2008-2009 Western Conference Predictions

WCDYNASTY · Post #1 » by **WCDYNASTY** » Mon Oct 27, 2008 1:15 pm

2008-2009 WESTERN CONFERENCE

1 - Los Angeles Lakers
2 - New Orleans Hornets
3 - Houston Rockets
4 - Utah Jazz
5 - Dallas Mavericks
6 - San Antonio Spurs
7 - Phoenix Suns
8 - Portland Trailblazers

Honorable Mention - Denver Nuggets

NBA Finals - Lakers and Celtics again

Explanation - Lakers getting to the Finals last season and now adding Bynum will repeat as West Conf champs and return to the NBA Finals, Odom leads great 2nd unit off bench. New Orleans Hornets with Chris Paul and addition of Posey off bench should be very good, good for 2nd. Houston Rockets have potential to make 2nd spot but I don't see them being healthy 100% of the season, if their big 3 stay healthy most of the season I think they look good for 3rd. Utah Jazz has same team, Kirilenko off the bench to lead 2nd unit, good for 4th. Dallas Mavericks will be good as long as healthy, aging players, mediocre bench, not sure how good Antoine Wright will be as starting SG, good for 5th. San Antonio Spurs, the oldest team in the NBA, will be without Ginobli for at least a month, with elderly starters in Bowen/Finley/Thomas they are good for 6th. Phoenix Suns will be good but this team cant rely on Shaq being healthy all season, Suns lowering Nash's minutes, injury prone Stoudemire, good for 7th. Portland Trailblazers had good team last season barely missing the playoffs, this season Oden pushes them into the playoffs at the 8th spot in a very good Western Conference. My honorable mention team is the Denver Nuggets, I see them possibly taking the 8th spot but I don't see how they could be better than last years team without their only good defense player Camby gone and replacing him with injury prone Nene, they also have injury prone Kenyon Martin and average PG in Anthony Carter, if I was them I'd start Iverson at PG and fill in JR Smith at SG.

DEEP3CL · Post #2 » by **DEEP3CL** » Mon Oct 27, 2008 3:42 pm

1.-LAKERS
2.-HORNETS
3.-JAZZ
4.-ROCKETS
5.-SPURS
6.-SUNS
7.-MAVS
8.-BLAZERS

Just Missing The Cut
Clippers

CITYOFANGELSX3 · Post #3 » by **CITYOFANGELSX3** » Mon Oct 27, 2008 7:00 pm

lol @ the mavericks 5th. They'll be lucky to make the playoffs. Also, Blazers will be 6th if they stay healthy. As a laker fan, i want no part of them in the 1st round.

That Nicka · Post #4 » by **That Nicka** » Mon Oct 27, 2008 9:04 pm

1. Lakers
2. Hornets
3. Rockets
4. Jazz
5. Spurs
6. Suns
7. Mavs
8. Blazers

VIPER8382 · Post #5 » by **VIPER8382** » Mon Oct 27, 2008 9:29 pm

Here is my take on the Western Conference

1. Lakers
2. Rockets
3. Blazers
4. Hornets
5. Jazz
6. Spurs
7. Suns
8. Clippers
9. Mavericks
10. Warriors
11. Timberwolves
12. Nuggets
13. Kings
14. Grizzlies
15. Thunder

*** obviously this assumes all teams are healthy all year (which we all know won't happen) ***

Desiderium · Post #6 » by **Desiderium** » Mon Oct 27, 2008 9:56 pm

blazers at third??? jeez man. way too much credit for a team who hasnt proved anything yet. i know their young and talented, but 3rd ahead of NO is insane imo

Post #7 » by **dockingsched** » Mon Oct 27, 2008 10:07 pm

1. lakers
2. rockets
3. jazz
4. hornets
5. suns
6. spurs
7. blazers
8. mavs
9. clippers
10. nuggets
11. wolves
12. kings
13. warriors
14. grizzlies
15. thunder

daddyfivestar · Post #8 » by **daddyfivestar** » Mon Oct 27, 2008 10:42 pm

1. Lakers 64-18
(36-5 home, 28-13 road, 40-12 vs west, 24-6 vs east, 13-3 vs div)
2. New Orleans
3. Houston
4. Utah
5. San Antonio
6. Phoenix
7. Portland
8. Dallas

1st rd: Lakers over Dallas (4-0)
2nd rd: Lakers over San Antonio (4-1)
WCF: Lakers over New Orleans (4-2)
Finals: Lakers over Cleveland (4-2)

ronnymac2 · Post #9 » by **ronnymac2** » Mon Oct 27, 2008 11:06 pm

I don't really care about getting homecourt for us, except against houston. Just have a better record than houston. I know the rockets have lost WITH homecourt the past 2 seasons....but i think this season will be different....they'll be more dangerous. I think we can beat them regardless of home-court, but I'd def prefer having that safety net to help us out against them.

Otherwise, right now, I'm confident that by the time the playoffs start, we'll be able to take anybody on, no matter who has the homecourt. I do see the lakers being in the first or second spot though. And winning the wcf, too. Not a given of course, but my prediction, and expectation.

Verbal · Post #10 » by **Verbal** » Tue Oct 28, 2008 12:07 am

Four teams fighting for the bottom two playoff spots:

1. Mavs - two former MVPs

2. Nuggets - AI's contract season

3. Clippers - "He's the hardest guy to guard in the league" -Dwade on Baron Davis

4. Blazers - young, deep, and hungry.

David Stern should update the playoff brackets into the TOP 16 format if the West keeps dominating the regular season stats.

Dexmor · Post #11 » by **Dexmor** » Wed Oct 29, 2008 3:28 pm

Mavs have 2 former mvps? Do you mean Jason Kidd because he actually lost that year to Duncan,
By the way I agree with the first guy.

hermes · Post #12 » by **hermes** » Wed Oct 29, 2008 3:31 pm

lakers will go undefeated and win it all