2005 NBA Western Conference Preview
Once again, the West is vastly superior to the East. I'll give the East this though: they have closed the gap this season. Good for them. Now onto the Wild Wild West.
Well, somebody's got to suck...
15. New Orleans Hornets: Damn. New Orleans, don't look for any signs of hope from these guys. Good thing OSU basketball isn't as good this year as last year, otherwise the people in OKC might actually have a decent debate about which team would win if the two played.
14. LA Clippers: Remember a few years back when Lamar Odom, Andre Miller, Michael Olowakandi, Quentin Richardson, and Darius Miles were all going into free agency at the same time, and so they all were pissed at the team, and all just looked out for themselves and were all just gunning so they could get fat contracts? Well, this team is going to make those guys look like one big happy family. Sam Cassell, Cutino Mobley, Corey Maggette, Chris Wilcox...wow. Whoever brings the ball up past halfcourt gets to shoot. Elton Brand, get out while you still cannnnnnnnnnnnnnnn..............
13. Portland Trailblazers: Some days, this team will be able to beat the best team in the NBA by 20. Most days, they will get spanked. They're young, their headstrong, and they have no veteran PG. Not a good sign of things to come. They'll be entertaining though: they'll play fast and loose, and you'll never know what exactly can happen with the crazy Blazers.
12. Memphis Grizzlies: This is the year I see it all going horribly wrong for the Grizzlies. Hey, on paper, they're not that bad. But this team has been making it on hard work and good chemistry for three years now, and that only works for so long in today's NBA. It all started to unravel last year. This year, they've lost Stromile Swift, added Damon Stoudamire--who gives whole new meaning to team cancer--and are counting on Eddie Jones, who is some finished I can't even use my D-U-N DUN joke on him. Talentwise, they should be better. But someone has to suck in the West, and I've just got a feeling they're going to do it.
11. LA Lakers: Man the Lakers are going to suck this year. I mean, seriously, I think this is way too high for them. I'm assuming that Kobe and Lamar Odom can do something with this team, but man...Aaron McKie is their starting point guard. A) He's a fricking small forward, not a point guard. B) He was a good small forward...FIVE YEARS AGO!!!!! Wow.
But don't worry. Kwame Brown is going to save the day! Here's a quote from Kwame, and I swear to God I'm not making this up: "This is my first summer [with] no trouble. I ain't go to jail for speeding. Didn't go to jail for DUI. I didn't break my foot. I didn't break my other foot. I'm one step ahead of the game already."
Ahhh...and just remember Kobe...THIS IS WHAT YOU WANTED!! YOU REAP WHAT YOU SOW! THERE IS JUSTICE IN THE WORLD, SCUMBAG!!!!!
Sorry about that.
I'm not sure about these teams...they could go either way.
10. Golden State: This team could finish about three spots lower or actually fight for a playoff seed. They've got a legit star in The Baron--who I still can't believe they traded for last year for ABSOLUTELY NOTHING--and have some quality players. However, they don't seem to have enough talent, and most importantly, it is the Warriors. I've got faith in them to find a way to screw it up.
9. Minnesota Timberwolves: It pains me to write this. Seriously, it pains me. But to be blunt--this might be too high. The Wolves have nothing. NOTHING. Their second best player by far is Wally. That's not good. They're starting Marko Jaric at the point. That's not good. Olowakandi isn't just their starting center, he's their only option. Poor KG...I mean, they have NOTHING. I think Rashad McCants is their third best player, and you have no idea how much that sentence scares me.
How did it all go so wrong?
8. Utah Jazz: This team could--and probably should--be even better than this. However, this falls under the "fool me once" category. I really thought the Jazz would be a tough team to contend with last year, but once AK went down, they dropped faster Bush's second term approval ratings. Okay, that wasn't very good, but the point is they really disappointed me. However, they got a good point in the draft, which is what they sorely missed. Kirilenko should be back and 100% this year, as should Matt Harpring, and they've had a year to get to know each other after wholesale changes made last offseason. 8th is not too much of a stretch to ask for from this team.
7. Seattle Supersonics: The darling teams of one season ALWAYS drop. Always. Write it down. It's one of the laws of the NBA. The overachieving team that plays an unconventional style one year will always do worse the next year. The only question is how much.
I've just got a bad feeling about the Sonics. They lost key pieces like Reggie Lewis and Antonio Davis; "upset" doesn't even quite cover how Vladimir Radmanovic feels about his contract; I just don't like a Nick Collison/Vitaly Potapenko combo at PF/C. I think Ray Allen and Rashard Lewis will keep them from falling too far, but if either one misses significant time due to injury, watch out.
