Western Conference Seeding Predictions

1. Houston Rockets - I believe this team can easily become a 1st seed if they are healthy, If not they should at the very least be in the top 5, but I believe this year they are going to be a healthy team and they will get the 1st seed. With the acquiring of Ron Artest a former all-star and still having some of the all-star status in him, This team should easily be the best defensive team, and possibly of all-time, I think this team can easily be better than last year's Boston Celtics on defense and on offense, Rick Adelman is a mastermind on offense and is pretty smart defensively so I think this Houston Rocket will easily be the #1 seed in the West if they are all healthy. This team in the wing position will cause plenty of match-up problems, Artest is an underrated offensive player as Jeff Van Gundy had said once he also said that you are not going to be able to put a weak defender on Artest or on McGrady so one of them will have a field day all night long unless you have 2 good wing defenders. They also have to watch out the man in the middle the best center in the league Yao Ming, who improves every year in every category pretty much not to mention his interior defense is probably the most underrated in the league. This team will easily shut down teams with terrific scoring wings like the LA Lakers, Kobe will see Artest in the 1st quarter and then when it's Artest's break he'll see Shane Battier, Kobe and all the other superstar wings will just be hoping to never face the Houston Rockets. I see the Rockets as title contenders

2. Los Angeles Lakers - The LA Lakers should be and will be contending for the top spot in the West again, but I believe this year they will be in the 2nd seed. I believe with an Andrew Bynum coming back it might take some time in the beginning to get use to with 2 big men both of them are capable scorers. I think the Lakers defense should be better because Gasol is returning to his natural position and Bynum is a stud defensively as well. I think Kobe will have a fine year, but not an MVP year he had last year, I also believe Odom might play the way he had been playing since the Gasol trade which was pretty consistent until the playoffs, I think Odom returning to the 3 is also a big boost for Odom, because that's clearly his natural position, I believe the Lakers will only be 2nd, I don't see them getting a better record than the Rockets.

3. New Orleans Hornets - The Hornets will be racing for the top spot once again like they did last year, they were one of the dark horses when they were at 1st place to the all-star game to the near end of the season but the LA Lakers caught up and stole the spot. I see this Hornet team being at the 3rd seed simply because I don't think they can match with the Lakers nor Rockets, They still have some holes to fill on the wing spot, Getting James Posey was a highly underrated move because the Hornets really need a wing player last season, They should be a much better defensive team now because Posey makes a big impact on defensive, not to mention he also can hit 3's pretty well too so he should fit in perfectly. This team is still young with Chris Paul, David West, Tyson Chandler, etc.... but I just see this team as a 3rd seed this year.

4. Utah Jazz - I see the Utah Jazz at the 4th seed easily and winning there division easily. They have been dominating there division for a long period of time now and Deron Williams and Carlos Boozer are still very young players who can in fact be better than what they are now which can be very scary. I think getting a new backup PG was a good move as well so Deron Williams might be able to rest longer or have Brevin Knight and Deron Williams out there at the same time with Deron moving without the ball, because Deron is also a very very deadly and underrated shooter. No team should be able to matchup with this team in there division except possibly the Portland Trail Blazers, but they are way too young, way too unexperienced. Jazz at the very least and at the very best stay at 4th seed.

5. Phoenix Suns -I see the Phoenix Suns making the 5th seed and having a better record than the Spurs, I think the Suns will also get home-court and have a better record than the Jazz, they are only 5th because of the NBA seeding rules, but I believe with Terry Porter as there new coach they will improve deeply but not become the winners of there division. With an improving Amare Stoudemire, a still very good Shaq and an elite PG in Steve Nash, I really see this team becoming a 5th seed and a dark-horse on the West. Terry Porter should at least give them more defensive philosophies unlike Mike D'Antona who never gives any defensive philosophies at all, I think this team can be very dominant, and landing the move on Dragic was a good move so now Amare doesn't have to play center when Shaq is not on the floor. I see The Suns at the 5th seed.

6. San Antonio Spurs - I think this year is where the Spurs start to show there age and start declining a bit. I think the spurs will still be a very good team just not the powerhouses of the West anymore, I think the Spurs and Mavericks have passed the torch to the Hornets and Rockets, The spurs are the oldest team in the NBA but can easily be the most deadly team in the playoffs. I see Duncan handing more of the leadership duties to Manu Ginobili like he did last year, as Barkley had said Manu was there most consistent player last season and Tony Parker was also great last season, I see the Spurs taking a step back this year, I don't think they will be moving forward in a while unless they get another star, I still see this team as very deadly though and The Spurs are always the last team you want to face in a playoff series, because of there experience.

7. Dallas Mavericks -The Mavericks as Magic Johnson has said there window has closed, I really think the Magic trading to get Jason Kidd was a huge gamble and a trade that made no sense, I was not a fan of this trade for the Mavericks but I was for the Nets, I see this team making it to the West simply because Dirk Nowitzki is still an elite player in the game and Jason Kidd is still an elite passer, The Mavericks also have Diop back so there rebounding and defense should be back and better, but I just see this team as a 7th seed team like last year.

8. LA Clippers or Portland Trail Blazers - This is really a toss up to get this spot on the West, I have the Blazers getting it more though for the simple fact that Brandon Roy is one hell of a player and Greg Oden is coming back so the blazers should be dominant in the post with Oden and Alridge, offensively and defensively. I think Baron Davis is too inconsistent to lead the clippers to the playoffs and I still think Kaman is young and not as fully developed, if the clippers make another big move then I would give the edge to the Clippers but as for now it's the Blazers.