The NBA is back to normal. 82 games, full fans, healthy rosters, just no more well dressed coaches that’s all in the past. The season is about to begin again and what does the Western Conference have brewing up right now?
Dallas Mavericks (Total Nostalgia): The so-called retooling of the organization is put to the test. The real question I have for the Mavericks is whether Jason Kidd has learned from his mistakes in Milwaukee. He does have Luka Doncic so at least there is a superstar to bail him out. The only concern for Kidd is that the West right now is much harder than the East was during his tenure with the Bucks. I feel like they will be good for the short term until Kidd demands power from the front office. As for the Mavs themselves they have another strong young team with plenty of depth pieces ready to bust out. As long as Porzingus doesn’t play as badly in the playoffs last year they should be locks for a playoff spot. That is if they don’t underachieve.
Denver Nuggets (The Joker’s Army): This is a team that should get much more respect than they are given. An MVP talent like Nikola Jokic in his prime is obviously a huge reason for their success. Even if Jamal Murray is out until later in the 2nd Half the Nuggets are going to have to rely on Michael Porter Jr to be the 2nd star on the team until the Jokers Wingman comes back. Knowing Mike Malone and his coaching staff they are going to put a good team on the court regardless of the media’s expectations. Adding Jeff Green and Austin Rivers are huge booms for their roster. Can you expect this team to make it to the WCF? I don’t know.
Golden State Warriors (Payback Time): DubNation has massive chips on their shoulders. 2 straight years without a series win will do that to any team with championship experience. Luckily for the Warriors Klay Thompson is back and healthy. Plus they managed to use their draft capital to their advantage by adding depth off the bench. But the real success of this squad is going to rely on Steph Curry and the coaching of Steve Kerr. We saw what those 2 can do with a depleted roster. Now with everyone back they should have an excellent chance at returning to glory. The West is loaded however and they tend to have anger management problems or injuries. (I’m looking at you Draymond Green) All I can say is you better be the ones to overtake the Lakers in your division. Please do!
Houston Rockets (Trying to fix a major glitch): Well at least they don’t have to deal with the James Harden contract anymore. Other than that one really bad losing streak the Rockets I don’t think will be as bad as people think they are. Christian Wood is a big man on the rise, plus they added a generational talent in Jalen Green. Yes John Wall is still here and I wonder how long it’s going to be until he is gone. This is most likely a rebuild season but I don’t see them tanking with some of the young players that they have. I’ll come back to this at the halfway point.
Los Angeles Clippers (How’s Kawhi doing?): At least you are leaving Staples Center for Inglewood in the next few years. The Clippers themselves no longer have to deal with the “Can’t make it past the 2nd Round” narrative, but without Kawhi Leonard it’s going to be a long road for them even with Paul George. I get that they brought back Eric Bledsoe and kept most of their depth from last year around but if they struggle early it will be hard to come back from, especially in the West. All they hope for is for Terrance Mann to continue his red hot play from the playoffs, and Ty Lue making key adjustments. To me they are either getting caught in the play-in or making the playoffs easily. I’d be fine either way.
Los Angeles Lakers (Another LeBron Built Superteam): This is an annual tradition in the NBA. LeBron James doing his best Mike Keenan impersonation by trying to build another Superteam. (Keenan did it by getting 80s Oilers and Early 90s Blackhawks players) This year he sent the remaining draft capital they had from the Anthony Davis trade to the Wizards for Russell Westbrook. Then they added more big names from past years with Carmelo Anthony, DeAndre Jordan, Dwight Howard, and Trevor Ariza. This squad on paper is perhaps the oldest team in NBA History. I know people are saying they are massive favorites for the Finals but all I’m seeing is the ultimate boom or bust sequence that LeBron has ever witnessed. If they fall short this year there will be more makeovers to this roster. With the amount of draft capital they have spent and money they have over the Luxury Tax their future is in massive trouble if they fail. The rest of the league hopes they fall off again.
