NBA Power Rankings, WEST.

[BobboFitos]

I'm ranking teams based on how I perceive their chances of winning an NBA championship. How I see it...

Playoffs? Playoffs? (No chance at all, lottery bound after day 1)
15th. Sonics - This team is god awful and will struggle to win 20 games. (I predict less then 20, for what it's worth) The only exciting question is how many points will Durant score / will he be RoY? I'd answer it with 22.3ppg and "yes".
14th. Timberwolves - The Celtics last year had a dismal record in the East. This Timberwolves team is that Celtics team with Randy Foye instead of Paul Pierce. They'll win 22ish games simply because Big Al is a beast. The only question HERE will be "will A Jefferson make the all star team," and he has a legit chance as KG is no longer Western and Elton is out for the year.
13th. Clippers - I almost feel bad for them. Their best player - a top 20 player when healthy - is done for the year. With him they still missed the playoffs, and did nothing to get better. I still believe they're better then both the Sonics and T'Wolves, but... Sad thing is I can't list their starting 5. I think I can do that with any other team. Ouch! :X 25ish wins sounds about right.
12th. Trailblazers - Even without Oden, this team actually has some promise. They'll actually be exciting, too, as they have some neat developing players (will be key to see how Roy does in his sophomore year). I wouldn't really be surprised if they even hit 30 wins.

Contending for those #7 and #8 playoff spots!
11th. Grizzles - It's hard ranking them, simply because they are a MUCH different team then last year. One, they're healthy. Two, they have a point guard. Three, they aren't QUITE as young now. If they get up to a hot start, Pau will be on the all star team leading the Griz on the quest for .500. Otherwise, they project to around 33/35 wins, missing out again on the playoffs.
10th. Lakers - I'm ranking them pretty low because I feel they arent a favorite to making the playoffs. Also, they suck. The recent thread about "what can be done??" opened up my eyes to just how bad they are. IF they are healthy, clicking, ignore their egos, and function as a team, they're a team that will make the playoffs and lose 4-1 or 4-2. If not, they win 38 games, which is not good enough to get in, and are lottery-bound.
9th. Kings - I like Sacramento more then LA! It's weird to say, and again, I doubt they'll make the playoffs. But Kevin Martin should be getting better, will draw all star consideration, and again, if they have their act together EARLY in the season they'll make it. Otherwise, they may start shipping "assets" out. (Ala Bibby)
8th. Hornets - This team missed more games to injury then any other team last year. (Weird, huh?) They still almost made the playoffs. And they didn't get worse; rather, they're a bit older, have gelled, and are the front-runners to a .500 season and the 8th spot. I actually thought the West was deeper then this. Oh well! Chris Paul will compete with Deron Williams for the "who gets to back up nash at the all star game".
7th. Warriors - It's weird for me to think they're the favorite to make the playoffs, and do BETTER then last year (slipping in as the 8 spot) because I don't like this team as much as last year. Jrich missing will hurt quite a bit. The pressure really falls on Biedrins and Ellis; can they continue their growth/ascent to stardom? Possibly. Even still, I dont think they will get past the first round, miracles aside.

The "2nd tier" of playoff teams
6th. Rockets - It's sick to me that the Rockets are the "6th best Western team". They're really good! They should win ~48 games, possibly will cross the 50 game mark, but will AGAIN run into a monster in the first round and lose. (Probably the Spurs) I'm sorry Tmac. Yao will continue to improve and of course be the starting center in the ASG.
5th. Nuggets - Yes, I feel they're better then the Rockets. Why? The "star" core of Tmac/Yao is > Melo/AI, but the Rockets have Shane Battier then a bunch of scrubs. The Nuggets have legit players who may even play all-star calibre seasons. (Camby or Nene). Depth matters, even on 2-man teams. They should have nearly identical records of the Rockets.
4th. Jazz - I [censored] hate not putting the Jazz in the first tier, but they're not. They should make the 2nd round, but that's it. I love this team, but they're just not quite good enough. Don't know what to say, except I expect Mehmet to NOT make an all star team this year! (He's so brutal)

The Title Contenders
3rd. Mavs - Yeah, Dallas will rebound fine. They may even have the best overall regular season record with 60 wins or thereabout. But they're the 3rd best team in the west as far as I'm concerned.
2nd. Spurs - [censored] you San Antonio.
1st. Suns - LONG LIVE STEVE NASH MVP!!!

