[Daprob89Participant]

1.  Warriors
2. Spurs
3. Rockets
4. Thunder
5. Grizzlies 
6. Pelicans
7. Clippers
8. Suns
9. Kings
10. Mavs
11. Lakers
12. Twolves
13. Jazz
14. Nuggets
15. Blazers

[CameronCrazy11Participant]

I think you’re severely underrating the Jazz. They’ll be right in the mix for the 8th seed.

My rankings right now:

1. Warriors
2. Spurs
3. Thunder
4. Grizzlies
5. Rockets
6. Clippers
7. Mavericks
8. Pelicans
9. Jazz
10. Suns
11. Kings
12. Nuggets
13. Blazers
14. Timberwolves
15. Lakers

[CameronCrazy11Participant]

I think you’re severely underrating the Jazz. They’ll be right in the mix for the 8th seed.

My rankings right now:

1. Warriors
2. Spurs
3. Thunder
4. Grizzlies
5. Rockets
6. Clippers
7. Mavericks
8. Pelicans
9. Jazz
10. Suns
11. Kings
12. Nuggets
13. Blazers
14. Timberwolves
15. Lakers

[Snatalini247Participant]

 1. Spurs

2. Thunder

3. Warriors

4. Rockets

5. Grizzlies

6. Clippers

7. Pelicans

8. Mavericks

9. Jazz

10. Kings

11. Blazers

12. Suns

13. Lakers

14. Timberwolves

15. Nuggets

I just still feel like the Nuggets will gut their team at some point soon or early in the season, and I think the Suns gave up too many players while salary slashing to sign Aldridge to be as good as they were the past few years. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Snatalini247Participant]

 1. Spurs

2. Thunder

3. Warriors

4. Rockets

5. Grizzlies

6. Clippers

7. Pelicans

8. Mavericks

9. Jazz

10. Kings

11. Blazers

12. Suns

13. Lakers

14. Timberwolves

15. Nuggets

I just still feel like the Nuggets will gut their team at some point soon or early in the season, and I think the Suns gave up too many players while salary slashing to sign Aldridge to be as good as they were the past few years. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[BallerScriptParticipant]

My rankings:

 

1. Spurs
2. Warriors
3. Thunder
4. Rockets
5. Grizzlies
6. Mavericks
7. Clippers
8. Pelicans
9. Suns
10. Kings
11. Jazz
12. Blazers
13. Lakers
14. Timberwolves
15. Nuggets

 

 

[BallerScriptParticipant]

My rankings:

 

1. Spurs
2. Warriors
3. Thunder
4. Rockets
5. Grizzlies
6. Mavericks
7. Clippers
8. Pelicans
9. Suns
10. Kings
11. Jazz
12. Blazers
13. Lakers
14. Timberwolves
15. Nuggets

 

 

[festar35Participant]

1. Spurs – The addition Aldridge is huge, Pop will know exactly how to use him and Leonard will slide into 2nd option and be one of the best in the game at it. I understand the Warriors are the Champs, but this Spurs team is too nice not to put at #1.

2. Warriors – Defending Champs and returning pretty much the same team, I still think they will be competing with the Spurs for the #1 spot in play-offs, but I see them struggling with Aldridge and Duncan. Not too mention Leonard can lock in on Curry if need be.

3. Thunder – Durant should be back and healthy, Westbrook is a phenom as he showed last season and I think he grows from that opportunity. Adams and Ibaka are still an emposing defensive front-court and Ibaka seems to improve each year. Payne, Mcgary and Waiters will be a nice impact off the bench.

4. Rockets – The west is deep, we know this and I think the Rockets are still very good, but the thing is they rely heavily on Harden and he struggles in big games, he still gets 25-30 points but the fg% suffers. I like Donatas and Jones but they lack something I’m not sur what it is.

5. Clippers – They still have Griffin and Paul, but like Harden/Howard combo there is just something missing in LA. Jordan is a huge lose and their roster is in a state of flux with the Stephenson being a wild card, if he plays well this team could move up, but lack of a quality C may be tough to stomach.

6. Grizzlies – This team will be pretty much back in tact and I just think we see more of the same, come play-off time always a threat a healthy Conley will go a long way.

7. Pelicans – Anthony Davis is going to be great and what happens in NO will depend on the supporting cast. If Gordon from The play-offs turns up for most of the year and Holiday/Evans co-exist nicely sharing the ball this team will grow no doubt. Consistency from everyone noT named Davis and potentially someone else having All-Star year could make them scary.

8. Mavs – I really like the addition of Jordan, he is explosive and I think we will see what he can really do in Dallas. You have Nowitzki, Parsons, Matthews and Harris who will complement Jordan very nicely as shooters and Dallas have a nice bit of depth as well. I think we see big things from Jordan and Parsons this season.

9. Jazz – They were fantastic the 2nd half of last season. Gobert turned into a defensive force whilst Hayward proved to be a legit #1 option for them. Favors has found his spot in the team and is a constant double-double threat. The return of Burks and development of Exum and Burke will determine where they finish I am not sold on either at this point, but if they play well the play-offs aren’t a stretch.

10. Suns – They add Chandler and lose a few young guys. It is a nice team, but they have no star which they wanted in Aldridge. Bledsoe and Knight are nice players, as is Morris but ultimately they lack that next level guy.

11. Kings – This team is talented, but man what we will get from is anyone’s guess. So much talent and yet the amount of crap that seems to happen there is unreal. They have the talent of a play-off team but I’m not sure the personality is there for a winning culture, however they could surprise no doubt.