Better than average, but definitely have some questions
6. Your Dallas Mavericks!: I can't tell you how worried I am about this season. Things were going so well last year...and then the playoffs started. Dirk turned into a whiny little bitch, Dampier made Tim Duncan look like a clutch player by comparison, and Finley proved without a shadow of a doubt that while he could have an incredible game every once in a while, his career was basically over. I worry about Avery Johnson too; at first I was happy to have him, but I worry that his "yell at the players in that wierd voice of his" approach is going to get real old, real fast with the team.
There's talent on this team still, but adding Doug Christie was about the worst move any team could have made in the offseason, but not only did they do that but they're trying to call him a starter! Yeah, that won't last. It all rests on Dirk. He needs to reassert himself as a true team leader, not as a whiny little bitch.
5. Phoenix Suns: There were a million questions about the Suns before Amare went down with his knee injury. Now that he's gone for four months, all bets are off. This team is going to have to start playing an entirely different style of basketball, now that they've lost Q Rich and Joe Johnson for Kurt Thomas and Brian Grant. The Suns will still be good, even without Amare, and will probably be the "team no one wants to play at the end of the season", but they won't be near as great or as fun to watch as they were last season. They are basically starting from scratch this season, and have a lot of questions to answer this season.
4. Denver Nuggets: Talent wise, the Nuggets should be much higher. They have one of the best starting fives in basketball, are well coached, and can excel at several different styles of basketball. However...which team is going to show up? Is it going to be the team who played the first half of the season last year, or the second half? What did Carmelo Anthony do this off season? Will Nene play hard and well in spite of the fact that there is apparently bad blood between him and management? Here's a statement, not a question: they still have a huge whole at shooting guard. When a guy coming off a ruptured Achilles tendon--who was good but wasn't THAT good to begin with--is by far your best 2, that's not good.
The Nuggets must get a better 2 to move into the league's elite, but this is a team that can still dominate--if they show up in the right frame of mind.
These guys are GOOD
3. Sacramento Kings: The Kings have one of the deepest teams in the league. They easily run ten deep, and not only that but I like the way they are built: solid role players, guys with talent who have something to prove, some young players who bring some spark to the table. My biggest problem with this team is their lack of a star, and no, before you even say anything, The Peja does not count as a star. This is a team that will play hard, play smart, play tough, and wear a lot of teams down on both ends of the court. The X Factor here is Bonzi Wells. If he shows up in a good frame of mind and plays up to his potential, then they will have a chance to get the 2 seed in the West. If he plays like he has his entire career, then they won't be as good. This team has a very high ceiling.
2. Houston Rockets: You know, I'm shocked to be ranking the Rockets this high, to be honest. But when I started looking at their lineup...I mean, this team can do some damage. Time for a list!
PG: Rafer Alston, Bob Sura. I'm not actually a Rafer fan, but I do like him to take some minutes away from one of my favorite players who did fantastic last year, Little Bobby Sura. You don't want him playing too many minutes. Losing Mike James does hurt though; he was clutch for them last year.
SG: David Wesley, Derek Anderson. LOVE the Derek Anderson pickup. He's a guy who can score and defend, in as many amounts as you need him to. Since Wesley can go stone cold from the field for a month, they can spend time swapping out as the starting 2 guard.
SF: Tracy McGrady, Ryan Bowen. You had to be impressed with the TMac put the Rockets on his back during the playoffs. What a fantastic job.
PF: Juwan Howard, Stromile Swift. Great pickup for the Rockets. Now they have the savvy veteran who knows how to play smart and hard in Howard when they need that, and also have the athletic kid who goes in and mixes things up in Swift (I realize he's not a kid anymore, but he's still dumb like one). Great combo at the PF.
C: Yao Ming, Dikembe Mutombo. I still say Yao is never going to be the number 1 guy that everyone wants him to be...but with TMac around, he doesn't have to be. They've even got a good backup center in Mutombo.
Beware the Rockets.
1. San Antonio Spurs: They kept their championship team...and added to it. HOWEVER, don't give them the rings just yet. Remember, this team was one play (Rasheed Wallace covering Robert Horry on the inbounds) away from losing the championship series, and Tim Duncan likes to piss all over himself during crunch time, especially at the free throw line. Finley is all washed up, so don't get too excited about him, and Van Exel can be a great addition--and can also be a team cancer.
The Spurs are still the by far favorites, but it's not as foregone a conclusion that they will win the title as some of the Shaq/Kobe teams were. And even some of those can't miss teams ended up missing.
