What's going on blog world? Took a lot longer break in between writing my preview for the Western Conference following my Eastern Conference preview but I still wanted to at least get it in before the season started, so when I'm right, I'll have proof lol. Looking at all of the offseason moves, I think that the Western Conference will probably feature a lot of the same from last year with a few changes here and there.
1. LA Lakers- Until somebody defeats them, they are still the champs and the addition of Ron Artest may have just strengthened their hold on at least the Western Conference, if not the NBA as a whole. The Lakers still feature the deepest and most talented roster in the NBA but they have a great chance of falling prey to hungry teams such as San Antonio, Denver, and Dallas if they don't remain focused and if they allow issues to begin in their locker room. If they play the lock down defense that they have the capability of, teams will be hard pressed to knock them off.
2. San Antonio Spurs- Even though I have never been a fan of the Spurs, their talent is unquestioned. The additions of Richard Jefferson and DeJuan Blair and Antonio McDyess and healthy Tony Parker and Manu Ginobli make the Spurs the prime team to challenge the Lakers for Western Conference supremacy. If they are healthy, they just may be tied at the end of the season with the Lake Show.
3. Denver Nuggets- My favorite team to watch and play with on the 360. Though they were kind of quiet in the offseason, Aaron Afflalo will surely help assist in the production of their bench and the experience that JR Smith and Carmelo Anthony gained from playing against the Lakers will surely help in keeping them in the top half of the standings and if their defense improves greatly, they may be able to run right past the Lakers.
4. Dallas Mavericks- I was really surprised when a lot of teams passed on Shawn Marion in the offseason and I think that he will really mesh will with the Mavericks and especially with him being reunited with Jason Kidd, he will be able to be able to make a quick transition. Though the Mavericks are top heavy with talent (Kidd, Marion, Dirk, Josh Howard, Jason Terry), I still think they are a step beneath the top 3 teams. Marion will help greatly though in closing that gap.
5. Portland TrailBlazers- Over the past couple years, each season I've thought that Portland would easily win the West because they are so deep and every year, they make a big run and then fade into the dust. Andre Miller will help plenty in facilitating the offense for the Blazers and if they work well together, they may move up in the rankings, but I remain weary of them until I can see that they show they can handle the pressure of the playoffs.
6. Utah Jazz- The Jazz are nearly in the same boat as the Portland TrailBlazers because though they have an abundance of talent, the success of the regular season has not been able to translate into the postseason. If Carlos Boozer is able to put all of the confusion about getting traded this offseason, and this team remains healthy, they can be a scare for any Western Conference teams in the playoffs.
7. New Orleans Hornets- Though the Hornets basically traded for another David West when they taded for Emeka Okafor, Chris Paul still gives them a chance to win every night and will win plenty of games for them. I think it may just be time to start over in N.O. and I believe the team started to show signs of that with the trade of Tyson Chandler.
8. LA Clippers- I went back and forth in my mind about this pick and finally decided on the Clippers because they are the deepest team left, other than perhaps the Golden State Warriors. With some older players on their roster, health and rest will remain a concern, but with Baron Davis, Eric Gordon, Blake Griffin, Al Thornton and Chris Kaman, they have plenty of offensive weapons to throw at teams.
Teams that may sneak into the playoffs: Memphis Grizzlies, Golden State Warriors, Oklahoma City Thunder and Phoenix Sun.
Lottery Bound Teams- Houston Rockets, Sacramento Kings and Minnesota Timberwolves
God Bless...PromoDave Signing Out...
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