I see a changing of the guard. The old powerhouses PHX, DAL, and even SAS will be on their inevitable decline while the young guns in LAL, NOH, UTA, POR, and HOU will be on the rise. My top 6 teams for next season:
POR - may make the jump earlier then we think, they are seriously stockpiled with talent.
HOU - should be a strong contender if they can keep their team healthy.
NOH - will be back in the mix if they can improve their bench and get more experience together as a unit.
UTA - are a question mark, if they move Boozer it may end up setting them back a season or two.
LAL - should be a favorite to get out of the West with the addition of Bynum and a full season+training camp together.
SAS - depending on what they do this off-seaosn they could sneak up on everyone like they always do in odd years. Never count these old farts out.
It's going to be a dogfight. You're crazy if you think those "old powerhouses" like the Mavs, Suns, and Spurs are just going to roll over and die next season. Replace the Blazers with the Nuggets and you basically have the same 8 teams making the playoffs in the WC next season.
Lakers of course, are you kidding me? we got the big 3 + kobe!!
as for the oldies like spurs or the suns, well....
I think the Mavs may miss the playoffs entirely. The Suns are a question mark, they can make some big moves in the off-season and we have no idea how they will react to their new coach. The Spurs should be right back in the mix but unless they make some really good moves in the off-season I don't know if they'll have enough in the tank to survive a grueling regular season and a deep post-season run.
Who are the big 3?Lakers of course, are you kidding me? we got the big 3 + kobe!!
Bynum? I'll buy that one, if he comes back 100%.
Gasol? Meh Still has to prove he's got physical and mental toughness. Decent fill in for Bynum, but being in the finals spotlight showed some pretty serious flaws in his armor.
Odom? Meh I'll forever feel for the man for what happened to his son, but I just don't see him ever fulfilling his potential, whether in the 3 or the 4 spot.
Having Kobe is always going to be enough to at least get you guys there. Here's hoping Bynum heals up and is able to play again (a la Amare).
I thought that about Boston at the beginning of the season. I think the big 3's desire for a ring got them to another level of adrenaline.
The question now is, what will motivate Boston when the tank is on 1/8?
Gasol looked weak in the playoffs because he is a PF forced to play C out of necessity. Notice how Amare looked worlds better at the 4 when they got Shaq? I suspect a similar thing will happen with Pau when he is being guarded exclusively by other PF's. He gave Garnett fits but struggled mightily against the stronger Perkins. He is the least of my worries next season.
Odom is the real question mark. Dude has never really found his place here in LAL and I suspect the Lakers will trade him if a decent offer comes their way.
We will give you Battier for him.
DD
The Blazers will dominate next season. We are UNBEAVABLE!
tlongII, any rumors regarding the Blazers possibly starting training camp early like they did last year? It seemed to help their cohesiveness and being a former Washingtonian who got to witness firsthand the troubles that the Blazers have had in the past, I'm sure it did quite a bit to help mend fences with the Portland fan base.
I have no info on when the players will start getting together this summer yet. It probably depends on Oden. Obviously everybody wants to play with him, but the team might not let him go full bore until October which is the start of training camp. I think he's ready right now, but the team is being overly cautious with him.
old farts?!
yeah, sayonara phoenix. and to you too, dallas.
I can't wait to see Yao back down oden and dunk on his ass
I think we're all in for a real treat next season. The West is going to be incredible. So many great teams.
It's a shame the EC is so weak. With DET being dismantled the Celtics have a clear path back to the Finals.
You aren't , make the playoffs and then come talk boy.
Mavs are definitely not missing the playoffs next season. They've upgraded their coaching and will make roster and chemistry upgrades as well.
i wish people like you didn't post here, you ruin Laker fans rep on this board.
Gasol is weak period.
and Shaq wasn't the reason that he looked worlds better. It was because Marion wasn't there anymore recieving alley-oops from Nash all day. They were all directed at Amare. Kinda like when Amare missed that year, Marion's game thrived because he got more easy buckets from Nash.
It's unfair how much the West can beat the out of the East.
Dead wrong. Gasol is weak as a CENTER, but against the majority of PF's in the NBA he will do just fine. Outside of Duncan, who is the best PF to ever play the game, he hasn't been dominated by a single PF in the playoffs. He held Garnett and Boozer to well below their averages.
And wrong again about Amare. Shaq's mere presence in the lane opened up the lanes for Amare on offense. Nash and Amare have run their P&R plays since forever, that didn't just occur when Marion got shipped out.
Dirk torched his ass in 2006.
Gasol is weak period.
He didn't hold Garnett to . KG is overrated period, and was just doing the choke job he's supposed to do.
Gasol wasn't doing a lot on Boozer. It was the fact that the defense was funneled to stop Boozer.
I really wanted the Mavs to play the Lakers because it was a guaranteed 35 ppg for Dirk, cuz no one owns Gasol more than Dirk.
No.
your team is no spring chicken. denial is not just a river a in egypt.old farts?!
yeah, sayonara phoenix. and to you too, dallas.
I would count Houston and Utah out.
At this time last year, the Celtics were coming off a 24-58 season and had just been devastated by tanking the season and not getting one of the top two picks to select either Oden or Durant for their troubles. Now they're champs. Let's weigh in again in August after all the player movement has been settled.
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