NBA: Team-by-Team Western Conference Storylines to Follow
Here are the team-by-team storylines for the Western conference this season.
Los Angeles Clippers
The Clippers used to be the laughing stock of the league. Not any more with CP3 and
Doc Rivers. (Photo Credit: Chrishmt0423, Flickr.com)
Every year, there are always three to five teams that you look at on paper and label a contender. The Clippers are one of those teams. After reaching an agreement with coach Doc Rivers, they re-signed Chris Paul and acquired Jared Dudley and JJ Redick via trade. Is Blake Griffin ready to shed the soft label under Rivers? Does DeAndre Jordan become more than just a shot-blocker and dunker? Paul re-signed with the team because he thinks they can win a championship, this year and beyond. That will depend on how much Griffin and Jordan improve their effectiveness on both ends of the floor in the paint.
Los Angeles Lakers
Kobe Bryant’s health will lead the headlines all season long in Los Angeles. It is still unknown if he will make it back for the season opener, but can the Achilles hold up all season? If Bryant is healthy, the Lakers will battle for one of the last two playoff spots in the conference. If not, the Lakers will be a lottery team, plain and simple. It will be interesting to see how some of the new players, Nick Young and Chris Kaman, will fit in with Mike D’Antoni’s offense. Outside of that, there are no expectations for the franchise which is expected to go on a shopping spree for free agents next summer.
Houston Rockets
Fear the Beard. Oh, and D12. (Photo Credit: Angel Blue, Flickr.com)
What will the Dwight Howard–James Harden duo accomplish in their first season together? Cleary, Howard expects them to be one of the five contenders, as he declined to re-sign with the Lakers. The Rockets finished last season 28th in points allowed so much of the burden will be placed on Howard’s shoulders to improve that. Will they eventually decide to trade Omer Asik and get a stretch power forward to give Howard more room to operate inside? It is hard to envision a scenario where Asik lasts the whole season in Houston and the Rockets continue to pay his salary over $5 million to be a backup.
San Antonio Spurs
The only significant addition to the team is Marco Belinelli, as the team kept its core of Tim Duncan, Tony Parker, Manu Ginobili (re-signed), and Kawhi Leonard in tact in hopes of making one last playoff run before Duncan’s probable retirement at the end of the season. He posted a spectacular 24.45 PER last year, averaging 17.8 points, 9.9 rebounds, and 2.7 blocks per game. How effective he will be remains to be seen. With Leonard emerging in the NBA Finals as a young star, lets see if he develops into a max contract type of player, similar to how Paul George just did after his third season.
Oklahoma City Thunder
As long as the Thunder have Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook, they will be one of the top teams in the conference for years to come. The timetable is still unknown as to when Westbrook will return from a tear in his lateral meniscus last season. Is Jeremy Lamb ready to take over as the starting shooting guard and give the team that third scoring option, similar to how Harden used to? Rookie center Steven Adams was drafted in the first round, but he will have to compete for playing time against Kendrick Perkins, Hasheem Thabeet, and Daniel Orton.
Golden State Warriors
Curry guaranteed that the Warriors would win the title this year. (Photo Credit: Keith Allison, Flickr.com)
In the offseason, Stephen Curry guaranteed that the Warriors would win the championship this season. The Warriors then went out and traded for Andre Iguodala and only had to shed bad contracts to get him. Acquiring Iguodala was a bold move because it will force Harrison Barnes to the bench, and as we witnessed in the playoffs, Barnes has the potential to be an All-Star in this league. Does Iguodala’s presence mess up the chemistry that Curry, Klay Thompson, and Barnes formed last season? Another option would be to play Barnes as a stretch four and slide David Lee over to center. Andrew Bogut also looks to be 100%, with coach Mark Jackson and GM Bob Myers saying he looks to return to stardom.
