Around the NBA: Western Conference Midseason Report
You read the Eastern report last week right? If not, here it is.
This is just more of the same, except we're going to delve into the Western conference this time. The West is usually considered the stronger of the two conferences—this year is no exception—and it makes me wish the Warriors played back East.
Note: All records and standings listed are current as of February 10th, 2011.
San Antonio Spurs, 44-8
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They're battle tested, boring as all hell and they have the best record in the league by far. Just another year for the Spurs. The three headed monster that is Tim Duncan, Manu Ginobli and Tony Parker just will not be denied this year, and this trio is racking up the wins in bunches. Slightly more exciting for fans of the team, youngbloods George Hill, Dejuan Blair and even Gary Neal have all shown that they can play and just need to develop consistency to solidify themselves. San Antonio is big on establishing consistency, and that seems like a fairly attainable goal for the youngsters. I wouldn't pick them to make the finals, but I wouldn't bet against them either.
Dallas Mavericks, 37-15
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When Caron Butler went down early in the year, the Mavericks were labeled as dead in the water. All they've done since then is rattle off W's even while their best players—Dirk Nowitzki, Jason Kidd, Jason Terry—have all taken turns struggling.
One huge reason for this is the extremely solid play of Tyson Chandler (who's in a contract year), a guy that brings exactly the type of hard nosed edge and defensive intensity that Dallas has traditionally lacked. Mark Cuban has already hinted that he would rent Carmelo Anthony for the rest of the year, and the Mavs are active at the trade deadline every year regardless, so I would expect this team to get even better. This could be the year they finally, mercifully, get over.
LA Lakers, 36-16
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The defending champs have struggled at times this season, but there is no doubt they are still the favorites to come out of the Western Conference. Kobe Bryant is still the deadliest fourth quarter player in the league and his will to win is relatively unmatched.
Up until last year, I'm not sure you could say the same thing about Pau Gasol, but the llama look a like Spaniard was an absolute beast in the playoffs last year and should have won Finals MVP, not Bryant. Ron Artest is another year older and therefore crazier, but so far, he is keeping in together off the court although his play has worsened on it. This team is extremely deep as well, and they may make a move at the deadline to improve their chances for a three-peat.
Oklahoma City Thunder, 33-18
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We all knew after last year how good Kevin Durant was and how good he could be, so his play this year is no surprise. The biggest reason for the Thunder's improved play this year is the emergence of Russell Westbrook as an elite point guard and the much improved play of sharpshooter James Harden.
The Thunder still need help at the center position, and Jeff Green has struggled at power forward, but they are definitely on the cusp of entering the top tier of NBA squads. Last season's playoff loss to the Lakers hopefully has given this young team enough experience and motivation to be more of a factor in this year's tournament.
New Orleans Hornets, 32-22
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After suffering through a terrible, basically CPR-less season during 09-10, the Hornets are back to their form of a few years ago. Although they still have a big hole at shooting guard, Emeka Okafor has really settled in this year at center, and David West is having a typical, extremely solid David West type year. Trevor Ariza is still struggling to find his shot, as was the case for him during much of last season, but he has been able to contribute in other ways, especially defensively, and is a key component for New Orleans' return to respectability. The Hornets are not a very deep team, however, and they are just one injury away from a trip back down to the bottom of the league.
Still, at least the talk of Chris Paul forcing his way out of town has subsided, for now anyway.
Utah Jazz, 31-23
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The Jazz are going to be playing in whole key during the second half of the year: wokka, wokka. Jerry Sloan abruptly quit after decades of pacing the sideline, and many people think Deron WIlliams is to blame. It's tough to say how it will turn out, but the Jazz probably need to do whatever they can to keep their franchise PG happy.
They still have an extremely strong team, at least on paper, but it seems like no team gets injured quite as much as the Jazz. This probably has to do with the fact that they have Mehmet Okur and Andrei Kirilenko, two guys that are always missing games. Unfortunately for them, Big Al Jefferson is in the same boat. Even so, they clearly have the talent to go deep in the playoffs and, if healthy, could be a dark horse championship contender out of the West.
Denver Nuggets, 30-23
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The Nuggets have played pretty well this year considering how much drama has been swirling around the team, but one gets the sense that the other shoe is going to drop fairly soon. If Melo stays through the deadline, it remains to be seen how good this team could actually be and how deep into the playoffs they could actually go. They have a strong front line, some scoring punch off the bench in Ty Lawson and JR Smith, and a a ton of veterans who have been around the league for awhile and know how to win.
If Carmelo leaves, there is really no way to know what this team is going to look like. It isn't worth speculating about who they are going to get or who they are going to give up, but suffice to say, they will be worse off without Mr. Anthony.
Portland Trailblazers, 28-24
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Portland is doing what they do every year: getting injured and hanging around the eighth seed in the Western Conference. This year, the injury bug has been worse than ever with Greg Oden, Marcus Camby and Brandon Roy all missing huge chunks of time.
Luckily, the absence of these players has given guys like Wesley Matthews and Nicholas Batum an opportunity to step up, and for the most part, they have. It sounds like Roy and Camby are both also going to be returning to the floor in the next few weeks and perhaps the Blazers can put together a little run, but LaMarcus Aldridge would have to continue his stellar play. Andre Miller is going to have to figure out a way to integrate all these pieces back together and stay off the injury report himself.
It would be nice to see them healthy for an entire year, but Portland fans probably just have to take what they can get at this point.
