2014-2015 NBA Western Conference preview

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Stacked. There’s no easier way to describe the Western Conference when looking at the teams in it compared to the East. A West team won the NBA Championship for the first time since the 2010-2011 season. Overall, there are easily more than eight teams capable of making the playoffs. With that being said, to be in the top eight this year, you’re going to have to be great, because good won’t cut it. Here are my predictions for the final regular season standings:

 

1. San Antonio Spurs

Some things never change. San Antonio won its fifth NBA championship avenging its defeat against the Miami Heat the previous year. The Spurs didn’t add any major pieces, but Boris Diaw will return in a move that instantly made the offseason a success. Tony Parker, Manu Ginobili and Tim Duncan bring the leadership, and nobody will ever doubt Gregg Popovich. NBA Finals MVP Kawhi Leonard is a stud that is fully capable of leading this team on his own, and he’s only 23. The Spurs also have one of the deepest benches in the league. This is one of, if not the, most complete team in the NBA. San Antonio will once again be the team to beat in the NBA, not just the West.

 

2. Los Angeles Clippers

Making the headlines in the offseason usually involves acquiring a player, but this was not the case for the Clippers. Los Angeles was in the headlines because of Donald Sterling, but that saga is over. Steve Ballmer is taking over the reigns of a team that is ready to contend for a championship. Leading the way is the best point guard in basketball in Chris Paul. With him, Blake Griffin and DeAndre Jordan make up one of the most exciting starting fives in basketball. Jordan can block shots and racks up plenty of rebounds, but he needs help on the glass, which was a big issue for L.A. last year. Jamal Crawford is the best sixth-man in basketball, and it seems like he can still score 60 whenever he chooses. JJ Reddick is also a solid shooting guard that fits in perfectly with Chris Paul. Injuries were an issue last season, but when healthy, this is one of the best teams in the NBA.

 

3. Oklahoma City Thunder

Reigning NBA MVP and scoring leader Kevin Durant could miss six-eight weeks to start the season with a broken bone in his foot. If that injury never happened, the Thunder could have challenged the Spurs for the top spot, but it did, so the Thunder will struggle in the beginning of the season. Struggling for the Thunder is not as bad as struggling for other teams, because the team still has Russell Westbrook. Westbrook missed time last season with an injury, but he is fully capable of taking on the scoring role without Durant. After Westbrook could be the issue as the Thunder bench ranked 14th in the NBA in average bench scoring. Another question mark will be who plays alongside Westbrook in the backcourt. The Thunder do have good big men that will help, and Serge Ibaka is one of the best rim-protectors in the league. The Thunder may have a few bumps in the road early on, but once Durant gets back, this team will be fine but should fall short of the top two seeds.

4. Portland Trailblazers

The Blazers boast two of the league’s stars in Damian Lillard and LaMarcus Aldridge. Lillard played better last season than his Rookie of the Year season. Aldridge had arguably his best season as a professional last year averaging a career high in points and rebounds. Wesley Matthews and Nicolas Batum can shoot from anywhere on the court, and both are also a great defenders. Robin Lopez is an excellent rim-protector and does not get credit for how good he is down low, which takes the heat off of Aldridge. To improve its bench, Portland acquired Chris Kaman and Steve Blake, which are not flashy names but fit perfectly with the team needs. The bench will be better but still a weak point of this team. Barring any major injuries, the Blazers will contend in the West and potentially improve on last season’s second round run.

 

5. Golden State Warriors

Steve Kerr comes to the Warriors with arguably the best backcourt in the NBA in his arsenal. Stephen Curry and Klay Thompson shoot the lights out of every game, leading the league in three-pointers made last season. The Warriors added Shaun Livingston this offseason, and although he may miss a few weeks due to injury, he will provide defensive help. Known for their offense, Golden State rarely gets credit for being a great defensive squad, which they were last season. Andre Iguodala and Andrew Bogut lead the way on the defensive side of the ball, and Thompson is great on the perimeter. The Warriors will certainly hope to continue on last season’s success, and with a new coach, they should continue to improve.

