I’m a huge, huge, huge sports fan and haven’t had an opportunity to write a great deal about sports on this blog… yet. After hearing that Darko had agreed to terms with Memphis I thought it was time to look ahead at the coming NBA season.
Big free agent signings were not really a factor this season, with Billups, Rashard Lewis, Wince Carter, Grant Hill and other big names out off the market and with trade talk dying down a bit, I think it’s a good time to make some predictions.
I’ve got the Suns, Spurs and Mavs having the best three records in the West, think this is the year that the Suns pull past the Spurs. Make that a promise if they get a deal for KG done before the end of the year, Amare, KG, Grant Hill and Nash on the floor at the same time would be a phenomenal combination!
I think Utah and Houston will round out the top five in the west. But after that it gets interesting. Golden State’s Belinelli is getting a lot of good pub, but I can’t see the Warriors making the playoffs again – think they got lucky last year. The LA Lakers soap opera with Kobe seems to be going on forever and I can’t see the Lakers making a repeat appearance in the playoffs either. Think Sacramento has way too many issues that even if they get rid of Ron Artest they’re a couple of seasons away from a playoff spot. And I’m not sure the Clippers have done enough to turn the corner – if they sign Francis I think they’re done, the guy will never, ever, ever be a winner. Whiner maybe, but winner, can’t see it. I like what Seattle’s doing, but think they’re a good two or three years away. And although Darko and a healthy Gasol might work, I can’t see Memphis really doing too much damage. And I’m not even going to touch Minnesota.
So my crystal ball has Denver, New Orleans and … believe it or not … Portland squeezing in. Aldridge, Frye and Oden is a great young but good front court, and with Brandon Roy, Jarrett Jack and Sergio Rodriguez all with another year of experience under their belt I really do believe the Blazers can make the playoffs. And although the losses of Randolph, Magloire, and Dickau might hurt, think the team could really surprise people. Nate McMillan has got to be rubbing his hands with glee and really looking forward to the upcoming season.
There’s still a couple of things that could happen to shift the power balance a bit – with Mo Pete perhaps signing in Utah or New Orleans or the Lakers getting KG or moving Kobe. But my breakdown will stick to:
- The elite –Suns, Mavs and Spurs
- The solid – Utah and Houston
- The good but not great – Denver, New Orleans and Portland
- The on their way up – Seattle, Golden State and Memphis
- The sinking fast –LA Clippers and Lakers, Sacremento and Minnesota
The East is a lot more unsettled, but I’ll save a separate post for that.
