Western Conference Pre-Season Power Rankings
Happy Friday everybody! As promised, here are my Western Conference Pre-Season Power Rankings. The West was definitely a little harder to gauge than the East, but then again, these are pre-season rankings. Let me know what you think:
Western Conference:
Los Angeles Lakers - Lebron, AD, and now Russ. This team is aging but is still the team to beat in the West. Health will be the key, but adding Russ could help spread out the work load. It may not be peak Lebron, but it is still Lebron, and that spells trouble for the rest of the conference.
Denver Nuggets - With Jamal Murray set to return, the reigning MVP, and the up and coming Michael Porter Jr, this team only has so many more chances to make a run with this core. They've been close but haven't quite made it over the hump. Will this be the year?
Golden State Warriors - I cannot wait for the Curry - Thompson reunion. We know what this team is capable of. Will they be able to put another run together, or will we be watching Draymond in the booth again this post season?
Los Angeles Clippers - The only reason this team slid down to 4 was because Kawhi is more than likely going to miss some time at the start of the season. PG held his own with Kawhi out, but they are a better team with both of these All-Stars on the court.
Dallas Mavericks - Luka SZN! After some drama with the front office, it's clear that they want to keep Luka happy in Dallas, why wouldn't they? I predict an MVP season from Luka, and I expect this team to make some moves to make him a little more comfortable.
Phoenix Suns - No disrespect to the runner-ups from last year, this team just knows how to get hot at the right time. They perform well enough all season and kick things up come playoff time. They did it in the bubble, they did it last year, I think this is right where they belong.
Utah Jazz - I contemplated putting the Jazz higher on my list, but I couldn't justify moving the others down. They are a great regular season team who crumbles during the playoffs. They don't seem to have what it takes to get to the finish line, and I think we may see the results of that frustration on the court this year.
Portland Trailblazers - They have everything they need offensively, but if they don't improve on the defensive side of the ball, and/or add some key depth pieces, they are going to continue to be a fringe playoff team that keeps falling short.
Memphis Grizzlies - Ja is ready for the playoffs, this is a hungry, young team who got a taste of the post-season last year. They were a tough team then, and I think they will continue to scratch and claw their way to more W's this year.
Minnesota Timberwolves - Will this be the year they figure it out? They have a great centerpiece in KAT, they just can't seem to compete with the best of the West. This team has every opportunity to turn some heads they just need the drive to get there.
New Orleans Pelicans - Zion and Ingram need to find some chemistry and decide who's team this is in the 4th quarter. They added Valanciunas who I think fits the mold of this team better than Steven Adams did, maybe that is all they needed to take that next step.
Oklahoma City Thunder - Looking forward to the return of SGA. This team is loaded with... picks, and picks don't win you games on the court. This team is rebuilding and will be interesting to watch over the next couple of years, but unless they trade those picks for pieces, I don't see much happening this year for this team.
Houston Rockets - This team has some bright building pieces for the future when you include Christian Wood, and the rookie Jalen Green. They are going to be fun, but may take a year or two to build a winning team.
San Antonio Spurs - The Spurs are searching for something to hold on to. They have talent on their team but are lacking a star, someone who can run the show.
Sacramento Kings - This team is young, and full of potential but I don't think they have what it takes to climb the ranks in the competitive Western conference.
Well, there you have it. Let me know what you think, what team do you think will prove me wrong? Next week I will put out my overall rankings and my individual award predictions. Thanks for reading, have a great weekend, and until next time, this is ALL NET.