So remember kids...the NBA...it's FANNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNTASTIC!!!
Well, somebody's got to suck...
15. New Orleans Hornets: Damn. New Orleans, don't look for any signs of hope from these guys. Good thing OSU basketball isn't as good this year as last year, otherwise the people in OKC might actually have a decent debate about which team would win if the two played.
14. LA Clippers: Remember a few years back when Lamar Odom, Andre Miller, Michael Olowakandi, Quentin Richardson, and Darius Miles were all going into free agency at the same time, and so they all were pissed at the team, and all just looked out for themselves and were all just gunning so they could get fat contracts? Well, this team is going to make those guys look like one big happy family. Sam Cassell, Cutino Mobley, Corey Maggette, Chris Wilcox...wow. Whoever brings the ball up past halfcourt gets to shoot. Elton Brand, get out while you still cannnnnnnnnnnnnnnn..............
13. Portland Trailblazers: Some days, this team will be able to beat the best team in the NBA by 20. Most days, they will get spanked. They're young, their headstrong, and they have no veteran PG. Not a good sign of things to come. They'll be entertaining though: they'll play fast and loose, and you'll never know what exactly can happen with the crazy Blazers.
12. Memphis Grizzlies: This is the year I see it all going horribly wrong for the Grizzlies. Hey, on paper, they're not that bad. But this team has been making it on hard work and good chemistry for three years now, and that only works for so long in today's NBA. It all started to unravel last year. This year, they've lost Stromile Swift, added Damon Stoudamire--who gives whole new meaning to team cancer--and are counting on Eddie Jones, who is some finished I can't even use my D-U-N DUN joke on him. Talentwise, they should be better. But someone has to suck in the West, and I've just got a feeling they're going to do it.
11. LA Lakers: Man the Lakers are going to suck this year. I mean, seriously, I think this is way too high for them. I'm assuming that Kobe and Lamar Odom can do something with this team, but man...Aaron McKie is their starting point guard. A) He's a fricking small forward, not a point guard. B) He was a good small forward...FIVE YEARS AGO!!!!! Wow.
But don't worry. Kwame Brown is going to save the day! Here's a quote from Kwame, and I swear to God I'm not making this up: "This is my first summer [with] no trouble. I ain't go to jail for speeding. Didn't go to jail for DUI. I didn't break my foot. I didn't break my other foot. I'm one step ahead of the game already."
Ahhh...and just remember Kobe...THIS IS WHAT YOU WANTED!! YOU REAP WHAT YOU SOW! THERE IS JUSTICE IN THE WORLD, SCUMBAG!!!!!
Sorry about that.
I'm not sure about these teams...they could go either way.
10. Golden State: This team could finish about three spots lower or actually fight for a playoff seed. They've got a legit star in The Baron--who I still can't believe they traded for last year for ABSOLUTELY NOTHING--and have some quality players. However, they don't seem to have enough talent, and most importantly, it is the Warriors. I've got faith in them to find a way to screw it up.
9. Minnesota Timberwolves: It pains me to write this. Seriously, it pains me. But to be blunt--this might be too high. The Wolves have nothing. NOTHING. Their second best player by far is Wally. That's not good. They're starting Marko Jaric at the point. That's not good. Olowakandi isn't just their starting center, he's their only option. Poor KG...I mean, they have NOTHING. I think Rashad McCants is their third best player, and you have no idea how much that sentence scares me.
How did it all go so wrong?
8. Utah Jazz: This team could--and probably should--be even better than this. However, this falls under the "fool me once" category. I really thought the Jazz would be a tough team to contend with last year, but once AK went down, they dropped faster Bush's second term approval ratings. Okay, that wasn't very good, but the point is they really disappointed me. However, they got a good point in the draft, which is what they sorely missed. Kirilenko should be back and 100% this year, as should Matt Harpring, and they've had a year to get to know each other after wholesale changes made last offseason. 8th is not too much of a stretch to ask for from this team.
7. Seattle Supersonics: The darling teams of one season ALWAYS drop. Always. Write it down. It's one of the laws of the NBA. The overachieving team that plays an unconventional style one year will always do worse the next year. The only question is how much.
I've just got a bad feeling about the Sonics. They lost key pieces like Reggie Lewis and Antonio Davis; "upset" doesn't even quite cover how Vladimir Radmanovic feels about his contract; I just don't like a Nick Collison/Vitaly Potapenko combo at PF/C. I think Ray Allen and Rashard Lewis will keep them from falling too far, but if either one misses significant time due to injury, watch out.
