2014-15 sleepers

[ElectricMayhem]

Walter Sharpe

[JV4MVP]

Valanciunas.

Sleepers: Knicks and Nuggets


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[The Skyhook]

Playing for Team USA this summer is going to do wonders for Anthony Davis. He gets to play with some of the best players in the world and its going to help his development as a player. It would be great to see him lead the Pelicans to the playoffs but the West is so stacked. I have a hard time seeing the Pelicans make the playoffs.

[hands11]

I think people are sleeping on the suns "AGAIN"

Most ppl have them missing out as a 9th seed.
Except I think if Bledsoe returns they can be like the blazers or last year and be a top 4
If Bledsoe returns...

The win/loss with him is way better then a 8th seed

Problem is the comp is so great thats the thing. I think if anybody misses out from last year it's Houston.

The truth is you have like 11 teams that can make it in the west.
Spurs
Thunder
Clippers
Grizzlies
Blazers
Warriors
Dallas
Houston
Suns
Nuggets
Pelicans


Suns,Nuggets,Pelicans,grizzlies all had guys miss significant time.
Bledsoe, Jrue Holliday, Marc Gasol and whole Nuggets roster.

I wouldn't even consider the Suns,Pelicans or Nuggets sleepers.
None of them should be picked to win 16-25 games.

Last year PHX was literally picked to be have no more then 23 wins. That's a real sleeper.
I don't think you'll see the jazz or wolves make it but if they did that would be considered a sleeper IMO.

Out of those 3 teams though I think phx could actually get passed a opening round.
They play all the top teams really well. It will be interesting just like last year I think the bottom half playoff seeds will all be determined on who can stay the healthy.

Seeds 6-11 IMO up for grabs.

Sorry, but you would be reaching to list DEN and NO in that list.

Now if Danilo Gallinari can return to form after missing an entire year after an ACL, then maybe they win a few more games, but I doubt enough to make the playoffs.

Actually, you also have Nate missing the year with an ACL and McGee missing the year with a stress fracture.

That 2 players that misses all of last year and another that missed half the season.

Afflalo was a great pick up so they should be better, but playoffs ? That would be a stretch.

[hands11]

Agreed, can see 50 win team missing the playoffs which really is nuts.

Yeah. It is nuts because its not going to happen. Has that ever happened ?

nearly did last year

Suns won 48

But it didn't happen.

Looks like it happened in 2009/10 and 2007/8 there were 8x 50 win teams but not seeing a 50x that was 9th

http://espn.go.com/nba/standings/_/year/2010 9th was 42 wins
http://espn.go.com/nba/standings/_/year/2008 9th was 48 wins

So 2007/8 was as close as I see

[Deus]

Player: Anthony Davis will become a superstar top 3 player.
Coach: Thibs will finally be given his due as a top 3 coach when he takes Chicago to the ECF.
Team: The Pelicans will win 45-50 games.

[hands11]

Teams

NO Hornets - The addition of Lance doesn't seem like a lot, but in reality they're finally adding a second-ball handler to take pressure away from Kemba. Lance was easily the 2nd best player on Indiana ( West was declining & Hibbert busted out) and they were a top 2 team in the East, he can bring the Hornets into the next tier in the East who are the Raptors & Wizards.

DEN Nuggets - Forgetting this team? They were well on the way to being a annual play-off force but there were more than too many injuries last season and losing Karl didn't help. I think they contend for a spot this year, especially with Faried gaining experience with Team USA

Players
Tobias Harris/ Nikola Vucevic - Even Orlando fans have just been raving about our new rookies and Oladipo, but people are forgetting that along with Oladipo, Tobias has to be a leader this year. Also Vucevic was one of the better offensive Cs in the league already, with development he'll be amazing.

Paul Millsap - Hawks made it into the play-offs despite losing Horford, why? Millsap, coming off his first All-star seasons he'll put it work this season.

You are asking an awful lot of Cody Zeller and a rookie Noah Vonleh

They might put something together the following year, but they aren't keeping up with the Wizards who should be over 50 wins. CHA is going to be in that 43-45 range.

[ufsports]

Brooklyn Nets are talked about as a 8th seed but they're not that bad. With a real coach, more healthiness, and more youth, the Nets could be 5th seeded in the East.
Nuggets had a very unlucky season and could really improve:)

[AdonisDeMarion]

LA will be fine, 5th-8th seed

[LloydFree]

Barring another season long injury-fest to Sanders, the Milwaukee Bucks will finish with a better record than the Celtics and Magic.
The Atlanta Hawks will have a better record than the Miami Heat.

[Duffman100]

I think Anthony Davis cements himself as the 3rd best player in the NBA. Pelicans make the playoffs.

Atlanta will be a top 6 seed in the East. A healthy Horford will make them a hard match.

Raps have a chance to be best in the East. Same team with an improved bench.

[Chriscross]

Speaking of the Pelicans. AD is a beast so lets forget about him for a second

But everyone likes to talk about Holiday, Evans, Asik, Gordon. However, the real sleeper on that team is Ryan Anderson. Seems like the forgotten man on that team. Love his game. Can shoot lights out obviously but a very rugged player who can rebound and isn't afraid to go in the post

[JasonStern]

I think people are sleeping on the suns "AGAIN"

Most ppl have them missing out as a 9th seed.
Except I think if Bledsoe returns they can be like the blazers or last year and be a top 4
If Bledsoe returns...

while I would not be surprised if the Suns made the playoffs, they are not better than at least six of the following:

San Antonio
Oklahoma City
L.A. Clippers
Golden State
Portland
Memphis
Dallas
Houston
Nawlins
Denver

The Nuggets are THE sleeper. Look at that roster if it stays healthy. And they're the deepest team in the league. I think they're contenders if they're healthy.

+1 on this. Faried beasting, Gallinari coming back from injury, acquiring Afflalo for next to nothing, plus this being the second year of Denver running Shaw's system makes them the easy favorite as far as improving on last year's season win total. and yet they're still not a lock for the playoffs in the west.

I think Denver could be with the addition of Afflalo and the return of Gallo and McGee.

This, and I also think the Wolves could surprise a lot of people.

the wolves likely won't be as bad as people are expecting. however, the west is too deep for them to be that competitive this year. solid young core, though.