Seed the West

[Aeternus]

1. LAL
2. OKC
3. LAC
4. SAS
5. MEM
6. DEN
7. DAL
8. MIN
9. UTA
10. PHO
11.GSW
12. SAC
13. POR
14. NOH
15. HOU

I like this, just with LAC and SAS inverted. Maybe GSW sneaking to the 8th seed in the unlikely chance of a completely healthy season.

[franktony]

I don't see LAC finishing the RS with a better record than San Antonio. They still have DAJ starting and they still have Del Negro as a coach. SA finished 1st in the West in the last 2 seasons and i don't see them not in the top 3. The only teams that can have a better record in the RS are OKC and LAL.

San Antonio kept the core intact, they will have Boris and S-Jax the whole pre-season and they added a talented guard in De Colo. SA has more depth and more talent overall IMO.

I think it goes :

1 - Thunder
2 - Lakers
3 - Spurs
4 - Clippers
5 - Memphis
6 - Dallas
7 - Denver
8 - Minny

Don't think Utah makes it this year. A fully healthy Minny, even with all the dumb moves that Kahn has made this off-season, is a very good team. And they have a nice coach as well.

[Trader_Joe]

I guess I feel as though TD and Manu can't do it forever and sometime they have to fall off. S.jax and Diaw aren't exactly young and other than Leonard I don't see much internal growth to count on.

Meanwhile I like the Clippers offseason of Odom, G.Hill and maybe Crawford. Assuming griffin and Billups are healthy they have potential to better than last year where they started so well. I agree Jordan is a weakness but at least they have depth at center and Odom gives them a lot of versatility in a small ball lineup.

[TheNewEra]

Injuries can always be a factor if they hit LAC could jump the spurs and even then considering the team has better depth to start the season rather than toward the end. Jordan is a extremely hard worker and has improved every season and will continue to do so next season. Coaches are raving about his in the gym work and how he learning more and being more comfortable on the floor.

[marsblazer]

1. OKc
2. SAS
3. LaL
4. MeM
5. MiN
6. DeN
7. GsW
8. LaC
9. UtA
10. DaL
11. PoR
12. SaC
13. PhX
14. NoH
15. HoU
More based on who I think will stay healthy. Gsw gotta have one healthy season. Dallas got real old. If Min stays healthy they are dangerous.

[BJGOAT3]

OKC
LAL
SAS
MEM
LAC
DAL
MIN
GSW
PHO
DEN
UTA
POR
SAC
HOU
NOH

[Mr Grant Hill]

I guess I feel as though TD and Manu can't do it forever and sometime they have to fall off. S.jax and Diaw aren't exactly young and other than Leonard I don't see much internal growth to count on.

Manu played only like 30 games, was very efficient, but averaged 'only' 13PPG. Parker just turned 30, yeah really old .
After they acquired Jackson and Diaw they had a RS record of 20-2 or something and managed to win 10 consecutive PS games (most by a large margin).
Can't believe people are still sleeping on the Spurs.

[jazzfan1971]

1 - OKC - OKC at their peak
2 - Lakers - Nash + Lakers = good stuff.
3 - Clips - Little worried about health, but, ok.
4 - Memphis - Nice solid team.
5 - Denver - Another nice solid team.
6 - Utah - Yet another nice solid team.
7 - San Antonio - Just too shallow to maintain dominance.
8 - Minny - Only if Rubio is healthy.
9 - Dallas - Unlike most I see a train wreck.
10 - GSW - Vastly improved, but, still too shallow.
11 - SAC - Running in mud.
12 - NOH - Could finish higher actually. High as #10.
13 - POR - Unless I"m missing something they are starting rookies at PG and C? Unless there is lightning in that bottle they will struggle.
14 - PHO - I see a train wreck, some of you see playoffs. Wildly divergent opinions here.
15 - HOU - Should get a nice draft pick.

