[Charlie SheenParticipant]

I think in 2 years they will be the top 2 teams in the West because of age and skill, The Lakers, Mavs and Nuggets are getting old the Spurs have 4 young pieces( Splitter, Blair, Andersen and Hill but no depth after that) the Trailblazers are injury prone and the Jazz have 2 guys Williams and Jefferson. the Nuggets will lose Carmelo, JR, and Nene they need to build around Ty Lawson starting next draft, the T’Wolves are young and cheap but dont have a go to guy, the Rockets are full of role players no real #1 option, Clippers have a good nucleus they can be the 3rd best squad but they have bad luck. the Lakers can develop some young guys behind their vets they might not be good but they might contend, New Orleans wil lose Paul and start over, Memphis has a good team but will Mayo stay for long, PHX is in rebuild mode in 2 years and Golden State traded Randolph and he and Curry would’ve been great together. So OKC and Sac Town are the top 2 teams in 2012 I think

Sacremento
Nucleus- Cousins, Evans, Thompson, Greene, Casspi, Whiteside
Key assets- Dalemberts expiring deal, money to spend, great owners, potentially one more lottery pick

Oklahoma City
Nucleus- Durant, Westbrook, Green, Harden, Maynor, Ibaka, Aldrich, Sefolosha
Key assets- Great crowd, great owners, money to spend and potentially another lottery pick( Clippers owe them a pick Bledsoe trade)

[GodfatherParticipant]

VERY Bold claim. You make some solid points, yeah, they are young and have a lot of talent. But we’re talking just two years. Kobe, chances are, will still be sick. Injuries happen. What will happen in 2011 free agency? What if Melo goes to like the Rockets? So much can happen.

Also you said the Kings may have one extra lottery pick. Look dude, if they are in the lottery this year there is no way they are top two the year after.

[OhCanada-Participant]

Sacramento is going to be an absolute powerhouse in the West. They have a potential superstar G, and a potential superstar C, and are the only team in the league that do. Cousins and Evans.

They have $26Mil spent next year with 8 players on contract and 2 expiring contracts Samuel Dalembert and Carl Landry. The rest of their players are on their Rookie Contracts other than 2 bad contracts Garcia’s and Udrih’s. Although the 2 players are servicable veterans that can come off the bench or even start, they should not get $6Mil a year each.

Sacramento also managed to get a steal in the draft by acquiring Hassan Whiteside the long, lanky and extremely talented but also extremely weak, and not the brightest player on the floor…If he does play well he could be a great complement to DeMarcus Cousins.

Casspi keeps showing why so much noise has been made about him. He is starting to develop a good inside outside game and along with Greene he should be a good defender on the wing for Sacramento.

Add in Jason Thompson and a potential lottery pick which would likely be another G, which next years draft happens to be loaded on potentially,(Knight, Irving, Selby, Joseph, Burks, Rodney Williams, Barton).

Sacramento will be Elite.
Minnesota will continue to hate themselves for failing in the draft.

[Russell0WestbrookParticipant]

Wrong the Lakers and Mavs have owners that will out spend you so I cant see them falling off for a while and the Lakers have eveybody under contract their oldest rotation player in 2 years will be Kobe at 33 what are you talking about? The Thunder I agree but the Kings dont have anybody that has proven anything besides Evans eventho I think Cousins is a BEAST!

[Russell0WestbrookParticipant]

The nets have Harris and Lopez and they were flirting with the worst record ever it takes a team and coach. You also need a vetern leader or a young guy that just refuses to lose I dont know if the Kings have that

[ChrischiParticipant]

Sacramento has a lot of young talent and if everyone stays healthy they will be a special team.

But they I only see them winning close to 30 games this season, maybe even less. They’re just not ready. Most of their players lack range and I think Cousins needs some years before he can effeclty defend.

But whatever happens this season, they will win 41 games the next season, maybe even more.

[catoosanumber22]

thunder= championships kings= epic fail

[OhCanada-Participant]

You guys just keep sleeping on Cousins and he is going to make you feel very, very stupid. Not because he has played well in Summer League, not because last year he was College’s most effecient player,not because he moves like a SF at 280 pounds…Just because he’s Cuzzz baby!

