Southwest Division
Spurs – San Antonio will have to play until December without its most exciting player and last year’s leading scorer. How will this affect the team? Well, for starters, it will be a worse team in crunch time, as Manu is the one that leads the team in those moments. But it will also make Duncan & Parker increase their numbers considerably. Roger Mason Jr. will be huge, but Michael Finley’s ability to provide something will be vital for the team’s success until the return of Manu. Odd year, so don’t count the Spurs out: they still have Duncan, they still have Popovich, and they will have a healthier Manu for the playoffs.
Hornets – Chris Paul. Any team led by a point guard of his caliber must be considered a contended. If you add last year’s all-star David West, the great rebounder and easy-points Chandler, and the complimentary skills of James Posey and Mo Pete, then you have a serious threat. I expect this team to be more than just great this season. We’ll see.
Rockets – Yao, T-Mac, Artest and Scola. Add the insatiable Shane Battier, the experience of Brent Barry and a decent point guard in Rafer Alston and the rockets can be good. But they can also be very bad. It’s up to the injuries, and Houston has been greatly hurt by them in the past years. So what’s new this year? There is a bit more depth that can certainly contribute during injury-plagued parts of the season. I’m not ready to jump on the Rockets’ bandwagon just yet, but I’m very close.
Dallas – Dirk and Kidd. A guy without personality and the king of the triple doubles. But they are still a very good duo. I expect this year to be the one where the Mavs step down of championship contention. I wouldn’t be surprised if they struggle to make it to the post-season, especially with teams like Portland and Clippers back in the run.
Memphis – No more players to give away. There is some talent in this team, but there is also so much inexperience that is hard to take them seriously. The destiny for them this year is 5th in their division and fighting for last spot in the West. Maybe they win the lottery next season…
Pacific Division
Lakers – Kobe Bryant & Paul Gasol are arguably the most exciting duo of the West. Of course, anybody with Kobe would be. But Gasol is good. He is not given enough credit for what he brings in day in and day out. That’s because he is the second guy in the team. But he is an important piece of the puzzle. The Lakers are good. Very good indeed. But there are many who think they would not have made it to the Finals last year had Manu been more than 40% physically. Hard to tell, but a very good argument that I can certainly see as a possibility.
Phoenix – this is the season where Steve Nash is supposed to decline, right? Well, we have been saying that for the past couple of years, ever since he got his second MVP. And I still don’t see the drop. He is one of the smartest players out there and can carry this team forward. Of course, they need to face the Spurs in the playoffs. If that occurs, don’t be surprised to see the Suns in contention. Shaq is old, but it’s still Shaq. Rebound machine and inside force. Just don’t get fouled big man.
Clippers – Baron Davis brings an excitement that this part of the city has rarely had in the past. Marcus Camby and Chris Kaman are great bigs but Ricky Davis can be key for this team’s success. The Clippers are going forward and may be playing for the last spot for the playoffs in April.
Sacramento – this is a bunch of good players without a star. And that’s why it’s very hard to see them in the playoffs this year. Artest is gone and with him many controversies outside the court. Beno Udrih, Brad Miller, Micky Moore are all good players, but it’s just not enough.
Golden State – Baron Davis is gone. But Stephen Jachson is still in town, along with Corey Maggette and Ronny Turiaf. This is an exciting team all around. They also have a good coach. The question is whether or not they can start playing as a team right away, with the exile of Davis. For fans hopefully they will do that soon, but all we can do at this point is sit and wait.
Northwest Division
Minnesota – Al Jefferson is once again trying to carry this team. But it will not happen. There is no enough talent here to make the playoffs. Maybe if they play as a team for a few games can end up 8-10th… but it’s a stretch.
Jazz – Deron Williams is fantastic. Great vision; great sense of physical capabilities and limitations; and a team player. Kirilenko must stay out of injuries, but Okur and Boozer compliment this team successfully. They might be a surprise and some think they even have a shot at winning it all in the West. Tough, but not impossible. This is a very talented and hardworking team. And they are very very strong at home (37-4 record last season)
Denver – Camby left. Iverson and Anthony are still there. And this team won’t be a contender this year. This is a two-man show and that’s about it. Fun to watch, but there is a lack of on-court discipline that will make them lose enough games not to make the playoffs.
Oklahoma City – First season in a new city. New (bad) name. Same story. Kevin Durant will run this team alone once again. He will put up great numbers, so if you are in a fantasy league don’t doubt to pick him up. But don’t count this team for the post-season.
Portland – Greg Oden is finally a rookie. Brandon Roy is still around. Rudy Fernandez is in town. All I can say is: this is a great young team. They will make the post-season this year, no doubt about that.
Predictions coming up Thrusday!!