Better than average, but definitely have some questions
6. Your Dallas Mavericks!: I can't tell you how worried I am about this season. Things were going so well last year...and then the playoffs started. Dirk turned into a whiny little bitch, Dampier made Tim Duncan look like a clutch player by comparison, and Finley proved without a shadow of a doubt that while he could have an incredible game every once in a while, his career was basically over. I worry about Avery Johnson too; at first I was happy to have him, but I worry that his "yell at the players in that wierd voice of his" approach is going to get real old, real fast with the team.
There's talent on this team still, but adding Doug Christie was about the worst move any team could have made in the offseason, but not only did they do that but they're trying to call him a starter! Yeah, that won't last. It all rests on Dirk. He needs to reassert himself as a true team leader, not as a whiny little bitch.
5. Phoenix Suns: There were a million questions about the Suns before Amare went down with his knee injury. Now that he's gone for four months, all bets are off. This team is going to have to start playing an entirely different style of basketball, now that they've lost Q Rich and Joe Johnson for Kurt Thomas and Brian Grant. The Suns will still be good, even without Amare, and will probably be the "team no one wants to play at the end of the season", but they won't be near as great or as fun to watch as they were last season. They are basically starting from scratch this season, and have a lot of questions to answer this season.
4. Denver Nuggets: Talent wise, the Nuggets should be much higher. They have one of the best starting fives in basketball, are well coached, and can excel at several different styles of basketball. However...which team is going to show up? Is it going to be the team who played the first half of the season last year, or the second half? What did Carmelo Anthony do this off season? Will Nene play hard and well in spite of the fact that there is apparently bad blood between him and management? Here's a statement, not a question: they still have a huge whole at shooting guard. When a guy coming off a ruptured Achilles tendon--who was good but wasn't THAT good to begin with--is by far your best 2, that's not good.
The Nuggets must get a better 2 to move into the league's elite, but this is a team that can still dominate--if they show up in the right frame of mind.
These guys are GOOD
3. Sacramento Kings: The Kings have one of the deepest teams in the league. They easily run ten deep, and not only that but I like the way they are built: solid role players, guys with talent who have something to prove, some young players who bring some spark to the table. My biggest problem with this team is their lack of a star, and no, before you even say anything, The Peja does not count as a star. This is a team that will play hard, play smart, play tough, and wear a lot of teams down on both ends of the court. The X Factor here is Bonzi Wells. If he shows up in a good frame of mind and plays up to his potential, then they will have a chance to get the 2 seed in the West. If he plays like he has his entire career, then they won't be as good. This team has a very high ceiling.
2. Houston Rockets: You know, I'm shocked to be ranking the Rockets this high, to be honest. But when I started looking at their lineup...I mean, this team can do some damage. Time for a list!
PG: Rafer Alston, Bob Sura. I'm not actually a Rafer fan, but I do like him to take some minutes away from one of my favorite players who did fantastic last year, Little Bobby Sura. You don't want him playing too many minutes. Losing Mike James does hurt though; he was clutch for them last year.
SG: David Wesley, Derek Anderson. LOVE the Derek Anderson pickup. He's a guy who can score and defend, in as many amounts as you need him to. Since Wesley can go stone cold from the field for a month, they can spend time swapping out as the starting 2 guard.
SF: Tracy McGrady, Ryan Bowen. You had to be impressed with the TMac put the Rockets on his back during the playoffs. What a fantastic job.
PF: Juwan Howard, Stromile Swift. Great pickup for the Rockets. Now they have the savvy veteran who knows how to play smart and hard in Howard when they need that, and also have the athletic kid who goes in and mixes things up in Swift (I realize he's not a kid anymore, but he's still dumb like one). Great combo at the PF.
C: Yao Ming, Dikembe Mutombo. I still say Yao is never going to be the number 1 guy that everyone wants him to be...but with TMac around, he doesn't have to be. They've even got a good backup center in Mutombo.
Beware the Rockets.
1. San Antonio Spurs: They kept their championship team...and added to it. HOWEVER, don't give them the rings just yet. Remember, this team was one play (Rasheed Wallace covering Robert Horry on the inbounds) away from losing the championship series, and Tim Duncan likes to piss all over himself during crunch time, especially at the free throw line. Finley is all washed up, so don't get too excited about him, and Van Exel can be a great addition--and can also be a team cancer.
The Spurs are still the by far favorites, but it's not as foregone a conclusion that they will win the title as some of the Shaq/Kobe teams were. And even some of those can't miss teams ended up missing.
So remember kids...the NBA...it's FANNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNTASTIC!!!
posted by Michael Pondrom at 10:53 PM
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