As the West turns, Whats your thoughts

[ProfessaPackMan]

Re: As the West turns, Whats your thoughts

24th, my thoughts are just about the same as yours about the Rockets so I agree with that assessment.

But yea...time for OS' biggest optimist to post his thoughts

PHX-I have them still making the playoffs but it's obvious something is not right with that team. You can pin on a multitude of things(coaching, Shaq, Amar'e, Nash)but SOMETHING is not right.

San Antonio-Just seems like yesterday when certain people, who shall remain nameless( :wink: just messin with you ec)when people were showing serious concern about them and some almost wanted to bury them in the beginning of the season. But once again, Timmay and The Pop are showing folks why you cannot underestimate the Spurs. They'll be around like they usually are in May.

I wonder why Udoka hasn't been getting much minutes off the bench for them, though? I always thought of him of like a Bruce Bowen Jr. type player who could come off the bench and give you good defense? But I can definitely see him being a factor in the playoffs.

N.O-The Posey move was a good addition but I don't see them being any better than they were last year. If they can package Armstrong, Julian Wright and maybe a draft pick, they go after a backup bigman, IMO. But if this current team has to play a team like the Lakers, Spurs in the 2nd Round, I don't like their chances at all and if they have to play a team like Denver in the 1st round, that could be one of the best first round matchups in the playoffs.

DAL-Once again, are being buried before the All Star Break and for reasons I cannot understand why. Dirk has been playing like his usual Dirk self and maybe better, Kidd has been having one of his best seasons and is almost looking like his old self when he first arrived in Jersey, J.E.T is a unanimous 6th Man of the Year winner and can give you a good 20-25 off the bench easy and Josh Howard has been having a solid year so far. They may not be a TRUE Championship team this year(but other than LA and SA, who is)they're definitely not a team that should be slept on, with the way they've been playing this year....especially when they have a new HC and are learning a new system down there.

Utah-They have been slumming it up these past few weeks, but at least they've found their possible replacement for Carlos Boozer in Paul Milsap, who's just about had a double-double in every game he's played in. Once they get Boozer and Kirilenko healthy, I think they can sneak in there but will more than likely be one and done.

[JBH3]

Re: As the West turns, Whats your thoughts

Well this thread takes on a whole new meaning since hours after its creation the "Days of our Lives" drama unfolds again.

This time LA is sent into a spiral after losing thier big man, and Chris Paul leaves the game w/ a groin injury.

I really don't know about LA's chances now that Bynum is out. Kobe is going to have to pick up even more of the slack. He scored 61, but that was against NY so....

Kobe is a cyborg, but something's gotta give...

I mean he played into June last year, played in the Summer Olympics, and is more banged up now than he was at the same point last year.

Now once again his bigman has gone down, and it will mean that there won't be two big bodies in the paint for easy buckets.

So Kobe will likely have to either sacrifice himself more slashing to the rim, or not and risk losing their spot in the standings to the Spurs.

[Stumbleweed]

Re: As the West turns, Whats your thoughts

Yeah, Kobe hung 61 on them, but they are the Knicks, and the Lakers only managed to win by 9 points. Let's wait and see before we start saying that the Lakers will be fine without Bynum. They'll have problems in the Finals against the Magic for sure (no answer for Dwight now), Boston, and probably the Cavs (especially if they run with Varejao and Big Z).

It won't affect them that much in the West because they're probably still the most talented team and don't have any glaring matchup problems with Odom-Gasol, but if I had to pick right now, I'd take the Spurs to win the conference. Bynum would've put the Lakers over the top against the rest of the West teams (as they were for most of the season), but now they'd be scrapping to get past SAS, a healthy NO, or a healthy Rockets team (a BIG "if", obviously).

[ProfessaPackMan]

Re: As the West turns, Whats your thoughts

I wouldn't even say the Magic we've seen how average they've looked if that 3 ball isn't falling in.

[Stumbleweed]

Re: As the West turns, Whats your thoughts

Well I'm mostly thinking a frontcourt issue with having no answer for Dwight... Pau can't defend him for a series, whereas I think Rashard Lewis and Howard could hang with Gasol/Odom very well. They were just more prepared for that kind of matchup with Bynum than they are now.. that's all I was really getting at.

I don't think Orlando is the #1 threat to them by any means, but their big (!) frontcourt poses the most problems for the Lakers along with the Celtics. The Lakers are pretty much a push against Cleveland because Big Z and Pau are the same kind of player (obviously Pau a bit better) and Odom is better than whoever the Cavs roll out at PF (though smaller if it's Varejao instead of Ben Wallace).

[KG]

Re: As the West turns, Whats your thoughts

With Bynum hurt it really opens up the doors for the Spurs. I don't think Dallas is done either considering Howard has been playing more conistently lately. I don't about Utah because it was Deron and now Boozer out with an injury, not mention AK47. Maybe they all get healthy before the playoffs and make a run.

Phoenix, like many have said, are in an identity crisis. I wouldn't be suprised to see Kerr pull off a big move before the deadline. The Hornets don't seem to be as energetic as they were last year. Maybe because they have expecations on their backs now, no more feel-good story or sneaking up on folks.

I would put my my $ on LAL-Spurs WCF, with Denver knocking on the door. It would be interesting to see a SA-Den Western Conf Semi's with Chauncey in Denver now. SA has had their # but Billups has elevated them to another level.

[ex carrabba fan]

Re: As the West turns, Whats your thoughts

Yeah, Kobe hung 61 on them, but they are the Knicks, and the Lakers only managed to win by 9 points.

Look I agree that these Knicks are like the Suns of the East, but let's not act like the game was close. The Lakers were up big late in the 4th.