Spurs – San Antonio will have to play until December without its most exciting player and last year’s leading scorer. How will this affect the team? Well, for starters, it will be a worse team in crunch time, as Manu is the one that leads the team in those moments. But it will also make Duncan & Parker increase their numbers considerably. Roger Mason Jr. will be huge, but Michael Finley’s ability to provide something will be vital for the team’s success until the return of Manu. Odd year, so don’t count the Spurs out: they still have Duncan, they still have Popovich, and they will have a healthier Manu for the playoffs.
Hornets – Chris Paul. Any team led by a point guard of his caliber must be considered a contended. If you add last year’s all-star David West, the great rebounder and easy-points Chandler, and the complimentary skills of James Posey and Mo Pete, then you have a serious threat. I expect this team to be more than just great this season. We’ll see.
Rockets – Yao, T-Mac, Artest and Scola. Add the insatiable Shane Battier, the experience of Brent Barry and a decent point guard in Rafer Alston and the rockets can be good. But they can also be very bad. It’s up to the injuries, and Houston has been greatly hurt by them in the past years. So what’s new this year? There is a bit more depth that can certainly contribute during injury-plagued parts of the season. I’m not ready to jump on the Rockets’ bandwagon just yet, but I’m very close.
Dallas – Dirk and Kidd. A guy without personality and the king of the triple doubles. But they are still a very good duo. I expect this year to be the one where the Mavs step down of championship contention. I wouldn’t be surprised if they struggle to make it to the post-season, especially with teams like Portland and Clippers back in the run.
Memphis – No more players to give away. There is some talent in this team, but there is also so much inexperience that is hard to take them seriously. The destiny for them this year is 5th in their division and fighting for last spot in the West. Maybe they win the lottery next season…
Pacific Division
Lakers – Kobe Bryant & Paul Gasol are arguably the most exciting duo of the West. Of course, anybody with Kobe would be. But Gasol is good. He is not given enough credit for what he brings in day in and day out. That’s because he is the second guy in the team. But he is an important piece of the puzzle. The Lakers are good. Very good indeed. But there are many who think they would not have made it to the Finals last year had Manu been more than 40% physically. Hard to tell, but a very good argument that I can certainly see as a possibility.
Phoenix – this is the season where Steve Nash is supposed to decline, right? Well, we have been saying that for the past couple of years, ever since he got his second MVP. And I still don’t see the drop. He is one of the smartest players out there and can carry this team forward. Of course, they need to face the Spurs in the playoffs. If that occurs, don’t be surprised to see the Suns in contention. Shaq is old, but it’s still Shaq. Rebound machine and inside force. Just don’t get fouled big man.
Clippers – Baron Davis brings an excitement that this part of the city has rarely had in the past. Marcus Camby and Chris Kaman are great bigs but Ricky Davis can be key for this team’s success. The Clippers are going forward and may be playing for the last spot for the playoffs in April.
Sacramento – this is a bunch of good players without a star. And that’s why it’s very hard to see them in the playoffs this year. Artest is gone and with him many controversies outside the court. Beno Udrih, Brad Miller, Micky Moore are all good players, but it’s just not enough.
Golden State – Baron Davis is gone. But Stephen Jachson is still in town, along with Corey Maggette and Ronny Turiaf. This is an exciting team all around. They also have a good coach. The question is whether or not they can start playing as a team right away, with the exile of Davis. For fans hopefully they will do that soon, but all we can do at this point is sit and wait.
Northwest Division
Minnesota – Al Jefferson is once again trying to carry this team. But it will not happen. There is no enough talent here to make the playoffs. Maybe if they play as a team for a few games can end up 8-10th… but it’s a stretch.
Jazz – Deron Williams is fantastic. Great vision; great sense of physical capabilities and limitations; and a team player. Kirilenko must stay out of injuries, but Okur and Boozer compliment this team successfully. They might be a surprise and some think they even have a shot at winning it all in the West. Tough, but not impossible. This is a very talented and hardworking team. And they are very very strong at home (37-4 record last season)
Denver – Camby left. Iverson and Anthony are still there. And this team won’t be a contender this year. This is a two-man show and that’s about it. Fun to watch, but there is a lack of on-court discipline that will make them lose enough games not to make the playoffs.
Oklahoma City – First season in a new city. New (bad) name. Same story. Kevin Durant will run this team alone once again. He will put up great numbers, so if you are in a fantasy league don’t doubt to pick him up. But don’t count this team for the post-season.
Portland – Greg Oden is finally a rookie. Brandon Roy is still around. Rudy Fernandez is in town. All I can say is: this is a great young team. They will make the post-season this year, no doubt about that.
Predictions coming up Thrusday!!
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