Lucky for us, the Sonics don't have a PF good enough to play in the West, their PF rotation is worse than the Rockets'. Golden State needs to improve 5 games to reach our total from LAST year. I think we get the spot by default if we consider the Blazers and Suns as locks.
Phoenix's young, explosive trio of Marion, Stoudemire and Marbury will only get better. It could be the best young nucleus in the league (excepting Yao/Francis, of course ) Projected Western Conference finish 1. San Antonio -- Until proven otherwise, this is the best team in the league. 2. LA Lakers -- Unless Kobe sits this year, their season will be a circus. But a fun one. 3. Dallas -- Might have the most talent in the league, but will have trouble sharing one ball. 4. Minnesota -- Brilliant offseason moves from a team with little flexibility. Spree and Cassell will really help. 5. Sacramento -- Their window is closing fast, but they could still surprise people. Maybe the last shot for C-Webb to prove he's a superstar. 6. Portland -- Still a trainwreck, but a very talented trainwreck. 7. Houston -- A new Yao-centered attack could ostracize Francis, but it could also bring new success to Houston. 8. Phoenix -- With Marbury, Stoudemire and Marion, they have a great young nucleus. If they had a banger, they could be a #5-6 seed.
OK, go back and read what I wrote. Which team do we have a better chance for beating out of the 5th seed in the West than Memphis's chance for catching us??? Besides, getting into the playoffs via the back door simply because Stocktontomalone is history is nothing to be thrilled about.
isn't the west allowed to have some crappy teams every once in a while? i mean, the two years we finished 9th would've gotten in just about every other year in league history and last year seattle was over .500 as well. there have been 9 to 10 usual playoff teams in the west for about 4 years now. having one finally not be good is an evening out process, not backing in. we were probably the 11th best team 3 years ago and 12th or 13th last year in the league. we have deserved the playoffs for a few years now. it's the teams in the east who back in.
But the bottom line is unless we leap frog a team that was in front of us (except Utah, which now so decimated it may be the worst team in the league) it is hard to say much progress was made. Now granted we don't have much of chance of being better than 6th in the West, but unless we at least rise to the top of the 2nd tier (pass Portland or Phx) and compete better against the top 5 how much closer to a ring are we simply because Utah is no longer in the picture? In other words, who cares if we moved from 9th to 8th in the West and become bottom rung playoff fodder if the spread between us and the teams keeping us from the championship (top 5 WC teams) got wider either in the short term (LAL), long term (SA) or both (Dal, Minn, Sac).
