iron Curtain will fall, but not this year.

-MVP: LeBron James. Ugh. His team will be much worse, but he'll put up numbers, numbers, numbers, then lose in the first or second round. Darkhorse: Kevin Garnett. He might not score 20 a game, but he'll lead the league in triple-doubles and exclusive interviews. It'll be fun to watch him. But in the playoffs, watch his darting eyes. He feels the sky falling.

-ROY: Kevin Durant. He will drop 21 on 38% shooting. He won't rebound or pass very much, will guard no one. That will be enough. Darkhorse: Luis Scola.

-Coach: George Karl. I think he's figured out the equation that eluded him for these many years. He has the players buying in. He will limit his sniping in the media. He'll give a good quote. No one in his immediate family will have cancer. This is his year. I predict that he will succeed. If he fails, he should be gone. This team is built like that: all or nothing. I'm betting on all. Darkhorse: Avery Johnson. He just cares so damn much.