Golden State Warriors: The State Of The Pacific Division
By Ben Woodward
Since the NBA’s inception of the Pacific Division in 1970, the annual glory has belonged in majority to the Los Angeles Lakers and the Phoenix Suns. The Lake Show succeeded with teams led by Magic Johnson and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar. Decades later, the team was still winning titles on the backs of Shaquille O’Neal and Kobe Bryant. In the late 80s, the Suns built a perennial playoff team led by Kevin Johnson and Tom Chambers. The Phoenix front office went on to assemble contenders revolving around Charles Barkley and Steve Nash. From 1970-2012, the Lakers and Suns combined for 70 percent of the total divisional crowns.
As they say, all good things must come to an end.
Phil Jackson’s retirement from coaching in 2011 marked the beginning of the end for the Los Angeles Lakers. Mike Brown was hired and fired in a matter of a year and a half. Mike D’Antoni was brought in, and he suffered the same fate (at least he can say he resigned). Lakers owner Jerry Buss passed away. Kobe ruptured his Achilles tendon, leaving the Lakers to get swept away in the first round of the 2013 NBA Playoffs.
As for the Suns, they hung around as a playoff team for just about as long as the Lakers did. In 2010, the team lost all-star forward Amare Stoudemire to free agency. Players like Shaquille O’Neal, Marcin Gortat and Aaron Brooks came and went, but the Suns were never quite able to regain their footing in a division that would prepare for drastic changes in the coming years.
With an uprising of talented young teams like the Golden State Warriors and the Los Angeles Clippers, the long-standing roles in the Pacific division have been forgotten.
The Don Nelson days of the Golden State Warriors being a run-n-gun, don’t-worry-about-defense team with no real shot at making a playoff run are over. Today, the Dubs possess a respectable roster of players who each perform a specific job in what will be a more complex offensive system under Steve Kerr. I expect the Warriors to see continued progress as guys like Stephen Curry and Klay Thompson develop into one of the best guard combos in the league. The addition of Shaun Livingston is huge for the bench and for veteran leadership, and a healthy Andrew Bogut is always good for business.
Curry and Thompson, “The Splash Brothers,” will continue their progression into one of the deadliest scoring combinations in the NBA. The experience they are getting as a part of the United States men’s basketball team is invaluable. The two will emerge as better professionals, and better leaders for their team in need of leadership.
With a new head coach and a fairly new bench, it’s hard to predict the season’s outcome for the Warriors. At this point, the potential is limitless.
GS Key Additions: Shaun Livingston, Brandon Rush
GS Key Losses: Steve Blake, Jordan Crawford
The Los Angeles Clippers went from being “that other team” in the Staples Center to a legitimate title contender for what could be the next decade. Blake Griffin and Chris Paul are the healthy young cornerstone pieces that the team has been searching for since – well, since the team was founded 44 years ago.
The offseason turmoil they faced surrounding disgraced owner Donald Sterling may have set them back a few steps, but they will continue to rise as one of the most well-rounded, explosive teams in the West. The roster is stocked with All-Stars, and they’re ready to continue dominance in the Western conference.
LAC Key Additions: Jordan Farmar, Spencer Hawes
LAC Key Losses: Darren Collison, Danny Granger
The Phoenix Suns are now in a particularly unique position, because they have nearly completed a successful rebuilding process without making much noise doing so. Goran Dragic has quietly become one of the best point guards in the West. The addition of Isaiah Thomas was crucial in adding depth to the back court, and all reports indicate that he fits like a glove in the Suns system.
Big men Alex Len and Miles Plumlee will continue to improve at protecting the rim, rebounding and scoring in the paint. Gerald Green will likely share or assume the primary scorer role, depending on Eric Bledsoe’s free agency decision. I expect the Suns to develop this roster for the next few seasons, and eventually return to relevancy in the division.
PHX Key Additions: Isaiah Thomas, Tyler Ennis
PHX Key Losses: Channing Frye, Ish Smith, possibly Eric Bledsoe
The Los Angeles Lakers, if you ask me, still deserve some level of respect, at least until Kobe Bryant is off the court for good. While the loss of Pau Gasol will be felt, the Lakers front office did their best to patch up the front court by drafting Kentucky big man Julius Randle. He will be able to learn from newly acquired power forward Carlos Boozer, while giving him a breather off the bench most nights.
That being said, the backcourt may be the Lakers best shot at generating wins. Jeremy Lin, Steve Nash, Nick Young and a rehabbed Black Mamba could be enough to win some ball games against lesser opponents, provided everyone stays relatively healthy. Not saying they’ll win the division or even make the playoffs, but they should improve from last season’s win total.
LAL Key Additions: Julius Randle, Carlos Boozer, Jeremy Lin
LAL Key Losses: Pau Gasol, Jordan Farmar, Chris Kaman
The Sacramento Kings are a bit of a different story. I wish I could include them in this list of recharged, vibrant teams with potential. They just aren’t ready.
DeMarcus Cousins and Rudy Gay can provide offensive production, but the Kings’ starting five is nowhere near prepared to contend with the rest of the Pacific division (3-13 record against divisional opponents last season). Young guys like Ben McLemore and newly drafted shooting guard Nik Stauskas both have the potential to contribute in the future, but this season will only be the first steps on a long road.
When I look at the roster, I see a list of role players. Until the Kings add a few clear-cut established starters, they’ll be in the basement of this division.
SAC Key Additions: Nik Stauskas, Darren Collison
SAC Key Loss: Isaiah Thomas
The 2014-15 season will ultimately be a battle between the Clippers and Warriors for playoff spots. The Lakers could surprise us all, or continue derailing off the tracks of NBA relevancy. The Kings will continue the rebuild and look to develop a very raw roster. These are exciting times to watch the NBA’s Pacific division unfold.