I think the spurs are the favorites

[himat]

As of today, Spurs and Pistons are the VEGAS favorites.

San Antonio Spurs 4/1
Detroit Pistons 4/1
Dallas Mavericks 5/1
Phoenix Suns 5/1
Miami Heat 5/1
New Jersey Nets 12/1

. You'd expect everyone to fall in love with Dallas and Miami.

[T Park]

would agree Garnett to LA and they would be the favorites

What makes anyone think Garnett and Kobe would get along together well.

[mabber]

As of today, Spurs and Pistons are the VEGAS favorites.

San Antonio Spurs 4/1
Detroit Pistons 4/1
Dallas Mavericks 5/1
Phoenix Suns 5/1
Miami Heat 5/1
New Jersey Nets 12/1

Not in my sportsbook. What sportsbook did these odds come from cuz I want to bet with these odds?

[td4mvp21]

The Heat and Mavericks are the team to beat next year, I don't know if they are favorites though. We'll have to see what happens in the offseason.

[DallasFan]

Dallas cannot win.

I remember feeling sick to my stomach when the season bagan last year because of the Mavs lineup...turned out pretty decent though. You never know.

What about the Clips...I think Cassell is leaving, but he's pretty dry in the tank by now?

[DallasFan]

Well, lets just consider all of the GOOD teams in the west and not put them in order yet. Who could possibly make the playoffs out of the west.

San Antonio
Dallas
Phoenix
Denver
LA Clippers
Memphis

These all are very good bets to repeat in their playoff berths. But that still leaves 2 slots. Theres a lot of teams that could slip in there.

Houston - If they can pick up a shooter like Re and TMac and Ming can stay healthy, they're a good bet.

LA Lakers - Kobe alone could make them an 8 seed. But offseason moves might move them further up.

Utah - They finished at 9 last season. They could draft well and surprise you.

New Orleans/Oklahoma City - They're a player away from being a legit playoff team. Chris Paul will be the best PG in the league in a couple of years.

Sacramento - We all know what they can do.

The fact is, the West is going to be a slug-fest. I imagine we'll probably see an Eastern Conference team come out with the best record in the league (Miami? Detroit?) but the West will be favored to win the finals. Before we rank the top 5 teams in the west, who will make the playoffs at all?

Dammit, I forgot about Houston and T-Mac...West will be fierce this year (if health prevails). I would take Utah, Memphis, and NO off the list though...hope I don't eat my words

[baseline bum]

The Spurs were huge favorites in 2005. Everyone knew they were winning the le until Tim went down in Detroit. They were on pace to win 65 before that injury, and there was a lot of media write-up about them possibly being one of the 10 greatest teams all-time.

I think Phoenix is the best team in the league next season. What killed them in 2005 vs. the Spurs was their players being tired and thus unable to close the deal in the fourth. That won't be the case next year even if they lose Tim Thomas, because that team has ridiculous depth. In 2005 their bench was Jim Jackson. Now it's going to be Kurt Thomas, Leandro Barbosa, James Jones, and possibly Tim Thomas. I doubt you see those same fourth quarter meltdowns from them next season that you saw from them over and over against the Spurs in 2005. They now have an absolute lock-down defender in Raja Bell, and they have four great three-point threats to ensure Stoudemire's going to have a field day down low. Their interior d will take a hit because Amare is worthless guarding the post, but this 2007 Suns team has filled most of the weaknesses that kept them from the le in 2005. They have tons of experience, and have gone through the heartbreak and tough losses it takes to build the heart of a champion. I think it's their time.

[Extra Stout]

Phoenix probably wins it next year, and then Tim picks up his fourth and final le with the Spurs in '08.

[Louie Vega]

Regardless of who you "think" should be favored in the west, the reality is that the Mavs will be the odds on favorite (in Vegas) to win the west again. .

Then that will make the mavs odss on favorites in 2 categories. The other being "Most likely to choke in the Finals"!

[Louie Vega]

...

[rascal]

What makes anyone think Garnett and Kobe would get along together well.

I do. What says they won't?

We have been down this road before. When the Lakers got Payton and Malone i heard the same thing about not having enough balls to go around and they beat the spurs.

Shaq and Kobe didn't get along well and they beat the spurs in the playoffs more than once.

[StylisticS]

Screw favorites. i'm telling you being the favorites suck. Your team gets y and it bites em right in the ass when they finally realize they lost. I don't care if my team isn't the favorites actually i like it. I don't think nationally people think spurs are the favorites. Everyone is filling up the miami and Dallas bandwagons

I agree. Before we even went to the finals, the Mavs was team that was under the radar, nobody believed in them, and had to prove something. That actually is better than being favored. I'd rather fly under the radar than be favorites.

[SPARKY]

We'll see what moves they make this summer.

[Axl Van Dam]

Don`t agree with two things.

First: Spurs will be on top.
Second: LAC will be before LAL.

Amen To This!!!!!

[Axl Van Dam]

What makes anyone think Garnett and Kobe would get along together well.

Kobe "Ballhog" Bryant will be the first one to complain If The Lakers attempt to land K.G. because he won't be able to keep the ball to himself. He has to share with K.G. Sharing the ball has never been Kobe's characteristic. In fact I think he doesn't even know how to spell the word.