Memphis Grizzlies (The Dawn of a Dark Horse): This is another squad in the West that has plenty of riches in their future. Even if Grayson Allen is gone, they got to witness the emergence of Dillon Brooks and the beginning of Ja Morants prime. This offseason they added more depth by getting Steven Adams as well as extending Jaren Jackson. (Yes he missed the 1st Half of last year but he is still a solid player) I think they take the next step from a play-in team to being a squad that has a few deep playoff runs in them. The Western Conference is always a dogfight but I think they can pull it off. As long as Taylor Jenkins is improving as a coach, the sky’s the limit for the Grizzlies. That’s all you can hope for right.
Minnesota Timberwolves (Not Alex Rodriguez AGAIN!): How many times are the Minnesota Timberwolves going to be hyped up as a competitive team only to be stuck in the basement? Yes I get that they have Anthony Edwards and Karl Anthony Towns, but their lack of depth and coaching on the team is a major concern. It is what has held them back since the Garnett Era and I don’t think it is ending soon. Do you like clowns? Because you have one as an owner! Alex Rodriguez and his ownership crew are doing 1 of these 2 things. They are either building a foundation in Minnesota or moving the team to Vegas thanks to the team’s need for a new arena. Knowing A-Rod he is probably doing the same thing that the North Stars did in the NHL in 1993 and move the team to tick off the fans. Anyways, how are you supposed to keep up with the big boys in the conference?
New Orleans Pelicans (Was Alvin Gentry really the issue): Once again I’m going to ask. How long until Zion wants out thanks to terrible management? The hiring of Stan Van Gundy was a total mistake last year and he was fired after 1 year. I like the hiring of Willie Green but how much of a difference will he make compared to last year? I get that they have Brandon Ingram plus plenty of prospects and future picks but this team is bound for mediocrity for the future if they can’t figure out their defense. Even if Lonzo Ball is gone they got an outstanding young prospect from Charlotte in Devonte’ Graham. It’s going to be an uphill climb for this team but knowing the NBA they are going to do everything they can for Zion to get in the playoffs. Even if they do, they are getting eliminated quickly. Good luck!
Oklahoma City Thunder (“THE PROCESS” 2.0): Oklahoma City Welcome to the darkness not seen since your days as the Seattle SuperSonics. All of the bad contracts are mostly gone but there are still bright spots. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander is quickly becoming a star player and they have plenty of draft capital to work with in the next 3 years. But as far as I’m concerned this year is going to be a year where the tanks reign supreme. Just don’t waste the current era the way you did with KD and Westbrook. (I want these guys to have hope even if their last era failed, that’s part of sports)
Phoenix Suns (The Continued Rise from the Quicksand): Last year’s unexpected run to the Finals sadly ended by losing 4 straight to the Greek Freak. The Suns are trying to not let that happen again. This offseason they decided to lock up their emotional leader Chris Paul to a contract that takes him to Age 40. Plus Mikal Bridges also got a nice payday. There is still no news on DeAndre Ayton’s situation but I think they will get a deal done soon. Led by Devin Booker Phoenix is only getting stronger with most of the team from last year returning. Even if Dario Saric is out for the season they still have plenty of tools to get back to the Finals. The thing I don’t understand about the NBA media sometimes is that they never even talked about this team as a contender. (That’s what happens when you have 3 media darlings in your own division) I think they will be a force for years to come but championship glory still eludes them. I think they have a chance to end that narrative if they continue the momentum from last year.
Portland Trail Blazers (The Merry Band of Underachievers): Thank goodness you didn’t trade Damien Lillard to Philadelphia. The NBA World would never forgive you if you did that. Lillard is staying put and they now have a hot coaching prospect in Chauncey Billups. Luckily they didn’t blow it up and kept CJ McCollum and Norman Powell. This team is good enough for a playoff spot but the question that I have had for years surrounding the Trail Blazers is can they make it to the Finals? With the West being hard, once again that road is definitely insane. Hopefully for Dame’s sake the coaching change unlocks a dimension that this team has lacked. I’m interested to see how it works out. Give me till the All Star Break to see how they are before judging them.