Phoenix Suns
The former Utah Jazz shooting guard Jeff Hornacek makes his debut as head coach this season. The team traded for Eric Bledsoe who has the potential to be an All-Star and he will get his first chance to be one of the centerpieces of a team instead of being a backup. Bledsoe is best with the ball in his hands and has only shot 30% from three for his career. He is listed at 6’1”, so he’s not exactly an ideal fit to play alongside Goran Dragic, the team’s starting point guard the past few seasons. Marcin Gortat is a solid player at center, but the team drafted Alex Len with the fifth pick in the draft. How quickly does Len get caught up to the physicality of the NBA game? Do the Morris twins continue to improve in their third seasons?
Sacramento Kings
Things seem to be on the turn around out there in Sacramento. Shaquille O’Neal was recently announced as a minority owner of the franchise and is also expected to be a mentor for DeMarcus Cousins. Cousins has the potential to be the best center in the league, and it will be interesting to see how O’Neal can help improve his game. Cousins is reportedly also close to signing a max contract extension in the $80 million range.
Dallas Mavericks
Owner Mark Cuban whiffed on signing Deron Williams last summer, and this summer he was unable to land Dwight Howard, Chris Paul, Al Jefferson, or Andrew Bynum. The Mavericks settled for Jose Calderon, Monta Ellis, Samuel Dalembert, and DeJuan Blair instead. The concern heading into the season will be how does Ellis fit into the offense with Dirk Nowtizki? Ellis can be a loose cannon at times, but the offense will play through Nowitzki. The Dalembert signing is a good one because it will improve their defense, and we all know what happened the last time Nowitzki played with a defensive-minded center (Tyson Chandler)- the Mavericks won the title.
Memphis Grizzlies
Can the Grizzlies get over the hump finally and make the NBA Finals? After getting swept in the conference Finals last year, the only significant signing the Grizzlies made was Mike Miller. He’s going to provide much needed three point shooting, as that is one of the team’s weaknesses.
The Pelicans made some noise in the offseason getting Jrue Holiday in a draft day trade and also trading for Tyreke Evans. Holiday, Evans, and Eric Gordon is arguably one of the top perimeter trio’s in the league and in a tough conference, how fast they can begin to mesh with each other will be crucial to the team’s success. Don’t forget about Anthony Davis, the former no. 1 pick two years ago, who will most likely start at center. The Pelicans are most definitely primed for an exciting season which could include the playoffs.
Denver Nuggets
George Karl is out and Brian Shaw is in. This will be Shaw’s first chance to prove to the rest of the league how good of a head coach he can be after being such a hot commodity in the coaching world the past few seasons as an assistant. What kind of system will he run? Shaw comes from the tutelage of Phil Jackson with the triangle offense, and the Nuggets personnel is not suited for that. Karl was able to make the team competitive with Iguodala the closest thing to being a star player and he crafted the fast break, up-tempo offense perfectly for the talent on the roster, maximizing each player’s ability. How well Shaw can get the most out of his players in his own system will be the key storyline in Denver this year.
Minnesota Timberwolves
K-Love hopes to return in All-Star form. (Photo Credit: Keith Allison, Flickr.com)
Playoffs seem to be the talk in Minnesota these days with the return of Kevin Love from injury, the re-signing of Nikola Pekovic, and the addition of Kevin Martin to the backcourt. Ricky Rubio should continue his ascend to becoming a top tier point guard as one of the best passers in the game. Shabazz Muhammad was selected with the 14th pick but faces stiff competition for playing time with Chase Budinger and Corey Brewer ahead of him on the depth chart.
Portland Trail Blazers
The additions of Robin Lopez, Mo Williams and draft pick CJ McCollum should put the Trail Blazers right in the thick of things for one of the last playoff spots. The lethal combination of McCollum and Damian Lillard is going to present a lot of offensive firepower. No longer will All-Star forward LaMarcus Aldridge be forced to play center with the acquisition of Lopez.
Utah Jazz
One of the few bright spots for the team will be Trey Burke manning the point guard spot. If he is able to make the transition to the league as good as everyone is expecting, he can be a top Rookie of the Year candidate. Derrick Favors seems to be facing a breakout season as he enters a contract year. Will coach Tyrone Corbin make it through the season?
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