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We have the newly minted 'dynamic-duo' teams--Clippers, Lakers, and Rockets. Then there are the Nuggets, Jazz, and Blazers to be considered. Some will say, "never count out Pop and the Spurs. If Klay Thompson can get back around the all-star break, you can't count them out either. That makes 8 teams.
I list all teams so that no one's dark horse will be left out. I actually kind of like the direction of the Sac Kings. D'Aaron Fox had a nice year (7.3 assists, 17 pts), and little-noted Buddy Hield was 2nd in made 3 point shots, of those in the top 20 3pt%. Usually Curry and Thompson are 1 & 2; last season Curry was #1, Hield #2, and Thompson #3. Marvin Bagley had a nice rookie season, and they have vets Harrison Barnes and Trevor Ariza as wings.
1)Clippers are my pick to win the West. They bring in PG and Kawhi, and keep most of the supporting cast from last year that got them into the playoffs. Granted it is an unusual structure to have 2 high scoring forwards paired. The recent trend has been to focus firepower in the backcourt, and have wing defenders as with GSW and Houston. The Clips will have firepower up front, and role-players in the backcourt. PG, KL, Lou Williams, Patrick Beverly, and Landry Shamet can all shoot the all-important 3-ball.
Leonard and George to me both exude the kind of low key leadership that you want in your best two players, Ã la Bill Russell and Tim Duncan. Combined with a supporting cast with impressive heart (came back against GSW when down 31 in the playoffs)--that's where I put my money.
2) Lakers are tough to dismiss with 2 of the top 5 NBA players, but it remains to be seen how it will work. Will AD and LeBron, both low-block guys, get in each other's way? The closest past comparison to LBJ and AD might be LBJ and Bosh. My recollection is that Bosh became less productive playing with LBJ than he had been in Toronto.
The Lakers did a much better job than I expected in building a supporting cast with guys like Avery Bradley and Danny Green, but they are very low in terms of continuity. Eleven guys from last year's Laker roster have moved on.
3) The Rockets are top rated at 538.com, but I'm skeptical of the Westbrook-Harden pairing. They will shoot a ton of 3s, but Westbrook is a career .308 3pt%. Harden is pretty close to NBA league average at .365%. You don't win the conference final by being average. And what is Harden going to do w/ Westbrook? Will Harden now turn into a spot up shooter? I was one who predicted that Paul and Harden would mesh, but I don't think so when it comes to Westbrook.
The Nuggets have by far the best continuity, and their group got a chance to learn about 'playoff mode' last season. They also have a pair of wild cards in rookies Michael Porter and Bol Bol. I've seen several experts pick them, and they would be my second pick after the Clippers.
As for the Blazers, Jazz, and Warriors, I don't see them winning the West. GSW seems to have gone into a kind of mini-tank mode for the year.
What do you think? (I make the poll 'public' so that losers can come back to eat crow, and winners can gloat)
The warriors are too good to tank unless Steph gets injured.
Right? They have Steph, Klay, Draymond and D'Angelo Russell, plus key contributors like Looney and a renewed bench. They're the team to beat until proven otherwise, but if anyone is the favorite to do it, should be the Clippers.
I'm surprised--GSW currently in 2nd place in the voting with 3. GSW lost Iguodala and Shaun Livingston, who to me have been key wing defenders. Kerr used to say that having Iguodala was like having an assistant coach on the floor, and Kerr would turn to him for help with defensive schemes. Then they even let Quinn Cook go, who played 22.4 and 14.3 minutes the last 2 years.
I also think Thompson is likely to miss the whole season. ACL, AFAIK, still takes about 11 months to heal. His ACL tear was June 13, and surgery was about 2 weeks after that. That would put his earliest return date in late May, i.e. just around the start of the 2020 finals.
I'm surprised--GSW currently in 2nd place in the voting with 3. GSW lost Iguodala and Shaun Livingston, who to me have been key wing defenders. Kerr used to say that having Iguodala was like having an assistant coach on the floor, and Kerr would turn to him for help with defensive schemes. Then they even let Quinn Cook go, who played 22.4 and 14.3 minutes the last 2 years.
I also think Thompson is likely to miss the whole season. ACL, AFAIK, still takes about 11 months to heal. His ACL tear was June 13, and surgery was about 2 weeks after that. That would put his earliest return date in late May, i.e. just around the start of the 2020 finals.
Surprisingly, even after what I wrote 3 months ago, I picked the Clippers. Obviously, this has no bearing on what will happen in NBA 19-20 but last 24 months or so in the sports world have seen teams that were perennial playoff chokers finally reach the top rung and win it all, or at least make it to the finals.
Washington Capitals NHL in 2018
St. Louis Blues NHL in 2019
Toronto Raptors NBA in 2019
Washington Nationals MLB 2019.
It just seems like one of those periods in sports where a perennial loser like the Clippers is going to get a couple breaks, finally make it past the Western Conference semifinals, and once they do it'll be all she wrote for the league; not only do the Clippers win the West, they win the championship. Having 2 of the better defenders in PG13 and Kawhi definitely help matters in that regard as well.
Hard to tell right now. So many teams can take Golden State's West throne this year.
Well going by last night's game they already have given up the throne. No embarrassment to losing to the Clippers. It just looked like they were outclassed and out talented on the floor. They'll reach the playoffs but that dynasty is looking shaky going by this one game.
Steph breaking his hand definitely sucks (hopefully with no long-term consequences) but I secretly am relieved the pressure is off the team for now to be elite, and a reset year where all the young guys learn the system might be what is best for everyone. I just hope Kerr is up for the task in developing young talent.
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