Considering most of the FAs are signed now, predict who will represent the West in the playoffs. I think in roughly this order 1) Lakers 2) Mavs 3) Rockets 4) Thunder 5) Jazz 6) Spurs 7) Nuggets 8) Blazers Bubble teams: Suns, Clippers, Kings Tough conference
Going to be brutal, should be fun. 1. Lakers 2. Mavericks 3. Rockets 4. Thunder 5. Jazz 6. Blazers 7. Nuggets 8. Hornets. (If the Spurs re-sign Jefferson, then put them here.)
Add the Suns and it will be 8 of these 9 teams. At least one will be chopped down by injuries. You almost have to predict the Lakers will end up on top. I'm going to wait a couple of months before thinking about seeds 2-8. I want the Rockets, Thunder and Blazers to round out the top 4 but that isn't likely to happen. Unless a big trade happens during the season, I can't see any WC team beating the Lakers in a 7-game playoff series.
And how would you construct a bracket with nine teams? A wild card? My picks: 1. Lakers 2. Mavs 3. Jazz 4. Rockets 5. Nuggets 6. Thunder 7. Spurs 8. Blazers
My western playoff picks: 1. Lakers 2. Rockets 3. Thunder 4. Blazers 5. Mavericks 6. Jazz 7. Spurs 8. Suns --RB
i think you guys are severely underestimating the blazers. you do realize that they won 50 games with major injuries such as: roy - 65 games played fernandez - 62 batum - 37 pryzbilla - 30 oden - 21 camby - 23 games with blazers those guys are back for a full season and can easily win another 7 games. 7 more wins would've put them #1 in the west last year.
I'll repeat: If Brandon Roy weren't hobbled so much, the Blazers would have beaten the Suns & Spurs before losing to the Lakers in the WCFs. The perception of their team for this season would be totally different (for most people).
