Ranking The WC -- No Way, Sista

[oldmangrouch]

You know the Suns don't have Shaq, right? And who knows how good Amare will be after his injury.

So who else wins the 8th seed? GS has a tremendous ability to sabotage themselves, OKC is too young and too perimeter oriented, the Clips are a joke, and Houston is stuck in a holding pattern. The Suns may get the 8th seed just by default!

 

[1 Eye Jack]

I guess the same way somes people that know the Blazers biggest weakness last year was perimeter defense and did nothing to help that this year think we will be better?


The Blazers should improve, but I don't think we did enough to overcome our pathetic record against above .500 teams on the road in the western conference. I also don't think it's logical to think Portland can continue to come back from double digits as many times as they did last year.

Winning on the road against good teams takes experience. I think the playoff experience will really help our confidence this year. I also think fans drastically underestimate how good a team defender Miller is. He knows where his help defense is and knows how to steer the offensive player to a position he's not comfortable. Adding Miller should also help with our confidence on the road. It will be nice to get some easy baskets this year.

 

[rocketeer]

Winning on the road against good teams takes experience.

that's ridiculous. the mavs and jazz have both been bad road teams the last couple of years, yet both teams are very experienced and have had lots of success at home.

 

[gambitnut]

i'll go with

60-65 wins
1. lakers
2. spurs
3. blazers

55 wins
4. nuggets

47-50 wins
5. hornets
6. jazz
7. mavs

43-45 wins
8. suns

35-40 wins
9. warriors
10. thunder
11. rockets

24-28 wins
12. grizzlies
13. clippers
14. kings

15-17 wins
15. twolves

with the teams grouped together when i think they will finish with similar records.

i'll go with

65+ wins

1. lakers

55-65 wins

2. spurs
3. blazers
4. mavs
5. nuggets

50-55 wins

6. hornets

45-50
7. jazz


40-45 wins

8. suns
9. rockets

35-40 wins

10. warriors
11. thunder

20-30 wins

12. grizzlies
13. clippers
14. kings
15. twolves

with the teams grouped together when i think they will finish with similar records.

 

[Ed O]

that's ridiculous. the mavs and jazz have both been bad road teams the last couple of years, yet both teams are very experienced and have had lots of success at home.

That doesn't mean his statement is ridiculous. If you had pointed to inexperienced teams that have had success on the road, then you would be countering his point. I don't think he's saying that EVERY experienced team succeeds on the road, but he's saying that every inexperienced team fails there.

Ed O.

 

[KingSpeed]

A) Why do people think that OKC is magically going to win 15-20 more games this season than last season? That's a HUGE leap. What have they done in the offseason to make that leap?

B) Why is everyone counting out Houston? Scola, Battier, Brooks, Landry, Hayes, and Ariza still make up a group of people who know how to win basketball games. Brooks and Landry could have breakout years, in fact.

 

[KingSpeed]

the Clips are a joke,!

Gordon + Griffin are hardly a joke.

 

[KingSpeed]

my rankings:

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

 

[rocketeer]

A) Why do people think that OKC is magically going to win 15-20 more games this season than last season? That's a HUGE leap. What have they done in the offseason to make that leap?

james harden is a good player. i expect him to make an impact immediately as a rookie. year 3 for durant and green helps as well as it being westbrook's 2nd year.

B) Why is everyone counting out Houston? Scola, Battier, Brooks, Landry, Hayes, and Ariza still make up a group of people who know how to win basketball games. Brooks and Landry could have breakout years, in fact.

because the rockets don't have anyone who can consistently create their own offense, have no one who can draw a double team, and have no defensive presence inside.

 

[crandc]

Everyone can put their money where their mouth is, so to speak, when the Western Conference Prediction Game gets announced in October.

But I see nothing that tells me the Warriors will improve 12 or so games.

 

[Sinobas]

You know this guy doesn't know what he's talking about, he listed the acquisition of Channing Frye as a POSITIVE for Phoenix.

And I think everyone is making way to much of the Spurs getting Jefferson. I really don't think RJ will change their fortunes much. The Spurs will be a playoff team, but they are still the same old, sliding team they were last season.

Lakers, Nuggets, Blazers, Magic and Cavs are the top 5 teams in the NBA IMO.

 

[Minstrel]

But I see nothing that tells me the Warriors will improve 12 or so games.

The main things to me are a full, healthy season from Monta Ellis and a big season from Anthony Randolph. The Warriors are always a very risky team to predict success for, but I do think their core of Ellis/Biedrins/Randolph/Curry could potentially be explosive. Not contender-dangerous, but potentially enough to grab the 8 seed.

 

[STOMP]

I think everyone is making way to much of the Spurs getting Jefferson. I really don't think RJ will change their fortunes much. The Spurs will be a playoff team, but they are still the same old, sliding team they were last season.

Finley and Bowen were 35 and 37 respectively so a 29 y/old Jefferson is an upgrade for them... comparing 08-9 starter Finley to RJ reveals a 11.4 Per vs a 15.4. If Ginobli is back at full strength and the rest of the primary talent is good to go they should be an elite team. MG is all of a year and a month older then Kobe and they've got proven mismatches/advantages vs the Lakers. If those two clubs are comparably healthy come the playoffs and the refs call things straight up, it's at least a toss up.

STOMP