Author Topic: Rank the top 5 teams put west.  (Read 2388 times)

0 Members and 1 Guest are viewing this topic.

Rank the top 5 teams put west.
« on: July 28, 2015, 07:29:03 PM »

Offline perks-a-beast

  • Bailey Howell
  • **
  • Posts: 2120
  • Tommy Points: 224
To me, there are 5 serious contenders out west. GSW, SAS, LAC, OKC, and HOU. Memphis to me is also really good but not beating any of those 5 in a 7 game series as currently constructed.

For me it goes..

1. Warriors. Defending champs. Bringing back pretty much the same team. A year older and a year wiser.

2. Clippers. Attained pretty much everything they were after in the offseason and then some. If they meet GS in the playoffs it"ll be one for the ages.

3. Thunder. 2 of the best 7 players in the league on the same team. Only reason why theyre only third is the overall lack of inexperience on that team outside the 3 key guys.

4. Rockets. Looked like the best team in the NBA at times last year even without their 2nd best player for a good portion if the season. Added a really good point guard for virtually nothing.

5. Spurs. One could argue that the Spurs could be #1 and i might be convinced. Thats how good this top 5 is. But to me, Aldridge just isnt the transformative player people think he is. Way too much of the interior defensive reaponsibilty is going to fall on TD"s aging shoulders which might be this teams downfall.

Outside of the original question, can someone name a time in the history of the league when a conference was this top heavy?? Maybe never.

Re: Rank the top 5 teams put west.
« Reply #1 on: July 28, 2015, 07:32:08 PM »

Offline mgent

  • Tiny Archibald
  • *******
  • Posts: 7567
  • Tommy Points: 1962
Memphis is absolutely with those teams.  They were in the top 4 last year with GSW, SAS, and HOU.
Philly:

Anderson Varejao    Tiago Splitter    Matt Bonner
David West    Kenyon Martin    Brad Miller
Andre Iguodala    Josh Childress    Marquis Daniels
Dwyane Wade    Leandro Barbosa
Kirk Hinrich    Toney Douglas   + the legendary Kevin McHale

Re: Rank the top 5 teams put west.
« Reply #2 on: July 28, 2015, 07:40:54 PM »

Offline Who

  • James Naismith
  • *********************************
  • Posts: 47136
  • Tommy Points: 2401
Memphis is absolutely with those teams.  They were in the top 4 last year with GSW, SAS, and HOU.
Agreed. I think Memphis are up there too.

6 legitimate title contenders out West.

Re: Rank the top 5 teams put west.
« Reply #3 on: July 28, 2015, 07:53:21 PM »

Offline SHAQATTACK

  • James Naismith
  • *********************************
  • Posts: 36776
  • Tommy Points: 2961
But but but ....there is Kobe and his Fakers ....they re contending ..... ;D

Re: Rank the top 5 teams put west.
« Reply #4 on: July 28, 2015, 08:20:13 PM »

Offline wiley

  • Antoine Walker
  • ****
  • Posts: 4849
  • Tommy Points: 386
To me, there are 5 serious contenders out west. GSW, SAS, LAC, OKC, and HOU. Memphis to me is also really good but not beating any of those 5 in a 7 game series as currently constructed.

For me it goes..

1. Warriors. Defending champs. Bringing back pretty much the same team. A year older and a year wiser.

2. Clippers. Attained pretty much everything they were after in the offseason and then some. If they meet GS in the playoffs it"ll be one for the ages.

3. Thunder. 2 of the best 7 players in the league on the same team. Only reason why theyre only third is the overall lack of inexperience on that team outside the 3 key guys.

4. Rockets. Looked like the best team in the NBA at times last year even without their 2nd best player for a good portion if the season. Added a really good point guard for virtually nothing.

5. Spurs. One could argue that the Spurs could be #1 and i might be convinced. Thats how good this top 5 is. But to me, Aldridge just isnt the transformative player people think he is. Way too much of the interior defensive reaponsibilty is going to fall on TD"s aging shoulders which might be this teams downfall.

Outside of the original question, can someone name a time in the history of the league when a conference was this top heavy?? Maybe never.


1.  San Antonio.  They have a tendency to win it every other year, in phases.  LMA allows them to be in that phase again.  Full health absolutely required as with most teams.

2.  Clippers.  Josh Smith can play the 3 and 4, Pierce can play the 2, 3 and 4.  Lance can play the 2 and 3.  If Lance has a comeback year lookout league.  If he's as bad as he was in Charlotte then I don't think the Clips make it past the WCF.  Even with the new depth, their big 3 still has to play too many minutes.  They'll get tired by the third round of the playoffs...

3.  Houston.  Too many weapons now.

4.  Warriors.  It's really hard to repeat.  They'll learn this.

4.  Ok. City.  May vault to # 2, but I don't trust the defense in the playoffs.  Plus new coach and health?

5. Memphis. 

The top 4 have a chance at the finals.