12. Lakers – They fit together quite nicely, scoring back-court in Bryant, Russell and Clarkson (We may see SF Kobe), a low post scorer in Randle and defensive presence in Hibbert. They are young though and winning in this league takes time. Too many question surround the in terms of can Kobe stay healthy and what Hibbert will they get? If the young guys had a couple more seasons this team would be very nice, but they are just lacking.

13. Timberwolves – Wiggins, KAT, LaVine, Dieng, Rubio, Shabazz this team has some great young talent, but as I said winning takes time and it’ll be interesting/fun to watch them grow together. Martin, Garnett and Pek will help this team develop, but if they want to contend it won’t happen here next season, KG obviously knows this.

14. Blazers – I feel sorry for Portland, but they are very young and should get a nice pick in upcoming draft. Lillard is still an All-Star and we will get to see him lead. CJ was great at the end of last season and I think he and Lillard will be a nice combo. The bigs are very, very young with Leonard, Plumlee and Vonleh again time is what they need.

15. Nuggets – This team will be different than it’s is now, I suspect Lawson will move as well as one of if not more of Gallinari, Chandler and Faried they know they need to rebuild and that is what will happen.

[festar35Participant]

1. Spurs – The addition Aldridge is huge, Pop will know exactly how to use him and Leonard will slide into 2nd option and be one of the best in the game at it. I understand the Warriors are the Champs, but this Spurs team is too nice not to put at #1.

2. Warriors – Defending Champs and returning pretty much the same team, I still think they will be competing with the Spurs for the #1 spot in play-offs, but I see them struggling with Aldridge and Duncan. Not too mention Leonard can lock in on Curry if need be.

3. Thunder – Durant should be back and healthy, Westbrook is a phenom as he showed last season and I think he grows from that opportunity. Adams and Ibaka are still an emposing defensive front-court and Ibaka seems to improve each year. Payne, Mcgary and Waiters will be a nice impact off the bench.

4. Rockets – The west is deep, we know this and I think the Rockets are still very good, but the thing is they rely heavily on Harden and he struggles in big games, he still gets 25-30 points but the fg% suffers. I like Donatas and Jones but they lack something I’m not sur what it is.

5. Clippers – They still have Griffin and Paul, but like Harden/Howard combo there is just something missing in LA. Jordan is a huge lose and their roster is in a state of flux with the Stephenson being a wild card, if he plays well this team could move up, but lack of a quality C may be tough to stomach.

6. Grizzlies – This team will be pretty much back in tact and I just think we see more of the same, come play-off time always a threat a healthy Conley will go a long way.

7. Pelicans – Anthony Davis is going to be great and what happens in NO will depend on the supporting cast. If Gordon from The play-offs turns up for most of the year and Holiday/Evans co-exist nicely sharing the ball this team will grow no doubt. Consistency from everyone noT named Davis and potentially someone else having All-Star year could make them scary.

8. Mavs – I really like the addition of Jordan, he is explosive and I think we will see what he can really do in Dallas. You have Nowitzki, Parsons, Matthews and Harris who will complement Jordan very nicely as shooters and Dallas have a nice bit of depth as well. I think we see big things from Jordan and Parsons this season.

9. Jazz – They were fantastic the 2nd half of last season. Gobert turned into a defensive force whilst Hayward proved to be a legit #1 option for them. Favors has found his spot in the team and is a constant double-double threat. The return of Burks and development of Exum and Burke will determine where they finish I am not sold on either at this point, but if they play well the play-offs aren’t a stretch.

10. Suns – They add Chandler and lose a few young guys. It is a nice team, but they have no star which they wanted in Aldridge. Bledsoe and Knight are nice players, as is Morris but ultimately they lack that next level guy.

11. Kings – This team is talented, but man what we will get from is anyone’s guess. So much talent and yet the amount of crap that seems to happen there is unreal. They have the talent of a play-off team but I’m not sure the personality is there for a winning culture, however they could surprise no doubt.

12. Lakers – They fit together quite nicely, scoring back-court in Bryant, Russell and Clarkson (We may see SF Kobe), a low post scorer in Randle and defensive presence in Hibbert. They are young though and winning in this league takes time. Too many question surround the in terms of can Kobe stay healthy and what Hibbert will they get? If the young guys had a couple more seasons this team would be very nice, but they are just lacking.

13. Timberwolves – Wiggins, KAT, LaVine, Dieng, Rubio, Shabazz this team has some great young talent, but as I said winning takes time and it’ll be interesting/fun to watch them grow together. Martin, Garnett and Pek will help this team develop, but if they want to contend it won’t happen here next season, KG obviously knows this.

14. Blazers – I feel sorry for Portland, but they are very young and should get a nice pick in upcoming draft. Lillard is still an All-Star and we will get to see him lead. CJ was great at the end of last season and I think he and Lillard will be a nice combo. The bigs are very, very young with Leonard, Plumlee and Vonleh again time is what they need.

15. Nuggets – This team will be different than it’s is now, I suspect Lawson will move as well as one of if not more of Gallinari, Chandler and Faried they know they need to rebuild and that is what will happen.

