Interesting teams next season in the West - Nuggets, Minny, Nola, OKC......

Like Cha needs to fire that coach.

 

First of all, they got the 6th seed but they only won 47 games with Westbrook's balls to the wall year last season, which historically in the West has fluctuated between 6th seed to 9th team depending on how good the other teams in the conference are. Phoenix won 48 games in 2014 and missed the playoffs. Personally I think the richer teams got better and the poorer teams got a lot poorer, so it should be a year like 2014 where you have a lot of 50 win teams in the West as the conference beats up on all these awful Eastern conference teams.

Golden State, San Antonio, Houston, Portland, Minnesota, and Denver will all be better in my opinion. Who cares about playoff experience, Wolves have far more collective talent than OKC, and over the course of the season having depth of talent is more important than two guys, one average guy, and a bunch of scrubs. The Thunder bench as it stands is the worst in the NBA. They're going to have to stagger minutes if they want any scoring at all off the bench.

And while Westbrook filled up the box score, the reason the Thunder won 47 games was because of their defense. Roberson may not look like much in the stat box but he's one of the best perimeter defenders in the NBA. If he doesn't come back, their defense is really going to take a step back even with Paul George. McDermott, Singler, Abrines are maybe some of the worst defenders.

 

I think you're discounting the Thunder too much, while overselling the Wolves. Also, the way the NBA works, you never know how other players react to the addition of another top 10 player to a lineup.

By your logic, the same can be said about Rockets with Harden and Paul -- two superstars with a completely gutted bench, having lost their best defender in Beverley, 6MOTY candidate Lou, and future prospects Dekker and Harrell.

Look I get that you're into the Wolves, so is everyone right now, but I promise you Westbrook and George are no chumps either. In fact, I bet the Warriors, Rockets, and Spurs would much rather deal with the Wolves instead of the Thunder in the first round.

 

LAC are likely the worst team in the league next year. From Paul and Reddick to Bev and Lou? This is a guard dominated league. Look how poorly Cousins and Brow were together. If your best player is an oft injured PF and you now have one of the worst starting backcourts in the NBA you are lotto bound.

And yes I love Bev and Lou. But those two and Rivers and Crawford are terrible when just about every team has a star guard or wing. Imagine the Rockets losing Harden and Gordon. That's what the Clippers are now.

 

Portland cannot be written off. They have a nice nucleus and a terrific home-court advantage/environment.

 

worst team in the league? wow not even close. of course they're worse now but last in the league isn't exactly reality

 

I wouldn't discount OKC. Say what you want about Westbrook. He can carry a team.

I just don't think they are an "interesting" team like those up and coming young teams. Westbrook is a great player. But his style doesn't work well with another star. His team will always stuck in "good" to "very good" but not quite good enough to win it all. Paul George is no Durant. If Westbrook could not win with Durant, no one thinks George can do what Durant couldn't. Not to mention, George is a one-year rental. It is extremely unlikely that he will stick around with a team like the Thunder and forgo the chance of playing for the Lakers as he is supposed to be "hellbent" to do. How motivated is he going to be is a big question.

So if both Westbrook and George are injury-free (quite doubtful), they will probably continue to be somewhere around 4th to 7th seed, depending on how other teams do, and likely won't go further than 2nd round in the playoffs like this past season.

 

Beverley
Crawford
Dekker
Griffin
DJ

There is your starting lineup. Bev and a 37 year old Crawford in the backcourt. Hey maybe Bev suddenly averages 10 assists a game, maybe Dekker does become better than Parsons, maybe Griffin doesn't get injured for the first time in his career, maybe DJ suddenly develops Olajuwon moves. Maybe Jessica Alba realizes what a catch I am.

It could happen right?

Even terrible teams like the Kings and Suns landed some lotto help. The Clippers just lost their starting backcourt including one of the greatest point guards ever and a 43% 3 pt shooting sg.

Maybe they won't be dead last but that is going to be terrible team this year.

 

the west is ****ing stacked wtf

gs sa hou okc min den por mem no

imagine if hayward stays, now you add the jazz

10 legit playoff teams that would probably beat the non-cavs east in 7

 

None of them are interesting!

Didn't see the Grizzlies implosion.
Jazz rebounded nicely even after losing Hayward
Nuggets on the fringe
Rockets
Spurs
Thunder
Wolves on the fringe
Warriors

Missed on Portland
Clippers
Kings
Lakers
Mavs
Missed on New Orleans

 

Interesting thread to look back.