Rank the Western Teams

[Rastapopoulos]

What's your prediction for the order of finish of the Western Teams this season?
Here's mine:

OKC
Lakers
Dallas
Memphis
San Antonio
Denver
Clippers
Portland
Houston
Phoenix
Jazz
Warriors
Minnesota
[New Orleans - forgot them the first time]
Sacramento

I also predict that what with a tight schedule and fairly even talent distribution amongst most teams, it'll be very close. But Paul Westphal WILL be fired.

 

[ant]

Dallas
OKC
Lakers
Portland
Memphis
San Antonio
Clippers
Jazz
----------
Warriors
Phoenix
Denver
Minnesota
Houston
Sacramento
New Orleans

 

[PtldPlatypus]

OKC
Dallas
Memphis
Clippers
San Antonio
Lakers
Portland
Golden State
----------
Jazz
Phoenix
Houston
New Orleans
Minnesota
Sacramento
Denver

 

[illmatic99]

DAL- 50
OKC- 48
LAL- 46
LAC- 45
MEM- 42
POR- 40
SAS- 38
GSW- 37

I don't see teams winning too many games in the WC this year.

HOU
UTA
MIN
SAC
PHX
DEN
NOH

 

[Brock]

OKC
Dallas
Grizz
Lakers
Clippers
Spurs
Blazers
Warriors

 

[BoBoBREWSKI]

Thunder
Mavs
Clippers
Trail Blazers
Lakers
Spurs
Warriors
Grizz
Twolves
Kings
Suns
Rockets
Nuggets
Hornets

 

[Mediocre Man]

Is this regular season?

Mavs
Spurs
Thundercats
Lakers
Griz
Clips
Blazers
Warriors
Nugs
Jazz
Wolves
Kings
Rockets
Suns
Hornets

 

[Nikolokolus]

OKC
Mavericks
Lakers
Clippers
Grizzlies
Blazers
Warriors
Spurs
Jazz
Wolves
Nuggets
Rockets
Hornets
Suns
Kings

 

[Natebishop3]

I don't think Dallas will be as good this year. Why do so many people have them at the top? They lost Chandler, they lost Barea, they lost Butler... They added Vince Carter and Lamar Odom. I don't think that puts them as the top team in the league. I think they caught lightning in a bottle last year in the playoffs and won a title. It's not like they were the best team in the west last year (during the regular season).

Thunder
Lakers
Mavs
Clips
Blazers
Grizz
Spurs
Jazz
Warriors
Rockets
Wolves
Nugs
Kings
Suns
Hornets

 

[Nikolokolus]

I don't expect the Mavs to be as good, but they will have some championship swag and there won't be as much pressure on them (which could cut both ways I suppose?)

 

[illmatic99]

My rationale of putting DAL at the top is that they're the deepest team in the West.

Guards: Kidd, West, Beaubois, Terry, VC
Forwards: Dirk, Odom, Marion, Wright
Centers: Haywood, Cardinal, Mahinmi

I don't see a deeper team in the conference. With the compressed schedule, I see them as most prepared.

 

[Natebishop3]

My rationale of putting DAL at the top is that they're the deepest team in the West.

Guards: Kidd, West, Beaubois, Terry, VC
Forwards: Dirk, Odom, Marion, Wright
Centers: Haywood, Cardinal, Mahinmi

I don't see a deeper team in the conference. With the compressed schedule, I see them as most prepared.

Kidd is a year older. West is certifiable. Vince is pretty much worthless at this point.

Their forwards are solid. No arguing that. Vince, Odom, and Marion is as good a rotation in the league.

Center is weak. Haywood is serviceable, but Cardinal is terrible. I don't know... the team only took third last season in the west. Obviously they won the title, but what makes them better now?

 

[PtldPlatypus]

I don't know... the team only took third last season in the west. Obviously they won the title, but what makes them better now?

Well--tied for second actually, and they took an important piece from the team they were tied with. Most people (including you) expect the Spurs to drop off significantly from last year, so really they don't need to be better than last year in order to finish higher; they just need to benefit from the Lakers and Spurs' regression.

 

[illmatic99]

SA and LA were the two teams above them last year. I think both get weaker this year. (SA's rise to the top was a bit of fluke last season). OKC was 2 games behind them last year, and I foresee their extremely good fortune turning a little worse this year, and some drama to arise between RW/KD.

 

[ant]

I don't think Dallas will be as good this year. Why do so many people have them at the top? They lost Chandler, they lost Barea, they lost Butler... They added Vince Carter and Lamar Odom. I don't think that puts them as the top team in the league. I think they caught lightning in a bottle last year in the playoffs and won a title. It's not like they were the best team in the west last year (during the regular season).

They acquired a player better than anyone they lost (Odom). Losing Chandler obviously hurts, but they're a deep, well-coached veteran team that will adjust. They've got a better guard to take Barea's spot (Beaubois, if he's healthy). Maybe they'll go small more with Kidd/Vince/Marion/Dirk/Odom. It'll be the playoffs when their lack of a quality center will kill them (this was ranking for regular season, right? I don't see them getting to the finals again without their defensive center).

