2014-15 NBA West Preview

[tamaraw08]

1) Spurs: They may not finish with the best record, but they'll be the best in the West.
2) Thunder: Last go around. If they don't make a 3 seed Durant is out.
3) Dallas: Surprise team in the season. Early playoff exit.
4) Lakers: Led by Kobe and Lin. A resurgence and miracle team. 5) Clippers: Not a great playoff team.
6) T Blazers: Lillard.


Major fall off: ROCKETS!

oh wow Lakers lead by Kobe and Lin to finish 4th ahead of the Clips and Blazers, Warriors, Memphis etc etc.

I think everybody here is also overlooking New Orleans.
Davis will be in the top 3 best player and having Jrue Holiday, Evans on his side will be huge etc.
Portland would overtake many teams, I don't expect Spurs to have the best record. They have NEVER won back to back. One or more of their aging vets will sit more than 25 games.
OKC will have the best record.

[Real14]

I predict that the thunder wont go to the WCF.

[kurple]

1) Spurs
Best team in the league. One summer doesnt change that. Best ballmovement, off the ball movement, passing, consistent shooting and very good D. I also love the Kyle Anderson pick, but he might not play too much this season.

2) Thunder
KD and Westbrook. A proven very good team, and the core has been together for years now. Also couple of youngsters that can take the next step. Might steal the #1 seed

3) Clippers
Similar to OKC only not as good IMO. A couple of superstars, core is talented and has experience playing as a unit. Some holes, but the 3rd best team in the West

4) Warriors
Had a dissapointing season last year. But its a super talented group of players, and looks great on paper. I like Kerr and they improved their defense last season. Still, i'm not a big fan of relying on the 3ball as much as they do. Even if they have the best shooter on the planet.

5) Nuggets
Experts only see Nuggets as the team that lost team All Star Iggy and Hall of Fame coach Karl. But this core won 57 games 15 months ago. They wont win 57 games, but the team is still built for the regular season (play a high pace) and Denver is still the milehighcity. Its literally the same core that took a prime Lakers team (Bynum, Kobe and Pau) to 7 games. Only older and improved. Lawson, Faried and Afflalo took big steps in their game last season.

6) Blazers
Surprised everyone in the first half of last season. Great movement and solid D. But teams started to figure them out and they wasnt as consistent in the 2nd half. This is a team that could play amazing basketball and fight for a top seed, but it could also miss the playoffs. I'm thinking Lillard might have a down season, but thats me.

7) Mavericks
Getting a lot of hype and the team looks very solid on paper, but i dont think its deep enough for 82 games and its a relatively new core. will have some growing pains. Not a fan of their back court either, but Ellis played the best i've seen from him last season.

8) Hou/Suns/Pelikans

Dog race. Either team can jump as high as 4/5 as well. Houston looks weak as shit outside of Harden and Howard. Pelicans have proven nothing with their core. And i'm not sure about the suns.

[ArbitraryWater]

About the Nuggets:

Next year that will have been 3 years ago (Taking the "prime" Lakers to 7") in a much weaker West, with no Warriors/Blazers/Rockets yet, and a weaker Clippers/Mavericks team...

[kurple]

but in those 3 years the nuggets have improved a lot individually as well as improving as a unit. those 57 wins wasnt all on Iggy, i would say he was our 4th best player that season. and we replaced an declining Iggy with an improved and in prime Afflalo

Every player in the core has taken steps, some bigger than the others. And they have replaced the underpreforming roleplayers (brewer, dre and harrington) with better players


Lawson is criminally underrated. and Faried took a massive jump after the All Star game (18/10). Hopefully Gallo will come back as the last piece of our "big 3"

and we have some of the best roleplayers in the league: Afflalo (d3), Chandler (6th man candidate), Nate Robinson (Nets series), Randy Foye (3point specialist), Mozgov (big body, great touch, Blatt and the Cavs wanted him), McGee (rim protection)

[kurple]

team is hungry. and they know what it takes to win a lot of games consistently.

[Real14]

5) Nuggets
Experts only see Nuggets as the team that lost team All Star Iggy and Hall of Fame coach Karl. But this core won 57 games 15 months ago. They wont win 57 games, but the team is still built for the regular season (play a high pace) and Denver is still the milehighcity. Its literally the same core that took a prime Lakers team (Bynum, Kobe and Pau) to 7 games. Only older and improved. Lawson, Faried and Afflalo took big steps in their game last season.

.

[kurple]

you mad salty brah. just because NY got robbed in the Melo trade


that 2016 knicks pick could end up making it even better. who are the top prospects that year?

[Real14]

you mad salty brah. just because NY got robbed in the Melo trade

When the last time the nuggets made the semis?

[SamuraiSWISH]

1) Thunder
2) Spurs
3) Clippers
4) Warriors
5) Blazers
6) Mavericks
7) Grizzlies
8) Rockets

[Milbuck]

People are sleeping on the Nuggets, they could snag the 8th seed if injuries don't kill them.

Ty Lawson / Nate Robinson
Arron Afflalo / Randy Foye / Gary Harris
Danilo Gallinari / Wilson Chandler / Quincy Miller
Kenneth Faried / JJ Hickson / Darrell Arthur
Javale McGee / Timofey Mozgov / Jusuf Nurkic

I could easily see that team winning 45-50 games. A healthy core of Lawson-Afflalo-Galo-Manimal is pretty damn good.

[SexSymbol]

1. Spurs
gap
2.Thunder
3.Clippers
4.Mavs
5.Warriors
6.Lakers
7.Houston
8.Trail Blazers

[T_L_P]

1. Spurs
2. Clippers
3. Thunder
4. Warriors
5. Grizzlies
6. Trailblazers
7. Mavericks
8. Nuggets/Rockets

[Duggrr]

1. Spurs
2. Thunder
3. Clippers
4. Warriors
5. Trailblazers
6. Grizzlies
7. Mavericks
8. Rockets

[brooks_thompson]

I'm gonna remind everybody that the Grizzlies had the best record in the league upon the return of Marc Gasol (which was no small stretch of 50-odd games).

If they're the team to fall out of the playoffs, then more power to the upstarts. But significant injuries would be the only explanation.