7 bold predictions for the 2016-17 season

The impact of basketball's biggest stars makes the NBA the most predictable of leagues, but there's still room for some bold predictions. Here are seven rather off-the-wall prognostications from theScore's NBA editors.

Cavs fail to earn No. 1 seed

After capturing the franchise's first championship, the Cavaliers' main priority is defending their title, and they enter the campaign as the overwhelming favorite to come out of the East.

But they don't need home-court advantage to accomplish that. LeBron James has led his team to six straight Finals despite finishing atop the East only twice over that span. Cleveland is talented enough to coast through the regular season, resting its top players so they're fresh for the playoffs. - Victoria Nguyen

Utah reaches West final

The Jazz missed the playoffs for the fourth straight season in 2015-16, but their point-differential (plus-1.8) and bad luck with injuries (1.689 lost-VORP) suggest they were much better than their record indicated.

If Dante Exum, Derrick Favors, and Rudy Gobert stay healthy, while Rodney Hood and Trey Lyles continue improving, the Jazz have the talent to not only make the playoffs, but to reach the Western Conference Finals for the first time since 2007. - Patrick Britton

Karl-Anthony Towns gets at least 1 MVP vote

The 20-year-old sophomore is already a top-15 talent - a two-way force with the skills of a guard and the interior presence of a traditional big.

With Tom Thibodeau at the helm and Towns leading the NBA's most impressive collection of young talent - which includes plenty of trade value - the Timberwolves should end the league's longest postseason drought (2004). That kind of success out West could be enough to earn Towns a first-place vote in a rare season of MVP parity. - Joseph Casciaro

Paul Millsap won't finish season with Hawks

Millsap can opt out of his contract next summer, the Hawks are far from the sure playoff team they've been the past few years, and there's a sense it could be a disappointing season in the ATL.

Even if they're hovering around .500 ahead of the trade deadline, the brain trust of Mike Budenholzer and Wes Wilcox will listen to inevitable offers from teams like the Toronto Raptors and Boston Celtics, among others. Losing Millsap for nothing isn't ideal, and at age 32 by the end of the season, he may not be part of Atlanta's future plans, anyway. - John Chick

Spurs win less than 50 games

Only once in the Tim Duncan era did the Spurs win less than 50 games, and that was a 50-game season that saw San Antonio finish 37-13. Gregg Popovich's squad won a franchise-best 67 games during the 2016-17 campaign, so falling below 50 will require quite the decline from an organization known for excellence.

But Tim Duncan - the Spurs' defensive anchor - is retired. Tony Parker and Manu Ginobili aren't spring chickens anymore, the second unit lost several key players over the offseason, and there's reports that LaMarcus Aldridge may not even survive the year in SA. - Chris Walder

James Harden leads league in scoring and assists

Tiny Archibald's feat has withstood the test of time over the past four decades, but that's set to change. Recast as the point guard in Mike D'Antoni's fast-break offense, Harden will barge his way into the record books.

Three things are working in his favor.

One, Harden can definitely score, as he leads the league in total points since 2013. Two, Harden will dominate the ball in a high-tempo offense that relies on him to create shots for shooters and rim-runners, so he'll rack up assists (he led the preseason with 10.7 per game). Three, Harden is remarkably durable and also leads the league in minutes played over the last three years. - William Lou

Trail Blazers miss the playoffs

The Blazers are young, fun, and can pour in buckets with the best of them. They're coming off a feel-good, surprising 44-win season after a total tear-down gave way to an accelerated rebuild.

Here's the thing: I'm not convinced they're nearly as good as those results suggest. That team had just about everything go right, from getting career years out of at least five guys, to a ridiculously clean bill of health. They still couldn't stop anybody, and didn't address that deficiency in the offseason.

If nothing else, consider this a spite pick for Damian Lillard's continued insistence that he gets no respect, even though he has a max contract, a monster Adidas deal, and made the All-NBA second team last year. - Joe Wolfond