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The big 6 are set. Below that, I have Pels and Jazz.
With the Western Conference so strong, Portland losing a lot of players and the healthy (?) return of KD in OKC. Just wondering who do you think will not qualify for the playoffs in the West?
This is what I have.
These teams are in. (in no particular order)
San Antonio Spurs
Golden State Warriors
Los Angeles Clippers
Houston Rockets
Oklahoma City Thunder
Memphis Grizzlies
On the bubble.
New Orleans Pelicans
Dallas Mavericks
Phoenix Suns
Some hope.
Minnesota Timberwolves
Los Angeles Lakers
Utah Jazz
Not going anywhere.
Sacramento Kings
Portland Trailblazers
Denver Nuggets
The big 6 are set. Below that, I have Pels and Jazz.
Crazy to think two of these teams will not advance past the 1st round.
Top 6 is locked barring injury and the Pelicans are a near-lock IMO..
Utah is going to be 8th if Gobert's body doesn't break like many of the similar-built players of the past, tbh..continuity is huge for regular season records, and they have more talent than the Mavs and Suns IMO..
I would be pretty surprised if Dallas makes it..Carlisle gives them hope, but their roster is mostly trash, and 2 of their top 3 players are coming off major injuries..
Kings/Wolves would need everything to go right to make a run, and Portland/LA/Denver have no shot at the playoffs..
Memphis Grizzlies should move to the East.
With the Bucks moving to the West.
Of course, no team in the east wants to move to the west and lose a playoff berth.
Still not sold on Gobert/Hayward/Favors with the Jazz. Carlisle/Cuban will find a way to make the Mavs compe ive, especially for Dirk.
I actually think one of these teams, the Lakers or Wolves, will surprise us and still be in the mix in March. Too much dysfunction with the Kings. George Karl won't make it through Christmas.
How true that is despite Dell Demps being an ignoramus.
Kings will be much better this season. Could get 8th spot
Lakers will be lucky to win 25 games
Even crazier to think that some of these teams could be a top seed in the East.
On the bubble.
New Orleans Pelicans
Dallas Mavericks
Phoenix Suns
Some hope.
Minnesota Timberwolves
Los Angeles Lakers
Utah Jazz
Not going anywhere.
Sacramento Kings
Portland Trailblazers
Denver Nuggets
Lakers have no shot at playoffsKings are on the bubble, if Boogie wont screw them
yeah, i'll take the odds the mavericks make it over the jazz.
their roster though:
PF 1. Dirk Nowitzki 2. Charlie Villanueva 3. Jeremy Evans 4. Dwight Powell 5. Maurice Ndour 6. Brandon Ashley C 1. Zaza Pachulia 2. Salah Mejri 3. Satnam Singh 4. Jarrid Famous
Mavs won't be better than the Jazz
Look at Utah's record after the Kanter trade ... 19-10 with a +5 point differential (94-89 average). 10 games against West playoff teams, 2 against OKC/PHX, 4 against East playoff teams and 13 against other teams. Not a tough schedule, but still very good trends and amazing defense.
Going with Pelicans and Jazz making the 7/8 spots... Pelicans bring back pretty much the same team who have a top3 player in Davis and pretty good guards... Jazz have a defensive poy candidate in Golbert... Dallas will come up just short by a few games....
If Pelicans have a healthy Jrue Holliday I think they make it.
New Orleans is a lock assuming they stay even remotely healthy.
After that, one of Utah/Dallas/Phoenix will get in. I'm leaning towards Utah, although I really don't like their roster much outside of Hayward/Favors/Gobert.
Dallas is a big question mark. Who knows what Deron Williams will look like, and Matthews is coming off a torn achilles. If both of those guys end up panning out, they'll be in contention for that 8th seed. I do wonder about Dirk...he was so god-awful on defense last year. Dude makes Duncan look fast in comparison
I think Phoenix has some potential. Knight/Bledsoe/Tucker/Morris/Chandler is a pretty nice starting 5, although I think Knight is overrated. Their bench is made up of mainly young guys, so if some of them end up being able to contribute, I wouldn't be surprised if they snuck in and got the 8th seed.
I don't think any team outside of those has even a remotely realistic shot.
OKC is a question mark in my mind. People are completely discounting the fact that Jones fractures end careers. If KD isn't 80%, I don't see them making it. Teams seemed to figure out the Russ-centric Thunder, and they got worse as the season wore on.
They got worse because Ibaka went down too.
Even if KD ends up missing half the season, they could still very well make playoffs assuming everyone else is healthy.
Pelicans and Jazz. With the new seeding rules, Thunder will be 5th or 6th seed despite winning their Division. I expect a tight race between Rockets and Grizz for 4th and 5th seed.
1. Spurs - Southwest Champs
2. Golden St. - Pacific Champs
3. Clippers
4. Rockets
5. Grizzlies
6. Thunder - Northwest Champs
7. Jazz
8. Pelicans
Spurs
Warriors
Clippers
Healthy OKC
Rockets
Grizzlies
Pelicans
Jazz
Suns
OKC without a healthy Durant
My 2015-2016 WC Projections
1. San Antonio
2. Oakland
3. Los Angeles Of Anaheim
4. Greater Tulsa
5. Memphis
6. Salt Lake City
7. Houston
8. Fort Worth Metro
9. New Orleans
10. Minneapolis
11. Sacramento
12. Phoenix
13. Denver
14. Portland
15. Los Angeles
Good damn the west is even more brutal this year. Injuries would certainly change a lot
Spurs
Warriors
OKC
Clippers
Rockets
Grizzlies
Pelicans
Jazz
Between Mavs/Jazz, I like Williams-Matthews backcourt but they've been dealing with a painful story of injuries.
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