[JoacoddrParticipant]

In my opinion the West is so competitive that any significant injury can change the entire standings. Under normal circumstances my prediction is:

 

1. Spurs
2. Warriors
3. Thunder
4. Rockets
5. Grizzlies
6. Pelicans
7. Clippers
8. Mavericks
9. Jazz
10. Suns
11. Kings
12. Lakers
13. Blazers
14. Nuggets
15. Timberwolves

 

 

[JoacoddrParticipant]

In my opinion the West is so competitive that any significant injury can change the entire standings. Under normal circumstances my prediction is:

 

1. Spurs
2. Warriors
3. Thunder
4. Rockets
5. Grizzlies
6. Pelicans
7. Clippers
8. Mavericks
9. Jazz
10. Suns
11. Kings
12. Lakers
13. Blazers
14. Nuggets
15. Timberwolves

 

 

[Stop_basketball_nonsenseParticipant]

 I got 1. Warriors, spurs and thunder all in the top 3, no particular order. Spurs big addition wit Aldridge, okc, Durant is back & I got nothing but full faith in b.Donovan as the coach. Warriors, well they just won the championship

4. Houston

5. Grizzlies, but they very well could finish higher, jeff Green’s play is key. At times its hard for him to be on the court with gasol& Randolph at the same time cuz of his habit of going in the post, or they should add a scorer on top of what they got, one who plays on the perimeter.

6.mavericks, we need depth in the bench frontcourt.

7clippers.

8. Pelicans, kings&,suns will fight for this spot.

11.lakers, if kobe is healthy, snd randle& russell become the players their rep suggesf then they might give a tough fight for the 8th spot.

12.utah

13. Nuggets, but they still have a lot of good playets, maybe this new coach shows them their potential and brings them together, or they trade some guys throughtout the season for draft picks& & start the rebuild.

14 portland

T.wolves, still young, need a bench, and time to grow as a team, will be playoff bound in a few years.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Stop_basketball_nonsenseParticipant]

 I got 1. Warriors, spurs and thunder all in the top 3, no particular order. Spurs big addition wit Aldridge, okc, Durant is back & I got nothing but full faith in b.Donovan as the coach. Warriors, well they just won the championship

4. Houston

5. Grizzlies, but they very well could finish higher, jeff Green’s play is key. At times its hard for him to be on the court with gasol& Randolph at the same time cuz of his habit of going in the post, or they should add a scorer on top of what they got, one who plays on the perimeter.

6.mavericks, we need depth in the bench frontcourt.

7clippers.

8. Pelicans, kings&,suns will fight for this spot.

11.lakers, if kobe is healthy, snd randle& russell become the players their rep suggesf then they might give a tough fight for the 8th spot.

12.utah

13. Nuggets, but they still have a lot of good playets, maybe this new coach shows them their potential and brings them together, or they trade some guys throughtout the season for draft picks& & start the rebuild.

14 portland

T.wolves, still young, need a bench, and time to grow as a team, will be playoff bound in a few years.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[BostonCs FanParticipant]

1.Warriors

2.Thunder

3.Spurs

4.Grizzlies

5.Rockets

6.Pelicans

7.Jazz

8.Clippers

9.Mavericks

10.Suns

11.Kings

12.Lakers

13.Blazers

14.Timberwolves

15.Nuggets

[BostonCs FanParticipant]

1.Warriors

2.Thunder

3.Spurs

4.Grizzlies

5.Rockets

6.Pelicans

7.Jazz

8.Clippers

9.Mavericks

10.Suns

11.Kings

12.Lakers

13.Blazers

14.Timberwolves

15.Nuggets

[Stop_basketball_nonsenseParticipant]

 So wait, Dallas replaces its talent, & still have dirk. Utah has hayward, favors, & gobert, yes, but burke& exum still arent solid playerz & alec burkes is average to me so albeit with a young, progressing roster, I don’t see them beating out a dallas team that made the playoffs last year.

[Stop_basketball_nonsenseParticipant]

 So wait, Dallas replaces its talent, & still have dirk. Utah has hayward, favors, & gobert, yes, but burke& exum still arent solid playerz & alec burkes is average to me so albeit with a young, progressing roster, I don’t see them beating out a dallas team that made the playoffs last year.

[esperanzafleet69Participant]

 or the clippers for that matter.. ill take chris paul and blake griffin getting more wins than the jazz any day.

[esperanzafleet69Participant]

 or the clippers for that matter.. ill take chris paul and blake griffin getting more wins than the jazz any day.

[cryan03Participant]

 1. Spurs

2. Thunder

3. Warriors

4. Grizzles

5. Rockets

6. Mavs

7. Clippers

8. Suns

9. Pelicans

10. Jazz

11. Kings

12. Blazers

13. Lakers

14. T’Wolves

15. Nuggets

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[cryan03Participant]

 1. Spurs

2. Thunder

3. Warriors

4. Grizzles

5. Rockets

6. Mavs

7. Clippers

8. Suns

9. Pelicans

10. Jazz

11. Kings

12. Blazers

13. Lakers

14. T’Wolves

15. Nuggets

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[SmooveKRYPTParticipant]

1. Warriors

2. Thunder

3. Spurs

4. Rockets

5. Grizzlies

6. Clippers

7. Pelicans

8. Mavericks

9. Suns

10. Kings

11. Jazz

12. Lakers

13. Blazers

14. Nuggets

15. Timberwolves

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[SmooveKRYPTParticipant]

1. Warriors

2. Thunder

3. Spurs

4. Rockets

5. Grizzlies

6. Clippers

7. Pelicans

8. Mavericks

9. Suns

10. Kings

11. Jazz

12. Lakers

13. Blazers

14. Nuggets

15. Timberwolves

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[llperez]

