Who can compete with the Lakers who are looking to 3pete this year? Kevin Durant and the
Thunder think they can do it...Will the Suns make a boom without Stoudamire? Are the Jazz a
dark horse and potential Finals team without Boozer? Lets get you started for what looks to
be one of the most competitive NBA seasons ever....
LA Lakers:
Last season: 57-25...1st in west...NBA FINALS CHAMPIONS...
Key Players: Kobe Bryant...Pau Gasol...Lamar Odom
Bench Stars: Shannon Brown...Sasha Vujacic
THE NBA CHAMPS roll around this year with lots of returning players. Of course Kobe Bryant
will take the lead followed up by Pau Gasol, Ron Artest, and Lamar Odom. Kobe bryant coming
off knee surgery but expect the same Kobe with possibly more drive than ever because of the
hightened competition in the Thunder and in the East with the Heat.They are the back to back
champs and though they will be missing Andrew Bynum for beginning of the season season Pau
Gasol finished hot and looks to continue where he left off...I think they can do it all
again...the question is...can they beat the Heat?
Mavs:
Last season: 55-27...2nd in the west...ELIMINATED IN 1ST ROUND...
Key Players: Dirk Nowitzki...Jason Kidd...Shawn Marion
Bench Stars: Erick Dampier...Jose Juan Barea
The big man!Dirk Nowitzki averaged 25. ppg....45% from floor. Look for him to continue that
heat and put his best forward as he does every season. The old dog can learn new tricks as jason kidd proves. He has definitely improved his game to become a more consistent 3pt shooter now shooting 42% from deep.Rick Carlysle is a great coach with a record of 386-270 and has some talent to work with when it comes to this Western Conference Contender...
Nuggets:
Last Season: 53-29...4th in west...ELIMINATED IN 1ST ROUND
Key Players: carmelo Anthony (for now...) Chauncey Billups...Kenyon Martin
Bench Stars: Ty Lawson...Chris Anderson...
Big problems in Denver as Carmelo Anthony wants to be traded. He is such a big leader and force on this team...can they stay afloat if he leaves??? Alot of talent still lies on this roster...with the ever-so dependable Chauncey Billups averaging 20.3 ppg...JR Smith has defensive ability as well as K-mart...The big question again though...is Anthony... If he leaves...they may not make the playoffs without an elite player...
Warriors:
Last Season: 26-56....13th in West...DID NOT MAKE PLAYOFFS
Key Players: Monta Ellis...Stephen Curry...David Lee..
Bench Star: David Lee...Vladimir Radmanovic
The Warriors have plenty of offensive upside...they were 2nd in ppg last year in the nba with numbers averaging at 108.8. New coach Keith Smart looks to keep up the offensive intensity and also create a defense that has yet to be seen in Golden State. A lot of talent lies in the uptempo quick firing team...standouts Monta Ellis, Stephen Curry, and David Lee look to lead this highly talented but underachieving team into the playoffs after a disappointing finish last year...
Rockets:
Last season: 42-40...9th in West...DID NOT MAKE PLAYOFFS...
Key Players: Luis Scola...Kevin Martin...Shane Battier
Bench Stars: Brad Miller...Kyle Lowry...Jordan Hill...
Yao left injured last year and that was key to the Rockets making any type of playoff run. And now theres talks of only giving him 24 minutes per game this year! How much of an impact can this star make? Do they have the depth to replace him for the rest of the game. Well, Brad miller has become that insurance policy. The Rockets are a team not of stars, but of role players...when Aaron Brooks comes in and makes key shots, Luis Scola can get key boards and Shane Battier and Kevin Martin put up the points they need to...this can be a very dangerous team...
Clippers:
Last Season: 29-53..12th in West...DID NOT MAKE PLAYOFFS
Key Players: Blake Griffin...Baron Davis...Chris Kaman
Bench Stars: Eric Bledsoe...Randy Foye
Blake Griffin is finally here, as well as new coach Vinny Del Negro. Look for Blake Griffin to dominate as a big athletic body who can grab boards and enforce the defense down low...the only question I have is...whos the leader??? Every team needs a guy in the drivers seat to motivave and uplift chemistry...The Clippers have a pool of great atheletes in Baron Davis, rookie Eric bBedsoe, Eric Gordon, and all star center Chris Kaman. This team is finally out of the rebuilding stage...now its time to contend...
Grizzlies:
Last Season: 40-42...10th in West...DID NOT MAKE PLAYOFFS..
Key Players: OJ Mayo...Rudy Gay...Zach Randolph...Marc Gasol
Bench Players: Xavier Henry...Hasheem Thabeet...Acie Law
OJ mayo, Zach Randolph, Rudy Gay...Marc GAsol...big names for a team with huge offensive talent. Randolph had a quiet year last year...and that pertains to behavior...he is more of a leader as well as a double double machine. Big question here: Can this be a good defensive team??? Hey! Heres another...Can this team come together as one? Everyone wants the ball here in this offensive unit. With all of this talent, they can compete for a top five seeding...where can these guys finish?
T-Wolves:
Last Season15-67...15th in West...DID NOT MAKE PLAYOFFS
Key players: Micheal Beasley...Wes Johnson...Kevin Love...
Bench Stars: Darko Milicic...Luke Ridnour....
Lets hope that the Vikings can make Minnesota proud...This team is in its rebuilding stages...Lots of talent here..but with little chemistry and no leadership...and the added toughness of the Western Conference...dont expect much from these guys...The Wolves however did make some key moves in rebuilding, as they added Micheal beasley, rookie SF Wes Johnson, and center Darko Milicic, who has a great basketball IQ...A few key questions: Is Beasley an elite NBA player and can he prove himself this year? He is the most talented player on team...Wesley Johnson is a great shooter but these guys are just not enough as far as talent goes. They will play a lot of 50 win teams...the West is just a bit much for these guys right now...
