So, as promised, here is my revised order of how I see the west playing out this season based on off season moves made (or not made) to date.
To visit the original preview, click here. What follows below is commentary BUT only on teams who’s position has changed since the original seeding:
1. Houston - at this point, its really hard to argue against Houston’s the number 1 seed. Although I swore in the last preview that would never drink the kool-aid again, that was before the Artest deal. I still think they are one move away from being the all out #1 seed in the league (they need to add a point guard)- but even without resigning Landry, its hard to argue against the sheer talent that Houston can now field in its starting five and its 6-8 players, regardless of who starts:
for example:
Yao, Scola, Artest, McGrady, and Alston - with Battier, Berry, Landry, and Head off the bench
or
Yao, Artest, Battier, McGrady, and Alston - with Scola, Berry, Landry, and Head off the bench
and lets not forget, this team won 55 games without Artest and just missed the #1 seed last season.
2. Los Angeles Lakers - After countless hours arguing against the Lakers in my last preview, I now concede to Lakers fans that until someone else bumps them off, it is not fair for me to rank them any lower than the 2 seed, after all, they are replacing Turiaf with Bynum, which should help. BUT the bigger reason for me moving the Lakers up - is that now that Artest is in Houston, it is almost a certainty that Odom stays in LA, which I have said many times is essential to their success as a team- and part of my concern about this team heading into the FA market, was that they would move Odom for Artest or Matrix.
3. Utah - I still think this may be the best team in the west over the course of a full season (check out my last preview for all the reasons), BUT one biggy to mention here: Deron Williams has re-upped and Boozer is talking like he and Okur may not bolt after all.
4. New Orleans- It’s pretty much a crime, that any rankings or order places a team that won 56 games last year, has arguably the best pg (and maybe the best player) in basketball, and added a defensive stopper who can shoot the 3 with championship experience - as the 4 seed. But really, where else can I put them? They wont win their division now that Houston has made the Artest deal. LA fans would crash this site the amount of complaints it would generate if I placed them ahead of the Lakers - and they haven’t done anything since my last posting to sway me to place them ahead of Utah.
5.San Antonio - Another snooze-fest of a 50+ win season and deep playoff run- even if Berry, Horry, and Finley don’t return.
6. Golden State - I really like what Mullin did here. I usually am not a GS fan and I was really curious about the decision to sign Maggette for so much cash, but to quote myself:
“many people wont agree - but resigning Ellis, Azubuike, and Biedrins, and adding Magette, Turiaf and Randolph really improves this team. Lets face it, they had to choose between Nellie and Baron and I think they made the right choice. Add-in the Marcus Williams trade and you gotta give Chris Mullin credit…when Baron bolted I thought this team was toast and now you’ll see this team rise in my next western conference preview.”
7. Portland - No change.
8. Los Angeles Clippers - This now pushes DAL, PHEO, and DEN out of the playoffs, and just to recap what I said last time:
Phoenix - “I really don’t like this team. I don’t like its hire for coach, I still don’t like the trading of Marion, and more than anything else- I hate how they have done nothing to address their issues of needing a back-up point guard and a wing player to compliment Hill.“ and where before I felt like the talent of Amare with Shaq, Bell, Diaw, and Barbosa was too good to not win a minimum of 48 games and make the playoffs- Im not so sure anymore.
Dallas - too old too quick. Im not sure they can recover from the JKidd trade and the Josh Howard debacle just by hiring Carlisle. And while he is a great coach, isn’t he just like Avery? Controlling, Demanding, half-court oriented? Dirk is awesome, but the rest of this team is garbage- and they have no bench. Its time to blow it up.
Denver - Why trade Camby for a 2nd round pick if you truly believe you are a contender? Kmart and Nene are not a strong enough defense to make up for a back court of AI and Melo. This team is in trouble - because they may score 120 points a night but they are going to give up 130, easy.
As always, I’m the Doctor, I’m standing in the key and I’m planning on taking a charge!
phdsteve
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August 1st, 2008 at 5:00 pm
phdsteve,
Nice job!
I don’t really agree with very many, if any, of your picks … but nothing says your rationale is unsound in any way.
Reasonable (and knowledgeable) people can always agree to disagree.
Are we on yet for our friendly wager, re: which team wins the NBA championship first, from this point forward, between the Houston Rockets with Yao Ming and the LA Lakers with Andrew Bynum? (winner gets a guest column on the loser’s blog)
re: As always, I’m the Doctor, I’m standing in the key and I’m planning on taking a charge!
phdsteve
Although ‘the Doctor’ I’m aware of may never have actually taken a ‘charge’ at any point in his career …
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rpTfb9SkKaQ&feature=related … #9, #5 and #3 are amongst my personal favs.