1-warriors
2-thunder
3-Spurs
4-rockets
5-Pelicans
6-Grizzlies
7-clippers
8-kings
9-mavs
10-suns
11-jazz
12-lakers
13-wolves
14-blazers
15-nuggets

[llperez]

1-warriors
2-thunder
3-Spurs
4-rockets
5-Pelicans
6-Grizzlies
7-clippers
8-kings
9-mavs
10-suns
11-jazz
12-lakers
13-wolves
14-blazers
15-nuggets

[220Participant]

1. Warriors

2. Spurs

3. Thunder

4. Rockets

5. Grizzlies

6. Clippers

7. Pelicans

8. Mavs

9. Kings

10. Suns

11. Jazz

12. Blazers

13. Lakers

14. Timberwolves

15. Nuggets

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[220Participant]

1. Warriors

2. Spurs

3. Thunder

4. Rockets

5. Grizzlies

6. Clippers

7. Pelicans

8. Mavs

9. Kings

10. Suns

11. Jazz

12. Blazers

13. Lakers

14. Timberwolves

15. Nuggets

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[OhCanada-Participant]

 Everyone seems to be very high on the Pelicans. They haven’t done much to improve other than change the coaching staff which in my opinion was one of the strongest features of the team last year. I understand last year they were injury prone but that’s also due to the fact that they have injury prone players. 

If healthy the sky is the limit for a team with massive potential and a player that has arguably the most potential in the league. I would definitely love to see all that talent start to mesh though.

 

[OhCanada-Participant]

 Everyone seems to be very high on the Pelicans. They haven’t done much to improve other than change the coaching staff which in my opinion was one of the strongest features of the team last year. I understand last year they were injury prone but that’s also due to the fact that they have injury prone players. 

If healthy the sky is the limit for a team with massive potential and a player that has arguably the most potential in the league. I would definitely love to see all that talent start to mesh though.

 

[IndianaBasketballParticipant]

1. Thunder – Depth, depth and more depth. They can play big or "small". Durant will be 100% healthy and motivated. Westbrook is a freak of nature. Ibaka is a special player considering what he brings to the table. He’s their x-factor. I think they’ll respond well to Billy Donovan. 

2. Warriors – They’re the defending champs and are bringing back their key players. They’re going to win 60+ games again and dominate at both ends, while making it look exciting. They’re going to be tough to dethrone. 

3. Spurs – Adding Aldridge is huge and doesn’t even seem fair, but he’s going to have to adjust to their style of play and their team culture. They’re also still an older team with Duncan, Parker, Diaw and Ginobli if he decides to return. David West is also still a possibility, which would add depth. Getting the #1 seed isn’t a priority for them, but I think they’d be an extremely tough matchup for the Warriors if they met in the playoffs. 

4. Rockets – They’re not as good as the top three, but they’re a very good team. Look at what they did last season with their injuries. They’ll only be better if their key guys can stay healthy, mainly Dwight. I liked what McHale said after the loss vs the Warriors about Harden needing to improve playing without the ball. I think Harden will come back a much better player. 

5. Grizzlies – I wonder if they could’ve beaten the Warriors if Conley and Allen were healthy? Regardless this team will be right back at it this season and will be tough to beat. 

6. Clippers – Chris Paul and Blake Griffin are superstars, but losing DeAndre Jordan hurts a lot. They have an intersting group of players… Will be interesting to see how it fits with Lance, Pierce, etc. I like Doc the coach, but I’m not sold on Doc the GM. 

7. Pelicans – I think Alvin Gentry is a perfect fit for this roster and his offensive style will get more out of players like Eric Gordon and Ryan Anderson. They’ll play faster and with more spacing. Anthony Davis is other worldly and it’s scary to think about him getting better. This team is on the rise.

8. Dallas – They had a great off-season stealing DeAndre Jordan from the Clippers and signing Wesley Matthews, but Dirk is getting older and they have players coming off of serious injuries. It looks like Chandler Parsons had microfracture surgery (gulp). Matthews is coming off of the torn Achilles. I think they’ll have a rough start to the season. 

9. Suns – They didn’t win the LaMarcus Aldridge sweepstakes, but they still added a very good center in Tyson Chandler. They’re going to push hard for the 7th/8th seed. They have a very good team. 

10. Jazz – I really like this team. Rudy Gobert will be a DPOY candidate. I’m a big Gordon Hayward supporter. However, I just don’t like this team’s point guard play. I’ll definitely catch some of their games on league pass. 

11. Kings – They honestly haven’t had a terrible off-season and their roster looks good on paper. However, there’s still drama between Cousins and George Karl and I’m just not sure how the pieces will fit together. 

12. Lakers – They didn’t land any stars, but they’ve added some solid players in Roy Hibbert, Lou Williams and Brandon Bass. Throw in Kobe and their young guys, and they should be able to avoid being absolutely awful like last season. 

13. Blazers – They lost four starters and are now in rebuilding mode. They had a good off-season considering what they lost and are set up well going forward I think. Damian Lillard will do his best to carry the load, but it’s going to be ugly this season. 

14. Timberwolves – They’ll be fun to watch, but they’re still not going to be a very good team. I’ll catch them on league pass though. 

