Two Months Until Pre-season: Rank the West

[e_blazer]

I (unfortunately) agree with you. I think their vet additions are going to have a much bigger impact than projected, and yeah, I think Cousins' absence is going to open up time and opportunity for a lot of talent that is much less mercurial. They are going to be one of those teams that can beat anybody on any given night.

So, pretty much like every other team in the West?

This is going to be a year where beating the Eastern teams is essential to getting into the playoffs. The Blazers lost a lot of games that they should have won against the East last year. This year, given that winning 50% of their games against the West is going to be damned difficult, having a winning percentage of 80% or so against the East is going to be critical.

 

[H.C.]

I don't expect much out of prize-trade-return-piece Buddy Hield, if that's who you're talking about. I think he'll end up being unremarkable.

But I think George Hill (as Rastapopolous mentioned) will stabilize things from the point, Bogdanovic will make an impact very early, Fox won't take long to become effective off the bench, and Skal and Stein have a lot of potential up front, and possibly Papagiannis too (I haven't seen anything of him, so I really don't know), along with Carter and Z-Bo providing a valuable vet presence off the bench. They've got a very interesting balance of youth and experience.

IMO, their biggest question mark is at SF, but they drafted Justin Jackson, whom many projected as the most NBA-ready non-lottery prospect, so it wouldn't be shocking if he performed competently as well. If their pieces fit together well--and I suspect they might--they've got a chance to surprise people.

I heard. as in was listening to some sports show on the way home that Skal and Hield were very disappointing.
Those were the two I was referring to.
But I didn't watch anything. Zbo/Hill/Carter are clear upgrades and will greatly be missed by the teams they left.

 

[Chris Craig]

1.) Golden State
2.) San Antonio
3.) OKC
4.) Blazers
5.) Houston
6.) Timberwolves
7.) Denver
8.) Grizzlies
9.) Clippers
10.) Utah
11.) New Orleans
12.) Dallas
13.) Lakers
14.)Sacramento
15.) Phoenix

 

[JDC]

Utah is getting underrated by most in this thread.

Losing Hayward is tough, but I think they rebounded about as good as you can expect. Still deep with high IQ two-way players and if Hood and Favors bounce back health-wise, they should be 15th-20th on offense and top 5 defensively.

That should be good for 42-46 with just average luck.

 

[DroppinDimes]

1. GS
2. OKC
3. Houston
4. SA
5. Portland
6. Denver
7. Minnesota
8. Clippers
9. NO
10. Utah
11. Memphis
12. Lakers
13. Dallas
14. Phoenix
15. Sacramento

 

[theprunetang]

1 Golden Showers
2 Spurms
3 Cuck Fans
4 Chokelahoma
5 Portland Awesomesauce Amazing Blazers
6 Miniature Wolves
7 Denver Tug-its
8 Knob Slob City
9 Mormon Tabernacle Choir
10 Ball Sac Town
11 Dallas Sarah Palins
12 Whore Nutz
13 Jizzlies
14 LA Chode Jugglers
15 River Phoenix (Post speedball)

 

[Chris Craig]

1 Golden Showers
2 Spurms
3 Cuck Fans
4 Chokelahoma
5 Portland Awesomesauce Amazing Blazers
6 Miniature Wolves
7 Denver Tug-its
8 Knob Slob City
9 Mormon Tabernacle Choir
10 Ball Sac Town
11 Dallas Sarah Palins
12 Whore Nutz
13 Jizzlies
14 LA Chode Jugglers
15 River Phoenix (Post speedball)

The last one is cold man, fucked up

 

[theprunetang]

The last one is cold man, fucked up

I actually wrote "Hairlip Phoenix" but erased it and went with the lesser of two evils.

 

[BonesJones]

Utah is getting underrated by most in this thread.

Losing Hayward is tough, but I think they rebounded about as good as you can expect. Still deep with high IQ two-way players and if Hood and Favors bounce back health-wise, they should be 15th-20th on offense and top 5 defensively.

That should be good for 42-46 with just average luck.

They won't be able to win close games. Rubio is a big downgrade from Hill.

 

[PtldPlatypus]

1 Golden Showers
2 Spurms
3 Cuck Fans
4 Chokelahoma
5 Portland Awesomesauce Amazing Blazers
6 Miniature Wolves
7 Denver Tug-its
8 Knob Slob City
9 Mormon Tabernacle Choir
10 Ball Sac Town
11 Dallas Sarah Palins
12 Whore Nutz
13 Jizzlies
14 LA Chode Jugglers
15 River Phoenix (Post speedball)

#12 changed from the Whore Nutz to the Pee Lickin'z, remember?

 

[theprunetang]

#12 changed from the Whore Nutz to the Pee Lickin'z, remember?

I can't believe I did that. But, you just absolutely crushed this out of the park! It was worth the error.

 

[PtldPlatypus]

I can't believe I did that. But, you just absolutely crushed this out of the park! It was worth the error.

Glad to help. You inspired me.