 

[DeanMoriarty]

1. Dallas
2. OKC
3. Lakers
4. Clippers
5. Portland
6. San Antonio
7. Memphis
8. Denver
9. Minnesota
10. Houston
11. Phoenix
12. Warriors
13. Jazz
14. New Orleans
15. Sacramento

 

[Pinwheel1]

OKC
Mavericks
Grizzlies
Blazers
Clippers
Lakers
Warriors
Spurs

 

[Natebishop3]

They acquired a player better than anyone they lost (Odom). Losing Chandler obviously hurts, but they're a deep, well-coached veteran team that will adjust. They've got a better guard to take Barea's spot (Beaubois, if he's healthy). Maybe they'll go small more with Kidd/Vince/Marion/Dirk/Odom. It'll be the playoffs when their lack of a quality center will kill them (this was ranking for regular season, right? I don't see them getting to the finals again without their defensive center).

Eh, Butler was injured last season but he's fairly talented... so is Chandler. Odom is good but I don't know if he's CLEARLY better than those guys. I'm just saying I don't think the moves are enough to warrant a top spot. They finished third last season and I suspect they might end up somewhere in that area again. Could they finish first? Yes, but I think Dallas is more focused on winning a championship than they are winning games. I wouldn't be surprised if they rest Dirk or Kidd for stretches this season.

 

[Further]

At least my picks are unique


Memphis
OKC
Dallas
Portland
Clippers
Lakers
San Antonio
Warriors
----------
Phoenix
Minnesota
Jazz
Denver
Houston
Sacramento
New Orleans

 

[KingSpeed]

1. Dallas
2. Portland
3. L.A. Lakers
4. Memphis
5. OKC
6. San Antonio
7. L.A. Clippers
8. New Orleans
Minnesota
Sacramento
Houston
Phoenix
Golden State
Utah
Denver

 

[RoyToy]

Not going to rank them

Just going to say I think there will be very few games separating the 8th seed from the 1st seed, with only 1-3 games separating the top 4 seeds.

Overall the conference is pretty balanced. There's not that true dominating team now that the Lakers lost Odom and Phil Jackson.

If I had to pick a 1 seed I'd probably pick OKC

 

[Mediocre Man]

Not going to rank them

Just going to say I think there will be very few games separating the 8th seed from the 1st seed, with only 1-3 games separating the top 4 seeds.

Overall the conference is pretty balanced. There's not that true dominating team now that the Lakers lost Odom and Phil Jackson.

If I had to pick a 1 seed I'd probably pick OKC

For better or worse, that's what I think too.

 

[Rastapopoulos]

So the majority opinion is:

Top 3: OKC, Dallas, Lakers

Bottom 3: Sacramento, New Orleans and one other.

Middle? Fuck knows.

Most wildly varying prediction: Denver.

 

[Draco]

1 Zombie Sonics
2 Mavs

Oklahoma City returns a bunch of young athletic guys in a rapid strike season, a group that went to the WCF; they are the clear favorites. The Mavs are returning a strong deep team as well, those two clubs are clearly ahead of the rest in the west.

3 Clippers
4 Blazers
5 Lakers
6 Grizz
7 Spurs

It'll be very tight from seeds 3-7, all these teams are solid but have some major question marks preventing them from winning the conference. It's really a crapshoot with the 3-7 rankings, all these teams will be in a battle for the 3rd seed. Darrell Arthur is a big loss for the Grizz, he's their best backup big man. McDyess likewise is big loss as a backup big for the Spurs.

8 Nuggets are in the lead for the 8th seed but the Suns and Warriors will give them a battle.

Denver overachied after the Carmelo trade, that was a bit of a fluke as we saw in the playoffs. Now they don't have Wilson Chandler, who is possibly their best player and Kenyon Martin, who formed a solid big man rotation along with Nene.

Jazz, Kings, Twolves, Rockets, and Hornets dwell in the cellar.

 

[MickZagger]

Dallas
OKC
Clippers
Lakers
Blazers
Spurs
Jazz
Warriors

 

[handiman]

I don't think Dallas will be as good this year... It's not like they were the best team in the west last year (during the regular season).

Actually, as I recall, they were the best team in the league last year aside from the time Dirk missed with injury.

 

[MickZagger]

Dallas will be better. They got Lamar Odom.

 

[PtldPlatypus]

Actually, as I recall, they were the best team in the league last year aside from the time Dirk missed with injury.

You're right--they were 55-18 when he played--.753--which equates to a 62-win team.

 

[Draco]

With Bynum suspended the first 5 games I'll be very curious to see how the Lakers start.

Another factor we all should probably be looking at that honestly I haven't is strength of schedule. Its a much bigger impact this season, as the premier teams play each other more often whereas teams like us, Memphis, and the Clippers don't play the top teams on national TV as often. The Lakers, OKC, Dallas, Miami play much tougher opponents.

 

[KingSpeed]

Seedings won't matter as much this season because teams will be rusty when the season starts and may make significant progress by the end of the season even if it doesn't show in their overall record. Remember, in 1999, the 8th seeded Knicks reached the NBA Finals.