Dear NBA (Western Conference)
Okay, NBA. Yesterday, we took care of the Eastern Conference, crowning the Magic as the best team on that side. Today we got the Western Conference, which is a lot less muddled at the top, and much moreso at the bottom. The top is pretty damn clear. It's a two team race. First off, we got everyone's favorite team now, the Los Angeles Lakers. Yeah, they got Kobe, yeah they got Gasol and picked up Artest. But the most integral piece of that squad (I've said it time and time again) is Lamar Odom. When he plays well, the Lakers are unstoppable. When he plays like a bitch (excuse my French), like in the 2008 Finals, they're very beatable. The Lakers also need their bench to produce to make it back to the Finals. The other team at the top is the San Antonio Spurs. Their team is pretty much in tact, except for two dope pickups: Richard Jefferson & DaJuan Blair. Jefferson provides scoring from the 3 (they haven't had it since Sean Elliot) and Blair is a role player with double-double tattooed on his forehead. Drop in a healthy Manu with Duncan and Parker and you have a team that can bang with the Lakers. The top 2 in the West is a lot closer than people think, but there's still a clear-cut better team:
1. Los Angeles Lakers - They'll be number one until another team knocks them off. Adding Artest definitely helps their case though...
2. San Antonio Spurs - Healthy Duncan, Parker & Ginobili plus Jefferson and Blair equals the most explosive, yet balanced Spurs team this decade...
After the Lakers and Spurs, there are four teams that are gonna battle it out (and probably wear each other down) for the 3rd through 6th spots in the West. Last year's 3-seed, the Denver Nuggets didn't go through some of the free agent additions like some of the other top-gunners in the West. Instead they opted to get better through another training camp together and adding rookie Ty Lawson to back up Chauncey Billups. The next team up is the Portland Trailblazers. I've loved the direction this team has been going in since 2006 when they drafted Brandon Roy, and they're looking like they might take that next step. Adding Andre Miller to start at the point was a good look, but at some point minutes have to become an issue with all of the depth this squad has. Also, Greg Oden still has yet to prove himself as anything more than a 7-foot insurance claim. Even so, this team is LOADED. Chemistry and youth are the only things standing in it's way. Next up we have the Dallas Mavericks, who made a huge free-agent splash by adding Shawn Marion. Bringing him in will give them some explosiveness, but it's their other additions (Drew Gooden, Quinton Ross, Kris Humphries) that will really round the team out. Also, the performance of Josh Howard is always a question mark. If he plays well, the Mavericks can bang with the top dogs in the West. Finally, there's the Utah Jazz. Deron Williams, my favorite point guard (two-way tie between him and Devin Harris), is a MONSTER and Carlos Boozer is fundamentally underwhelming (aka boring but effective). They have a nice one-two combo and a few role-players around them. However, that's it. Literally. When they don't play well (or play at all; both missed OD time last year), that squad is among the worst. Mehmet Okur should do well and Brewer should improve, but other than that, the Jazz are just a playoff team. With that here's the middle 4:
3. Denver Nuggets - Melo is that dude... Add Chauncey, Nene, JR and Birdman and you have my favorite starting 5 in the L...
4. Dallas Mavericks - J. Kidd, Dirk and company are back with the Matrix on their side. Josh Howard is the x-factor as usual..
5. Portland Trailblazers - Brandon Roy is going to be an MVP candidate this year. The bench, youth and chemistry need to come together around him though...
6. Utah Jazz - D. Will and Boozer will do their Batman & Robin. The rest of the DC universe is lacking though. It's gonna make for some jumpin Jehoshaphats for the Jazz...
Okay, the last two teams are toss-ups for me. The Rockets are injury-depleted. The Hornets have Chris Paul and NOBODY ELSE. Phoenix doesn't play defense and doesn't have any bodies but Nash and Amare. Minnesota, Memphis and Golden State are still not directed enough. The Kings are laughable in the playoffs. For me, that leaves two teams. The Clippers and Thunder. You might think both of those picks are foolish, but to me, both of those squads are on the rise, while some the teams I just mentioned are declining. There's a shift of power beginning again in the NBA, and the Clippers and Thunder are going to be right in the mix. The Clippers had one of the best rosters on paper last year and of course drafted Blake Griffin. Health is always the #1 concern though, as it always is with any team including Baron Davis. And the Thunder? Oh my God. I can't wait to see Kevin Durant and company get to take some shots at the upper-echelon teams. Should make for great basketball:
7. Los Angeles Clippers - If Baron stays healthy and goes back to Golden State Baron, this team will surprise a hell of a lot of teams...