 

6. Dallas Mavericks

The Mavericks almost shocked the league last season by taking the Spurs to seven games in the first round. Mark Cuban loves to spend, which he did for Chandler Parsons, and the Mavs also acquired Tyson Chandler, Raymond Felton and Jameer Nelson to name a few of the acquisitions. Dirk Nowitzki continues to be reliable to score and lead the Mavericks. Dallas has a surplus of guards with Felton, Nelson, Monta Ellis and Devin Harris, but defense is not their specialty. Tyson Chandler will help the defense, but that should still be the weakness.  The Mavericks never seem to get the big-time stars to come, but they made the right moves this offseason to see improvement.

 

7. Houston Rockets

The Rockets had one of the worst offseasons in the NBA. They missed out on free agents like Carmelo Anthony, Chris Bosh and LeBron James, and they lost Chandler Parsons. Trevor Ariza signed with the Rockets to replace Parsons and will provide some defensive help. The Rockets can score with any team in the league, but they also let up a lot of points. James Harden and Dwight Howard are great players, but rumors have spread that they don’t get along with the rest of the team. Patrick Beverley could be a candidate for a breakout year with another year under his belt. Expect some regression without Parsons in the stacked Western Conference.

 

8.  Denver Nuggets

Injuries plagued Denver last season, and the team missed the playoffs. That’s a big drop-off for a team that won 57 games the previous year. Don’t let last season’s debacle fool you, because this team is very good. Kenneth Faried leads this team full of solid players but no real superstar. The Nuggets still finished in the top ten in scoring and finished second in rebounding. Arron Afflalo returns to Denver, bringing another scorer to the high-powered offense. The biggest weakness for the team is defense where they finished 28th in the NBA last season. The Nuggets might have the deepest team in the NBA, with 10 players being fully capable of starting on any night. Gary Harris was also a solid draft pick. The team is healthy this season and should make its way back into the playoffs.

 

9. Phoenix Suns

The Suns shocked everyone last year. Phoenix was supposed to be the worst team in the West, an automatic win for the rest of the league, but that was not the case. Goran Dragic and Eric Bledsoe are one of the best backcourts in the NBA and can lead this team. The Suns need Bledsoe to be healthy, but picked up Isaiah Thomas for insurance. The Morris twins both received contracts this offseason and are solid big men. This team will not catch anyone off guard this season, but unfortunately, may suffer the same fate as last season.

 

10. Memphis Grizzlies

Vince Carter was an underrated signing, and Marc Gasol is a great center. Zach Randolph can always be counted on for points and rebounds. This team will be good, but good won’t cut it in this stacked conference.

 

11.  New Orleans Pelicans

Anthony Davis dominated the FIBA World Cup this year and looks ready to dominate the NBA. This team has a great young squad that could surprise the league like the Suns did last year. Davis will lead this team to a good year, but playoffs may be just out of reach.

 

12. Los Angeles Lakers

Kobe Bryant returns. Makes you want to put them right into the playoffs. Unfortunately, the rest of the team isn’t great.

 

13. Sacramento Kings

The Kings don’t have a bad roster. DeMarcus Cousins, Rudy Gay and Ben McLemore are solid players, but this team never seems to meet expectations.

 

14. Minnesota Timberwolves

No more Kevin love for the T-Wolves, but Andrew Wiggins, Zach LaVine and Thaddeus Young could provide some excitement.

 

15. Utah Jazz

Dante Exum and Trey Burke could be the next great young backcourt, but don’t expect that this year.

 

The West is more stacked than last year, with at least 11 teams being true contenders to make the playoffs. San Antonio will take a dip soon, but I don’t think this is the year. I think OKC can win the West and be in first, but the Durant injury should cause some early season trouble, allowing the Clippers to move ahead.

I see regression in the Rockets, which can drop a team far in this conference. The Mavericks are one team I feel could make a deep run, and I considered moving them higher in the rankings. I think the Nuggets will rebound from one bad year, which meant one team had to come out from last year. I think Memphis was the weakest of the eight, but if they make the playoffs, I will not be shocked.

 

*Note: These rankings do not mean I think San Antonio is going to be in the NBA Finals. It means I think San Antonio will be in first place when the regular season ends.

[Photo: USAToday.com]
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