Sacramento Kings (Ranadive’s Fantastic Circus): Is it me or do the Kings have the most rotten luck in the NBA? I know Vlade Divac isn’t no longer with the team and messing up draft decisions but how does a team like this keep coming up short of the playoffs? That answer is simple, no depth and coaching plus their division is stacked. Even with De’Aaron Fox and Buddy Hield entering their primes Sacramento as usual is going to have an uphill climb to get out of the basement of the Pacific. The real question for me is how long will it be until management thinks Luke Walton is the wrong coach for this team. If that happens he would be a 1 hit wonder like most Kings coaches since he was carried to a head coaching job by the Splash Brothers. At least their prospect pool in the next couple of years is in good shape.
San Antonio Spurs (2017 Detroit Red Wings): I have good news and bad news for you San Antonio. The good news is that you don’t have any terrible contracts holding you back, the bad news is that your playoff streak is dead. And even more ridiculous is that they have no superstar to bail them out unlike in years past. This is either going to be a massive tank brigade or a team that is competing in the play-in round. Knowing Coach Popp that answers is they are probably competing for a playoff spot. At least you brought Bryn Forbes back from a 1 year vacation due to the glories of the Bucks.
Utah Jazz (Last year cannot be repeated): The Jazz are only growing by the year. They made it to the 2nd Round but suffered ultimate disappointment. Now they are trying to not let it happen again. Fortunately for Utah both Donovan Mitchell and Rudy Gobert are entering the prime of their careers. Those 2 are the key ingredients to the success of this organization. And both are locked up for the long term future. The main knack I have on this team is whether Quin Snyder can coach this team to new heights. Adding quality depth like Hassan Whiteside and Rudy Gay is only going to make that bench even stronger. They are an intriguing team that is on the cutting edge of glory. But what will stop them from getting there? There are too many scenarios to why they don’t make it to their goal. (Plus they have to face the Lakers, Warriors, Suns, and Clippers. GOOD GOSH!) PAUSE.
The West may not be as strong on paper as the East is but there are many storylines that could make or break the conference. Where does the wheel land?
- Suns
- Warriors
- Lakers
- Jazz
- Nuggets
- Clippers
- Trail Blazers
- Mavericks
- Grizzlies
- Pelicans
- Spurs
- Rockets
- Kings
- Thunder
- Timberwolves
Playoffs:
Round 1
#1 Suns over #8 Mavericks 4-2
#5 Nuggets over #4 Jazz 4-3
#3 Lakers over #6 Clippers 4-2
#2 Warriors over #7 Trail Blazers 4-1
Round 2
#1 Suns over #5 Nuggets 4-1
#2 Warriors over #3 Lakers 4-3
Round 3
#2 Warriors over #1 Suns 4-2
NBA Finals
#1 Bucks over #2 Warriors 4-1
Awards
NBA MVP: Luka Doncic, Mavericks
Defensive Player of the Year: Giannis Antetokounmpo, Bucks
6th Man of the Year: Kevin Huerter, Hawks
Most Improved Player of the Year: Mikal Bridges, Suns
Coach of Year: Steve Kerr, Warriors
All NBA 1st Team: Giannis Antetokounmpo (Bucks), Kevin Durant (Nets), Nikola Jokic (Nuggets), Stephen Curry (Warriors), Luka Doncic (Mavericks)
All NBA 2nd Team: LeBron James (Lakers), Anthony Davis (Lakers), Devin Booker (Suns), Jayson Tatum (Celtics), Trae Young (Hawks)
All NBA 3rd Team: Khris Middleton (Bucks), Joel Embiid (76ers), Ja Morant (Grizzlies), Jimmy Butler (Heat), James Harden (Nets)
NBA Finals MVP: Giannis Antetokounmpo, Bucks
Bragging Rights Sports 