Keep On Truck’n
khandors last blog post..Game Time: USA vs Turkey, Take I & II
August 1st, 2008 at 6:24 pm
dont really agree with your top 8 but cant really argue cause you do make great arguments. i just dont see Artest making the Rockets the #1 seed. reuniting him with Adelman is probably the best for Artest, but still the guys been nothing but a distraction since the BRAWL in Detroit.
I think the Mavs will still be in the playoff hunt. i like your pick with the Clippers making the final spot…i like what they’ve done this off season. Phoenix will be around aswell, there are a lot of mediocre teams in the nba that the Suns will light up with their offence
August 2nd, 2008 at 1:46 pm
Not bad steve, agree with these ones more than last that’s for sure. I still gotta say you have to have Lakers in first, for the simple fact that you’d take the Lakers starting 5 over the Houston starting 5 any day (or let alone their top 4 of Bynum, Odom, Gasol, and Kobe over Yao, T-Mac, Artest, and Alston/Battier?). They don’t have a solid point which they need, while the Lakers run the triangle and have a solid spot up shooter and post-passer which is all they need in Fisher. As well, Lakers got PJ, he has to factor in there somewhere. Add on to all that the fact that T-Mac and both Yao are extremely injury prone, and Artest is close to a ticking time bomb when it comes to ruining team chemistry, and I just can’t see you NOT putting Lakers at #1. I concede, Gasol has been fairly injury prone through his career as well and Bynum is coming off a big injury, but you do not see the big name of KOBE in that injury prone category, and that is a big +. Gotta give more respect to the Lakers than being below Houston, a team that hasn’t even played a game together as of yet. These rankings are how you see the west playing out in the regular season right? Well then you also have to factor in there will be an adjustment process for Houston, as incorporating Artest into their rotation will be no small feat (will they go small, bring Battier or him off the bench, etc.), while NO, LAL, and UTA will all come blazing out of the gates. Gotta go with these for my personal rankings:
1. Lakers
2. NO
3. Utah
4. San An
5. Houston
6. Phoenix
7. Portland
8. Dallas
P.S. I still figure trios of Shaq, Amare, and Nash (you didn’t even mention him), and J-Kidd, Howard, and Dirk are better than that of Camby, Kaman, and Bdiddy. Clippers still a scorer away from being a playoff team in this West, and no way for sure that Phoenix misses the playoffs. C’mon Steve, show the Lakers a little love, which they rightfully earned last year!
August 2nd, 2008 at 2:03 pm
am i the only one who was dissapointed how phil jackson performed during the finals? i mean…mihm? come on…
August 2nd, 2008 at 2:44 pm
Tracy McGrady’s injury proneness gets overstated. He’s only played under 70 games three times in his career and in two of those seasons he played 66 and 67 games, the other was a lowly 47 games.
Over the last 10 years Kobe has played in 91% of available games and Tracy has played in 87% of available games. If you remove that one season where he missed half a year Tracy is right up there at 90.3%.
Also the biggest issue with Tracy has been the much reported upon back problems. He’s had no noteworthy issues with his back for over two years now since finding a better way to treat it.
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Phil Jackson was his usual self in the Finals. Phil is the type of coach who preaches a particular style of play and gets his team to stick to their game plan through anything. That’s how he works.
Now a guy like Larry Brown or Pat Riley. These are X+O’s guys. These guys will force you to react to different things and they will readily try to make it a coaching battle through adjustments. These types of coaches exploit their lessers to a far greater degree. Coaches like Phil just stay on their same course.
Unfortunately Phil’s game plan wasn’t good enough. The Lakers were the worse team and were going to win. Leaving him scrambling and unable to come up with a better plan - mainly because it didn’t exist.
Daves last blog post..Detroit Hold Onto Herrmann
August 2nd, 2008 at 2:52 pm
The Golden State Warriors have no hope of making the playoffs. They’ll be battling Sacramento for 10th place in the Conference. They’ve got a weak team.
Also Nellie has said “Baron’s coming out next week. It’ll be good to see him. I miss him.” Baron is heading out to Maui to see his good friend. There was no “one or the other” situation, they got along brilliantly and still do.
The Clippers have a shot at the eight seed but I have them third in a three way race for that spot. The Clippers will be far superior to GSW.
I have the Suns and the Mavs in my 8 instead of the Clippers and Warriors.
Daves last blog post..Detroit Hold Onto Herrmann