Re: Rank the top 5 teams put west.
« Reply #5 on: July 28, 2015, 08:25:03 PM »

Offline PhoSita

  • NCE
  • Robert Parish
  • *********************
  • Posts: 21835
  • Tommy Points: 2182
Warriors
Spurs
Rockets
Thunder
Grizzlies

Not worried about the exact order.  They're all really good.
You’ll have to excuse my lengthiness—the reason I dread writing letters is because I am so apt to get to slinging wisdom & forget to let up. Thus much precious time is lost.
- Mark Twain

Re: Rank the top 5 teams put west.
« Reply #6 on: July 28, 2015, 08:31:00 PM »

Offline More Banners

  • Ray Allen
  • ***
  • Posts: 3845
  • Tommy Points: 257
And for contenders in the east we have...

One team?

Re: Rank the top 5 teams put west.
« Reply #7 on: July 28, 2015, 09:16:08 PM »

Offline PhoSita

  • NCE
  • Robert Parish
  • *********************
  • Posts: 21835
  • Tommy Points: 2182
And for contenders in the east we have...

One team?

Yes.
You’ll have to excuse my lengthiness—the reason I dread writing letters is because I am so apt to get to slinging wisdom & forget to let up. Thus much precious time is lost.
- Mark Twain

Re: Rank the top 5 teams put west.
« Reply #8 on: July 28, 2015, 09:45:36 PM »

Offline crimson_stallion

  • Rajon Rondo
  • *****
  • Posts: 5964
  • Tommy Points: 875
I like your picks / analysis. 

I'm going to base my answer purely on the playoffs (as I feel that's what counts the most) and my picks are...

1. Clippers:
The Clippers were a tough out last year as it is.  Adding Pierce & Smith pushes them to a whole other level.  Pierce adds an extra clutch scorer that the defense must respect, which takes a lot of pressure off CP3 (who was often relied on far too heavily last year).  Josh Smith at his best is an All-Star caliber talent, and when he's motivated (i.e. playoff time) he can dominant on both ends of the floor.  This is a deep, tough, talented, experienced and well coached team - they will be VERY hard to beat.   

2. Spurs
This is a long shot, and depends entirely on how gracefully Tim Duncan and Tony Parker age (and their ability to remain healthy) in this upcoming season.  If Duncan can be as productive as he was last year, then the Aldridge/Duncan front court will be an absolute force to be reckoned with.  Kawhi Leonard is going to be consistently excellent as always.  Green will do what he does.  If Parker can continue to play at (or near) the level he played at last season, then that's a great starting lineup.  Bench depth may be a question mark, but they'll be real tough regardless and there might not be any coach who gets the most out of limited talent like Pop does.

3. Warriors:
They may be the defending champs, but I must admit I wasn't entirely convinced.  A severely crippled Cavs team (led almost single-handedly by Lebron) was able to put a real scare into a deep and talented Warriors team that was supposed to be the best team in the league.  Was this a sign of mental weakness on the Warriors part, or was it merely a testament to Lebron's greatness?  That, combined with Curry's inconsistency in the series, leaves me only somewhat convinced by the Warriors.  The loss of Lee (who was a major contributor for that team) doesn't help their case either.

4. Rockets
The Rockets added Ty Lawson, which is huge for them.  They also lost Josh Smith, which could be similarly huge - he was a major reason for them being such a tough out in last year's playoffs, and so I get the feeling they'll be at a similar level overall to last year.  If Dwight Howard can stay healthy however, that could change everything.  Howard and Harden are a match made in heaven.

5. Thunder
The Thunder have too many question marks.  Will Westbrook's play last season draw questions about who is the #1 man in OKC (much like the Kobe/Shaq saga in Lakers years past)?  Was matching Kanter to a max contact a wise move?  Will the loss of Reggie Jackson hurt their long-term depth? Will Durant return at the same level he was at before the injury?   Then there's the fact that the Thunder have always been a better regular season team than they have as a playoff team.  They've been among the top 2 or 3 most talented teams in the league for years now, yet have only made the finals one (where they got handily dominated by the Heat).  I believed the Thunder's hopes of a title left when they traded out Harden, but time will tell.

Re: Rank the top 5 teams put west.
« Reply #9 on: July 28, 2015, 09:52:26 PM »

Offline crimson_stallion

  • Rajon Rondo
  • *****
  • Posts: 5964
  • Tommy Points: 875
Memphis is absolutely with those teams.  They were in the top 4 last year with GSW, SAS, and HOU.

A fair point, but to be honest I just feel that that have stood idle too long, while other teams have made major strikes. 