Memphis Grizzlies, 28-26
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Although they are outside of the playoffs looking in, this has been one of the better years in recent memory for the woe begotten Grizz. Rudy Gay signed a huge deal in the offseason and has proved critics of that transaction wrong by going on an absolute tear for much of the year. Zach Randolph has been stellar in his own right and Marc Gasol is making a strong case for himself to be considered, and be compensated as, a top 10 center in the league.
They don't have a chance in hell of winning anything, but it would be nice to see this franchise eke into the playoffs for once. They have some interesting players in O.J. Mayo and upstart Sam Young and could be a player at the trade deadline. Mike Connelly could also use a little postseason experience to solidify the first really decent season he has had as a pro.
Note - With Rudy Gay out for a month with a shoulder injury, it's time for Tony Allen to get it done.
Phoenix Suns, 24-25
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Out in the desert, the Suns may not have set completely, but they are going down. The shelf life for playing run and gun is not a long one, and this Phoenix squad just does not have the horses to be a top team anymore. Steve Nash is still a great passer and may be the most important player to his team (they would be the Cavs without him) but an aging Vince Carter, an aged Grant Hill and an extremely soft front court of Channing Frye and Robin Lopez are not enough of a supporting cast to run with Nash.
Marcin Gortat has been a nice fit since coming over from the Magic, and there are rare nights when the Suns look like those classic Phoenix teams of the past, but they will be lucky to make the playoffs at this point. Maybe there is some way they can deal VC to a contender at the deadline, but I doubt it after his flop in the playoffs last season.
Houston Rockets, 25-29
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This is a good organization with really bad luck. Last year, they shipped Carl Landry out of town for brittle shooting guard Kevin Martin to the chagrin of many. This year, Martin has stayed healthy and been a dependable and versatile scorer, while Landry can't even start for the woeful Kings.
That is kind of where the bright spots end. Yao Ming has been unable to play, forcing the Rockets to start garbage man Chuck Hayes at center. They also lost point guard Aaron Brooks for a good deal of the season, and he has been unable to re-take his starting job from Kyle Lowry up to this point.
This had led to some rumblings about Brooks heading out of town, which the Rockets have denied. They have a glut of "project" players—Jared Jeffries, Jordan Hill, Terrence Williams, even Courtney Lee—but instead give their potential minutes to Shane Battier; go figure. It would be nice to see the Rockets get lucky and make a big trade at the deadline, but there's no guarantee it will happen.
Golden State Warriors, 23-28
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Every year, I get excited for this team to replicate the success and excitement they had when they talked the No. 1 seeded Mavericks out of the playoffs, and every year, they let me down. This year, at least, things are looking better. David Lee has been a great fit with the Warriors up tempo pace and swing man Dorell Wright is having the best year of his career and is a strong candidate for Most Improved Player.
Another reason for optimism is that the alleged beef between Monta Eliis and Stephen Curry appears to have been squashed, at least for now, and both guards are having great seasons. The downside of this year is that Andris Biedrins has regressed badly and the team still isn't winning any road games. However, if they can finish with a strong second half, things will be looking bright for next year, again.
Bring back Nellie; I miss seeing him slug beers in the locker room.
LA Clippers, 20-32
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Although they can't be too happy with how this season has gone as a whole, everyone in Clipperland can breathe a big sigh of relief, as Blake Griffin has come back this season healthy and dominant. The same cannot be said for oft-injured big man Chris Kaman, and the Clippers really have yet to see their imagined frontline together and healthy.
One other positive is that Eric Gordon (who has also been injured at times) looks like the real deal, and a core composed of Griffin and Gordon is a good one. Baron Davis has been up and down, and the Clips may have been better just letting rookie Eric Bledsoe run the show. The Clippers have some nice pieces, but they need to upgrade at small forward and make a decision as to whether they still want to anchor their franchise to Kaman as their center. He would be a great piece to deal at the deadline but may have no takers.
Minnesota Timberwolves, 13-39
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For the first time in a while, there is reason for optimism in Minnesota. Sure, the T-Wolves are bad, but they finally have a little bit of fight in them this year, and for the first time in a long while, they have a legitimate All-Star in Kevin Love. Legendary draft bust Darko Milicic is having the best season of his life and doesn't look to be the huge waste of money many thought he would be when Minnesota signed him.
Likewise, veteran PG Luke Ridinour has been a stabilizing force on the Wolves young back court and is bringing some leadership to guys like Wesley Johnson and Jonny Flynn who clearly need it. Last but not least, Michael Beasley has left behind the baggage he had in Miami and is having a breakout season.
The Wolves are one of the youngest teams in the league and are only going to improve. If Ricky Rubio comes next year, all the better.
Sacramento Kings, 12-37
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Probably one of the biggest disappointments in the league. After the promise of last year and Rookie of the Year Tyreke Evans getting some perceived help in Carl Landry, Demarcus Cousins and Samuel Dalambert, the Kings have sputtered to one of the first records in the league. Cousins has come on of late, but Landry has been a huge bust, and young big Jason Thompson has also failed to impress. They have some OK wing players in Francisco Garcia and Omri Casspi, but they are both players who should be sixth or seventh men, not starters.
For his part, Tyreke has been good but extremely streaky and has even talked at times about shutting it down for the year because of lingering injuries and minor wear and tear. In other words, not the sort of thing you want to hear from a second year "franchise" player.
Cousins looks good but is a definite head case, and the instability in the Kings organization (Paul Westphal = Inconsistent Coach) isn't going to help him going forward.
Thanks for Reading: Enjoy the All-Star Break
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I'm heading off to the islands based on the proceeds of writing this............
