Bottom of the West

[kandiking]

why is everybody so sure phoenix is immune to a terrible year next year?

just saying, i think they're definitely out of the playoffs next year.

[farzi]

Minnesota, Memphis, and Seattle are still going to get kicked around next year. What players they do have deserve attention, and this comment shouldn't be taken as insulting to their truly impressive talents. It's just a statement to the weakness of their rosters beyond the promising young talents they possess. I guess the Wolves, with two imposing big men, represent the best chance at immediate success among these squads, but I highly doubt they crack 30 wins.

My best early, beerly guess at the West next year:

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

We won't be the 3 seed next year. 5 or 6. 4th is being extremely optomistic

[Iggyemu]

Minnesota, Memphis, and Seattle are still going to get kicked around next year. What players they do have deserve attention, and this comment shouldn't be taken as insulting to their truly impressive talents. It's just a statement to the weakness of their rosters beyond the promising young talents they possess. I guess the Wolves, with two imposing big men, represent the best chance at immediate success among these squads, but I highly doubt they crack 30 wins.

My best early, beerly guess at the West next year:

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

Did you proof-read this? You are saying a team that missed the playoffs will end up with the 3rd best record in the West next season? Really dude? Better than the Hornets? Better than the Rockets? Better than Utah? Really?

[thegreatblaze]

Did you proof-read this? You are saying a team that missed the playoffs will end up with the 3rd best record in the West next season? Really dude? Better than the Hornets? Better than the Rockets? Better than Utah? Really?

What makes you think the Blazers can't do what the Hornets did last year? We won 41 games as the youngest team in the league, and we are adding Oden, Fernandez and Bayless to the mix next season. Add that to the improvement of Roy, Aldridge, Outlaw etc. it's not likely that we are 3rd seed, but certainly not out or the realm of possibility either. I personally think around 6th seed, but I wouldn't be suprised if we pulled a Hornets next year either.

[Storm Surge]

IMO, Dallas won't make the playoffs next year...getting too old and got pushed around last year after the kidd trade. All of their players will be 1 year older.

[Jack wore plaid]

Blazers are too inexperienced to seriously contend for home court in the playoffs. I would guess 7th or 6th seed.

Remember, it's not that they aren't talented, it's that they are still really young. Oden, Fernandez, Bayless....none of them have played 1 second in the league. Those are three rotation players we are talking about

[pillwenney]

For the Kings, it depends entirely on whether or not we re-sign Beno and/or acquire a capable replacement. We were a +.500 team with Ron playing last year. And just because we're not firesaling our vets, it doesn't mean we're not rebuilding. There is more than one way to skin a cat. Right now, our situation isn't great, but in a year, nobody on our team will have negative value.

And seriously, Brad's contract just isn't that bad. The only starting center in the league who is probably better than Brad who gets paid significantly less is Haywood (excluding of course players on their rookie deals).

[BballFanAddict]

I'd be ecstatic if the Blazers even get the 8th seed. Unlike a lot of people, I am not overrating the "potential" of this team as I tend to offset it by the age and inexperience.

I also do not buy the whole, "We won 41 games last year without Oden so we will win 50.. games next year.." The fact is, Portland just got YOUNGER. And, if we lose James Jones, which is very likely, we will be even younger.

I just think too many people or over estimating what Greg can do in his first year while under estimating the veteran performance by Pryzbila, who started for the Blazers all of last year.

Making the playoffs, as what will likely be the youngest team in the NBA again, is a huge accomplishment. Especially considering how good the west is 1 through 10.

[The Boshpit!]

Man Portland is going to be in some serious cap trouble with all of the young talent they have still on their rookie contracts.

[Tim Lehrbach]

Man Portland is going to be in some serious cap trouble with all of the young talent they have still on their rookie contracts.

LOLZ

[dockingsched]

portland's not even in this discussion. there's a reason they weren't included in the original post, they are in one of the BEST situations in the entire league. this is about the worst situations in the west.

[evilRyu]

Man Portland is going to be in some serious cap trouble with all of the young talent they have still on their rookie contracts.

LOLZ

I scanned the entire thread, looking for you to defend your position on the Blazers being the 3rd seed in the West.... instead the next message I see of yours is a meaningless one-worded irrelevant post that had nothing to do with your argument that you made on the first page that generated all this talk.

[farzi]

Man Portland is going to be in some serious cap trouble with all of the young talent they have still on their rookie contracts.

Yeah, its going to be a major problem. Our GM hates young talent, and our owner is a major tightwad.

But seriously, why bring them/that up in this thread?

Anyway, back on topic:

I've bought in to the Clippers every year since Brand, but they always hurt me. I'm still putting them number one.

Next I'm going Seattle: Durant, Green, Westbrook...should be good, need a center

After that: Memphis. This team could have the best pg and wings combo in the league in a couple of years. Really deadly. Marc Gasol coming over and producing could put them in the playoffs in 3-4 years.

Finally Minny. If they had Mayo, I'd put them number 2. But they traded him. They could have one of the weakest interior defenses in the league, and they have their main 2 guys playing out of position (Foye CAN play PG, but they should use the Brandon Roy approach and have him do both, else he gets exposed)

[Tim Lehrbach]

Man Portland is going to be in some serious cap trouble with all of the young talent they have still on their rookie contracts.

LOLZ

I scanned the entire thread, looking for you to defend your position on the Blazers being the 3rd seed in the West.... instead the next message I see of yours is a meaningless one-worded irrelevant post that had nothing to do with your argument that you made on the first page that generated all this talk.

The 5000th post at RealGM asserting that the salary cap will somehow prevent the Blazers from re-signing all their players merits no more thoughtful reply than "LOLZ".

My argument for placing the Blazers so high is that Roy is an All-Star, Bayless is a significant upgrade to the backcourt, and I expect Oden to play close to the level at which other dominant centers in league history played as rookies. This team is more talented than any other which added such a big man in his rookie year. A team of Shaquille O'Neal, Nick Anderson, and little else won 41 games in Shaq's rookie year, then added a rookie Penny Hardaway and won 50 games. The following year, 57 wins and a trip to the Finals. The Blazers' curve is a little bit different because the dominant big man enters the picture after two years of development for the other young talents, so I expect this team to mature and win faster than that Orlando team did.

Will I be shocked if the Blazers win 50 games and finish 7th in the West? Not at all. But I'm excited and expecting great things from these guys a lot faster than most think is possible, and I made a prediction to reflect that excitement.