[2quick4uParticipant]

1. LAC: in my opinion the best team in the conference just like they were last year, but for several reasons they only played 12 games with all their players (previous covid) and won 11. The addition of Ibaka makes them even better plus they have re-signed M.Morris and Lou is still on roster for the moment. Adding Kennard gives them absurd depth and he is an absolute upgrade over Shamet, plus Zubac should only get better.
Last year the Clippers finished 2nd in OFF Rtg, 5th in DEF Rtg and 2nd in SRS and all that with Kawhi and PG missing many games, so with one year of experience and playing a shorter season should only benefit them and they should increase those collective numbers. Watch out for Kawhi as MVP if finally the LAC win the West.
*Wins Projection (72 games): 51
2. LA: last year the Lakers won the most decaffeinated West of the 21st century without the Warriors, without a competitive Spurs team for 1st time in 20+ years and with a Clippers team that only played 12 games with all their players so fans should not be that excited. Their free agency has been good in terms of adding OFF and depth but in my opinion they made a huge mistake letting go Howard and McGee whom were absolutely vital for the team’s Defensive success. and i think that in the long run it will hurt them.
Still last year they finished 11th in OFF Rtg which they should improve and 3rd in DEF Rtg which in my opinion will drop some spots. It also has to be seen how much is Lebron going to rest
*Wins Projection: 49
3. UTA: last season was pretty dissapointing for the team, the fans and the media but reality is that the reason for such a poor year was due to marital problems between DM and Gobert that affected drastically their DEF which is their identity and best weapon and it dropped to 13th in DEF Rtg, but for the 3 previous years this was a Top 3 DEF team and if you combine that with their much improved OFF thanks to DM becoming one of best scorers in the league plus the additions of Bogdanovich and Clarkson, all that should equal a “SRS” of no less than 5th which should be more than enough to finish as a Top 3 team.
*Wins projection: 48
4. DEN: with the experienced gained in the last Playoffs, with Jokic confirming himself as the best C in the league and with Murray and MPJ about to have a break out season, the Nuggets are cementing themselves as a Top team. Losing Grant will hurt but actually DEN has added more depth with the additions of Campazzo (best PG in Euroleague), J.Green and the Draft, plus Bol Bol should contribute some more. But their DEF is still their biggest hole and what keeps preventing them to get higher and further in Playoffs. As long as they don’t become a Top 10 DEF team they won’t improve much from here.
*Wins Projection: 47
5. GSW: yes Warriors have lost Klay but they still have the man that has revolutionized the game of basketball, former DPY, Nº2 pick and some other nice pieces so if this team stays healthy don’t be surprised if actually ends higher…
*Wins Projection: 46
6. DAL: last year they had not only the best OFF in the league, but in the entire History which is a lot to say, and all that thanks to a Luka that keeps writting history and walking his path to greatness, but KP is set to miss some good 20-25 games and that’s gonna hurt and if you add that their DEF is still pretty mediocre even with KP, they should not get higher that this.. but with Luka you never know… Whenever this team becomes a Top 10 on DEF they will compete for the Ring.
*Wins Projected: 45
7. POR: they’ve made a great move in FA getting a much needed Covington and also D.Jones Jr, plus they’ve resigned Melo who will finally come off the bench. This team has nice depth and for the last couple of years they have been a Top 3 OFF team so their success will depend on how much their DEF improves and how healthy Nurkic stays…
*Wins Projected: 44
8. HOU: well it will all depend on Harden; if he stays he’s good enough to lead a team to playoffs just by himself, but if he leaves, this spot i believe will be for PHO a team that seems ready to make playoffs again.after adding veterans.
.9-10 (bubble): PHO + NOP

[stepback3Participant]

I think you are overrating Utah and GSW (weak bench) and underrating Dallas and Portland.

[sniperParticipant]

I think your predictions are pretty much spot on. I’m not a big believer in the Clippers as contenders until i see them resolve their chemistry issues and for lack of a better term, desire issues. But i can see them being really strong in the regular season just on the basis of talent.

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