 

[SIeepwalker]

The team should officially change it's name to the Portland Awesomesauce Amazing Blazers

 

[theprunetang]

Glad to help. You inspired me.

You should never let me inspire you. For that leads to a path of darkness. Stay on the true path, brother.

 

[Minstrel]

You should never let me inspire you. For that leads to a path of darkness. Stay on the true path, brother.

Wryness. You mean wryness. Hipsters can't really be dark. It would clash with the superciliousness.

"And do you know what I did next?"
"Did you cut out his liver and eat it while drinking a glass of wine?"
"Do you seriously get your sense of evil from some generic, mainstream '90s thriller? You're embarrassing us both."

 

[theprunetang]

Wryness. You mean wryness. Hipsters can't really be dark. It would clash with the superciliousness.

"And do you know what I did next?"
"Did you cut out his liver and eat it while drinking a glass of wine?"
"Do you seriously get your sense of evil from some generic, mainstream '90s thriller? You're embarrassing us both."

Haha. I have feelings that are really obscure. You probably haven't even felt them yet.

 

[Minstrel]

Haha. I have feelings that are really obscure. You probably haven't even felt them yet.

I preferred the obscurity that was happening in the 1970s, honestly. Modern obscurity really lost the plot.

 

[H.C.]

Utah is getting underrated by most in this thread.

Losing Hayward is tough, but I think they rebounded about as good as you can expect. Still deep with high IQ two-way players and if Hood and Favors bounce back health-wise, they should be 15th-20th on offense and top 5 defensively.

That should be good for 42-46 with just average luck.

If you think Utah will do anything more than battle for the 8th seed, you're severely mistaken.

 

[theprunetang]

I preferred the obscurity that was happening in the 1970s, honestly. Modern obscurity really lost the plot.

You are a man of your word, with that Big Star avatar.

 

[KingSpeed]

Portland
GS
SA
Houston
OKC
Minnesota
Denver

After that, it could go several ways.

 

[KingSpeed]

Going against the Grain here....


1. SA
2. OKC
3. GSW
4. Houston
5. Blazers
6. Denver
7. Minni
8. NO

NOone else really matters.

Who on GS is getting injured?

 

[Strenuus]

Who on GS is getting injured?

Thats the question I ask you with your rankings, too. So you can go ahead and do that too.

 

[Minstrel]

Thats the question I ask you with your rankings, too. So you can go ahead and do that too.

No one on Golden State needs to get hurt for Portland to end up ahead of them. The Blazers played at a .700 winning percentage with Nurkic, which gets them to 57 wins. If you assume that trading Allen Crabbe and not playing Meyers Leonard next season gets them another 10 wins, they're at 67 wins. The Warriors won 67 games last year and the Blazers will win the head-to-head tie-breaker (they can't guard Nurkic).

 

[SIeepwalker]

No one on Golden State needs to get hurt for Portland to end up ahead of them. The Blazers played at a .700 winning percentage with Nurkic, which gets them to 57 wins. If you assume that trading Allen Crabbe and not playing Meyers Leonard next season gets them another 10 wins, they're at 67 wins. The Warriors won 67 games last year and the Blazers will win the head-to-head tie-breaker (they can't guard Nurkic).

Don't forget the rookies who add another 5 wins ! HISTORY BOOKS BABY !

 

[THE HCP]

Portland
GS
SA
Houston
OKC
Minnesota
Denver

After that, it could go several ways.

Here we go again #64Wins

 

[Rastapopoulos]

I'm going to have another shot:

Tier 1: The Warriors
Tier 3: Spurs, OKC, Houston
Tier 4: Utah, Clippers, Denver, Minny, Portland
Tier 5: Memphis, Dallas, New Orleans, Sacramento
Tier 6: Phoenix, Lakers

 

[e_blazer]

I'm going to have another shot:

Tier 1: The Warriors
Tier 3: Spurs, OKC, Houston
Tier 4: Utah, Clippers, Denver, Minny, Portland
Tier 5: Memphis, Dallas, New Orleans, Sacramento
Tier 6: Phoenix, Lakers

This looks about right to me. Injuries will cause a few teams to fall a bit, as they always do, but as a reasonable estimate going into the season I would agree with this.

 

[Rastapopoulos]

I was going to start a new thread, but that would be wasteful. But my question is narrower than the thread title. Rank these 4 teams:

Portland
Denver
Utah
Minnesota

 

[GrandJury]

I was going to start a new thread, but that would be wasteful. But my question is narrower than the thread title. Rank these 4 teams:

Portland
Denver
Utah
Minnesota

Minnesota
Portland
Denver
Utah

 

[Rastapopoulos]

I'm honestly torn. I think people will underestimate Utah because they lost both Hayward and Hill (whom I think will really help Sacramento). But they added Rubio and Udoh AND Sefolosha, all of whom are good-to-great defenders. Just about every player on their roster is better at defense than just about every player on ours. If this was the '90s they'd be kick ass. And they'll throttle all but the best offenses.