phyzik
12-04-2007, 03:35 PM
didnt see it posted anywhere
we all know how important these are throughout the year!
....Or maybe its just filler until the next time the Spurs play. :spin
Projecting How The West Will Finish
By Tim Legler
ESPN.com
(Archive)
As we approach the one-quarter mark of the 2007-08 season, we have a rough picture of who's most likely to be left standing come the playoffs.
Here's how I see the Western Conference's seeds shaping up come April 16 …
1. San Antonio Spurs (15-3) -- They are still the best team in the league. Manu Ginobili (19.4 ppg in 28.7 mpg), now 30 and in his sixth year with the Spurs, looks as fresh as he did his rookie year.
When he plays this well, no team in the NBA can beat the Spurs in a seven-game series. Not to mention the fact that Tony Parker is playing the best basketball of his career. And, by the way, they still have a guy named Tim Duncan, whose recent knee injury shouldn't affect the Spurs' prospects.
2. Utah Jazz (13-5) -- Deron Williams and Carlos Boozer are the best point guard/power forward combination in the league. Check out their production in Monday's 110-101 win over the Heat -- Boozer had 24 points and 15 rebounds, Williams has 24 points and 15 assists.
The Jazz play hard every night, they have upgraded their depth, and the experience they gained from last season's playoff run could get them to the Western Conference Finals.
3. Phoenix Suns (13-4) -- This team is built for 60 wins in the regular season. The biggest question facing the Suns is whether the addition of Grant Hill can offset the loss of Kurt Thomas and the interior defense that he provided.
I have picked this team to the NBA title for the last two seasons and they have burned me. I still think they have enough talent to win it all, but now they have to prove to me that they can beat San Antonio in the playoffs.
4. Dallas Mavericks (12-6) -- The Mavericks have lost their edge from a season ago. Their dismantling at the hands of the Golden State Warriors has opened the door for other teams in the West to feel like they can play with the Mavericks if they get physical with Dirk Nowitzki.
They will still be a factor, obviously, but they have taken a step back.
5. Houston Rockets (9-9) -- The Rockets are still one of the better defensive teams in the West. New coach Rick Adelman has opened up the offense and this will allow Yao Ming (22.1 ppg, 10.1 rpg) to have his best year offensively.
The problem for the Rockets is that the difference between the top two players and their next best player (Shane Battier or Bonzi Wells), is the biggest drop-off among the contenders in the West.
6. Denver Nuggets (11-7) -- The Nuggets certainly have enough talent to beat any team in the league on a given night. Ultimately, however, their lack of discipline (shot selection) and lack of commitment defensively by Allen Iverson and Carmelo Anthony will hurt this team in the playoffs.
7. New Orleans Hornets (12-6) -- If the Hornets stay healthy, they will be an interesting team to watch all season. They have a nice mixture of youth and veteran leadership, but they lack a true prime-time "go to" scorer to carry them against the elite teams in the West in order to make a deep playoff run.
8. Los Angeles Lakers (9-8) -- Kobe Bryant is good enough to keep the Lakers' heads above water, but they do not have enough talent to be considered a contender.
If L.A. finds itself under .500 in mid-January expect Kobe's frustration to surface again and force the Lakers to change the face of their franchise.
As the West standings shape up now, the Rockets wouldn't make the playoffs, but the surging Warriors, who fell to 9-8 with a 123-117 overtime loss to Orlando, would.
ESPN analyst Tim Legler is a regular contributor to the Daily Dime
we all know how important these are throughout the year!
....Or maybe its just filler until the next time the Spurs play. :spin
Projecting How The West Will Finish
By Tim Legler
ESPN.com
(Archive)
As we approach the one-quarter mark of the 2007-08 season, we have a rough picture of who's most likely to be left standing come the playoffs.
Here's how I see the Western Conference's seeds shaping up come April 16 …
1. San Antonio Spurs (15-3) -- They are still the best team in the league. Manu Ginobili (19.4 ppg in 28.7 mpg), now 30 and in his sixth year with the Spurs, looks as fresh as he did his rookie year.
When he plays this well, no team in the NBA can beat the Spurs in a seven-game series. Not to mention the fact that Tony Parker is playing the best basketball of his career. And, by the way, they still have a guy named Tim Duncan, whose recent knee injury shouldn't affect the Spurs' prospects.
2. Utah Jazz (13-5) -- Deron Williams and Carlos Boozer are the best point guard/power forward combination in the league. Check out their production in Monday's 110-101 win over the Heat -- Boozer had 24 points and 15 rebounds, Williams has 24 points and 15 assists.
The Jazz play hard every night, they have upgraded their depth, and the experience they gained from last season's playoff run could get them to the Western Conference Finals.
3. Phoenix Suns (13-4) -- This team is built for 60 wins in the regular season. The biggest question facing the Suns is whether the addition of Grant Hill can offset the loss of Kurt Thomas and the interior defense that he provided.
I have picked this team to the NBA title for the last two seasons and they have burned me. I still think they have enough talent to win it all, but now they have to prove to me that they can beat San Antonio in the playoffs.
4. Dallas Mavericks (12-6) -- The Mavericks have lost their edge from a season ago. Their dismantling at the hands of the Golden State Warriors has opened the door for other teams in the West to feel like they can play with the Mavericks if they get physical with Dirk Nowitzki.
They will still be a factor, obviously, but they have taken a step back.
5. Houston Rockets (9-9) -- The Rockets are still one of the better defensive teams in the West. New coach Rick Adelman has opened up the offense and this will allow Yao Ming (22.1 ppg, 10.1 rpg) to have his best year offensively.
The problem for the Rockets is that the difference between the top two players and their next best player (Shane Battier or Bonzi Wells), is the biggest drop-off among the contenders in the West.
6. Denver Nuggets (11-7) -- The Nuggets certainly have enough talent to beat any team in the league on a given night. Ultimately, however, their lack of discipline (shot selection) and lack of commitment defensively by Allen Iverson and Carmelo Anthony will hurt this team in the playoffs.
7. New Orleans Hornets (12-6) -- If the Hornets stay healthy, they will be an interesting team to watch all season. They have a nice mixture of youth and veteran leadership, but they lack a true prime-time "go to" scorer to carry them against the elite teams in the West in order to make a deep playoff run.
8. Los Angeles Lakers (9-8) -- Kobe Bryant is good enough to keep the Lakers' heads above water, but they do not have enough talent to be considered a contender.
If L.A. finds itself under .500 in mid-January expect Kobe's frustration to surface again and force the Lakers to change the face of their franchise.
As the West standings shape up now, the Rockets wouldn't make the playoffs, but the surging Warriors, who fell to 9-8 with a 123-117 overtime loss to Orlando, would.
ESPN analyst Tim Legler is a regular contributor to the Daily Dime