[Ralph Wiggum]

I think the Rockets are a clear #4. They had holes at PF & PG, and patched those up in the offseason.

I'm not as high on the Nuggets. I never thought they had great chemistry last year, and Iverson won't age well. He's still ineffective off the ball, has bad shot selection, and is losing his speed, which made up for it in his prime.

As long as Kobe's healthy, I don't see the Lakers missing the playoffs. Either way, I think it's his last year in LA, so I hope he goes for 100 every game.

I think the Hornets losing the OK home court advantage will hurt them a lot.

The Clippers best player is Corey Maggette [img]/images/graemlins/smile.gif[/img].

[tuq]

[ QUOTE ]
2nd. Spurs - [censored] you San Antonio.
1st. Suns - LONG LIVE STEVE NASH MVP!!!

[/ QUOTE ]
I am in love with another man for the first time.

[NozeCandy]

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
2nd. Spurs - [censored] you San Antonio.
1st. Suns - LONG LIVE STEVE NASH MVP!!!

[/ QUOTE ]
I am in love with another man for the first time.

[/ QUOTE ]
I think Steve Nash might disagree with this statement from you.

[Taraz]

How do you have the Kings 9th??? Did they get any better from last year at all?

[tuq]

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
2nd. Spurs - [censored] you San Antonio.
1st. Suns - LONG LIVE STEVE NASH MVP!!!

[/ QUOTE ]
I am in love with another man for the first time.

[/ QUOTE ]
I think Steve Nash might disagree with this statement from you.

[/ QUOTE ]
Steve Nash is not a man, he is a god, thus my statement is accurate.

[tdarko]

I actually hope Dallas doesn't get much credit this year.

Two years ago they were a super-talented team that was thought of as only a reg season team and they get to the finals only to find out that the refs are getting paid to give the more marketable Shaq and Wade show the title. [img]/images/graemlins/wink.gif[/img]

Then last year they were the once again super-talented but now weathered and tested playoff team with high expectations. They win a trillion games and meet up w/ the only team that truly had their number all year--their worst possible match-up and get ousted in an embarrassing way. Don't read that as an excuse b/c obv they didn't perform (ugh, so so ugly). Maybe they should have lost more games, moved down to the 6th seed and played the team they beat out in the playoffs the year before and went 3-1 against during the reg season who eventually went on to win the champ [img]/images/graemlins/smirk.gif[/img]

So, I think if they are kind of in the background this year it will be good for them--kind of like SA was last year.

I agree with Clark on Hou, injury-free that team is pretty good.

My top 8 is:

1. Pho
2. SA
3. Dal
4. Hou
5. Uta
6. Den
7. Lal
8. GS

[tuq]

[ QUOTE ]
So, I think if they are kind of in the background this year it will be good for them--kind of like SA was last year.

[/ QUOTE ]
Yeah, the burden of expectations couldn't have helped at all. 67 wins, flirting with 70 wins, coming off the Finals the year before. Meanwhile SA flew under the radar all season long, much like Dallas this year coming off a disappointing season with rumors that they were too old, etc. That had to have helped. Certainly semi-luckboxing their way past the Suns and then not having to face Dallas in the WCF didn't hurt them either.

I'll admit to rooting for GS in that series, if only because of what a huge upset it would be if they won, the Nellie-Cuban subplot, etc. But if I knew the Spurs were gonna beat the Suns I would have been a Mavs fan so I could at least have a rooting interest in the WCF. The Jazz just weren't on the same level, sorry.

[Assani Fisher]

Great thread.

I think the Jazz are a bit overrated this year. Everything went right for them last year and Carlos Boozer played way better than ever before. I'd put them a few spots down at least.

And yeah, your L.A. ranking is silly. L.A. was the 4th best team in the West(perhaps in the league) last year before the injury bug hit them. If I put the over/under on the Lakers finish at #8, would you really bet the under?

[Assani Fisher]

Just to add:

Last year's Jazz team remind me a bit of the 05-06 L.A. Clippers who went to the 2nd round and barely lost to the Suns in 7 games. Elton Brand played way over his head that year and it just seemed like everything went right for them. I don't necessarily expect the Jazz to miss the playoffs like the Clippers did the next year, but I think they'll follow a slightly similar path.