Tuesday, October 31, 2006

Happy Halloween!! Hoops starts tonight! Cont'd....

Now on to the Western Conference

Southwest Division
1.Dallas Mavericks- You know how Happy Gilmore finally learned how to putt? Well the Mavs finally learned how to play some D last season. Oh, and they still know how to score too, thanks in large part to the big German and MVP candidate, Dirk Nowitzki. He a complete offensive player and has started to pick up his defensive game, however that's not hard to do when he did not play any to begin with. Josh Howard and Devin Harris have really stepped up their games and are a huge reason why the Mavs were finally able to get over the Spurs hump. Jerry Stackhouse provides instant offense off the bench and is one of the best 6th men in the league. Avery Johnson has provided a toughness to this team that was badly needed and the Mavs should continue to be one of the West's top team.
2. San Antonio Spurs- Perhaps the most boring team in the league. In the fun and gun Western Conference, the Spurs play more like a rough and tumble Eastern Conference team. Tim Duncan was not himself last year after being bothered by some nagging injuries. Duncan is not getting any younger but is healthy and ready to prove himself once again as one of the elite players in the NBA. PG Tony Parker (Lucky bastard, dating Eva Longoria. I hate 'em) and Shooting Flopper, I mean Guard, Manu Ginobili help make the Spurs in to a dangerous from any spot on the floor. Bench guys like Micheal Finley and Brent Barry can come in and push the pace for the plodding Spurs. It's going to be nip and tuck with the Mavs all year for the race to win this division and most likely the #1 seed in the West.
3.Houston Rockets- Not to sound like a broken record, but the key here is health. Tracy McGrady and Yao HAVE to be healthy for the Rockets to have any success this year. This team could either be a surprise contender or an absolute mess. Bonzi Wells is the wild card here, he has to be happy with his role or he can be the dynamite that blows up the locker room. This team is not deep and any sustained injuries would likely submarine any playoff hopes. Rockets should be a lower seed playoff team.
4.New Orleans/Oklahoma City Hornets- Defending rookie of the year Chris Paul made his impact on the NBA felt immediately last season and dramatically improved the play of the guys around him (David West was the biggest benefactor). The Hornets brought in a talented under achiever in C Tyson Chandler and aging dead eye shooter Peja Stojakovic to help Paul out. If Chandler can become a force in the middle and show more than just glimpses of being a special player, the Hornets stand a good chance of making the playoffs, but that's about the ceiling for this squad.
5. Memphis Grizzlies- No Pau Gasol to start the season is a bad thing. So are all the other nagging injuries that this group has. Mike Miller is better suited coming off the bench but will be pressed into starting duty due to Gasol's broken foot. The back court (SG Eddie Jones and PG Damon Stoudamire) is getting up there in age are not the stars they once were. If, big IF, the Grizzlies can hold it together in Gasol's absence, they can contend for the 8th seed. If not, a 50 loss season is not out of the question.

Midwest Division
1. Denver Nuggets- Last year the Nuggets pretty much won the division by default and stole a #3 seed from Dallas. This year the Nuggs will have to earn not only the division, but home court for any part of the playoffs. Carmelo Anthony is coming off of a breakout season and phenomenal play with Team USA at the World Championships in Japan. Melo relished his leadership role on the team and led the US in scoring. Now if he can be the glue that holds not only Coach George Karl and combustible Kenyon Martin together, but the whole team, the Nuggs might be able to get out of the first round. Maybe he can glue Marcus Camby together after he breaks down at some point this season too. This team should win the division and make a run at 50 wins.
2. Utah Jazz- The Jerry Sloan led Jazz team has the makings of a scary good squad, but keeping the high flying Andre Kirilienko for getting hurt is a top priority. PG Derron Williams is coming into his own and Carlos Boozer is a beast when he wants to be; if he wants to be for 82 games, look out. This team sets picks about as well as any team in the league and is not afraid to play tough, teetering on dirty. If Derek Fisher can get healthy he provides a huge shooting spark of the bench and has alway been a clutch player. The Jazz could very easily win this division or they could finish right around .500 again. They could very well do both.
3.Seattle Supersonics- Can the Sonics play any defense? They were dead last in points allowed last season. Late last season addition Chris Wilcox did add some toughness to this team to go along with arguably the best pure shooter in the game, Ray Allen and all star forward Rashard Lewis. This team has to get some production from someone not named Allen or Lewis to be a threat to make the playoffs. Scary to think that this team won 60 games just two years ago. Making the playoffs is a success for this team.
4.Minnesota Timberwolves- Will he stay or will he go now? Rumors have circulated the last year or so about Kevin Garnett wanting out of the Land of 10,000 Lakes. Will the additions of PG Mike James and rookie Randy Foye help him stay? This team looks as explosive, and I don't mean that in a good way, as any team in the league. It's almost if they have become the home of the head cases (Not quite, Portland still hold a firm grasp on that beloved title). Ricky Davis is an all-star caliber player when wants to be, but he's also a colossal pain the ass. Kevin Garnett is still one of the top players in the league but he's no longer a pup. Will his drive to win it all force a trade to a contender? Stay tuned, this is going to be a story this season.
5.Portland Trailblazers- Yikes. They still have the market cornered on loony toon players. Zach Randolph being the leader of the pack. Million dollar body with a ten cent head is the term, I believe. Hopefully rookie guard, and likely rookie of the year winner, Brandon Roy can avoid the inherent poisoning that comes with being a Trailblazer and help this team out of the cellar of the Western Conference. Darius Miles has never lived up to his potential and is the match to Randolph's gasoline. This team finishing anywhere close to .500 would be a gigantic success.

Pacific Division
1.Phoenix Suns- This team plays like they were shot out of a canon, due to the up tempo pace the two time MVP Steve Nash plays at. The Suns proved they can win, at least in the regular season, with out big man Amare Stoudimire last season. To make a run at the Spurs and Mavs they need a healthy Amare. The Suns run teams ragged and simply try to outscore the opposition, bur come playoff time that becomes a tougher task. The trio of Nash, Stoudimire and swingman Shawn Marion is about as exciting as it gets. Marion is one of the best rebounders in the league despite being 6'7". The Suns should run, run, run, runaway with the Division title and be a threat to win the West.
2.Los Angeles Clippers- Finally the best team in the Staples Center. This team is hard nosed and smart, led by the wily vet Sam Cassell. Cassell seems to be getting better with age and has helped the Clips get over the hump. Elton Brand may be the most underrated player in the league and now that he's on a winning team he is starting to finally get his due. He's a constant 20-10 player and is nearly impossible to guard one-on-one. C Chris "Captain Caveman!!" Kaman is the best center no one has heard of. He's a ferocious rebounder and has nice touch around the rim, nicer than Reggie Evans touch, that's for sure. The Clippers will challenge the Suns for the division title and should be some where around 50 wins.
3-5 Again, throw these team into a hat and pick. Between the Kobe led Lakers, Sacramento Kings and Golden State Warriors none of them present a threat in the West. The Warriors have great talents, but they are a seemingly cursed franchise. Phil and Kobe miss Shaq more than either will ever admit to, but at least Kwame Brown is playing better right? The Kings had a great push after acquiring NBA crazy man Ron Artest. When Artest is on, or not recording an disastrous rap album, he's damn near unstoppable. He's got a great offensive game and might be the best defensive player in the league. Problem is he's crazy. Like mental hospitable crazy. He was on his best behavior last year, but much like Terrell Owens, it's only going to last so long before he blows up. Any of these teams making the playoffs is a success for the season. They then get the ever so fun task of playing the Mavs, Spurs or Suns in the first round. Ouch.

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