[bjaxking24]

1. OKC
2. SAS
3. LAL
4. LAC
5. DEN
6. MEM
7. MIN
8. DAL
9. UTA
10. SAC
11. GSW
12. POR
13. PHX
14. NOH
15. HOU

[nykballa2k4]

1. OKC
2. Spurs
3. Lakers
4. Memphis
5. Clippers
6. Dallas
7. Denver
8. Phoenix

#1: Lakers should get it, Nash always get the most out of his teams. My guess is he will have input on offensive schemes and Pau Gasol seems recharged. Without or without Howard, this team is the BEST club in the west.

#2: Thunder. This team still needs that interior presence. Finals team last season, I do not see a big drop off, Lakers got a lot better, Thunder will be the 1b team in the west this year.

#3: Spurs. I don't bet against team Popovic.

#4: Clippers. Did they get better? a little bit. With Billups healthy last season they were scary. With Billups, Crawford they should be a little bit better record wise.

#5: Mavericks. Retooled Mavericks club. IMO Howard will arrive in Dallas in January. Made a lot of shrewd signings, class A program.

#6: Timbertrolls. Wolves turned trash into treasure. AK47 along with Love and Pek will be a formidable frontcourt, about as good as any in the west. Rubio is a great playmaker albeit a sloppy/injured one. Again the coach here is what gives me faith.

#7: Grizzlies. Gay and Zach somehow do not play well together. Mayo left without being replaced. Marc is good, but they need to make a trade. Still a top 3 team if in the east, but in the west and their lack of that "superstar" Griz will be a 7th seed. The Atlanta Hawks of the west.

#8: Warriors. Surprise team of the year. This club comes in healthy with Bogut (top 3 center in the league) Lee, Curry and a team full of gunners -- this team could make Mike D'Antoni blush with their running and gunning. Health is what separates this team from being the 15th in the west tho.

Out of the playoffs.

#9: Denver. Nuggets have amassed a quality ensemble of role players, or replaceable parts. I am a believer in winning requires players playing above their salary. They have 2 players Lawson and Faried, capable of doing so. They had better be buyers at the deadline because they need a big name or a big draft pick.

#10: Jazz. Size = wins in the NBA Jazz have a lot of bigs, they will be around 500 and wind up 10th. They need a back court and a small forward to make the playoffs.

#11: Suns. Here is the beginning of the cliff. Seed 10 will be about 500, seed 11 will be closer to 400. PHX has unproven prospects at almost every position. Gortat will have to show he is a legit player and not a stat pad machine.

#12: Kings. Solid size, Jimmer and Tyreke are good players.

#13: Hornets. Eric Gordon is a good player. They made a nice little trade to gain a little more size. Davis will provide defense. I don't have much good to say about the product that will wind up on the court though.

#14: LaMarcus Aldridge. Batum is overrated and now overpaid. Alderidge is a top pf, but as a power forward in the west, is he really a significant mismatch over the other 10 elite bigs out there?

#15: Rockets best player is Jason Williams 2.0. Anyone remember the Vancouver Grizzlies the year before Hubie Brown took over?? On a positive note, at least Rockets broke their treadmill!


Those are my rankings. feel free to debate my reasons I am ready to defend them!

[chrisnu]

1) OKC
2) LAL
3) SAS
4) LAC
5) MEM
6) DEN
7) DAL
8) MIN
9) UTA
10) GSW
11) POR
12) PHO
13) HOU
14) SAC
15) NOH

[Spurtatcus]

1. Oklahoma City Thunder
2. San Antonio Spurs
3. LA Lakers
4. LA Clippers
5. Dallas Mavericks
6. Memphis Grizzlies
7. Denver Nuggets
8. Minnesota Timberwolves

[Jazza2319]

Hmmm.

10 votes in and only 1 person, a Jazz fan, has the Jazz making the playoffs.

I see them as low as #13 and as high as #8 in here.

Jazz have improved their team substantially from last year's team which went #8.

They moved Harris for Mo Williams. I don't know how much of an upgrade this is, but, it's obvious that the Jazz brass considered it an upgrade so I'm comfortable calling it an upgrade.

They added Marvin Williams. He'll be a large upgrade over the Josh Howard, CJ Miles, Demarre Carroll class of SFs we had last year. Should be worth a couple wins by himself.

They added Randy Foye. Not a world beater, but, certainly an upgrade over Raja Bell.

Didn't really lose much of note besided Harris.

