sportsblogger

   As Sportsblogger continues the NBA Season preview, we will highlight the Western Conference that was won last season by the Los Angeles Lakers. This year, the usual top teams are either headlined by new coaches or an injured star player.

   So here is the much anticipated part two of the NBA Season preview:

Western Conference

1.) Los Angeles Lakers- No one, including Kobe Bryant last season, believed the Lakers would make it to the NBA Finals last year and they made it. The Lakers walked right through the Western Conference Playoffs, but could not beat the Boston Celtics. What now? Well they are the favorites to win the Championship this season, what a difference a season makes.

2.) New Orleans Hornets- Chris Paul is the best Point Guard in the NBA. With that said, the Hornets came out of left field last year and were very close to facing the Lakers in the Western Conference Finals. This year, New Orleans may get their chance to face the Lakers in the Conference Finals.

3.) San Antonio Spurs- The Spurs are aging very fast and it showed last year. They are too dependent on Manu Ginobili who is often injured and will sit out the beginning of the season with an ankle injury. With that, it’s still hard to write off the Spurs.

4.) Houston Rockets- The Rockets can not get out of the first round of the Playoffs. They traded for Ron Artest in the off season and hope that he can take them to the promised land or at least the second round.

5.) Utah Jazz- Deron Williams will miss the first 2-4 weeks this year. The Jazz will struggle without him, but once he returns we will all get to see the second best Point Guard in the NBA.

6.) Dallas Mavericks- Dallas brought in a new coach to try and re-inspire this once Western Conference power-house. The truth is that it will take more than a good coach for that. Mavericks players need to want to be better and play harder around Dirk Nowitzki.

7.) Phoenix Suns- Just like the Mavericks, the Suns are hoping a new Head Coach will re-inspire them to the top of the Western Conference. The truth, the trade of Shawn Marion will come back to haunt them for years to come.

8.) Portland Trail Blazers- The Trail Blazers are the one team in the NBA with the best young talent and a Head Coach that can manage that talent into production. This will vault them into the last playoff spot or maybe better.

9.) Denver Nuggets- Aging talent, no Marcus Camby, plain and simple means no playoffs. The Nuggets need to rebuild around Carmelo Anthony if they hope to stay as a top team in the Western Conference.

10.) Sacramento Kings- The Kings are once again moving forward as they were in the Chris Weber/Mike Bibby days. This will take some time to crack the top eight but they will get there in time.

11.) Golden State Warriors- Two years ago this team pulled off the biggest upset in the NBA when they defeated the number 1 team in the league and eliminated the Mavericks from the Playoffs. Why they let Baron Davis leave is a mystery to everyone, including their fans.

12.) Los Angeles Clippers- Well, there is too much to stay about the Clippers so I will keep it short, “What are you doing!!”

13.) Memphis Grizzlies- They traded Pau Gasol for a package of Big League Chew and hope that Gasols brother, Marc, can make somewhat of an impact.

14.) Minnesota Timberwolves- Kevin Love will have a tough time trying to will this team to wins. Think of it this way, once you hit the bottom, you can’t go any lower than that.

15.) Oklahoma City Thunder- It is very intriguing to call this an expansion team, but they are just rebuilding and re-tooling. Kevin Durant will be a Kobe-esque scorer, but it takes time and the Thunder will get there.

J.M.Saucedo

Trackback URI | Comments RSS