Western Con Outlook

i think the OKC is taking that top spot… and if Westbrook deffers to durant and another year for ibaka i dont think it will be even close…

i think memphis is making a huge leap…i think they confidence is higher then ever and theyre front court is one of the best in the nba

this is were i think my opinion changes from everyone else i think Dallas, Lakers, and Clippers will be fighting for the next three spots….Dallas got a lot weaker defensively…lakers point guard is having them play four on five….clippers got a whole lot better…another year together along with smart decisions from the front office will have them close to the top of the conference

the rest i agree

 clippers have chauncey starting at SG…how does no one get this by now??

The Spurs won 61 games without having to press their starters into big minutes (28-32 for their top guys), so the idea that they aren’t elite is absurd.

1. Dallas- Better with Lamar, Vince, and an empowered Beaubois than with Chandler, Barea, and Brewer.

2. San Antonio- They have the depth to let Duncan, Parker, and Manu have veteran’s nights off this year and still those games. They played last year without forcing heavy minutes on anyone. If either James Anderson, Kawhi Leonard, or Da’Sean Butler can make sure they have decent play out of the 3, there is nothing to worry about.

3. OKC- The frontcourt is still mediocre, but Durant is special. Unless he gets hurt, it is hard to think they won’t be good.

4. Los Angeles Lakers- They are going to miss Odom. Kobe can’t help himself from playing heavy minutes, and that hard-headedness will almost certainly cause him to miss games with injuries. Bynum’s career has included him missing a third of all regular season games. At this point, it is hard to think it is going to change. Fourth might be the ceiling for them unless they make a move or multiple moves to upgrade their roster.

5. Portland- Remember, LaMarcus Aldridge didn’t make the All-Star team last year and Kevin Love did. They won 48 games with a broken down Brandon Roy and Greg Oden MIA. This year, they at least know those two are gone. Jamal Crawford is a huge pickup. Kurt Thomas and Craig Smith were smart pickups to supplement Camby and Aldridge. With their talent and depth, they could conceivably have the best record in the West.

6. Memphis- I worry about the establishment of a proper hierarchy with Rudy Gay back in the mix. The way they win is by having their big men grind away. Whether they can figure that out is the story of their season.

7. Los Angeles Clippers- When does Vinny Del Genius get fired? Yes, it is hard to argue that Chris Paul won’t do in Los Angeles with mediocrity what he did in New Orleans with mediocrity. He got hurt in New Orleans and the Hornets were garbage. He came back and they made the playoffs. The Clippers last year, despite all the hype, were 32-50. He will get them to the playoffs, and once they get a real coach to have them play defense they might be good.

8. Houston, 9. Phoenix, 10. Golden State, 11. Denver- There really isn’t a ton separating 8 and 11. It will come down to health. Houston, Phoenix, and Golden State don’t like to play defense. Houston got shafted by Stern. They would have been a top four team with Pau with serious playoff potential, but now they are stuck in nowheresville. Mark Jackson might want to have the Warriors play defense, but they have too many guys who simply never have done so. The Suns are still going to have nights where they run teams off the floor and others where they can’t stop anyone and are down 30. Denver remade itself into a defensive-minded team, but that was with a healthy Kenyon Martin and a healthy Nene. How long Nene stays healthy is anyone’s guess. Trotting out Al Harrington, Kenneth Faried, and Timofey Mozgov in place of Martin isn’t going to fool anyone.

12. Sacramento- I am looking forward to Jimmermania. They have handed him the Beno Udrih role, which should be good for 30+ minutes and 10+ shots. With Cousins and Evans drawing attention, he should get an open look for the first time in years. Big picture, they still are too indifferent defensively to matter, but they can win a few games here and there this year. Maybe the Orange County Kings with Evans, Cousins, and Jimmer can get in the mix for Howard.  

13. Utah- The record is deceiving because it hides how bad they were after dealing Deron Williams. Losing Andrei Kirilenko only made them worse.

14. New Orleans- They are basically the 2009-10 Clippers without the injured Blake Griffin. Reminder, that team won 19 games.

15. Minnesota- Poor Ricky. Maybe if the basketball gods shine down on Minnesota instead of losing three out of four games, they only lose two out of three. The problem is that they don’t play a lick of defense, and they aren’t talented enough to outscore teams on a regular basis. I will always find that to be a big problem, but apparently not for those who send Kevin Love to the All-Star game.