[royk927Participant]

i predict that the West will be weaker of the two confrences. hence thats why i think it will be easier for the Lakers to reclaim their throne than Boston. My Order of the top 9 in the West.

1. OKC While they have not one yet they have the right pieces and will be a tough team to beat  for years to come.5.

2. Mavericks They have turned the corner and dominated the Lakers but how long till they regress to that team that is know as soft.

3. The LA Lakers. they take a step back as they lose their coach and there are some questions about this roster. But They still have one of the top players in the league in Kobe Bryant and i predict he will not let this past year ruin his chase for Jordans top spot as the best to ever play the game.

4. LA Clippers They wont be a surprise but they will surprise people record wise. This team is a team that know needs to resign Deandre jordan and get some depth on their bench. We know about Blake, Gordon, and Williams. But i feel Aminu and Jordan are often over looked and Aminu will take a big step in his second season.

5. San Antonio Spurs The spurs still have their big three (the real originators of the big three) but they are getting old and need an infusion of talent to make it back to where they were but their coach is one of the top coaches who does not nearly get enough credit.

6. Memphis Grizzlies. They have an extrodinary talented team and might vy for being put in to the conference elite depending on what happens with free agency. Conley is deserving of praise. Zack has figured things out. Gasol is establishing his own brand. Mayo looks like a bonifide scorer. While Gay has been injured there is no denying that this team is even better with him.

7. New orleans Hornets. They have Chris Paul but may lose him which will be detrimental. Emka is a precences as is landry. West may or may not be back and that will have its own reprecusions.

8. Lastly The Sacrmento Kings. They have a scorer in tryeke, they have Cousins who will be a force in this leauge once he gets things figured out. They desperatly need an impact point guard as Beno isnt the answer. Luckily they stand to be in excellent positon to get one in  the draft. Dalembert is finally looking like a big man. They have some unique players on there bench that are young and need to take that next step but they can potentially be a force.(Casspi, Greene, Whiteside, thorton).

What r ur picks.

 

[SwatLakeCityParticipant]

1. OKC Thunder-Ever since this team made the Playoffs last year, I fell in love with them. Each year they get better and better and I really think next year they will be the top team in the West.
2. LA Lakers-Their age is really a factor. If Kobe and Pau  Gasol stick around then they finish at 2 but if not then they move out of the playoffs.
3. Dallas Mavericks-Same with Lakers, but I think they could last a little longer because Dirk would like to win to probably 2 or 3 championships with this team not just one. (I think they could be the champions this year but I ain’t claiming them champions yet they first have to get past the Thunder and I don’t think they will)
4. San Antonio Spurs-Same with the Lakers and the Mavs. This is the team that I most feel will not make the playoffs next year because Tim Duncan might not be around. He might hang it up and retire but if he does decide to stay then 4th is where I think they will finish.
5. Memphis Grizzlies-What the Grizzlies do with OJ Mayo will determine whether they move up or stay at 5. If they trade him they could also move down or up depending on what kind of value they get out of him. If they keep him and use him off the bench and let Xavier Henry start and develop more then they definitely stay right here at 5. They really proven themselves in the playoffs this year. Their size is impressive and helps them get to the top 5 of the West.
6. LA Clippers-Love this new team with Blake Griffin, Eric Gordon and Deandre Jordan. They have quickly become one of my favorite teams.
7. Utah Jazz-underrated team. If they have a stellar draft, I really think they could make the playoffs next year!
8. Sacramento Kings-Almost there, just need a PG. With Irving, Knight, and Walker all worthy of top 5 picks they have to get thier guy this year. I feel that picking will vault them into the playoffs.

I actually feel that the Lakers and Celtics are about even in terms of rebuilding. If their core players stay then they will remain where they are at, but if they decide to leave then it will depend on how each team rebounds. (By leave I do not necessarily mean next year. I mean in the next few years.) Both teams have to start rebuilding now instead of waiting until ALL of their core players retire. If they do this then they might still be able to hold onto their current spots otherwise they will struggle to make the Playoffs.

 

 

[omphalosParticipant]

Good lord, I could only make it to number 4 on OPs list, the sheer irritation of misuse of homphones got to me and I had to stop.

You two are forgetting how good Portland is, and Aldridge is still young, they’ll be in the top 8 for the future, no doubt. Spurs I can see dropping off in a year or two, with TD retiring and Manu slowing down even more, hard to see them remaining competitive in a very deep, young Western Conference. Same can be said for Dallas and the Mavs, Dirk won’t be around forever, and they might be waiting a while to bounce back after he retires. New Orleans are likely going to lost CP3 unless the NBA can find a buyer too.

My top 8 for the future would be something along the lines of…

1. OKC – Obvious.

2. Memphis – Well-coached, rich with talent, great mindset, Z-Bo has longevity because he doesn’t require athleticism to be effective.

3. Lakers – If Bynum can stay healthy they’ll bounce back quickly from this defeat and find a way to transition out of the Kobe era relatively smoothly, L.A. always finds a way to stay relevant.

4. Sacramento – One of the more talented teams already, though young, with another high pick coming. Evans and Cousins both have superstar potential, and Whiteside has the potential to be a terrific defensive anchor with more seasoning. Better coaching is all that will stand in the way of this team going as high as 2nd, as Paul Westphal doesn’t seem to have control over this team, I always wonder what a Phil Jackson, Lionel Hollins or Doc Rivers could get out of this playing group.

5. Portland – Aldridge coming into his own, Batum, Wallace, Wes Matthews are all young but battle-tested players, they’ll find a way to stick around with D and good coaching.

6. Clippers – Blake and Gordon are potential superstars, but it’s hard to see them doing too well with the ownership they have.

7. Denver – They’ll stay relevant with a team-first philosophy and good coaching, they have enough talent to survive the Melo trade.

8. Minnesota – I know, hard to believe, but if Rubio comes over this season and they trade their top pick for depth and veteran mentors for all their young talent this isn’t too much of a stretch. Factor in Rambis being on the way out, if they can replace him with a top-notch coach like a Rick Adelman who gets the most out of his team then this seems entirely plausible.

 

[kevnix5Participant]

If I had to predict how the west will finish in say 2-3 years from now, not next year. It would be:

1. OKC Thunder – Just too much talent not to become atleast a perennial top 3 team in the whole league.

2.LA Lakers – Just can’t see the Lakers ever falling too far off.

3. Portland Trailblazers- Very deep team will only get deeper and Aldridge will turn into a superstar barring any serious injury.

4. Denver Nuggets – Another team that is young and deep. No superstars but when you have 10 guys that can contribute on a nightly basis you don’t necessarily need one. Probably can’t compete for a championship without a superstar though.

5. Dallas Mavericks – This year and next year are likely there last chances at winning a championship. Which is a surprise to me because I though they were already done prior to this season. Not sure how much longer Jason Kidd can be relied on as the starting PG and playmaker for a championship caliber team but Dirk and Jet are good enough to carry a team offensively on their own.

6. LA Clippers – Blake and Eric Gordon just need a little bit more help and need to add some depth. Mo Williams probably isn’t the PG of the future but will do for now.

7. Memphis – Have had a very good season and great playoff run but still not completely convinced they will be this good every year. However, as long as they make the playoffs they have a chance to go deep because of their roster. They need to find a way to keep Marc Gasol.

8. Sacramento Kings – This may not actually happen as it depends alot on Cousins staying out of trouble off the court and playing hard every night. But if Cousins and Evans can find a way to coexist and play off each other along with a top end PG (possibly Kyrie Irving) this team could become great.

 

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