Western Conference
1. LA Lakers: 67-15
The defending champs have the done something alot teams haven't: they have kept their championship team almost completely in tact, and actually improved on their one weakness immensely. The team added Ron Artest from Houston to add some interior toughness and strength. Expect the Lakers supporting cast to come back stronger and more confident.
BIG QUESTION:
Was trading for Artest a good move?
Answer:
Why is that even a question? Oh yea. Artest is looking for a place he can stay for a while and get a ring, and this is the place. The only thing the Lakers had trouble with last year was toughness. There were questions regarding their toughness against the Nuggets and Magic, though it wasn't as big of a factor as expected. But to prevent even a chance of their weakness being exposed they took care of it. Ariza is a good player and will be great in Houston, but with the development of Shannon Brown, Andrew Bynum, and Sasha Vujacic's game is will fill that void.
2. San Antonio Spurs: 57-25
The Spurs have this habit of sticking around the top of the West every year and expect at least a few experts to pick them to win. The Spurs improved their offense and defense adding Richard Jefferson which will surely take some of the load off of Ginobli, Parker, and Duncan. Even in their winning years, they've never had a 4th scorer like Jefferson. As long as Ginobli stays healthy, making a solid run deep into the playoffs should not be an issue.
BIG QUESTION:
Are Duncan's best days over?
Answer:
Yes, but not completely. Though he is now zeroing in on his mid-30s, the team around him isn't asking him to score 25 a game. As long as Duncan can rebound and block shots, the Spurs should be fine. They're aren't that many 7-footers playing the 4-spot, so he is certainly capable of being productive for the next few years.
3. Denver Nuggets: 55-27
The Nuggets came off of a year where they went from a team with potential to the real deal. Getting Billips and dumping Iverson was the best front office move they could've made. Billips is the engine that drives this team and is certainly capable of leading the ever improving Carmelo Anthony and the maturing J.R. Smith. And grooming Ty Lawson is not a bad idea either.
BIG QUESTION:
Is Billips enough to keep the Nuggets loose cannons focused?
Answer:
Maybe. Billips and the Nuggets remind me of the Pistons of the 80s. The bad boys with a seemingly quiet superstar being the puppet master. But this isn't the 80s and unpredictable, loose cannons can be detrimental to any teams championship run. They are more mature after last year but Kenyon Martin, Smith, and Anthony have shown signs of getting caught up in their emotions.
4. Dallas Mavericks: 52-30
The Mavericks have added a whole gang of players to help deepen their bench and hopefully their defense. Their biggest addition is defensive stopper Shawn Marion. Marion adds athleticism and a defensive mind the Mavs desperately need. And say what you want about Kidd, but all he needs to really do is pass the ball and the Mavs have given him the weapons to do so.
BIG QUESTION:
Can the Mavs find a way to play defense?
ANSWER:
They better. Running and gunning gets you consecutive 50-win seasons, but no rings. The backcourt, Kidd, Terry, and Howard, are not defensive minded. Terry can steal but he can't stop anybody, even with his speed. I can't see Kidd keeping up with Parker or Paul for 7 games, but the bench is deeper and not as offensively explosive as last year, and that's a good thing.
5. Portland Trailblazer: 52-30
The Trailblazers now have the nucleus they have been looking for and with a hopefully healthy Greg Oden and a solid veteran point guard in Andre Miller. You gotta love this squad. On paper the Blazers are young, fast, and deep. It's been some lost years in Portland, but the success of the 80s and 90s may be on its way back.
BIG QUESTION:
Will Oden finally live up to his potential?
Answer:
No, because reports since he was first noticed years ago was that he is the next Shaq-like player. He isn't. He's more of an Okafor-type. He will be way more of an asset as a defender and rebounder than a scorer, we'll leave that for Brandon Roy. But another scorer isn't what the Blazers need, it's a healthy, productive big man.
6. Utah Jazz: 49-33
Utah has quickly turned into one of the most multi-talented teams in the West. They are spread even and on any given night anybody can be the leading scorer. The emergence of Paul Milsap makes the team even stronger. Harpring and Korver provide great outside shooting, but early injuries to Harpring and Okur may hinder the team slightly at the start. Boozer may be dealt by mid-season, possibly for Stoudemire, but with Milsap on the team, the Jazz shouldn't hurt too bad.
BIG QUESTION:
Is this team ready to compete with the big dogs?