* The Warriors were a step above Memphis all of last season
* When OKC have had Westbrook/Durant/Ibaka healthy they've been better than Memphis
* The Spurs were up there with Memphis last year, and added LMA.
* The Clippers were up there with Memphis last year, and added Pierce/Stephenson/Smith
* The rockets were up there with Memphis last year and add Lawson and (hopefully) a healthy Dwight

Memphis have always been very good, but not elite.  Aside from Conley, their top players (Randoph and Gasol) are at their ceiling.  They haven't really added anybody of note.  I just don't see them competing in the playoffs against the other teams listed.   

Re: Rank the top 5 teams put west.
« Reply #10 on: July 28, 2015, 10:01:09 PM »

Offline max215

  • Don Nelson
  • ********
  • Posts: 8448
  • Tommy Points: 624
Spurs
Warriors
Clippers
Thunder
Rockets

The first four are in no particular order, but Houston is slightly worse IMO. Along with the top 5, Memphis is probably a true contender as well.
Isaiah, you were lightning in a bottle.

DKC Clippers

Re: Rank the top 5 teams put west.
« Reply #11 on: July 28, 2015, 10:06:41 PM »

Offline Who

  • James Naismith
  • *********************************
  • Posts: 47136
  • Tommy Points: 2401
(6) LA Clippers -- Still not convinced by their perimeter defense. Worried about the fit with Lance Stephenson after his struggles in Charlotte. Lance Stephenson really struggled to share the ball with Kemba Walker. Hard not to see him having more offensive problems in LAC alongside CP3, B.Griffin and P.Pierce. I do love the Josh Smith addition.

(5) Memphis -- need to get Jeff Green functioning at a high level. He is the final piece of the puzzle for Memphis. Someone who can give them that extra boost from the wing to stop them being so dependent on their three main guys.

(4) Oklahoma -- Kanter needs to prove he can play defense. Will not win until he becomes an acceptable defender. Concerns with Dion Waiters finding a way to buy in. Also with the backup PG slot with a rookie Cameron Payne and a dodgy DJ Augustin.

(3) Houston -- Ty Lawson was a huge addition for Houston. I'd love to see some more big man passing though. Too much offense happening 25 feet from the basket off the dribble.

(2) Golden State -- I don't think they repeat. Things went about as well as they possibly could for them last season (injuries to key players on Grizzlies, Spurs out in first round, very weak Cavs team gave them a serious scare + Bogut actually managed to stay healthy for once) and they still almost blew it. Lost David Lee as well.

(1) San Antonio -- I think they have the most talent and the most balance. On the concerns side, worried about (a) how Aldridge effects Duncan's role offensively (b) how Duncan, Parker and Ginobili age. Kinda feels more like a transition season to Aldridge and Kawhi than a title winning team for some reason. Can't quite put my finger why.

Re: Rank the top 5 teams put west.
« Reply #12 on: July 29, 2015, 12:57:33 AM »

Offline wiley

  • Antoine Walker
  • ****
  • Posts: 4849
  • Tommy Points: 386
Memphis is absolutely with those teams.  They were in the top 4 last year with GSW, SAS, and HOU.

A fair point, but to be honest I just feel that that have stood idle too long, while other teams have made major strikes. 

* The Warriors were a step above Memphis all of last season
* When OKC have had Westbrook/Durant/Ibaka healthy they've been better than Memphis
* The Spurs were up there with Memphis last year, and added LMA.
* The Clippers were up there with Memphis last year, and added Pierce/Stephenson/Smith
* The rockets were up there with Memphis last year and add Lawson and (hopefully) a healthy Dwight

Memphis have always been very good, but not elite.  Aside from Conley, their top players (Randoph and Gasol) are at their ceiling.  They haven't really added anybody of note.  I just don't see them competing in the playoffs against the other teams listed.

Regarding the Rockets, they not only added Lawson but get Beverley back to be a major defensive pest off the bench...And Montiejunas will be back too...Lawson, Beverly and Montiejunas offset the loss of Josh Smith and then some...

Re: Rank the top 5 teams put west.
« Reply #13 on: July 29, 2015, 01:10:08 AM »

Offline D.o.s.

  • NCE
  • Cedric Maxwell
  • **************
  • Posts: 14061
  • Tommy Points: 1239
Agreed with the general top 5 here. Memphis is a cut below. Injuries (obviously) totally reshape the landscape.
At least a goldfish with a Lincoln Log on its back goin' across your floor to your sock drawer has a miraculous connotation to it.

Re: Rank the top 5 teams put west.
« Reply #14 on: July 29, 2015, 11:25:12 AM »

Offline Forza Juventus

  • Jayson Tatum
  • Posts: 964
  • Tommy Points: 70
1 Golden State
2 San Antonio
3 Oklahoma City
4 Houston
5 LA Clippers
Azzurri | Juventus | Boston Celtics | Kentucky Basketball

"All the negativity that’s on Celticsblog sucks. I’ve been around when Kyrie Irving was criticized. I’ve been around when Al Horford was insulted. And it stinks. It makes the greatest team, greatest fans in the world, lousy."

Celticsblog=sports radio