Predictions for the upcoming NBA 2013-2014 season. (Part One "West Conference Standings edition")

Although it's only August, it's never too early to start talking about the NBA season. This off season has been a wild one! From Dwight bolting for Houston, to Doc Rivers heading to Hollywood, a lot of changes were made. I will be doing a series previewing and predicting different aspects of what I believe is going to happen this upcoming season. I will be doing predictions for standings, season awards, playoff predictions, and key games to look out for this season. I will only be previewing the top 10 teams in each conference, so check back here for the next few days as I'll post a different blog every day. So without further ado I give you the Western Conference Standings edition!

 

 

Western Conference Standings

 

1.     Oklahoma City Thunder - Last year was a great year for OKC as they went 60-22 in the regular season, and had big expectations going into the playoffs. They seemed primed for another finals appearance when Russell Westbrook went down with a knee injury in the 1st round against the Rockets which led to an early exit against the Grizzlies. With Westbrook coming back for the start of the season and Kevin Durant being well, Kevin Durant, this team is the best in the west. They've had a relatively quiet off season other than the Kevin Martin loss, which will hurt, but I think the emergence of Reggie Jackson and Jeremy Lamb will help ease that loss. All in all, when you have 2 of the top 10 players in the world on your team in Durant and Westbrook, you're going to be a good team.

2.     San Antonio Spurs - Every year people, including myself, say that the Spurs are too old to do it again, but every year we're wrong. Coming off of an NBA finals appearance and taking the Heat to 7 games, the Spurs will be just as good this year. They haven't made any big moves this off season other than the controversial re-signings of Tiago Splitter and Manu Ginobili, but they still have the best PG in the league in Tony Parker and the best coach in Gregg Popovich. They also have the best PF in NBA history in Tim Duncan, and although age will be a big factor, I think this team will be right at the top of the standings once again.

3.     Los Angeles Clippers - This team is my dark horse championship contender team. I think they have a chance to be REALLY good. They have been getting better every year but it always seems like they're missing that one piece. Well that one piece showed up this off season in the form of Doc Rivers. Doc is going to take this team over the top along with the underrated additions of JJ Redick and Jared Dudley. Ultimately Lob City will go as far as Blake Griffin and CP3 take them, but I think the X-factor will be Deandre Jordan. If Jordan can hit his free-throws and be able to stay on the floor during crunch time situations, this team will be scary good.

4.     Golden State Warriors- Last year was a coming out party for the Warriors and Stephen Curry, especially in the Playoffs. They have a great young team and arguably the best shooting back court of this generation in Curry and Klay Thompson. The Warriors also had one of the best off season additions in Andre Iguodala. Iggy will provide lock down defense and another scoring option on this already loaded team. If Andrew Bogut and David Lee can stay healthy down low this team is another dark horse contender.

5.     Houston Rockets - We all know about the major turnaround and good luck the Rockets have had the past 2 years in basically having James Harden and Dwight Howard gift wrapped to them. The Rockets have a great young team with two superstars; the only question surrounding this team is how they will gel together. Will they all be able to coexist, or will Dwight Howard ruin yet another locker room? One thing last season taught us is that talent alone doesn't get you to the promise land (cough cough LAKERS).

6.     Memphis Grizzlies - The Grizzlies are basically returning everybody from a team that was in the West finals last year. They have a top 2 center in Marc Gasol and the most underrated player in the league in Zach Randolph as well as plenty of other complimentary pieces. The biggest question surrounding this team is how well new coach David Joerger will do in his first NBA head coaching job. I believe this team will still be very good, just not western conference finals good

7.     Minnesota Timberwolves - The Timberwolves have been pretty bad for a while now, but the past couple season haven't been their fault. This team is very talented but has been hurt by the injury bug very hard. They have Kevin Love, who is the best PF in the league when healthy,  and Ricky Rubio, who is a very good up and coming point guard, leading the way. They also addressed some issues on the perimeter with the addition of sharp shooting Kevin Martin. I'm also a believer that despite his off the court issues, 2013 draftee Shabazz Muhammad can really help this team. If they can stay healthy and keep their full team on the court all season, this team has a chance to crack the playoffs for the first time since KG.

8.     Denver Nuggets - The Nuggets lost out big in free agency when their leader Andre Iguodala bolted for the Warriors, but this team still has plenty of talent. Ty Lawson is an exciting young PG who will have a chance to really show out this year with the absence of a defined 1st option on offense. They also signed the always exciting Nate Robinson for virtually nothing during free agency. Robinson will be the X-factor on this team, if he can do for them what he did for the Bulls in the Playoffs, this team should have enough to crawl into the last seed in the always tough Western conference.

9.     Los Angeles Lakers - Although I think ESPN had it right ranking the Lakers as the 12th best team in the West, I refuse to rank a Kobe Bryant led team any lower than 9th. He says he will be healthy for the season opener, and I believe him. Kobe is the ultimate competitor and I think he himself, old or not, will be enough to help this team of misfits compete for the last Playoff spot. I also think the additions of Jordan Famar and Wesley Johnson will help answer some of their perimeter defense questions, but ultimately this team's future rides on the Achilles of Kobe Bryant.

10. New Orleans Pelicans - The new named and new look Pelicans have had an interesting off season. They literally went through a complete make over with a new name, team, and look. I think they could've had either the best off season or worst in the league and only this season will be able to tell. They picked up an All-star PG in Jrue Holiday as well as former rookie of the year Tyreke Evans. The new additions could either create a very exciting and good young back court in NO or a complete log jam and toxic locker room. I think it will be the latter and this team will complete for the last seed in the West.


Best of the rest : Portland Trailblazers, Dallas Mavericks, Sacramento Kings, Utah Jazz, and Phoenix Suns. (In order)