Bleacher Report - Articles by Sean Yamagiwa

Who Will Get The Final Seeds in The Western Conference?

Sean Yamagiwa — Tue, 28 Jul 2009 13:40:54 -0400

Last year, the Western Conference was all laid out and was pretty easy to see who would be going to the playoffs and who wouldn't. It was just a matter of fact on what seeding they were going to get.

Those teams were the Lakers, the Spurs, the Nuggets, the Jazz, the Mavericks, the Hornets, the Rockets, and the Trailblazers. There was only one team with a chance, the Phoenix Suns.

Now, looking at a new year, it looks as though the same teams are going to make it. Maybe not. The Rockets lost three of their best players; Tracy McGrady, Yao Ming, and Dikembe Mutombo. They still made a run for the playoffs but without their center, how well will they do?

The Jazz might also lose their spot due to the fact that Carlos Boozer does not want to come back. But even still, they can be in the playoffs.

So there are two teams that might not make the playoffs. Let's take a look at who might take their spot instead.

The Phoenix Suns. Hopefully, they'll have a full year with Amar'e Stoudemire and without Shaquille O'Neal, they can go back to their run-n-gun and win 50+ games. They have the players to do it. Let's see if Steve Nash can execute again.

The Oklahoma City Thunder. They acquired James Harden and he's suppose to make an impact. The Thunder are getting more experienced and they have Kevin Durant. Can they make a push for the playoffs? Let's see.

The Minnesota Timberwolves. They acquired Chucky Atkins who can fill a point guard spot until Rubio decides to man up and play for the team. Thinking about it, I don't think they have a chance. A friend told me the Wolves have a chance, but I doubt it.

The Golden State Warriors. This team was tenth place last year. They were way out of making the playoffs but this year, they have Monta Ellis a full year as long as he doesn't do anything stupid again. They also got Stephen Curry, who's suppose to be a spot up shooter and a potential Rookie of the Year candidate.

Final results: There's no saying they have any chance in the playoffs but I believe that the Phoenix Suns will take the spot in place of the Houston Rockets. But only time will tell.

Which NBA Team Will Come Out On Top?

Sean Yamagiwa — Sun, 26 Jul 2009 20:15:40 -0400

This offseason, a lot of teams have made significant changes to their respective teams. Looking at the NBA now, there are five teams that come to mind; the Los Angeles Lakers, the San Antonio Spurs, the Cleveland Cavaliers, the Orlando Magic, and the Boston Celtics. These teams have all added All-Stars to their teams to better themselves for the upcoming 2009-2010 season. Let's take a look at who might be winning an NBA championship this year.

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Detroit Pistons, Phoenix Suns: Same Downfall

Sean Yamagiwa — Sun, 01 Mar 2009 18:39:10 -0500

The Suns fans are all aware that we aren't having a great season so far. With the run-n-gun style of play implanted by Mike D'Antoni, the Suns have come up with impressive seasons, but coming short with a giant road block, the San Antonio Spurs. The Suns weren't able to defeat their rivals so they resorted to change, starting with the acquirement of Shaquille O'Neal. They gave up Marion, but people thought, "That's okay, Shaq's good." He didn't fit the system.

But when D'Antoni was fired, the new system and motto "Defense Wins Championships'" by Terry Porter worked out with the acquisition of Shaq. Then, they decide to get more scoring...even though they want to be a defensive-minded team. They get Jason Richardson and Jared Dudley for fan favorites Raja Bell and Boris Diaw. Then after the All-Star Break, they decide to fire their new coach after half a season for Alvin Gentry.

I, personally, didn't like Porter and the new system. The Suns aren't a defensive team. They don't have defenders. Nash and Stoudemire, All-Stars aren't defenders. They play high-scoring games. Now, they realize they made a mistake in getting Jason Richardson. Bell and Diaw are a better fit for the run-n-gun system.

The Detroit Pistons are almost identical. They weren't able to reach an NBA championship after 2004 even though they had a great amount of talent. They started with change, giving up Ben Wallace in the free agency to a deal of four year $60 million by the Bulls instead of the four year $48 million from the Pistons. They replaced Ben Wallace with Nazr Mohammed and Chris Webber.

They fired Flip Saunders because they weren't able to get past the Eastern Conference Finals and replaced him with Michael Curry. They went for a big time trade; Chauncey Billups for Allen Iverson. Iverson being in Detroit didn't give the Pistons a big contribution. It was a bust, just as Suns' deals were. They put Hamilton on the bench, and he wasn't happy. They don't end up firing their coach mid-season but they do go back to their system with Hamilton starting and finishing games.

So, can't win a championship, fire great coaches, acquire big names, can't pull through.

Who's having a worse season? Don't get me wrong, they aren't horrible...but they could be doing way better.