The rest of the west

[jazzy_jeff]

For all the spectulation of the Suns future, I'm concernd with what the rest of the west could look like in 2010-2011. The west is already tough enough, and I see more teams on the upswing than on the downswing:
- LA should be able to remain about in the same position
- Dallas and San Antonio might slip a bit, because they are getting older (and obviously if Dallas loses Nowitzki, they fall off significantly)
- Utah is scary if they are healthy, and could win a lot more, although they also get an asterix because of the uncertain future of Boozer
- Denver should probably remain in that 50-win neighborhood
- Okalhoma, Portland, and Memphis are all poised to make big jumps
- Houston and New Orleans should bounce back from off years
- the Clippers, Golden State, Sacramento, and even Minnesota are all way down in the standings, but also young and talented, so as logic goes, they should improve too

And this all goes without assuming anyone adds a big free-agent

I'm not so much worried about the Suns in 2011. It's everyone else that worries me

[DirtyDez]

We'll probably know by Mid-July who ends up where. A healthy CP3 guarantees the Hornets a playoff bid. Houston will go after Amare/Bosh/Boozer/Lee. OKC/Portland are guaranteed playoff teams next season. The Warriors are playoff threat next season as was Memphis this year. Spurs/Mavs/Nuggets will do what they do. If the Clippers get Rudy Gay + a healthy B-Griffin they're a lock for May. Doesn't look good for us and Utah.

[jazzy_jeff]

We'll probably know by Mid-July who ends up where. A healthy CP3 guarantees the Hornets a playoff bid. Houston will go after Amare/Bosh/Boozer/Lee. OKC/Portland are guaranteed playoff teams next season. The Warriors are playoff threat next season as was Memphis this year. Spurs/Mavs/Nuggets will do what they do. If the Clippers get Rudy Gay + a healthy B-Griffin they're a lock for May. Doesn't look good for us and Utah.

Well that's not the "everything is going to be alright" reassurance-type answer I was looking for, it is the truth.

Really, you can make a case for everyone in the West except Minnesota and Sacramento being a playoff team next year.
And of those teams, you can probably make a case for everyone except for the Warriors and Clippers, and maybe Memphis, winning 50 games.
Scary.

[sunskerr]

I'd be surprised if the 50 win playoff entrance required slipped. It's not like any teams in the west are really posed to sign a big free agent, though. Looks like more of the same actually. But you know, while those teams young guns are improving, so are ours. So, we should be concerned with our own team, ala stoudemire.

[impulsenine]

I wish we could just declare ourselves an Eastern team so we could be the #1-3 seed and have a cakewalk through the first two rounds of the playoffs.

[Mr. Sun]

I wish we could just declare ourselves an Eastern team so we could be the #1-3 seed and have a cakewalk through the first two rounds of the playoffs.

Relax, Kobe is getting older and probably due for a major injury soon

[lilfishi22]

Meh teams:
The Mavericks are going to be up there again next season. They are going ot be stacked with talent once again and experts are going to predict they'll get a top 4 seed. And then we'll see a repeat of what happened in recent Mavs history.

Denver will be competitive but unless they finally come together as a team on the offensive end, it's just going to be iso plays all game and it's not going to get it done.

Lakers will probably be 1st seed again so meh.

Sneaky dangerous:
Jazz are always dangerous even though on paper they don't seem all that good. Even if they don't get Boozer back, they'll still have Milsap and that guy's a straight baller.

I still see big things for the Blazers. They've got plenty of depth in every position and for them it's just about staying healthy, which is weird since they are one of the youngest teams in the NBA.

OKC will be OKC. Depending how they play in the FA and if they could sign guys to cover their weaknesses (size up front and maybe a post scorer) then they could easily be a top 4 team.

San Antonio is a tough one, you just never know with them. RJ was a mistake (a co$tly one) but they were still pretty damn impressive. With the savvy of their FO, they will always be competitive as long as Duncan can still do basketball things. I guess we have to wait until Duncan retires or completely breaks down before we could write them off.


Comeback teams:
New Orleans is going to be competitive as long as CP3 is on the court. They're in some money troubles at the moment but even with the lineup they have now, they could still be a playoff team without any FA pickups

Houston is a team I'm pretty excited to see. With all the injuries and trades this season, it seems impressive they still wont as many games as they did. 50 win season isn't hard to fathom when they get Yao back and fully integrate K-Mart into their lineup.

As Basketballbawful says, they are who we thought they were . . teams:
- the Clippers, Golden State, Sacramento, and Minnesota. Young, talented but not enough to make a splash.

Left the Suns out because no other team in the West is experiencing what we're in now, the chance to lose one of our top players with no one to replace him with. Either way, I think we could still be in the sneaky dangerous category.

[grumpysaddle]

Meh teams:
The Mavericks are going to be up there again next season. They are going ot be stacked with talent once again and experts are going to predict they'll get a top 4 seed. And then we'll see a repeat of what happened in recent Mavs history.

Denver will be competitive but unless they finally come together as a team on the offensive end, it's just going to be iso plays all game and it's not going to get it done.

Lakers will probably be 1st seed again so meh.

Sneaky dangerous:
Jazz are always dangerous even though on paper they don't seem all that good. Even if they don't get Boozer back, they'll still have Milsap and that guy's a straight baller.

I still see big things for the Blazers. They've got plenty of depth in every position and for them it's just about staying healthy, which is weird since they are one of the youngest teams in the NBA.

OKC will be OKC. Depending how they play in the FA and if they could sign guys to cover their weaknesses (size up front and maybe a post scorer) then they could easily be a top 4 team.

San Antonio is a tough one, you just never know with them. RJ was a mistake (a co$tly one) but they were still pretty damn impressive. With the savvy of their FO, they will always be competitive as long as Duncan can still do basketball things. I guess we have to wait until Duncan retires or completely breaks down before we could write them off.


Comeback teams:
New Orleans is going to be competitive as long as CP3 is on the court. They're in some money troubles at the moment but even with the lineup they have now, they could still be a playoff team without any FA pickups

Houston is a team I'm pretty excited to see. With all the injuries and trades this season, it seems impressive they still wont as many games as they did. 50 win season isn't hard to fathom when they get Yao back and fully integrate K-Mart into their lineup.

As Basketballbawful says, they are who we thought they were . . teams:
- the Clippers, Golden State, Sacramento, and Minnesota. Young, talented but not enough to make a splash.

Left the Suns out because no other team in the West is experiencing what we're in now, the chance to lose one of our top players with no one to replace him with. Either way, I think we could still be in the sneaky dangerous category.

Suns lose Amar'e, they need to go full force for David Lee. The offense of Stat is still missing, but DLee isn't awful on that side, not a great defender/maybe slightly better than Amar'e, and a helllllllllllllllllll of a lot better a rebounder. If a scenario like this were to occur and be the only real change from this year's lineup, I don't see why the Suns can't wind up in the 2-4 seed next year. Everyone underestimated (and overestimated teams like LAC/Warriors) last offseason, and I don't think if the Suns wound up 2-4 seed it would be all that surprising, just like I didn't think it was surprising that they ended up 3rd seed this season.

[DaDragicShow]

A lot of teams in the west will improve but I don't think Suns will drop that much. Hopefully Phx remains in 3-5 range for next season.

[DRK]

I dont see the Suns repeating a 3rd seed. Even if the Suns DO lose Amare, I reckon we could scrape 7th or 8th seed in the West.

[MaryvalesFinest]

#7-8 seed with Amare and a #7-8 seed without him

[DaDragicShow]

#7-8 seed with Amare and a #7-8 seed without him