Whoever thought that the Western Conference was the dominant league in the NBA, this off season has made it clear. Every team who is expected to win the title has gotten better with the draft and some key off-season acquisitions.Of course the early favorite to win the west has to be the Lakers, who also are primed for another championship run. With the addition of Ron Artest, their defense will be more dominant than ever before. Matching him up with two 7-footers, and sixth man Lamar Odom will be scary. Speaking of Odom, he just re-signed with LA adding what will be another productive season for the bench.
In all of that, you still haven't heard the name KOBE BRYANT. That's because this LA team doesn't have to rely on him as much as they did before. Obviously he is the main attraction but his presence cause so much chaos that his teammates shine more. Now with Ron Artest, he won't have to create as many shots for his teammates, and maybe will be even more deadly. Either way LA will be on top of the west once the playoffs start.
Even though I have a clear dislike for this team, they are looking really strong once again. And I'm talking about the San Antonio Spurs. They may be the whole bunch in the league but they still have a chance to regain glory. They added Richard Jefferson, who will give them a strong wing man who can easily score 20 a night. You match him up with all-stars Tony Parker, Manu Ginobili, and Tim Duncan and you have another winnable team. Only thing that may keep the Spurs out of the hunt for the west crown or even an NBA title, will be injuries. They played a big role last year, and can do the same this year.
Up next is the Dallas Mavericks, who are a bit old themselves but still have the right players to contend. We all know about Nowitzki and all he can do to help this team get over the edge. Finally, he has some help that will maybe make it easier for him to produce constantly. The Mavs added Shawn Marion who will brighten their offense, and sharpen their D, which is skeptical. The big question the Mavs have to answer is, who will be the sixth man this year. Jason Terry was great at this role last year, but if the Mavs want to be atop of the west the Terry has to start, and you move Josh Howard to the bench.
The Denver Nuggets, who everyone just become fans of should be worrying. they really didn't add anyone to help them compete with a much talented West. Unless the duo of Chauncey Billups and Carmelo Anthony stay healthy and dominant this season, while J.R. Smith is lighting it up off the bench, then they should be worried. They could go from being a #2 seed last year, to anywhere from 3-6. and clearly they benefited from having home court advantage, so losing it would be a tremendous downgrade for them.
The sleeper again in the west has to be the Portland Trail Blazers, who are young and now have experience having made the playoffs last year and almost advancing past the first round. They were hoping to snag a key free agent, which they didn't but they're still one of the teams who can cause chaos. Brandon Roy will have yet another successful season and lead this team to the playoffs, however I doubt they will make any noise unless they get a better power forward like David Lee, or Carlos Boozer.
Those are the 5 guaranteed teams. The other 4 teams who will be vying for playoffs spots are somewhat uncertain. The Hornet will definitely make it after adding Emeka Okafor, but where they'll be positioned is a bit up in the air. They can be like the 07 -08 team which was seeding #2, or the 08-09 team that finished 7th in the West. The Jazz are so unpredictable that they can even have their own show. their trying to get rid of Boozer who can make them a clear contender if healthy. They are so invested in this Millsap kid that they're giving up on right now, and worrying about the future. The Phoenix Suns will be another sleeper, because you don't know what you're going to get outta them. They still have Steve Nash and Amar'e Stoudemire which on any given day can beat you, but will they stay healthy and if so how good can they be is the question.
The predicted Western Conference standings when the season is over, and playoff time comes around.
- Los Angeles Lakers
- San Antonio Spurs
- Denver Nuggets
- Dallas Mavericks
- Portland Trail Blazers
- New Orleans Hornets
- Utah Jazz
- Phoenix Suns
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