[IknoBall12Participant]

i think its a lil too early to make predictions like that. out of the nucleus u named who says those guys will still be there in 2 years. we kno trades happen all the time and unexpected things like injuries and player personalitites and coaches impact the game as much as anything.

[T-WOLF FANParticipant]

Both teams are doing things right. OK was smart to get Durant to sign another contract.

[gregoden08Participant]

Blazers have the brightest future IMO. Thunder are a close second and I can’t comment on the Kings since their whole team is young and unproven.

[mgreener_34Participant]

“Blazers have the brightest future IMO” This isn’t 2007 anymore. We’ve been saying this for 4 years with no results. I expect the Lakers to still be on top. Pua and Bynum are still young, and will always dominate on the inside. I thunder could be up there IF they continue to develop as a group. Right now it relies mostly on Durant, and sometimes Westbrook. Other people have to learn to step up their games if they want to be real contenders.

[gregoden08Participant]

I’m talking out of those 3 teams. Obviously the Lakers are the top team.

[mgreener_34Participant]

Even out of those three I’d have to think the Blazers would still have the worst future. I understand your a Blazer fan, but they have been in the rebuilding process since 2006. If Oden didn’t go down every other game I might agree with you, but as of now I don’t see it. The Thunder have a top 5 player in Durant, and a bunch of proven talent to surround him with. Even the Kings are looking pretty solid. I want to wait to actually see them play, but the combination of Tyreke and Cousins just gives me chills.

[gregoden08Participant]

Lol whatever you say…I mean hell they were the most injured team and they won 50+games…Their future isn’t bright at all right? LOL.

[dipt1982Participant]

How on earth will the Lakers be out of the picture in 2 years? Kobe, still in his prime at 33, Gasol and a still young Bynum working the paint, Odom and Artest (given they’re still around). The Lakers will be at the top of the western conference for another 6-7 seasons…until Kobe retires…

[gregoden08Participant]

How the hell are they in a rebuilding process? Dude…they won 50+ games for 2 seasons in a row and made the playoffs as well…That’s not rebuilding.

And you say that they have a bunch of proven talent, but in your post above you say “Other people have to learn to step up their games if they want to be real contenders.” So…I don’t know where your going with this.

Kings have a nice team, but just look at Portland’s roster. If healthy, Blazers could be the second best team in the West. A lot of people on this site would agree with me.

Thunder have a bright future as well, but their bench is not deep and I still don’t like Green at the pf spot.

[jdstormParticipant]

Are definately being slept on and have a great future, however i think they will make their playoff run next year. Especially if they can land a lotto pick this year.

If they get Barnes they should be ranked No 1 over the thunder and Blazers, and im an OKC fan.

[Michael.S.Participant]

Miami is a championship contender for another 5 years

Chicago is close to being a contender now

Orlando will continue to be a contender as long as Howard is there adnd they have some solid pieces around him

LA has 2 years left at least

Milwaukee will be a contender in a few years

There is alot of teams thatare very strong and have a legit shot to win in the upcoming seasons but, to be honest, not all of them can or will win one.

[BasketBalAllanParticipant]

I do not think the Kings will be a top two team in the west unless things really go their way, but it is possible. The only way I can think of that would have to happen is for them to trade either and/or both Beno and Garcia’s contract for something that expires at the end of next season (this trade would happen midseason). They then would renounce Dalemberts rights summer of 2011, giving them just over 36 million in cap space (or 42 million if they trade them both). Providing that they do fairly well this season and land somewhere around 8-11th draft pick they could use that cap space to try and attract two high level free agents, like a Chris Paul and Carmello, then resign Thompson and Donte giving them the line up of:

PG: Paul
SG: Evans / Draft pick
SF: Donte / Casspi
PF: Carmello / Landry
C: Cousins / Thompson / Whiteside

Filling the rest of the few spots left with a second round draft pick and some other minimum level signings.

That is the only way I think they could be almost guaranteed a top two in the west status and while all that is possible, I find it highly unlikely.

[EGbball3Participant]

Don’t forget brockman. Anthony and Paul do not want to come to sac. I would want that to happen as a kings fan, but no.

[RondoJB11Participant]

I posted something about these two teams and I said they can both have dynasties, everybody else said that Scaremento can’t win a championship but you are right these two teams have the potential but it might take more than two years.

[Author]

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