8. Oklahoma City Thunder - Durant, Green and Westbrook are the best young Trio in the league. Add James Harden to that and it's the Big 4 for the next 10 years...
1. Los Angeles Lakers - They'll be number one until another team knocks them off. Adding Artest definitely helps their case though...
2. San Antonio Spurs - Healthy Duncan, Parker & Ginobili plus Jefferson and Blair equals the most explosive, yet balanced Spurs team this decade...
After the Lakers and Spurs, there are four teams that are gonna battle it out (and probably wear each other down) for the 3rd through 6th spots in the West. Last year's 3-seed, the Denver Nuggets didn't go through some of the free agent additions like some of the other top-gunners in the West. Instead they opted to get better through another training camp together and adding rookie Ty Lawson to back up Chauncey Billups. The next team up is the Portland Trailblazers. I've loved the direction this team has been going in since 2006 when they drafted Brandon Roy, and they're looking like they might take that next step. Adding Andre Miller to start at the point was a good look, but at some point minutes have to become an issue with all of the depth this squad has. Also, Greg Oden still has yet to prove himself as anything more than a 7-foot insurance claim. Even so, this team is LOADED. Chemistry and youth are the only things standing in it's way. Next up we have the Dallas Mavericks, who made a huge free-agent splash by adding Shawn Marion. Bringing him in will give them some explosiveness, but it's their other additions (Drew Gooden, Quinton Ross, Kris Humphries) that will really round the team out. Also, the performance of Josh Howard is always a question mark. If he plays well, the Mavericks can bang with the top dogs in the West. Finally, there's the Utah Jazz. Deron Williams, my favorite point guard (two-way tie between him and Devin Harris), is a MONSTER and Carlos Boozer is fundamentally underwhelming (aka boring but effective). They have a nice one-two combo and a few role-players around them. However, that's it. Literally. When they don't play well (or play at all; both missed OD time last year), that squad is among the worst. Mehmet Okur should do well and Brewer should improve, but other than that, the Jazz are just a playoff team. With that here's the middle 4:
3. Denver Nuggets - Melo is that dude... Add Chauncey, Nene, JR and Birdman and you have my favorite starting 5 in the L...
4. Dallas Mavericks - J. Kidd, Dirk and company are back with the Matrix on their side. Josh Howard is the x-factor as usual..
5. Portland Trailblazers - Brandon Roy is going to be an MVP candidate this year. The bench, youth and chemistry need to come together around him though...
6. Utah Jazz - D. Will and Boozer will do their Batman & Robin. The rest of the DC universe is lacking though. It's gonna make for some jumpin Jehoshaphats for the Jazz...
Okay, the last two teams are toss-ups for me. The Rockets are injury-depleted. The Hornets have Chris Paul and NOBODY ELSE. Phoenix doesn't play defense and doesn't have any bodies but Nash and Amare. Minnesota, Memphis and Golden State are still not directed enough. The Kings are laughable in the playoffs. For me, that leaves two teams. The Clippers and Thunder. You might think both of those picks are foolish, but to me, both of those squads are on the rise, while some the teams I just mentioned are declining. There's a shift of power beginning again in the NBA, and the Clippers and Thunder are going to be right in the mix. The Clippers had one of the best rosters on paper last year and of course drafted Blake Griffin. Health is always the #1 concern though, as it always is with any team including Baron Davis. And the Thunder? Oh my God. I can't wait to see Kevin Durant and company get to take some shots at the upper-echelon teams. Should make for great basketball:
7. Los Angeles Clippers - If Baron stays healthy and goes back to Golden State Baron, this team will surprise a hell of a lot of teams...
8. Oklahoma City Thunder - Durant, Green and Westbrook are the best young Trio in the league. Add James Harden to that and it's the Big 4 for the next 10 years...