The offseason moves this summer should be as advertised as being the best offseason in NBA history. With all the headliners being thrown out there...wow!! My guess is that one Eastern team will double up on two top free agents and some of the other blue chips will stay put or get wooed to a western conference up and coming teams...lol yes I know I'm a genius. With that said though, as assuming as it may be, the west should be even deeper than even this year which made teams win 50+ games just to get into the playoffs....what is it going to take for next year to get into the playoffs?, and how many teams will be in the mix. who will be worse? Not many teams will be worse and 3 to four teams will be significantly better just in the organic growth from one years experience. With so many young and talented teams that are in the west it is going to be disgustingly tough in the west.
Below is a list of what the west will be like next year
ORDER SET IN WESTERN CONFERENCE FINAL STANDINGS 09-10
L.A. LAKERS 57-25 will be as good and probably may start to decline...maybe. If Bynum stays healthy then they will improve in the low post but they are losing ground on the PG arena and will have to be creative to obtain more talent at that position.
50+ wins next year
DALLAS 55-27 will be as good if not better. With their additions and the fact thatJason Kidd似乎像一个好酒,正在改善age they should be tough next year as well.
47-50+ wins next year
PHOENIX 54-28 will be as good if Amare stays. They have some good young talent coming along and should improve as well...maybe not in wins but as a team they should also be a tough out especially if they improve defensively.
45-50 wins next year
DENVER 53-29 will be as good next year with all their talent, and be better...with Lawson improving and Nene coming into his prime they are going to be tough as well.
50+ wins next year
UTAH 53-29 will be lost a little depending if they can re-sign Boozer or not. Okur being injured with an Achilles is questionable whether he can return in good form or not. They still have some good talent and may get lucky with an unprotected pick from New York...that pick is gold right now for them considering they may lose Boozer. Sloan will always make his team play solid team ball.
Mid 40's in wins next year
PORTLAND 50-32 will be better next year. Offensively and defensively this team is growing before our very eyes into a top tier team...however injuries with this team can take its toll, whether that will be a blessing or not only time will tell. If they extend Camby as rumors are indicating that may very well be the case then we are most definately set at the 4 and 5...and easily will be the deepest front line in the league.
50+ wins next year
SAN ANTONIO 50-32 is hard to predict...that squad has played a ton of games over the past decade and it is clearly taking its toll. Jefferson is the key to their success as well as some of the young talent they have and will acquire in the near future...as Buford will most certainly do. They are still the class of the league in the GM department and may do some trades to become younger and reload.
Mid 40's in wins next year
OKLAHOMA CITY 50-32 will be better next year with tons of of talent and now some great playoff experience against the best in the west. They have a ton of picks as well, but what they really need is pretty much what Portland needed last year....veterans. This team will be Portland's rival for the next decade.
50+ wins next year
HOUSTON 42-40 will be better next year with Yao coming back, a lottery pick and some sorely need cap space with McGrady leaving. Again this team has a ton of talent and a great coach...they only question is can Yao stay healthy all year and possibly through the playoffs. They could very possibly add another piece this free agent summer which could make them a contender in a hurry.
50+ wins next year
MEMPHIS 40-42 will be better next year with another lottery pick and one of the most talent rich teams in the NBA should be more of a playoff threat. They could possibly supplant a San Antonio, Utah or Phoenix next year in the extremely heated playoff race that is sure to occur. Memphis has a great chance to be a constant playoff contender in the years to come. However, Memphis does not manage their team well and they are having trouble drawing fans...their pockets aren't that deep either, so the effects of the funds will certainly influence their decisions and therefore their talent pool.
Mid 40's in wins next year
NEW ORLEANS 37-45 hmm...this is a really tough one. 41 home games is too many for their fan base, with ownership in dire straights and relocation looming theHornetsare in limbo. They have a lottery pick and of courseChris Pauland some nice pieces to boot but N.O. is going to be sliding down the ladder in the west. There is just too much competition in the west.
30-40 wins next year
L.A. CLIPPERS 29-53 will be better next year for certain. WithBlake Griffinpulling aGreg Odenand losing his first year to injury the Clips with another high lottery pick with have a great talent pool to grow with. LA will probably have the highest win increase in the league next year with those two factors alone and will vie for the playoffs as well. What if LeBron signs with theClippers....they have the pieces to nab him and the location isn't too shabby either. I for one would love to see James twice a year, let me rethink that....maybe not.
30-55's in wins next year...pending free agency
GOLDEN STATE 26-56 will much better next year from all their injured players coming back alone. However with as much talent as they have which is considerable their biggest obstacle is Coach Nellie.....at least they only have to suffer through one more year with that dude due to him retiring. Once that happens look out they will be a force when the right coach gets a hold of some amazingly talented players. Still they are a dangerous team with Nellie at the helm and could be within striking distance by years end.
30-40's in wins next year
SACRAMENTO 25-57 has some good young talent and a very high lottery pick but they will not be able to get out of the cellar for a few years, especially with the uncertainty of relocation rumors and the Maloofs as owners in in an economic downturn.
Stuck in the mud in wins next year... maybe 30
MINNESOTA 15-67 will suck again. If they win the lottery will they draft John Wall?...lol...whats the over under on how many PG's they will pick this summer.
there is no need to put a prediction here.
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To get into the playoffs next year will probably not take but 43- 45 wins but the fact that possibly all but 2 teams will be gutting it out for those 8 spots is mind boggling. Injuries will always take away some teams but still there are some very talented teams in the west and its getting deeper by the minute. Free agency is going to be CRAZY this summer and if any of the top tier players decide to come out west it may force the NBA to change the playoff format into a top 16 teams and erase the conference setup we have now. The ripple effect could be tremendous.
We are about to see another golden age in the NBA and it might be the greatest ever.
Tell me how loony I am Portland
