Catching The Lake Show: 5 Western Teams Who Will Give LA Everything They Got
It seems like every year, the Los Angeles Lakers have an easy path to the Western Conference Finals.
Each and every year, the other teams have some sort of issue which keeps them from contending.
The reason can be anything from injuries to chemistry problems.
This year looks to be the most promising for another team to rise to the throne of Western Conference Championship.
Oklahoma City Thunder
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The Thunder are in an interesting situation right now.
They have the Scoring Champion from last year in Durant, a solid point guard in Westbrook, a player playing out of position in Jeff Green, and a promising rookie big man in Cole Aldrich.\
Durant has been mentioned in many MVP talks. He led the league in scoring and is a solid leader. What he needs to work on is getting teammates involved and playing better defense.
Westbrook would shine as a player if he could add a dependable three point shot.
Jeff Green is what I think holds them back.
This isn't a knock on his game, but being with Durant keeps him from performing as good as he can. He needs to play out of position and cannot guard the Power Forwards of other teams. The Thunder need to get rid of him to bring in a reliable Shooting Guard and to free up minutes for Serge Ibaka.
Doing this will guarantee a run at the Western Conference Title.
7 Games series against LA:
LA wins 4-2
Utah Jazz
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When you have the best Point Guard in the league on your team, anything is possible.
The Jazz are a very talented team.
They replaced Boozer with Al Jefferson, a guy who plays more reliable defense and is on his way to stardom.
They also have Mehmet Okur who can spread the floor and free up the lane for Jefferson and Williams. The one thing Utah will miss is their former three point marksman, Kyle Korver. Utah also lost top defender Ronnie Brewer.
Utah's success will all lie in William's hands, and how he can carry this team, and if the rest of the team can step up, Utah will be dangerous.
7 Game series against LA:
LA wins 4-2
LA Clippers
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Call me crazy, but I really believe the Clippers are a brand new team. They have everything a team would want to win a championship.
Baron Davis is almost passed his prime but can still play good ball.
Gordon is an uncanny shooter and scorer.
Newly drafted Al-Farouq Aminu is a promising prospect with plenty of upside.
Blake Griffin is set to make a splash this year.
Chris Kaman will continue to produce at an All-Star level.
Also, in the Clipper's favor, is a good bench. The bench includes Eric Bledsoe, a good scorer, a good shooter in Randy Foye, another shooter in Rasual Butler, Mr. Hustle in Craig Smith, and promising DeAndre Jordan, who needs a better work ethic.
7 Game series against LA:
LA wins 4-2
Dallas Mavericks
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Dallas has the size to match up with LA.
They have Brendad Haywood and Tyson Chandler down-low.
They have the most consistent player not named Tim Duncan in DIrk Nowitzki.
They have one of the league's toughest players in Butler, and at the helms of the whole offense, Jason Kidd.
Not to mention an incredible bench with Shawn Marion, JJ Barea, Jason Terry, and Chandler, who was noted above.
In the end, Dirk makes the difference.
7 Game series against LA:
LA wins 4-3
Portland Trailblazers
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Portland may be the deepest team in the NBA.
They are 2-3 deep at every position.
Their starting Point Guard, Andre Miller, provides veteran leadership and scoring, plus playmaking and defense.
Brandon Roy is the third best Shooting Guard in the league right now, and is looking to move up that ladder once Kobe gets older.
The Small Forward position is the deepest on the team, as shooter Luke Babbit, defensive specialists Nic Batum and Wesley Mathews, and Rudy Fernandez can all play the position.
Down low is where Portland will cause LA problems. LA's one strength is their long and tall bigs. That is one of Portland's, too. They have Lamarcus Aldridge, a proven scorer who has been working hard this offseason to add muscle to help downlow, former DPOY Marcus Camby, solid backup center Joel Pryzbilla, and of course Greg Oden.
Portland's success lies in his hands. He is often injured, but many believe that is the end of his career. One surgery was a precatious surgery to prevent further damage to one knee, and the other was a complete freak accident. He is still only about 21 or 22 and has alot of time. With him healthy, Portland has the leagues best defensive line-up due to his averages of about 16 ppg, 15 rpg, and almost 4 bpg per 48 minutes. If he can get playing time, he will produce and Portland will succeed.
7 Game series against LA:
4-3 Can go either way in my eyes.
Thanks For Reading
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