On the heels of Tim Legler's ESPN article of handing out midseason grades to the Western conference, I'd thought I'd weigh in with my grades for the West.
In the standings, the Western conference is in a tight race for the coveted number one spot, with a mere five games separating the eighth-seeded Golden State Warriors and the first-seed Phoenix Suns.
On the court, watching the Western conference as been as exciting as Eli Manning driving down in the final minutes to win the Super Bowl.
By far the better than the Eastern Conference, the West has been the focal point of high-powered offense and high-scoring games. The Western conference has taken all the titles in this decade except for two. Now, on to the grades...
Dallas Mavericks (Grade: B)
After a great season last year, it wasn't too likely they'd duplicate that success, but while other Western powers have made significant moves to improve, the Mavs have stayed put and made it harder for them to advance to the finals again.
With the Pau Gasol trade to the Lakers and now Shaq heading to the Suns, look for them to make a move before the deadline. Kidd anyone?
Denver Nuggets (Grade B-)
Injuries have taken its toll on this team this year, but that doesn't excuse them from playing porous defense. While very talented on offense, defense is what wins championships.They have proven time and time again that they cannot beat an elite team four times with the defense they play. If they figure out what defense is, no team will want to see them in the playoffs.
Golden State Warriors (Grade A-)
This team sure is fun to watch, right? That may be true, but what happens when the game slows down, like in the playoffs? I think that their pick-up of Chris Webber was a great deal for them.
Although he can't run with the team, when the playoffs come around, he'll be a valuable asset in the half-court set down low when the game does slow down. Like Denver, this team puts a scare in any team come playoff time, like last years number one seed Mavs.
Houston Rockets (Grade C)
This team has underachieved considerably with Yao Ming and Tracy McGrady. Granted T-Mac has missed some time due to injury, but when is T-Mac ever fully healthy?
In the preseason Houston was being mentioned as a Finals candidate, but the defense hasn't been there like it was under coach Jeff Van Gundy, and the free-flowing offense under Rick Adelman has yet to take shape. Look for a second half turnaround for the Rockets and a playoff spot in the bottom four.
Los Angeles Clippers (Grade D)
This team has been decimated with injuries, most notably losing Elton Brand before the season started for months with a ruptured Achilles tendon.
With the players seemingly no longer responding to coach Mike Dunleavy, and the squabble between owner Donald Sterling and Dunleavy, their players look disinterested. Except for Chris Kaman, who has taken this year to showcase his skills, and establish himself as a solid center.
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