ANSWER:
They have a great nucleus and brought everyone back from last season. But the issue is not chemisty and talent it's their lack of a low post threat. Boozer is good,but Okur and Kirelenko get bounced around the post like a ping-pong ball nightly. It's hard to believe that AK-47 has been in the league almost a decade. He was supposed to be the next Dirk, but he has not nearly lived up to his potential. Another good post player would be ideal for Utah to move up a few spots.
7. Houston Rockets: 48-34
Houston suffered a major blow losing Yao to injury. Even worse, no one knows for certain when he will return or if he will ever be the same player again. Adding to that misfortune, McGrady is hurt...again and all signs point to McGrady not nearly being the player he once was. Who's left? Athletic Ariza, Battier, Scola and Aaron Brooks. Though they have solid back-ups, not having Yao is gonna sting.
BIG QUESTION:
Was giving up Artest for Ariza a good move?
Answer:
In this case, yes. Artest was good, but the team has always been built around McGrady and his ability to score. Ariza brings that McGrady-esque explosiveness offensively to the Rockets. This is a perfect chance for Ariza. Their two superstars are out indefinitely and he was just waiting to come out of his shell.
8. Phoenix Suns: 46-36
Two of their key players are heading into their late 30s in Hill and Nash and are gonna be clocking alotta minutes. Stoudemire might not last the rest of the season and Coach Al Gentry is gonna have a time trying to figure out who starts at the 2-guard, Barbosa or Richardson. But there is something about this young group of guys and the two old guys that makes this a team to watch. They almost squeaked into the playoffs last year, and with New Orleans getting worse, not better, their chances look better.
BIG QUESTION:
Are the Suns better without Shaq?
ANSWER:
Yes, and they always were. Shaq is still good, but the Suns were never a good fit for him. He's not slow, but he has never been a guy who plays run and gun. Phoenix has been run and gun since Nash joined the Suns in 2004. Though Nash isn't the guy he used to be, he is now free to run the team the way he is used to. And the suns have alotta young weapons waiting for alley-oops and other plays that get you on Sportscenter.
9. Los Angeles Clippers:44-38
Everybody loves the underdog, and even if you're not a Clippers fan, there are alotta people who are ready to see these guys win. The Clips made two good moves in the off-season. They dumped Zach Randolph and drafted Blake Griffin. Combined with Griffin, Al Thorton, and Eric Gordon looks as if they are gonna be the big 3 of the future. The Clippers have a good mix of veterans and young upstarts. Kaman is starting to become a solid 20-10 and a healthy Baron Davis can help these young players get their footings.
BIG QUESTION:
Where does Griffin fit into this team?
ANSWER:
I know people want to see Griffin be an all-star after he returns from injury, but he does need some work. Their smartest move, at least for the first season, would be to bring Griffin off the bench. The Clippers bench is certainly one of the weakest of the West, but not without talent. DeAndre Johnson, Sebastian, Telfiar, and Craig Smith will get better as the season progresses, but would be that much better if they can improve with a player like Griffin joining the ranks.
10. New Orleans Hornet: 42-40
The Hornets were picked by some experts to be a Championship team 2 years ago. But the team
that took the Spurs to 7 games in 2008 are gone. The team is revamped and minor additions don't seem to add up with the big changes the other teams in the West have made. Paul is still a great PG, but most of that team that meshed so well together are getting older or are on other teams.
BIG QUESTION:
Was the Okafor deal a good one?
Answer:
Yes, Chandler looks as if injuries was slowing him down the past season. Though their stats are similar, double-digits in rebounds and points, but Okafor is a better shot blocker and a more natural big man. Some argue that Chandler was only as good as he was because of Chris Paul and that may be right. Okafor is not a big enough change to make the Hornets a playoff team, but he is a push in the right direction of what looks like it might be some rebuilding years coming up for the Stingers.
11. Memphis Grizzlies: 33-49
The Grizz on paper have and impressive group of young players and excellent lottery picks. Given a few years to gel and a starting 5 that will have Conley, Gay, Mayo, Gasol, and Thabeet, you may see a top 5 team ready to de-thrown one of the east's big dogs. Unfortunately, that is a few years down the road and in addition to playing in one of the toughest divisions, they have 2 bad influences hanging around in the locker room.
BIG QUESTION:
Was picking up Iverson a good move?
