The Western Conference Playoff Picture As It Stands Now

It is never too early to predict the future.

Here is my ranking of the Western Conference as it stands today which means Odom stays in LA, Yao is out for the season and playoffs, Boozer is still with the Jazz, and every other team stays pat for the rest of the offseason.

1)      Los Angeles Lakers –The loss of Ariza could have been devastating, but the Lakers countered by bringing in Artest, which in my opinion is an upgrade.  The development of both Bynum and Farmar could propel this team to another championship.  However, if Odom does decide to leave the Lakers, they fall back and the race to the Western Conference Finals becomes a lot tighter.

2)      San Antonio Spurs – You have to give the nod here to the Spurs purely based on experience and assuming they return Ginobili and Duncan to 100% healthy.  Parker comes off his best year as a pro while still in his prime (scary thought).  The addition of Jefferson just gives this team a physical small forward who at times can show flashes of his old self when attacking the rim, but more importantly a much improved three point shooter.  Furthermore, the acquisition of McDyess rounds out a starting five hungry for a championship and chance to prove to the league that they are the team to beat.  Even Popovich agrees the Spurs should win it all, http://basketball.realgm.com/src_wiretap_archives/60675/20090719/popovich_if_we_dont_win_i_should_be_fired/

3)      Denver Nuggets – While the Denver Nuggets did not make any big name acquisitions this summer rather they lost Dahntay Jones and might lose Linaz Kleiza and Anthony Carter, the mental toughness of Chauncey Billups will keep this team focused and together.  I strongly believe that the Nuggets will retain both Kleiza and Carter, and will be able to find a replacement for Jones.  Moreover, the drafting of Ty Lawson will provide good depth at the point guard position and look for a lineup of Lawson/Smith/Anthony/Kmart/Anderson to bring some energy off the bench.  Oh yeah, they also retained their high energy player Chris “Birdman” Anderson.

4)      Dallas Mavericks – This might be a homer pick but I honestly think that the Mavericks can go deep into the playoffs and cause a raucous.  Are they good enough to beat the Lakers? Probably not, but on any given night I have confidence that they can beat every other team in the Western Conference.  The addition of THE MATRIX and Quinton Ross addresses the defensive needs of the team while the re-signing of Kidd brings mental stability and leadership.  The Mavericks this season will be very versatile offensively and defensively while also becoming more athletic with THE MATRIX and their rookie Roddy Boo Boo.

5)      Portland Trailblazers – I feel bad for these fans.  They have missed out on two free agents, Hedo and Millsap (which I was confused about since he and Aldridge play the same position).  However, this team will still be a force to be reckoned with because of Brandon Roy and LaMarcus Aldridge.  If Oden develops properly, a center tandem of Pryzbilla and Oden will be scary, while another year of experience for Batum, Fernandez, and Bayless could be very useful.  In addition, Webster will be back from injury to add to the Blazers depth.  This team will once again be a nightmare for their matchup in the playoffs, especially if they add an elite point guard of small forward.

6)      New Orleans Hornets – The only real addition they have made is for a backup point guard in Darren Collison, which could be very important during the regular season so CP3 is fresh in the playoffs.  The Hornets were absolutely embarrassed by the Thuggets (whoops, I mean Nuggets) and will return next season with a chip on their shoulder.  If Chandler stays put in New Orleans and they remain a healthy bunch, we could see the Hornets of two years ago surprise many people in the playoffs.  However, if Chandler is traded for scrubs and financial relief, I see this team falling out of the playoffs.

7)      Utah Jazz – Now Utah has some major problems to overcome if they want to jump a few of these teams in the Western Conference.  The addition of Maynor as a backup point guard will definitely help the second team during the regular season.  If Boozer stays with Utah, they can easily be as high as the 3^rdbest team in the Western Conference, but if Boozer is traded (which I think is all but guaranteed), the Jazz need to make sure they secure a serviceable big man to backup Millsap and Okur.  The Jazz can also be scary, but only if they return to their hard nosed defense and disciplined offense, along with winning a game or two on the road.

8)      Phoenix Suns – I know many people will disagree with me on this and would rather put the Rockets or maybe even the Warriors, but this is how I see it.  The Rockets will not be able to play a whole season without Yao and two defensive minded wings (Ariza and Battier).  They will have trouble scoring the ball.  While their display against the Lakers was phenomenal, they will not be able to sustain that for a whole season.  The Warriors will make the race for 8^th in the West very interesting with the improvement of Anthony Randolph, the addition of Stephon Curry, a full season with Monta Ellis, and the departure of Jamal Crawford.  However, all this being said, the Phoenix Suns will return to the playoffs due to the enormous amount of space created by cutting ties with Shaq.  Nash and Amare will have their pick and roll running again while Grant Hill and Earl Clark will attempt to provide the Marion and Diaw combo.  Especially since Amare is in a contract year where he wants to prove that he deserves a Max contract.  They will be back.

Now I can predict and these teams can look great on paper but it all comes down to playing the game.  For all we know, Artest could struggle fitting into the triangle offense, the age can catch up to the Spurs, the lack of basketball IQ can kill the Nuggets, the absence of a player to create his own shot can drown the Mavs, the youthfulness of the Blazers can bring them down, the absence of a bench can tire the Hornets, the inability to win road games can crush the Jazz, and the refusal to play defense can once again keep the Suns out of the playoffs. 

Barring any injuries or unforeseen events, this is my Western Conference playoff picture.  Agree or disagree, let me know what you think.

Inspiration from dallasbasketballdotcom.yuku.com.