Then you have Favors and Hayward moving in to their 3rd year, historically a time of strong improvement. Burks made a strong showing in summer league and looks ready to step up. And we hope a full training camp will help Kanter put a little polish on his game.

Lastly, the rookie coach is moving into his second year, his first full year.

I see a quietly improved team, I expect the Jazz will finish in the 4-8 range myself. Not the 8-13 range. I guess only time will tell, I'm just surprised how 9 of 10 of you folks see the Jazz as a lotto team.

Edit: make that 10 of 11.

just for the record, i'm not a jazz fan. I live in Utah now but i'm a laker fan

I picked Utah because they made the 8 seed last year and i only expect Kanter to be better this season and the addition of some outside shooting in Mo, Marvin and Foye to keep them in the playoffs. If GSW were healthy i'd probably picked them but that's not likely

[nykballa2k4]

Hmmm.

10 votes in and only 1 person, a Jazz fan, has the Jazz making the playoffs.

I see them as low as #13 and as high as #8 in here.

Jazz have improved their team substantially from last year's team which went #8.

They moved Harris for Mo Williams. I don't know how much of an upgrade this is, but, it's obvious that the Jazz brass considered it an upgrade so I'm comfortable calling it an upgrade.

They added Marvin Williams. He'll be a large upgrade over the Josh Howard, CJ Miles, Demarre Carroll class of SFs we had last year. Should be worth a couple wins by himself.

They added Randy Foye. Not a world beater, but, certainly an upgrade over Raja Bell.

Didn't really lose much of note besided Harris.

Then you have Favors and Hayward moving in to their 3rd year, historically a time of strong improvement. Burks made a strong showing in summer league and looks ready to step up. And we hope a full training camp will help Kanter put a little polish on his game.

Lastly, the rookie coach is moving into his second year, his first full year.

I see a quietly improved team, I expect the Jazz will finish in the 4-8 range myself. Not the 8-13 range. I guess only time will tell, I'm just surprised how 9 of 10 of you folks see the Jazz as a lotto team.

Edit: make that 10 of 11.

Jazz tweaked things, but I do not see anything substantial. I see other teams accelerating, and a see Utah trying to coast. Even if Favors and Kanter improve, they need minutes to make good on that improvement. Marvin Williams is a good opportunity for the Jazz, probably a top 30 sf in the league, but again, Jazz need to make a move, and the tough part will be making a trade that does not improve another team more than themselves IE Al Jefferson for Kevin Martin, Millsap for Tyreke Evans, etc.

[jazzfan1971]

just for the record, i'm not a jazz fan. I live in Utah now but i'm a laker fan

DIE!!!

[Guy]

1. OKC
2. Lakers
3. Clippers
4: Spurs
5. Nuggets
6. Mavericks
7. Grizzlies
8. Warriors

9. Rockets

[Th3RaptorSwag]

1. LA Lakers
2. OKC Thunder
3. LA Clippers
4. SA Spurs
5. Memphis Grizzlies
6. Dallas Mavericks
7. Denver Nuggets
8. Minnesota TWolves
--------------------------------------
9. Houston Rockets
10. Portland Trail Blazers

[Nowitness]

1.OKC
2.LAL
3.SAS
4.LAC
5.DAL
6.MEM
7.DEN
8.MIN

9.HOU
10.POR
11.GS
12.NOH
13.PHO
14.UTA
15.SAC

[carrottop12]

I'm not sold on Minnesota or GSW yet, both have teams built on glass ankles, knees and backs.

Rubio, Roy, Kirilenko, Curry, and Bogut are all huge injury concearns, that's a lot riding on those players.

Barnes was inconsistent in SL, and who knows if Derrick Williams ever shows up.

[Guy]

I'm not sold on Minnesota or GSW yet, both have teams built on glass ankles, knees and backs.

Rubio, Roy, Kirilenko, Curry, and Bogut are all huge injury concearns, that's a lot riding on those players.

Barnes was inconsistent in SL, and who knows if Derrick Williams ever shows up.

Golden State looks all around solid to me, even with an injury

Curry
Thompson
Jefferson
Lee
Bogut

Barnes