15. Nuggets – They’re trying to blow it all up and start over. They’ll find a trade for Ty Lawson and maybe Danilo Gallinari soon. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[IndianaBasketballParticipant]

1. Thunder – Depth, depth and more depth. They can play big or "small". Durant will be 100% healthy and motivated. Westbrook is a freak of nature. Ibaka is a special player considering what he brings to the table. He’s their x-factor. I think they’ll respond well to Billy Donovan. 

2. Warriors – They’re the defending champs and are bringing back their key players. They’re going to win 60+ games again and dominate at both ends, while making it look exciting. They’re going to be tough to dethrone. 

3. Spurs – Adding Aldridge is huge and doesn’t even seem fair, but he’s going to have to adjust to their style of play and their team culture. They’re also still an older team with Duncan, Parker, Diaw and Ginobli if he decides to return. David West is also still a possibility, which would add depth. Getting the #1 seed isn’t a priority for them, but I think they’d be an extremely tough matchup for the Warriors if they met in the playoffs. 

4. Rockets – They’re not as good as the top three, but they’re a very good team. Look at what they did last season with their injuries. They’ll only be better if their key guys can stay healthy, mainly Dwight. I liked what McHale said after the loss vs the Warriors about Harden needing to improve playing without the ball. I think Harden will come back a much better player. 

5. Grizzlies – I wonder if they could’ve beaten the Warriors if Conley and Allen were healthy? Regardless this team will be right back at it this season and will be tough to beat. 

6. Clippers – Chris Paul and Blake Griffin are superstars, but losing DeAndre Jordan hurts a lot. They have an intersting group of players… Will be interesting to see how it fits with Lance, Pierce, etc. I like Doc the coach, but I’m not sold on Doc the GM. 

7. Pelicans – I think Alvin Gentry is a perfect fit for this roster and his offensive style will get more out of players like Eric Gordon and Ryan Anderson. They’ll play faster and with more spacing. Anthony Davis is other worldly and it’s scary to think about him getting better. This team is on the rise.

8. Dallas – They had a great off-season stealing DeAndre Jordan from the Clippers and signing Wesley Matthews, but Dirk is getting older and they have players coming off of serious injuries. It looks like Chandler Parsons had microfracture surgery (gulp). Matthews is coming off of the torn Achilles. I think they’ll have a rough start to the season. 

9. Suns – They didn’t win the LaMarcus Aldridge sweepstakes, but they still added a very good center in Tyson Chandler. They’re going to push hard for the 7th/8th seed. They have a very good team. 

10. Jazz – I really like this team. Rudy Gobert will be a DPOY candidate. I’m a big Gordon Hayward supporter. However, I just don’t like this team’s point guard play. I’ll definitely catch some of their games on league pass. 

11. Kings – They honestly haven’t had a terrible off-season and their roster looks good on paper. However, there’s still drama between Cousins and George Karl and I’m just not sure how the pieces will fit together. 

12. Lakers – They didn’t land any stars, but they’ve added some solid players in Roy Hibbert, Lou Williams and Brandon Bass. Throw in Kobe and their young guys, and they should be able to avoid being absolutely awful like last season. 

13. Blazers – They lost four starters and are now in rebuilding mode. They had a good off-season considering what they lost and are set up well going forward I think. Damian Lillard will do his best to carry the load, but it’s going to be ugly this season. 

14. Timberwolves – They’ll be fun to watch, but they’re still not going to be a very good team. I’ll catch them on league pass though. 

15. Nuggets – They’re trying to blow it all up and start over. They’ll find a trade for Ty Lawson and maybe Danilo Gallinari soon. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[wonzi_bellsParticipant]

1. Warriors – This was one of the greatest teams of all-time and they’ve pretty much brought everyone back. Even if they aren’t as healthy, primarily with someone like Bogut, Ezeli showed throughout the season and in the playoff that he can definitely provide spot minutes at the C and be backed-up by the true maestro in those small-ball line-ups with Draymond Green. Contract-year Harrison Barnes might be something positive or negative, I’m not decided yet. Also, David Lee is taking this "we’re trading you" thing very well. Anyways, as long as the Riley mantra of the "disease of me" doesn’t creep in, I’m looking at you Iguodala and that starting SF spot, I think they should be good. This team just has enough creators for Curry and Thompson to always shine.

2. Spurs – The LaMarcus Aldridge signing is very well for extending the championship window for the Spurs but it did come at a cost of depth in losing Splitter, Belinelli, Joseph and Baynes. In regards to losing Splitter, it puts more defensive pressure on Duncan who held up well with Splitter holding the fort and now he’s gone and it’s not like Aldridge is a rim-protector. Also, I’m wondering how Boris Diaw will be used in the line-up now with Aldridge commanding big minutes at the 4. Plus, they play in the hardest divsion in the NBA, that’s enough for them to be place second under the Warriors.

3. Thunder – The team that I pick to win the Finals for the past three seasons. I feel like I want to do it a fourth time, when will I learn? But as long as Kanter is back, they have significant depth everywhere. It’s just that there isn’t a lot of continuity with some of the newly added rotation players, as well as the new coaching staff. If they’re healthy, they can win a title though.

4. Rockets – Had injuries all throughout the season but their depth kept them competitve and they bring that into next year. Beverly is back and drafting Dekker should replace some of the little value that Josh Smith provided. Also, I think they have a better grip on how to play Dwight Howard with his minutes to maintain his freshness throughout the year. Montejunas, Dorsey and Capela will add that. 