JBH brings up good points that Bryant's had a whirlwind journey since last season. Pau is playing like an All-Star, and at an even HIGHER level than last season. They'll figure it out and hold down the fort until the playoffs arrive. Phil is really good about managing minutes when he NEEDS to.

[Stumbleweed]

Re: As the West turns, Whats your thoughts

Look I agree that these Knicks are like the Suns of the East, but let's not act like the game was close. The Lakers were up big late in the 4th.

I couldn't watch the game, I was just looking at the box score, which was pretty damn close. If they blew it open with ~6 minutes left in the 4th and then the Knicks made a comeback in garbage time, that would explain it. But still, 9 points isn't much, and they were only up 10 entering the 4th...

I just want to see them against some good competition before I start saying that they're out of the woods in the West.

[ex carrabba fan]

Re: As the West turns, Whats your thoughts

Yeah I'm with you Stumble. Just wanted to point that out though, they were up huge late in the 4th. I can't recall the exact number.

[Bornindamecca]

Re: As the West turns, Whats your thoughts

I'll throw in my two cents.

No one matters except the Lakers and Spurs right now. In the event that Tmac resurrects his season and the Rox find some health, they could be a factor. Until then, it's Lakers and Spurs.

That having been said, the Lakers are still better than all of the none elite teams that they were better than before Bynum went down. This is the same team that waltzed to the Finals last year, +Ariza and another year of playing together. The only thing that could make me think the Spurs are going to beat the Lakeshow is if they get homecourt, and it's not in their nature to dominate night in and night out. They will consistently beat teams and march right along, but Pop treats the season like a marathon, not a sprint. He's not going to overplay Manu or Timmy in the regular season to gamble at a homecourt that he's not even close to right now.

People are also overlooking that Bowen is completely washed up right now, as an elite defender, and Bryant is better than he was last year overall. If you watch his game, you can see that he's a smarter player, and since Phil is resting him, he's been able to assert himself defensively when the Lakers need him to do so. Manu looks like he's in decline, as years of hitting the ground and playing in the offseason are catching up to him. When the Lakers' bench comes in, the Spurs are going to be at a major disadvantage. They still won't be able to score with Farmar, Dog, Odom, Ariza, Vladrad and Powell/Mbenga/Mihm if Bynum is out.

Mason is good, but he doesn't make up for not having Manu and Bowen in their respective primes. Not saying it's impossible for the Spurs, but their chances were slim before, and now their chances are not as a slim. Being able to stick Ariza on Manu or Parker is going to help a lot though; you heard it hear first.


As for the also rans...meh. It'll be interesting to see Portland gain some experience, but they have to figure out their PG situation if they want to be taken seriously. Oden will improve and be a factor in a year or two, but right now he's just Pryzbilla lite.

The Nuggets...they still aren't playing enough D to beat the Lakers or Spurs. Their D has improved, but I don't think they'll get a stop on the perimeter in the playoffs when they need it. They don't have the interior smarts or size to stop Kobe, nor the perimeter quickness to stop Parker.

Hornets...they seem in over their heads. Chandler's absence makes it hard to gauge them and West doesn't quite look right, but Chris Paul is a wild card and can mess things up for the spread on any given night, because only Deron Williams can guard him.

Utah..get healthy.

Rox...If you're betting on their health, I have a bridge in Brooklyn I'd like to sell you.

Mavs...Dirk's playing well, but they aren't there yet.

Suns...weird. Offensively I still think they have the best five in the league by far. Unfortunately, they don't have a general smart enough to put these guys into their respective roles and try to score 200 pts a game.

[Stumbleweed]

Re: As the West turns, Whats your thoughts

I got my eye on you, Portland. Trying to get that #4 seed with nobody noticing, eh?

[ex carrabba fan]

Re: As the West turns, Whats your thoughts

I got my eye on you, Portland. Trying to get that #4 seed with nobody noticing, eh?

Yeaaaaah, don't make me bump my thread from June

http://www.operationsports.com/forum...-out-west.html

[Fiasco West]

Re: As the West turns, Whats your thoughts

I don't think the Rockets health issues are that bad, it's other issues for the team that worries me.

Other teams in the west have had worse injuries than us this year, Artest and Tmac have been out the most then Shane went missing for the start and Yao missed what 2 or 3 days thus far.

Meanwhile CP3 status is unknown, the Jazz have the injury bug the worst out of all the teams, Bynum may be out for too long.

Rockets have avoided any major injuries thus far. They've really done a good job of just being patient with guys and hanging in there.

If the team can execute better on the offensive side of the ball, they would have won A LOT more games. The team as of right now really has no identity and no one is really sure whose team is it anymore. Time is running out for them.

But I think if any team has a shot at giving the Lakers a fight, it'd be a team with Battier and Artest for Kobe, and Gasol having to guard Yao. Problem is when the 4th qtr comes you have 3 guys trying to be the man, overall chemistry has just been a mess for this team I feel.

Other teams like the Hornets/Suns/Blazers I feel these teams just don't have enough right now. The Suns remind me of the Rockets right now as a team with no clear direction. Hornets and Blazers are still young though so there is upside there.

The Jazz unforutnately have been dealing with injuries, Boozer, AK47, Deron, Okur. This team is the team that needs to get and stay healthy.

The Spurs are the Spurs. Older but still good enough.

Mavericks are the opposite version of the Spurs, their core is still together yet they've gotten worse somehow. Yet Dirk is still Dirk so this team could be a surprise for anyone.

Overall I feel Lakers and Spurs are the two best teams, I feel Hornets/Rockets/Nuggets are three teams if everything goes right for any of them, could surprise some people. Playoffs in the west should be fun again though and I can't wait for them.