Western Conference Preview
It was a heated discussion three years ago in the NBA draft. Oden or Durant? The big man who dominated at Ohio State, or the weak, lanky forward who has a knack for scoring? The Blazers selected Greg Oden first, and Durant followed to the Thunder (then the Sonics).
Right now, the Blazers wish they could go back and time and change that decision. While Oden has been a decent player, Durant dominated in the league last year coming in 4th for MVP voting. Durant has the potential to become an all-time great, making the Blazers remember Sam Bowie a little too much.
Flashforward to this season, and Durant is hungry to lead his Thunder squad to the playoffs. With LeBron and D-Wade teaming up and most likely decreasing each other's stats, and Kobe slightly declining, it is Durant's time to win MVP. With him, Russell Westbrook, James Harden, and Jeff Green this team will turn heads in the West.
Meanwhile, you can't forget the Spurs. The defending champs return basically everybody. The Duncan, Parker, Ginobli, and Jefferson nucleus has gotten one year older now, but age didn't stop them last year on guide to their 4th NBA title. Dejaun Blair was a nice draft pick last year, as he seemed to be a steal, producing for the champs on the court. Now they pick up another big man in the late round, Luke Harangody.
The biggest challenge to the Spurs is still the team in L.A., which they rolled over in the Western Conference Finals. Everyone claims Kobe is getting older, but he is still a premier player in the league, and a legitimate MVP candidate. Gasol and Bynum return to dominate the paint, and wingmen Ron Artest and Lamar Odom cap off a team ready to return to greatness.
A team forgotten a lot amidst the top teams in the West is the Denver Nuggets. Carmelo Anthony had his best season as a pro last year, but the Nuggets fell to the eventual champs. Mr. Big Shot, Chauncey Billups, leads the team in the front court with sharpshooter J.R. Smith. Nene, Kenyon Martin, and wildman Chris Andersen make up a defensive front court that is underrated, yet can win games.
The top tier teams in the West barely made any noise in the off-season giving hope to some of the bottom teams that they can finally crack the top of the West.
One of those teams, the Memphis Grizzlies. They re-signed Rudy Gay, giving them a great scoring duo of Gay and O.J. Mayo. Michael Conley finally produced at the level expected last year, and the suprising efficient front court of Marc Gasol and Zach Randolph allowed Memphis it's first playoff appearance in a while. After being bounced out in the first round, the Grizzlies expect more this year, which means knocking out some of the top teams.
Some of the other teams out West did improve also with the Warriors adding Stoudemire, the Jazz acquiring Kevin Martin (although losing Carlos Boozer), and the Mavs adding big man Shaquille O'Neal. The middle of the pack looks to make some noise this year in the West. Meanwhile, many teams are losing ground. The Blazers look to be in good position with their roster, but this team does not get along as seen last year. Andre Miller and Greg Oden have had frequent outbursts over management and coaching. This team is talented to be at the top, but the distractions are many.
The Kings look to crack the playoffs with Tyreke Evans leading the show. They added Donatas Motiejunas who is 7'0 and can shoot the lights out. If Evans can have an all-star season, you can bet the Kings will be in the race. Without Stouemire, the Suns have no premier big man and will be reliant on the run and gun style a little too much. There is just too much work for Steve Nash to make this team a contender again. The Clippers are developing but this year may be too early. Blake Griffin is finally back, and looks healthy with his knee. They have scorers in Chris Kaman, Baron Davis, and Eric Gordon. The question is if their terrible defense has improved from last year.
This off-season the Hornets and T'Wolves refused to add any pieces and therefore should suffer in the Western Conference. Chris Paul will have to do it all again, with not much help in the line-up other than mediocre big men Emeka Okafor and David West. The Timberwolves still have the same team, with Johnny Flynn as the floor general, and Kevin Love and Al Jefferson taking care of the paint. Not enough pieces to the puzzle for the Wolves, so it may have to be another year in cold Minnesota.