5. Mavericks – This is contigent on if they sign Lin, who is a good pick-and-roll PG and will have lots of options given that Jordan, Nowitzki and Parsons are there and gives them enough looks in the backcourt since they have Harris and I think Barea is back too. The thing is they don’t have depth all around but they do have flexibility because Jordan call play long minutes at the C. Harris can play on-and-off ball. Parsons can play the 4 in small-ball line ups since Jordan is there at the C. The rookie Anderson is there spot minutes for Matthews at the two-guard and if Matthews is fully recovered, he can guard point guards too. I think they have enough for guys to go long minutes on this team, so depth isn’t that needed.

6. Grizzlies – I think they had a downgrade losing Koufas for Wright since I don’t think he fits their style. They’ll be the same old Grizzlies though. I don’t know why they continuiously ignore their shooting woes though. They don’t look like they’ll sign Mo Williams though but they’ll have Beno Udrih back for another season. 

7. Jazz – They went on a tear during the second-half of the season last year winning 66% of their games after the All-Star break which would have had them in the 50 win mark. Quinn Synder just has a good offensive playbook to give his guys the best looks and Gobert is a defensive force.

 8. Clippers – They have talent but losing Jordan is going to really hurt them since they won’t replace him with anybody worth mentioning. Plus, I don’t how they work the whole Stephenson-Crawford-Rivers lineups. Just a poor job by Rivers handling the GM duty. 

9. Pelicans

10. Suns

11. Nuggets

12. Kings

13. Blazers

14. Lakers

15. Timberwolves

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[wonzi_bellsParticipant]

1. Warriors – This was one of the greatest teams of all-time and they’ve pretty much brought everyone back. Even if they aren’t as healthy, primarily with someone like Bogut, Ezeli showed throughout the season and in the playoff that he can definitely provide spot minutes at the C and be backed-up by the true maestro in those small-ball line-ups with Draymond Green. Contract-year Harrison Barnes might be something positive or negative, I’m not decided yet. Also, David Lee is taking this "we’re trading you" thing very well. Anyways, as long as the Riley mantra of the "disease of me" doesn’t creep in, I’m looking at you Iguodala and that starting SF spot, I think they should be good. This team just has enough creators for Curry and Thompson to always shine.

2. Spurs – The LaMarcus Aldridge signing is very well for extending the championship window for the Spurs but it did come at a cost of depth in losing Splitter, Belinelli, Joseph and Baynes. In regards to losing Splitter, it puts more defensive pressure on Duncan who held up well with Splitter holding the fort and now he’s gone and it’s not like Aldridge is a rim-protector. Also, I’m wondering how Boris Diaw will be used in the line-up now with Aldridge commanding big minutes at the 4. Plus, they play in the hardest divsion in the NBA, that’s enough for them to be place second under the Warriors.

3. Thunder – The team that I pick to win the Finals for the past three seasons. I feel like I want to do it a fourth time, when will I learn? But as long as Kanter is back, they have significant depth everywhere. It’s just that there isn’t a lot of continuity with some of the newly added rotation players, as well as the new coaching staff. If they’re healthy, they can win a title though.

4. Rockets – Had injuries all throughout the season but their depth kept them competitve and they bring that into next year. Beverly is back and drafting Dekker should replace some of the little value that Josh Smith provided. Also, I think they have a better grip on how to play Dwight Howard with his minutes to maintain his freshness throughout the year. Montejunas, Dorsey and Capela will add that. 

5. Mavericks – This is contigent on if they sign Lin, who is a good pick-and-roll PG and will have lots of options given that Jordan, Nowitzki and Parsons are there and gives them enough looks in the backcourt since they have Harris and I think Barea is back too. The thing is they don’t have depth all around but they do have flexibility because Jordan call play long minutes at the C. Harris can play on-and-off ball. Parsons can play the 4 in small-ball line ups since Jordan is there at the C. The rookie Anderson is there spot minutes for Matthews at the two-guard and if Matthews is fully recovered, he can guard point guards too. I think they have enough for guys to go long minutes on this team, so depth isn’t that needed.

6. Grizzlies – I think they had a downgrade losing Koufas for Wright since I don’t think he fits their style. They’ll be the same old Grizzlies though. I don’t know why they continuiously ignore their shooting woes though. They don’t look like they’ll sign Mo Williams though but they’ll have Beno Udrih back for another season. 

7. Jazz – They went on a tear during the second-half of the season last year winning 66% of their games after the All-Star break which would have had them in the 50 win mark. Quinn Synder just has a good offensive playbook to give his guys the best looks and Gobert is a defensive force.

 8. Clippers – They have talent but losing Jordan is going to really hurt them since they won’t replace him with anybody worth mentioning. Plus, I don’t how they work the whole Stephenson-Crawford-Rivers lineups. Just a poor job by Rivers handling the GM duty. 

9. Pelicans

10. Suns

11. Nuggets

12. Kings

13. Blazers

14. Lakers

15. Timberwolves

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[rich.homie.mitchParticipant]

 1. Warriors

2. Thunder

3. Spurs

4. Grizzlies

5. Rockets

6. Pelicans

7. Clippers

8. Mavericks

9. Jazz

10. Suns

11. Kings

12. Blazers

13. Nuggets

14. Lakers

15. Wolves 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[rich.homie.mitchParticipant]

 1. Warriors

2. Thunder

3. Spurs

4. Grizzlies

5. Rockets

6. Pelicans

7. Clippers

8. Mavericks

9. Jazz

10. Suns

11. Kings

12. Blazers

13. Nuggets

14. Lakers

15. Wolves 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[BiggysmallsParticipant]

 Thunder—Motivated, 2 top 5 players in the league. Depth. New coach may make them better.