Hornets:
Last Season: 37-45...11th in the West...DID NOT MAKE PLAYOFFS...
Key Players: Chris Paul (???) Trevor Ariza...David West
Bench Stars: Aaron Gray...Peja Stojakovic
Chris Paul: All Star...World Championship Star...Locker Room Distraction??? He wants out...Can they function if he leaves? More than that can they function with him here? This team is in utter disarray, horrible chemistry, and just bad luck have haunted this team. A shining light though is Trevor Ariza from the Rockets. He is a great defensive player and can add that edge to go with Emeka Okafor's tough down low defense. Theres still alot of players still there from seasons where they made playoff runs. But behind the scenes issues can be the hindrance here...Can they utilize the talent they have and become a force in the West?
Thunder:
Last Season: 50-32... 8th in the West...ELIMINATED IN 1ST ROUND
Key Players: Kevin Durant...Russell Westbrook...Jeff Green
Bench Players: James Harden...Nick Collison...Mo Peterson
Kevin Durant in one word: Unstoppable...This team went from from 23 wins to 50 last year...Durant was the league scoring leader 33 pts a game...This year a possible mvp...he has become a better defender and leader, he is a world championship mvp and his resume goes on. The little man Russel Westbrook is an excellent compliment to Durant. This team has too many weapons to not be great in Jeff Green, Nenad Kristic, James Harden and really many more...This was also a a very great defensive team, only allowing 98.0 ppg especially in a conference where triple digit scoring is a must. This team in my opinion and many others, has the best chance of stopping the Kobe Bryant and the Lakers...They have built a team around a young star who has proven himself...and have the depth in thier roster to make a huge run deep into the playoffs...It could be Finals or Bust for these guys this year...
Suns:
Last Season: 54-28...3rd in the West...ELIMINATED IN CONFERENCE FINALS...
Key Players: Steve Nash...Hedo Turkgolu...Jason Richardson
Bench Stars: Hedo Turkgolu...Goran Dragic...
Stoudamire gone? Barbosa gone? Turkgolu here. Well, its apparent that Nash must do more. This teams uptempo pace maybe the fastest in the NBA which can definitely work in their favor and always has. Robin Lopez and Channing Frye make a really thin frontcourt. I think that they will make playoffs, but a deep playoff run may be a stretch...they should probably go for a key big man before the trade deadline...Overall...Good things from the Suns this year, just maybe not good enough...
Kings:
25-57 14th in the West...DID NOT MAKE PLAYOFFS...
Key Players: Tyreke Evans...Demarcus Cousins...
Bench Stars: Francisco Garcia...Omri Casspi...Samuel Dalembert
Now heres an excellent all around prototype of what the NBA can be in Tyreke Evans...fantastic rookie: plays all around...complete package...smart and athletic. Now throw in a defensive stud in rookie Demarcus Cousins who averaged 12 rebounds in college per game. He is a physical player with tremedous upside. The queston is how much work will he put in being that he is still young? This team isnt out of the woods yet they are still in the rebuilding stages...but they are close to being out...dont expect much from them this year though...the West is a bit too powerful for these young fellas...
Spurs:
Last Season: 50-32...7th in the West...ELIMINATED IN 2ND ROUND
Key Players: TIMMAY! (Tim Duncan)...Tony Parker...Manu Genobli
Bench Stars: George Hill...Dejaun Blair
Tony parker runs with best if hes not injured. Richard Jefferson is back with better shooting. Tim Duncan is projected to get less minutes this year but he will still put up nonetheless. Manu is still the star. The problem: Theres alot of age on their roster. The nba may be too young for this team. So just how quick can rookies that they have develop? George Hill, Dejuan Blair, are some pretty solid guys as well as Tiago Splitter who is a great center and a great rebounder much like a bigger Scola and has the competitive edge as he played overseas. Theyve got the tools and Gregg Popovich is an excellent Hall Of Fame coach...we'll just see what they do with what they have....
Jazz:
Last Season: 53-29 4th in the West...ELIMINATED IN 2ND ROUND
Key Players: Deron Williams...Paul Millsap...Al Jefferson
Bench Players: Ronnie Price...CJ Micheals...
Fact: Deron Williams is the best PG in nba...better defender than Nash...more offense than Paul. They lost Boozer but have an excellent replacement in Paul Millsap and a perennial 20-10 player. He is a very productive player. You can always count on the Jazz, they always
show up, and dont forget Al Jefferson who is a great 20-10 player as well. The talent level also rises with AK 47 here as well. Lots of power offense n defense and can challenge the Lakers and the Thunder...Dont be surprised to see these guys in the Conference
Championship...
TrailBlazers:
Last Season: 50-32...6th in the West...ELIMINATED IN 1ST ROUND
Key Players: Brandon Roy...Marcus Camby...Rudy Fernandez
Bench Stars: Rudy Fernandez...Greg Oden
Theres lots of potential and lots of young talent. They have just been bitten by the injury bug wayyyyy too much in the past. Oden had knee surgery, Roy played through injury. Roy is a
top five 2 gaurd that can compete with the Kobes' and Durants' of this league...Nate Mcmillan is the new coach so we will see where this team is headed...
Theres your NBA wrap-up...This seasons shows a lot of excitement and competition this
year...NBA...Where Amazing Happens...
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