Answer:
HELL NO! Iverson has not changed since he was 20 years old, but his behavior was somewhat acceptable when he was scoring 30 points a game. Now, he's a shadow of himself but no personality change has come with it. We've all heard the stories of how Iverson was a negative influence on the youngsters in Denver. My question to the front office is: why would you sacrifice your young talents development by throwing Iverson in the mix? AI was the next big thing when these guys were in Middle School, so they probably look up to him, too bad he's not a good role model. Let's see how long he quietly accepts a supporting role. Add almost as bad Randolph to the line-up, this may not be ideal for the young guys.
12. Oklahoma City Thunder: 30-52
Kevin Durant is a superstar. No argument needed. He'd be bigger in another city, but regardless this is his team and should be for a very long time. The organization has not done a very good job of putting the big pieces they need around him to secure them a winning season. Jeff Green is emerging as a strong sidekick to Durant and Russell Westbrook is quickly becoming one of the top ten best point guards in the league. These three are the keys to a successful future.
BIG QUESTION:
What do the Thunder need first, a post player or a deeper bench?
Answer:
Well its no question they need both but a good big man should be top priority. The bench is weak, but they're young, so they may develop into a formidable unit. Nenad Krstic is good if he can stay healthy, but he isn't a tough inside presence they need.
13. Minnesota Timberwolves: 28-54
These guys are young, really young. They have a couple of veteran players, but they won't play enough to make a dent. The team will focus on youngsters Love, Flynn, Brewer, and Sessoms. They play hard and will scrap together some wins as the season goes on. They got a new coach and a bunch of new faces that will need time to gel but it seems everyone in Minnesota is willing to give it time.
BIG QUESTION:
Is not getting Rubio going to affect this season?
Answer:
Yes and no. Rubio isn't proven at all. We all know what we expect , but not what he actually would have been. The worst part of the Rubio deal is that he waited so long to turn them down and it really didnt give the T-wolves adequate time to fill the void. I'm sure if Minnesota knew Rubio didn't plan on coming to the twin city, they would have dealt him for another point guard, possibly on draft night. The team will get better as they learn eachother, but if Rubio joins them anytime soon, he will have missed precious chemistry time.
14. Golden State Warriors: 22-60
On paper the Warriors look like a potential playoff team. But that's where it stops. The team got a positive in the draft picking Stephen Curry, but they have so many negatives, nobody notices. Monte Ellis and Stephen Jackson have decided to spread their cancerous egos around and has made the Warriors look like a whiny bunch of pre-madonnas. Furthermore, coach Don Nelson may actually be losing control and as well as his mind. And in the middle of all this mess is young, innocent Curry watching it all unfold. I'm sure New York is looking better and better.
BIG QUESTION:
Will Jackson, Ellis, and Nelson make it to the end of the season?
Answer:
Hard to tell, but they shouldn't. The front office has let this extremely poisonous situation go on for way too long to begin with. Jackson wants out? Let him go. He's not an all-star caliber player and he can easily be replaced with someone who doesn't talk as much. Ellis, who missed a huge chunk of last season after being suspended by the team, says he can't play with Curry. That's fine, let him go. He'd be a huge loss, but he's not a point guard. Send him somewhere where he can not pass the ball and it be acceptable. As for Nelson, if the fact that he can't make his players at least act like they like eachother, think of his master plan last year of making one veteran sit out a game. Ridiculous
15. Sacramento Kings: 17-65
Kevin Martin is the best player on the worse team in the league, but can't stay healthy enough to truly lead the kids out of the abyss of losing. He's a scorer and that's about it, and the Kings need alot more then scorers. Tyreke Evans is going to get better and better, but he and Martin are all they have, and thats a big problem. Spencer Hawes may get stronger, but he has to be a better rebounder to be a complete asset.
Big Question:
Can Evans and Martin be the wave of the future?
Answer:
No. Unless Evans turns into a point guard and Martin gets physical enough to play small forward, their might be some chemistry issues at the 2-guard position especially after Evans starts to improve. If Evans can flourish as a 6'6'' point guard, the possibilities are endless because a Martin-Evans combo in the backcourt could be dangerous in a few years.
Western Conference Champs:
LA Lakers
There is no other team in the East that can compete with the Lakers for a whole series. They are too strong and too deep and last year's championship win has made the whole team more confident. And the have Kobe Bryant. I rest my case.
NBA CHAMPS:
LA Lakers
