pr0wler wrote:The West will NOT be tougher next year. San Antonio and Phoenix are on their way out. Denver and Utah have reached their peak and will only decline as their players age. The only team that will make a marketable improvement are the Thunder who will be contenders in the Western Conference, along with the Rockets. With Yao Ming the Rockets have a very strong and balanced starting 5 with a solid bench. Their rotation could look like this, if they draft Cole Aldrich.
PG - Brooks/Lowry
SG - Martin/Budinger
SF - Battier/Ariza
PF - Scola/J.Hill
C - Yao/Aldrich
Reserves: Jared Jeffries, David Andersen, Garrett Temple
TOP 3 teams next year in the west in order...
1. Lakers
2. Rockets
3. Thunder
Book it.
Everyone count Phoenix out last year, look who just came back stronger this season. San Antonio is never healthy this season like last. As long as Tim Duncan still can put up 20/10, you can't count them out. Did you just ignore Dallas or what? Sure you count those old team out, but you also left out those young team like Portland. How about Memphis?