Ranking the Western Conference

[Breakdown777]

I know that many things are up in the air due to the CBA talks (FA and length of schedule most notably), but where does getting Adelmen put the Wolves in your rankings as of right now.
Mine would have to be:

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

I guess I'd have the Wolves jumping from 13 to 10. New Orleans is the wild card team, I could see them dropping pretty far...but as of right now, they are a playoff team.

[Torcher]

Personally, I would rearrange the list like this:

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

Trying to rank teams for next season is a hard thing to predict. You never know what team or player is going to break out.

[moss_is_1]

^ I expect the rockets to slip down a good chunk, especially if they lose Chuck Hayes. I'd also expect us to be better then PHX, or maybe that's just hoping.

[pumunga]

I see Adelman's Wolves some where around Popovich's Spurs.

[cpfsf]

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

I hope placing the Wolves 11th doesn't make me a homer.

[Dual]

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

[shangrila]

So much can change though. For example, is Memphis half as good if they lose Gasol? Can Denver keep that run going or was it just a late season fluke? Can Jackson do anything with Golden State? Ditto with McHale in Houston, which seems to want a youth movement despite still having a lot of money invested in veterans (Martin, Scola).

[Basti]

Assuming all the teams manage to keep their core pieces (Memphis/Gasol, Dallas/Chandler, Denver/Nene, Smith etc.) and everyone is healthy my WC list looks like this

1. Lakers (too talented and big, an apparently healed and rested Kobe who's going to show the league that he's still got it)
2. Mavs (they want to show they are not a one-and-done team and they'll get Butler and Roddy back)
3. Thunder (too talented. Plus Durant and Westbrook will most likely make another step, even a small one)
4. Grizzlies (they might wanna prove their playoff run was not a fluke. A lot depends on what they're doing with OJ.)
5. Spurs (although they are over the hill, you can never count out a Duncan/Popovich team)
6. Nuggets (just too deep if they can keep their players)
7. Blazers (they know how to grind out wins, even if half their roster is out with injuries. I wish Oden was finally healthy for an entire season.)
8. Clippers (yes, I can see them making the post season. Just too talented to not make it. A lot of their success depends on their health and luck, though. I just wished they'd get a new owner anytime soon.)
9. Hornets (Chris Paul is just too good for them to drop too low. They'll most likely remain in the playoff hunt until the last two or three games but just fall short in the end.)
10. Suns (kinda like the Hornets.)
11. Warriors (they are a mixed bag. I can totally see them being dead last with their unproven coach but they have the talent to be in the playoff race until the last few weeks.)
12. Wolves (We have the talent, no doubt about it, I just don't see them clicking early in the season. I expect them to have an awful record until mid season when they finally seem to click. Rubio will also take some time to get used to the NBA game.)
13. Kings (if everyone is healthy and their chemistry is okay, they should end up much higher but you never know. Hopefully for them, Tyreke's ankles hold up. And/or Cousins matures a little. A huge negative would be their coach. I have to admit I have little knowledge of him but Kings fans seem to hate him. Thus it can't be completely untrue.)
14. Rockets (I can see them developing their young big men instead of trying to make the post season. There's a chance that they'll end up much higher [9th-11th place] but there are too many factors that tell me they'll end up very low.)
15. Jazz (if the last part of the last season is any indicator, they'll be in for the #1 pick race. The fact that Sloan is no longer there to keep their inexperienced roster afloat, makes me think they'll just try to develop their young talents.)

My top 3 is very interchangeable. I think it comes down to one or two wins to decide which team will be #1.