Warriors—stacked, plenty of young talent and depth. I think they’ll be motivated to prove it again

Spurs—model organization. Always going to be good. Pop could make the 76ers and Wolves playoff teams…okay maybe not but he’s excellent.

Rockets—They were third last year and decimated by injuries. Hard not seeing them at least in a similar position.

Grizzlies—Culture and consistency is always there. Been in the market for a wing scorer.

Clippers—I don’t think the Jordan departure hurts them THAT much. Paul and Griffin make the team go. Pierce and Stephenson give them some more depth. My guess is they add McGee who is at least serviceable.

Pelicans—The Brow is a stud. Need Gordon, Holiday and Anderson to be healthy.

Jazz—Finished the year on a roll. If Exum comes along, Burcs comes back healthy and they progress like young teams are supposed to, they could be in the mix for a playoff spot.

Kings—lots of dysfunction, but lots of talent too. If Cousins stays healthy and Rondo is motivated they could be interesting. Have a lot of depth and can play multiple ways. Karl is a great regular season coach.

Mavs—I don’t think they’ve gotten as better as people think. Jordan upgrade over Chandler is alright but if they make him a focal point of their Offense, they are in trouble. Don’t have a PG and Ellis initiated a lot of their offense before. Who knows how Matthews comes back from his injruy and they don’t have a lot of assets to make any more moves. 

Suns—Not a big fan. I like Knight and Bledsoe. Chandler gives them some defensive identity but this team wasn’t great the second half of the year iirc.

Wolves—probably would’ve won 25-35 games last year with a healthy Rubio/Pek. If Wiggins takes another step and Rubio stays healthy, Wolves could have a second half like the Jazz did this past year and be on the cusp in a year or most likely two.

Lakers—Russell and Randle give the team some optimism. Will be interesting to see if Clarkson regresses at all and how much Kobe hinders development before he gets hurt again. 

Nuggets—My guess is they end up selling off alot of their core players and rebuilding for high picks. Which they will have.

Blazers—Rebuilding big time. I’d force feed Vonleh minutes. McCollum is going to have to step up as a scorer next to Lillard. Plumlee could have a breakout year. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[BiggysmallsParticipant]

 Thunder—Motivated, 2 top 5 players in the league. Depth. New coach may make them better.

Warriors—stacked, plenty of young talent and depth. I think they’ll be motivated to prove it again

Spurs—model organization. Always going to be good. Pop could make the 76ers and Wolves playoff teams…okay maybe not but he’s excellent.

Rockets—They were third last year and decimated by injuries. Hard not seeing them at least in a similar position.

Grizzlies—Culture and consistency is always there. Been in the market for a wing scorer.

Clippers—I don’t think the Jordan departure hurts them THAT much. Paul and Griffin make the team go. Pierce and Stephenson give them some more depth. My guess is they add McGee who is at least serviceable.

Pelicans—The Brow is a stud. Need Gordon, Holiday and Anderson to be healthy.

Jazz—Finished the year on a roll. If Exum comes along, Burcs comes back healthy and they progress like young teams are supposed to, they could be in the mix for a playoff spot.

Kings—lots of dysfunction, but lots of talent too. If Cousins stays healthy and Rondo is motivated they could be interesting. Have a lot of depth and can play multiple ways. Karl is a great regular season coach.

Mavs—I don’t think they’ve gotten as better as people think. Jordan upgrade over Chandler is alright but if they make him a focal point of their Offense, they are in trouble. Don’t have a PG and Ellis initiated a lot of their offense before. Who knows how Matthews comes back from his injruy and they don’t have a lot of assets to make any more moves. 

Suns—Not a big fan. I like Knight and Bledsoe. Chandler gives them some defensive identity but this team wasn’t great the second half of the year iirc.

Wolves—probably would’ve won 25-35 games last year with a healthy Rubio/Pek. If Wiggins takes another step and Rubio stays healthy, Wolves could have a second half like the Jazz did this past year and be on the cusp in a year or most likely two.

Lakers—Russell and Randle give the team some optimism. Will be interesting to see if Clarkson regresses at all and how much Kobe hinders development before he gets hurt again. 

Nuggets—My guess is they end up selling off alot of their core players and rebuilding for high picks. Which they will have.

Blazers—Rebuilding big time. I’d force feed Vonleh minutes. McCollum is going to have to step up as a scorer next to Lillard. Plumlee could have a breakout year. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[sitlbitoParticipant]

 How can anyone take you seriously when you have the Jazz 13th. They won 31 ou of their last 55 games!

Golden State

San Antonio

OKC

Houston

Memphis

Utah

Dallas

New Orleans

Clippers

Phoenix

Wolves

Portland

Sacramento

Denver

Lakers

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[sitlbitoParticipant]

 How can anyone take you seriously when you have the Jazz 13th. They won 31 ou of their last 55 games!

