What are your expectations for the team (assuming no other major trades happen) heading into next year? I'm hoping for a Western Conference Finals appearence but would be satisfied with a top 4 seed and competitive WCSF series. I think we're still a year away from realistically coming out of the West. In 2015 i think the Thunder, GSW and Rockets are going to be battling it out to face the Heat.
Disappointed if we don't make the Finals. Boston showed that you can win a championship in the first year of uniting the stars: Garnett got everyone to buy in and produced a historically good defense that year. With other teams like Miami or LA after the Gasol trade it will take one year to gel and then the next year you expect a championship. I know expectations are high, but it is what it is. Finals this year, and a championship banner at least once over these three years. Any less is a disappointment. Remember that you can't win anything without first expecting it to happen. Pressure is a good thing people.
Idk still depends on any moves we have to come as of now a deep playoff run MAYBE Western Conference Finals which then anything could happen.
When you start thinking about it, the West is really loaded. Offensively I think we're already championship quality as long as our outside shooting holds up like we think it will. Defensively is obviously where we're going to need work. Our defense in the post should be good. I think we'll have adequate defense on good wing players at the 2/3 positions and we can gameplan around those players. What scares me the most is elite PG's. Chris Paul, Tony Parker, Westbrook, Steph Curry and even Mike Conley to a degree are going to give us fits (I know they give everyone fits but I think they really excel at what our weakness is). I really hope Lin improves in this area and Beverly developes high (IMO) defensive ceiling. There are too many times when Lin gets blown by and beverly picks up 2 fouls on back to back possesions.
realistically we will be fighting for WCF in year 1. we won't have the deepest bench in the league. year two might be the finals and seriously contending from then on.
Another point in our favor is that this is the first year of a full pre-season with the guys since harden came over Expect a much higher level of cohesion going into this season which Will only further build chemistry for the playoff run
Clutchfans is strangely underrating our team. As is, we are already as talented a team as any in the league (2 top 5 players and great supporting cast), plus Morey is not done making moves. We're young, and we were going to improve already even without Dwight. With a full preseason and everyone on the same page starting from training camp, with the likely expectation of good health with the youth of this team, we are likely to stand up to the rigors of the season as well as any team. I'm expecting 60 wins, a top 3 seed in the West, and a possible NBA Finals berth.
They overachieved in 12-13. I will expect at most a Western Conference with Howard, but I get the feeling they'll overachieve again in 13-14. Can't wait.
They have the talent to go all the way(provided they make a few more tweaks). Honestly though, I don't expect more than the Western Conference Finals. I don't know if they're quite as good as OKC once Westbrook returns and it's a tossup with the Spurs. One of these years San Antonio will finally start to decline, but who the hell knows when that'll be? I do think they'll be better than every other team in the West though.
I agree with that, and want to add that today's NBA defense is more about team defense, everyone needs to buy in the concept, everyone needs anticipate. Even with the addition of Dwight Howard, we still need a good defensive system, but DH12 certainly makes it easier.
Maybe we can't stop him, but we do have Chandler Parsons, Francisco Garcia and Omar Casspi to throw at him to slow him down and makes things tough on him. After all Francisco Garcia did a great job on him in the playoffs this past season.
Parsons & Garcia should prove capable with a great rim defender behind them. I wanna say WCf but we don't have a legit 4 yet. Gotta have one.
Depends on a lot of things, but I expect them to go to the WCF as well. I see them having trouble with SA and Thunder. The Clippers have upgraded and the Warriors are still good.
