http://sports.yahoo.com/nba/news;_yl...yhoo&type=lgns
Preseason rankings: Western Conference
By Kenny Smith, Yahoo! Sports
As teams prepare for the new season, there are some familiar storylines to follow. However, there is also some new intrigue – perhaps enough to surprise us in June when the league champs are crowned.
My preseason rankings reflect potential playoff seeding, but some teams are better built for the regular season (like Dallas). Depth, age and experience all play a part on who dominates the regular season. Here's how I see the West with preseason play getting under way.
1. San Antonio Spurs – They really didn't add much to their team. Why? Because the foreign legion team of Tony Parker, Manu Ginobili and Tim Duncan is still the best. (Yes, Duncan is from the Virgin Islands, but they're foreign to me!) Depth, youth and experience makes them the blueprint franchise.
2. Phoenix Suns – I know Amare Stoudemire is out for the preseason, but that's no concern. The Suns are primed this year, and here are two things to watch for: 120 points per game (which means championship dreams) or Stoudemire, Grant Hill and Raja Bell in street clothes (that'd mean a lottery nightmare).
3. Dallas Mavericks – Avery Johnson has the challenge of getting rid of the Ghost of Playoff Failures Past. The inability to defend off the dribble and to have a true post-up scorer was exposed for the world to see in the postseason. Personnel changes are in their future.
4. Utah Jazz – They are for real. Carlos Boozer and Deron Williams aren't Malone and Stockton, but they're more like Malone and the new Jason Kidd. These two should take off where they left off in the playoffs.
5. Houston Rockets – The Rockets' biggest problem is chemistry. The questions are as follows: Is Steve Francis healthy or is he a head case? Is Rafer Alston streetball or street? And can Yao Ming and Tracy McGrady coexist?
6. Denver Nuggets – Having Allen Iverson and Carmelo Anthony for a full season should make Denver the most dangerous team in basketball. If basketball is the only story throughout the year, then look out.
7. Los Angeles Lakers – Kobe will be … well, Kobe. However, this is the year Lamar Odom plays like an All-Star all season and the Lakers take a step closer.
8. Golden State Warriors – The bodyguard Baron Davis and the upstart Warriors are great for the playoffs. But without depth in a lot of areas, they're looking like the eighth-best club in the West.
9. Memphis Grizzlies – They improved their team by adding Mike Conley Jr. However, the best improvement comes from just being healthy. Pau Gasol is arguably the second-best power forward in the West behind Duncan, and don't underestimate Damon Stoudamire's value.
10. New Orleans Hornets – CP3 (aka Chris Paul) needs three more studs to go with him. Tyson Chandler is a beast, but it ends there. The rest of the starters would be better served as being second-unit players.
11. Portland Trail Blazers – No Greg Oden. No playoffs.
12. Los Angeles Clippers – They're baaaaaaaack … to losing, finger pointing and empty seats. With no Elton Brand or Shaun Livingston, the Clippers' future is in street clothes.
13. Sacramento Kings – New coach Reggie Theus has inherited a glimpse of the Sacramento glory days. The Kings will be in dismantling mode by the All-Star break.
14. Minnesota Timberwolves – The words that will become common place are "youthful," "patience" and "next year."
15. Seattle SuperSonics – Too young for success. Kevin Durant will be fun to watch, but it will be difficult to find more than 25 wins.
1. San Antonio Spurs – They really didn't add much to their team. Why? Because the foreign legion team of Tony Parker, Manu Ginobili and Tim Duncan is still the best. (Yes, Duncan is from the Virgin Islands, but they're foreign to me!) Depth, youth and experience makes them the blueprint franchise.
Uh....what!?
Manu, Parker, and Duncan are all in their primes.
Uh....what!?
When I think of the Spurs, I certainly don't think of youth. Tony Parker, sure, but Ginobili and Duncan aren't spring chickens.
Acknowledged.
Parker is the only one of the three that could be considered young in the basketball world.
Spurs were the oldest team by average age last season, and they certainly didn't have an insurgence of youth this summer.
Steve Nash - 33 1/2
Raja Bell - 31 last month
Grant Hill - 35 as of 5 days ago
Amare - 25 next month with 2 knee surgeries already
Boris Diaw - 25 1/2
Average age..... 30 (not counting Amare's surgeries).... Kiss my ass suns fan.
Yes, and age was a terrible obstacle to win the championship. Oh... wait a minute!
Merciful mother of crap, whoever at Yahoo hired this guy should be fired in a heartbeat. I realize it's totally free, but I still feel like I got ripped off reading this.
The Spurs aren't young. As long as Steve Nash doesn't go down the Suns won't be in the lottery. The Mavericks are not about to make big changes to a 67 win team. Did the Jazz ever resolve the AK-47 issue? The question of Yao and McGrady is if they can stay healthy. IIRC the Rockets had a great record in the games where both actually played. Did anyone over there proofread this thing? That settles it. I'm applying for Yahoo!
I didn't say it was a bad thing.
I'm just saying the Spurs are NOT a young team.
I'm sure the Spurs themselves would agree. In fact, they joke about it to the media. All the freaking time.
People are touchy tonight.
Did I say anywhere in my previous post that the Suns were a young team? Was I even talking about the Suns? Is there a reason you must be needlessly aggressive toward me just because I root for another team?
Lakers are too high on the list. I say they miss out on the playoffs cause the Kobe issue will be hanging above their heads all season. Poor chemistry is going to kill them.
Uh....what!?
I also questioned the "arguably the best power forward behind Duncan" line regarding Gasol, as though Nowitzki played a different position.
Stupidity has reached new heights.
There's no ceiling for stupidity when people are talking about the Suns and their "championship dreams".
What's the other thing to watch out for?2. Phoenix Suns – I know Amare Stoudemire is out for the preseason, but that's no concern. The Suns are primed this year, and here are two things to watch for: 120 points per game (which means championship dreams)
it's a secret, he did want to reveal anymore of his vast knowledge in fear that the Suns might sue him for giving out his superb analysis to their foes.
Are the Suns still in the NBA? Didn't they just win the WNBA le?
I like his order. I met Kenny briefly at my nephew's AAU championship tournament in Vegas in July. Pretty cool cat. He coaches a team that participated and played in a couple of games before my nephews'. Some of these kids' coaches are screaming madmen, but Kenny the Jet was more of a wise, cool teacher. I liked his style and the results he got from his team. For 11 year olds they really looked advanced out there in terms of running plays and passing the ball and doing all the intangibles.
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