A Few Big Changes, Same Results
Thomas Sodano
Sports Editor
It’s been a long summer, but finally (finally!) the 2008-09 NBA season is within shooting range. I’m setting my feet for the jumper and this is what I see:
Northwest:
1. Utah Jazz. The Jazz will be among the elite teams in the West. Deron Williams and Carlos Boozer gained confidence and experience while playing in the Beijing Olympics, but my biggest concern here is their team defense.
2. Denver Nuggets. The Nuggets will never run out of offense with Iverson and Anthony on the floor, but much like the Jazz, I question their defense. Losing Marcus Camby to the Clippers will hurt their front line, but with starters Kenyon Martin and Nene, along with the newly acquired hustle of Renaldo Balkman and Chris Andersen, they should be able to pick up the slack.
3. Portland Trail Blazers. The Blazers are almost there, but they don’t have enough depth for my liking. Greg Oden will contend for Rookie of the Year and Brandon Roy will continue to mold his game towards superstardom, but I just don’t see them going anywhere in the playoffs.
4. Minnesota Timberwolves. I give the Wolves 30 wins at best. They definitely won’t be a boring team to watch with Mike Miller and Rookie Kevin Love in the lineup, but they just won’t be very good.
5. Oklahoma City Thunder. Sadly, the Seattle Supersonics are no more and the Thunder won’t make much noise during their first season in Oklahoma City. Kevin Durant is a year older, but the team is hardly better than last season when they finished 20-62.
Pacific:
1. Los Angeles Lakers. The Lakers have an old school roster with versatile guards and solid big men. Kobe Bryant is undeniably one of the best to ever play the game and after a bitter loss last year in the finals the Lakers will come out swinging. Stacked with talent and experience, they have to be considered a favorite in the West, but their questionable toughness is my biggest concern.
2. Phoenix Suns. Age is a prime factor for the Suns and their biggest concern is staying healthy. But if they can harness the power of their potentially unstoppable half-court offense then they will surprise many people.
3. Los Angeles Clippers. The Clips made a lot of changes in the offseason, which is always a good thing after going 23-59. Baron Davis is the player to watch here as the 29-year-old returns home to L.A. I would love to get excited about this team and say they will win 40 games, but it’s the Clippers and I’m quite certain that won’t happen.
4. Sacramento Kings. The golden days in Sac-town are a thing of the past. Let’s just hope they make it back there again in the future.
5. Golden State Warriors. Losing Baron Davis is huge.
Southwest:
1. San Antonio Spurs. This is probably the toughest division in the league and I’m reluctant to place the Spurs on top especially with Manu Ginobili expected to be sidelined until mid-December after ankle surgery. But the Spurs have been battle tested time and time again and I still like their chances.
2. New Orleans Hornets. Led by the best point guard in the league in Chris Paul, I will confidently call this team a title contender. They have a very strong starting five and have shown that they can bump heads with the best in the league. Their key is to stay healthy because they don’t have exceptional depth.
3. Dallas Mavericks. The Mavericks have a great team and they need to wake up before it’s too late. With new coach Rick Carlisle calling the plays they will make it back to the playoffs, but they are likely lose in the first round once again.
4. Houston Rockets. The Rockets look wonderful on paper, but I’m predicting that they are just outside the bracket of contention. Whether it’s a devastating injury to a key player or the mental breakdown of a leader, something will hold them back.
5. Memphis Grizzles. The Grizzles made some good moves in the offseason, but as long as they are in the Western Conference they won’t make any moves in the win column.
Atlantic:
1. Boston Celtics. I really hate to call repeats, but that is exactly what I am doing here for Boston. With Kevin Garnett, Paul Pierce, and Ray Allen still on the roster, the Celtics seem destined to be the next dynasty.
2. Toronto Raptors. The Raptors picked up veteran Jernaine O’Neal which adds depth to their front line along with big men Chris Bosh and Andrea Bargnani. If they stay healthy, Toronto will have a nice run in the playoffs.
3. New Jersey Nets. I think (or maybe I just hope) that the Nets will surprise a few people this season. Despite being in rebuilding mode after trading Jason Kidd and Richard Jefferson, the Nets have a lot of young talent. But with young talent comes inexperience so it will be up to Vince Carter and Devin Harris to keep the Nets running in the right direction.
4. Philadelphia 76ers. The Sixers will definitely have another 40-win season at least, but in the ever-improving Eastern Conference I’m not confident that Elton Brand is enough to catapult this team into contention.
5. New York Knicks. Mike D’Antoni is new on the bench, but there are still too many familiar faces on the floor. Expect some exciting games at the Garden, but the Knicks are still the Knicks and nowadays that’s not a good thing.
Central:
1. Cleveland Cavaliers. The Cavaliers are out to prove that their finals appearance two years ago wasn’t a fluke. Lebron James is a year older and with most of last years roster still in tact the chemistry should be there.
2. Detroit Piston. Billups, Prince, Wallace, and Hamilton are all back which means another monster season for Detroit. With their playoff (and championship) tested roster the Pistons are among the best and most feared teams in the league.
3. Chicago Bulls. I’m not really sure what happened to the Bulls last year at 33-49, but I don’t think it will happen again. First year coach Vinny Del Negro gives this group a chance to start fresh.
4. Milwaukee Bucks. The Bucks made a great move getting Richard Jefferson, but they aren’t likely to do big things this year. They will, however, improve upon their 26-56 record from last year.
5. Indiana Pacers. I have faith that Larry Bird is taking this team somewhere good. I just don’t know where that somewhere is or how they’re getting there.
Southeast:
1. Orlando Magic. The Magic still look very good this year and should win this division quite easily. Dwight Howard can bang with any big man in the league and Hedo Turkoglu loves taking the big shot under pressure.
2. Atlanta Hawks. Mike Bibby continues to give valuable leadership to this young team as they look to make it past the first round of the playoffs this season.
3. Charlotte Bobcats. I can’t believe I’m putting the Bobcats above Washington and Miami in this division, but behind new coach Larry Brown this team has a very big up side.
4. Washington Wizards. Gilbert Arenas is back this year, but the Wizards are still missing the solid big man they need to contend come playoff time.
5. Miami Heat. It should be fun to watch Michael Beasley in his first NBA season, but beyond that this team is up in the air for me. They of course have All-Star Dwyane Wade, but much like the Wizards they are lacking big men in a league dominated by giants.
