Western Conference Preview

by Jeff Laboon

The wait is over. Meaningful professional basketball games will be played this Tuesday. The winner of the Western Conference has won the last two NBA Championships - the Lakers in both years. Once again, all eyes in the West will be on the LA Lakers, the three-time defending Western Conference champions. Here is the West as EP sees it.

1. Los Angeles Lakers
The defending champions improved over the offseason, adding Steve Blake to back-up for PG Derek Fisher, who looked tired at times during the playoffs last season. The Lakers also added bad boy and former Kobe enemy Matt Barnes.

But how much is left in the tank? The Lakers have played a total of 313 games in the past three seasons en route to three Western Conference Titles and two NBA Championships. Eventually these minutes have to take their toll.


(This commercial is reason enough to root for the Lakers' Lamar Odom.)

2. Dallas Mavericks
Dallas is the biggest threat to the Lakers’ fourth consecutive Western Conference title. The Mavericks’ roster has very few holes, but the Mavs consistently underperform in the postseason. The second seeded Mavs lost in the first round to the San Antonio Spurs last postseason, but their deep bench may finally help the Mavs live up to expectations.

3. Portland Trailblazers
The Blazers finished in a three-way tie for the sixth seed last season, but were eliminated in the first round with star SG Brandon Roy injured. The Blazers strengthened their biggest weakness last year with a mid-season trade for C Marcus Camby to replace the oft-injured Greg Oden. The Blazers, if healthy, can be deadly in the West.


(Brandon Roy with some mid-air improv.)

4. Houston Rockets
Looking at the Rockets’ roster, it’s hard to believe that they missed the playoffs by eight games last year. With C Yao Ming back in a limited role, the Rockets should make a serious case the NBA Championship this season. The backcourt tandem of Aaron Brooks and Kevin Martin are reason enough to fear the Rockets.

5. Utah Jazz
The Jazz did lose leading rebounder Carlos Boozer in the offseason, but the Minnesota Timberwolves pretty much gave them PF Al Jefferson. Jefferson is no Boozer, but he is certainly a capable replacement. If you need any reason to watch the Jazz, look no further than PG Deron Williams. Williams has one of the dirtiest crossovers in the league. He is simply a sight to see.

6. San Antonio Spurs
Age is what hurt the Spurs in the regular season, but experience is what got them to the second round of the playoffs. With PG Tony Parker and SG Manu Ginobili healthy, the Spurs should be back to their dominant form.

DeJuan Blair may be the steal of the 2009 draft. The Spurs drafted the 6’8 forward without ACLs 37th overall, but he started 25 games last season and he is making a strong case for joining the regular rotation.


(DeJuan Blair with destruction at the 2010 Rookie/Sophomore Game.)

7. Denver Nuggets
The Denver Nuggets have the same core that led them to the Western Conference Finals in 2008. Assuming Carmelo Anthony remains on the team, the Nuggets will certainly be a contender in the West. The performance of PF Al Harrington will be crucial for the Nuggets’ success with Kenyon Martin out until about January. The biggest concern for the Nuggets will be if Melo resigns in the offseason.

8. Phoenix Suns
Despite the loss of PF Amar’e Stoudemire to the New York Knicks, the Suns actually improved this offseason. The addition of Hedo Turkoglu provides a talented backup for injury-prone SF Grant Hill. After a down season in Toronto, Turkoglu hopes to return to form in the desert.

The additions of Josh Childress and Hakim Warrick bring some younger legs to the Suns. It will be interesting to see if how Childress performs at first after spending the last two seasons playing in Greece.


(Hedo Turkoglu had a trouble season in Toronto, but this is no excuse for this terrible interview.)

9. Oklahoma City Thunder
If the Heat are everybody’s villain, then the Thunder are everybody’s heroes. This summer has been a total love fest for Thunder forward Kevin Durant and rightfully so. Durant averaged 30.1 points per game last season and almost led the Thunder to a first round upset of the Los Angeles Lakers.

Durant along with PG Russell Westbrook, SG Thabo Sefolosha, and PF Jeff Green started all 82 games last season. Center will be the Thunder’s biggest obstacle to contention. Nenad Krstic is simply not on the same level as Andrew Bynum, Nene, or Brandon Haywood.

10. Memphis Grizzlies
The resigning of Rudy Gay is undoubtedly one of the best moves of the off-season. Gay averaged 19.6 points per game and 1.48 steals per game, fifth in the league most for his position. Forward Zach Randolph averaged a double-double last season. The Grizzlies finished 40-42, a 16 game improvement from the 2008-09 season. Look for the Grizzlies to be in the playoff race until the very end.


(Rudy Gay deserves more attention.)

11. New Orleans Hornets
The second biggest acquisition this season is definitely Chris Paul. OK, so Paul did not really go anywhere, but he only played 45 games last season. A healthy Paul is reason enough to fear the Hornets, who finished 37-45 last season. Despite an off-season trade for SF Trevor Ariza, the Hornets need a consistent Emeka Okafor to make the playoffs.

12. Los Angeles Clippers
Few teams match the Clippers’ off-season improvement. The perennial losers added two rookies to aid starting PG Baron Davis in Eric Bledsoe and Jon Scheyer, backup SG Randy Foye to pressure starter Eric Gordon, starting SF Randy Gomes, returning PF Blake Griffin, and first round pick Willie Warren.

Even with the substantial improvements, the Clippers will still be on the outside looking in this May.

13. Golden State Warriors
The acquisition of David Lee could put the Warriors over the top. In New York, Lee was always forced to play an undersized center, but with Andris Biedrins at center for Golden State, Lee can stick to his roots as a power forward.


(Monta Ellis: fooled you!)

14. Sacramento Kings
Led by 2009/10 T-Mobile Rookie of the Year Tyreke Evans, the Kings have a long road ahead. The Kings traded Andres Nocioni and Spencer Hawes to Philadelphia for C Samuel Dalembert shortly after drafting DeMarcus Cousins fifth overall in the 2010 NBA Draft. This season will be an uphill battle for the Kings with no true starting small forward and a possible controversy at center between Dalembert and Cousins.

15. Minnesota Timberwolves
The Wolves finished 29th last season and this year's team does not look much better. The team is filled with young talent, including PF Kevin Love, PG Jonny Flynn, SG Corey Brewer, SG Wes Johnson, and PF Michael Beasley, but head coach Kurt Rambis needs to figure out how this core group translate on the court. The offseason trade of Al Jefferson for Kosta Koufos and two first round picks helps Minnesota down the line, but definitely not this season.


(Minnesota point guard Jonny Flynn looks to continue his success in his sophomore season.)


Check back tomorrow for EP's Eastern Conference Preview.