Who Will Win the West (Besides the Lakers)?

[Atzar]

There is no beside the Lakers, Portland is the only team that could realistically make it past game 6 (but alot of that depends on health and Oden). The Thunder aren't beating the Lakers until they get some legit size. The rest are all just pretenders with vulnerabilities that the Lakers can and will exploit. Spurs are too old, The Mavs aren't winning with Dirk leading,  Phoenix can't defend them(loss of Amare will hurt in the play-offs), The Jazz can't outscore them, and it keeps going on like that. Just a bunch of teams with wholes for them to exploit mainly the don't play defense, and they can't outscore them. Portland has comparative size, solid defense, and a closer so they've got a chance, but the Lakers have them beat in all of those areas.

I agree with most of your post, except for the bolded part about Dallas.  What makes you think they can't win with Dirk leading?  That team is similar in a lot of ways to us - their key players are old, but they're very deep.  They have a defender to put on Kobe in Butler (who's had an offseason to gel) or Marion, they have clutch scorers in Jet and Dirk, they have size with Haywood and Chandler.  Beaubois is a very nice X-factor, once he gets healthy and back up to speed.

I think Dallas matches up better with the Lakers than anybody else out West, with the possible exception of a healthy Portland - but I have no expectation of Portland being healthy.

[ManUp]

There is no beside the Lakers, Portland is the only team that could realistically make it past game 6 (but alot of that depends on health and Oden). The Thunder aren't beating the Lakers until they get some legit size. The rest are all just pretenders with vulnerabilities that the Lakers can and will exploit. Spurs are too old, The Mavs aren't winning with Dirk leading,  Phoenix can't defend them(loss of Amare will hurt in the play-offs), The Jazz can't outscore them, and it keeps going on like that. Just a bunch of teams with wholes for them to exploit mainly the don't play defense, and they can't outscore them. Portland has comparative size, solid defense, and a closer so they've got a chance, but the Lakers have them beat in all of those areas.

I agree with most of your post, except for the bolded part about Dallas.  What makes you think they can't win with Dirk leading?  That team is similar in a lot of ways to us - their key players are old, but they're very deep.  They have a defender to put on Kobe in Butler (who's had an offseason to gel) or Marion, they have clutch scorers in Jet and Dirk, they have size with Haywood and Chandler.  Beaubois is a very nice X-factor, once he gets healthy and back up to speed.

I think Dallas matches up better with the Lakers than anybody else out West, with the possible exception of a healthy Portland - but I have no expectation of Portland being healthy.

IMO, Dirk just isn't a leader. He's a soft choker a seven foot Vince Carter. Wade and the Warriors stomped his championship hopes out years ago. He lost his edge a while back if he ever even had one.

[screwedupmaniac]

LA Clippers take the West this year, no doubt in my mind...

In all seriousness though, I'm picking the Thunder.

[LakersFan_33]

as a true celtics fan, i really hate this topic. it really sickens me that that lakers will have a cakewalk into the finals. we all know that barring an injury to Kobe, the Lakers will walk to the finals. if Gasol get hurt, it will be a big blow but the lakers have Artest who 'could' play a 4. yeah, they'll be undersized but with Bynum coming back before the playoffs they 'could' still make it. That being said.... the lakers still suck!
I want to give OKC a fighting chance because of westbrook durant and green but don't see it happening....
what would be great is if the Lakers, by some miracle (Kobe ACL and Gasol ACL) DON'T make the playoffs and the rest of the West has to fight it out....NOW that's good basketball!!!!!

Stay classy...When you wish injury upon other teams (i.e. Bynum, last year), it usually happens to your own team.

Anyway, I think that Portland is legit, but I just don't think they can win in L.A. quite honestly. Also, I just kind of see some other team taking them out before the Lakers would have to play them. That's just historically how it's been.

[Fafnir]

as a true celtics fan, i really hate this topic. it really sickens me that that lakers will have a cakewalk into the finals. we all know that barring an injury to Kobe, the Lakers will walk to the finals. if Gasol get hurt, it will be a big blow but the lakers have Artest who 'could' play a 4. yeah, they'll be undersized but with Bynum coming back before the playoffs they 'could' still make it. That being said.... the lakers still suck!
I want to give OKC a fighting chance because of westbrook durant and green but don't see it happening....
what would be great is if the Lakers, by some miracle (Kobe ACL and Gasol ACL) DON'T make the playoffs and the rest of the West has to fight it out....NOW that's good basketball!!!!!

Stay classy...When you wish injury upon other teams (i.e. Bynum, last year), it usually happens to your own team.

*shrug* I'm 99% confident that many Lakers fans cheered when KG went down in 08-09, and the Lakers stayed pretty healthy that year.

I agree Portland can be legit, with Oden. Without him they're a piece short.

[LakersFan_33]

Also, some of you seem to think that the East is far and away better than the West. Maybe it's because you don't watch the West as much, but while I think that the East is much better than last year, I still think it's very top-heavy.

I'm looking at both conferences right now:

On the East, you've got three contenders, as well as good teams in Chicago, Atlanta and maybe Charlotte. I'm not sold on the Knicks this year, even with Amare. Bucks are OK, but they over achieved last year, and got into the playoffs with a weak record. Teams below that are garbage.

In the West, you have 1 contender, but in my opinion, more balance. I see good teams in Denver, Utah, Houston, San Antonio, Dallas, Portland, New Orleans and I also think that Golden State and Sacramento could emerge this year with the pieces they have.

I'm not saying one conference is better than the other, but, again, I see that the East is top-heavy, while the West is more balanced.

[Bynum4MVP]

I like fun and games just as much as the next guy but let's get real.

There are no Miami's or Magic in the West.

Just a bunch of Atlanta Hawks and worse.  The Celtics would no more consider the Hawks a legit East contender than should the Lakers consider any other West team.

The Lakers will be there in June...the Celtics do have a rougher road to destiny.

If you want to get something done, you gotta do it yourself, #18 is on the line and nobody deserves it more.

[fairweatherfan]

Bump for prognostication check. 

But as of right now, I give the best shot to Dallas.  They got knocked out early last year, but they really have a well built team.  They have tremendous frontcourt depth, and some versatile and talented perimeter players.  Now that they have had more time to assimilate Butler into the system, and with the way Chandler looked on team USA, I think they could be ready to give the Lakers a run for their money.

 

I think the most likely team to knock them off is Dallas, to be honest.  They didn't have long with their full squad last year and looked lost in the playoffs, but if things work out with Butler, they'll have a big advantage at PG, some decent bigs to bang with the Lakers, and enough scoring to keep up with them. 

 

[fairweatherfan]

Doublebump for prediction hilarity.

First of all, Dallas is NOT a threat to the Lakers. They are historical chokers - They've choked so many times, and in the most monumental ways, too. Last year vs. Spurs in the first round, in the first round against the 8th seed Warriors when they won 67 games, and lost when they were up 2-0 on the Heat. Analysts love to hype them up, but they're not legit.

 

[Celticsfan336]

Who will win the West?

LEBRONS MAMA!

[Army_of_One_Nation]

Doublebump for prediction hilarity.

First of all, Dallas is NOT a threat to the Lakers. They are historical chokers - They've choked so many times, and in the most monumental ways, too. Last year vs. Spurs in the first round, in the first round against the 8th seed Warriors when they won 67 games, and lost when they were up 2-0 on the Heat. Analysts love to hype them up, but they're not legit.

 

I'd like to add one more, if you don't mind.