#1 Golden State Warriors- They were the best team in the NBA and they added talent and even MORE depth. I don’t see any reason to spend more time talking about why they are #1
#2 San Antonio Spurs- LMA is going to prove that he belongs in the conversation of best PF in the league right now. Leanord is the MVP this year. They are so consistent it’s unfair to the rest of the league. (P.S. Parker plays 45 games) #2
#3 Oklahoma City Thunder- The experiment. It didn’t work for Melo & A.I. in Denver but maybe it will work in OKC. If it does, they will be the 3rd best team. They have surprising depth while having a star studded first unit. If the experiment fails, they will find themselves in the bottom of the top 8. #3
#4 Houston Rockets- Experiment # two. It’s no secret that Chris Paul and James Harden are ball dominant guards. Chris Paul has never been on a team that the ball wasn’t in his hands until someone shot. This could work great for the Rockets, they are stacked with 3 point shooters and Chris Paul isn’t ancient yet. Charles Barkley always says jump shooting teams can’t win tournaments and most basketball minds feel the same way, so I don’t see this Rockets team ending up in the WCF. If this experiment fails I could see the Rockets falling to 6-8. (P.S. Shout out to Chris Paul for the way he handled his free agency and leaving an organization that he cared about.) #4
#5 The Utah Jazz- “WHAT!? THE JAZZ WERE #5 LAST YEAR? DID YOU FORGET THEY LOST GORDON HAYWARD?!” The Jazz are going to be more exciting to watch this year than they were last year. Why? They are going to be playing team ball within the offensive scheme all game. Their best offensive player (Rudy) doesn’t demand the ball in isolation situations, he gets his shots in the flow of the offense. I can not say with confidence that any other teams in the West will be above the Jazz. Rubio Leads in assists, Rudy in points/rebounds, Udoh in blocks and Thabo in steals. #5
#6 Minnesota Timberwolves- It’s undeniable that Thib did a great job of bringing in players that are going to help the Wolves’ young core. Are they going to go from the bottom of the west to the top of the west because of Jimmy Buckets, J. Crawford and Jeff Teague? No. It is still going to take time to figure this out, but they will be in the playoffs. There is no way I see them finishing ahead of the Utah Jazz. #6
#7 Los Angeles Clippers- Chris Paul is one of the top 5 PGs in the country. However the Clips replaced him with Patrick Beverly and Lou Williams. Beverley is an aggressive defender and Lou Williams can replace J. Crawford without skipping a beat. They are not as good as they were last year but they are still a playoff team. The Clips also added D. Gallinari who I like a lot! They have lacked a good SF for years, it’s too bad that they added him when CP3 was already gone. #7
#8 Denver Nuggets- Millsap was a fabulous addition to a team that is trying to outscore their opponents. Millsap and Jokic make up a great front court for an offensive backcourt that already has several guards to light it up from behind the arc. This team is going to struggle defensively but I think they sneak past the Pelicans for the 8th spot in the Playoffs. #8
Honorable Mention
New Orlean Pelicans- I don’t believe in the Boogie/Davis front court. They haven’t made any additions that are worth while to support that studded front court and they have failed to meet expectations in the past. Holiday is a fabulous point guard but the rest of the team is subpar. I find them being 5 wins behind the Nuggets and out of the playoffs.
The Ramblings of a Sports Mind - @Turnbow_JT 