Golden State

San Antonio

OKC

Houston

Memphis

Utah

Dallas

New Orleans

Clippers

Phoenix

Wolves

Portland

Sacramento

Denver

Lakers

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[FearTheStacheParticipant]

1. Warriors

2. Spurs

3. Thunder

4. Rockets

5. Grizzlies

6. Clippers

7. Mavs

8. New Orleans

[FearTheStacheParticipant]

1. Warriors

2. Spurs

3. Thunder

4. Rockets

5. Grizzlies

6. Clippers

7. Mavs

8. New Orleans

[dbeal23Participant]

 1. Warriors

2. Rockets

3. Spurs

4. Thunder

5. Grizzlies

6. Pelicans

7. Clippers

8. Jazz

———-

9. Mavericks

10. Suns

11. Wolves

12. Kings

13. Blazers

14. Nuggets

15. Lakers

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[dbeal23Participant]

 1. Warriors

2. Rockets

3. Spurs

4. Thunder

5. Grizzlies

6. Pelicans

7. Clippers

8. Jazz

———-

9. Mavericks

10. Suns

11. Wolves

12. Kings

13. Blazers

14. Nuggets

15. Lakers

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[TripleDoubleScoutParticipant]

 Those of you who think the Mavs are gonna miss the playoffs next year are seriously smoking the good stuff…

[TripleDoubleScoutParticipant]

 Those of you who think the Mavs are gonna miss the playoffs next year are seriously smoking the good stuff…

[joe2324Participant]

I agree, Mavs should be in the 5-8 seed, somewhere in that range. I think we’re going to see Deandre Jordan blow up with the Mavs. I think Cuban wants him to be a #1 option and I think he can definately handle it. This might sound crazy, but I see Deandre as a 20/15 guy with the Mavs. Hopefully, he can improve his free throw percentage. I’m glad he’s moving on from the Clippers as Chris Paul is a dick and I read that is one of the reasons he’s leaving.  

[joe2324Participant]

I agree, Mavs should be in the 5-8 seed, somewhere in that range. I think we’re going to see Deandre Jordan blow up with the Mavs. I think Cuban wants him to be a #1 option and I think he can definately handle it. This might sound crazy, but I see Deandre as a 20/15 guy with the Mavs. Hopefully, he can improve his free throw percentage. I’m glad he’s moving on from the Clippers as Chris Paul is a dick and I read that is one of the reasons he’s leaving.  

[joe2324Participant]

I like Deandre Jordan because we know hes a beast on the defensive end and once he improves his free throws, he can easily be a top center in the league. I just dislike Chris Paul and Griffin so I"m happy to see Jordan move and hope he has more success in Dallas than he ever had with the Clippers.  

[joe2324Participant]

I like Deandre Jordan because we know hes a beast on the defensive end and once he improves his free throws, he can easily be a top center in the league. I just dislike Chris Paul and Griffin so I"m happy to see Jordan move and hope he has more success in Dallas than he ever had with the Clippers.  

[llperez]

I have the mavs missing but it will certainly be close. Deandre is a nice upgrade over chandler, but if they try and feature him offensively I think it backfires. Dirk is a year older and the perimeter of parsons, Mathews and Devon Harris or whoever starts at pg is very average to below average. Don’t think this team is better then last year and if other teams continue to climb Dallas will be in fight for last playoff spot.

[llperez]

I have the mavs missing but it will certainly be close. Deandre is a nice upgrade over chandler, but if they try and feature him offensively I think it backfires. Dirk is a year older and the perimeter of parsons, Mathews and Devon Harris or whoever starts at pg is very average to below average. Don’t think this team is better then last year and if other teams continue to climb Dallas will be in fight for last playoff spot.

[KayjayParticipant]

People can’t handle the fact that a team who’s lost contributers and depending on a player coming off an torn achilles might not quite measure up to a playoff team. If the Lakers can fall off, the Mavs can too. No one is invincible.

[KayjayParticipant]

People can’t handle the fact that a team who’s lost contributers and depending on a player coming off an torn achilles might not quite measure up to a playoff team. If the Lakers can fall off, the Mavs can too. No one is invincible.

[BiggysmallsParticipant]

 Yeah the "if DeAndre improves his FTs" line makes me chuckle. What has he done in the last five years to suggest he’s coming close to improving his FT shooting? Even if he improves significantly, up to 50%, he can’t make post moves. He can’t dribble. And he won’t be spoonfed buckets by Griffin and Paul. I see him averaing 13ish points but efficiency goes from being ridiculously good to just okay. 

I think Dallas falls off a bit unless they go out and acquire a legit PG. I love Carlisle but I don’t see how Dallas doesn’t struggle offensively. 

 

[BiggysmallsParticipant]

 Yeah the "if DeAndre improves his FTs" line makes me chuckle. What has he done in the last five years to suggest he’s coming close to improving his FT shooting? Even if he improves significantly, up to 50%, he can’t make post moves. He can’t dribble. And he won’t be spoonfed buckets by Griffin and Paul. I see him averaing 13ish points but efficiency goes from being ridiculously good to just okay. 

I think Dallas falls off a bit unless they go out and acquire a legit PG. I love Carlisle but I don’t see how Dallas doesn’t struggle offensively. 

 

[SmooveKRYPTParticipant]

1. Warriors

2. Thunder

3. Spurs

4. Clippers

5. Rockets

6. Grizzlies

7. Pelicans

8. Kings

9. Suns

10. Jazz

11. Mavs

12. Lakers

13. Blazers

14. Nuggets

15. T’Wolves

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[SmooveKRYPTParticipant]

1. Warriors

2. Thunder

3. Spurs

4. Clippers

5. Rockets

6. Grizzlies

7. Pelicans

8. Kings

9. Suns

10. Jazz

11. Mavs

12. Lakers

13. Blazers

14. Nuggets

15. T’Wolves

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Author]

Posts