Playoff predictions, West Coast

[Gargamel]

They won 44 games in the toughest division in the League last season, and they got better. I'd pencil them in for at least 44 again, maybe closer to 50. You think seven teams in the West are going to have more than 50 wins?

No. There will probably be 4-6 teams with less than 50 wins in the top 8. The standings will be packed tightly. Utah won 42 last year.

But the same principle applies for Utah as it does for Memphis: they are in the toughest division, they're young, and they have to get off to a good start. Again, anywhere in the 5-9 range wouldn't be surprising.

The West is so tough.

Utah was relatively close to Memphis last year until Feb/March, when the Grizz went on a long successful streak. Utah was nip-tuck the whole year. The inability of the Jazz to streak basically put them out of the playoffs, though the loss of Harpring didn't help their cause.

 

[bibbyweb]

Jerry Buss is a great owner, and I don't see him letting his team miss the playoffs. Count the Lakers is, barring an extreme injury to Mr. Bryant.

San Antonio is the favorite for the top spot in the West. Minnesota (health withstanding) is probably right behind them.

Three through five gets interesting, with the Kings, the Lakers, the Mavs (who knows how they'll look at the end of training camp, much less the end of the season) the Rockets, the Nuggets, the Suns and the Jazz all having a shot at those spots, depending on how they pan out.

The Kings are way better than Lakers and even the Mavs. They should be somewhere at 2-3 or even at 1. Lakers would probably have a tough time getting to the playoffs, but they should make it probably at 7th or 8th though.

 

[Gargamel]

The Kings are way better than Lakers and even the Mavs. They should be somewhere at 2-3 or even at 1. Lakers would probably have a tough time getting to the playoffs, but they should make it probably at 7th or 8th though.

The Spurs or Wolves are the only candidates for the top spot in all honesty. The Kings are at risk if injuries hit anywhere but PG. Their bench leaves a lot to be desired unless there's a Marquis Daniels among the rookies.

 

[bibbyweb]

The Spurs or Wolves are the only candidates for the top spot in all honesty. The Kings are at risk if injuries hit anywhere but PG. Their bench leaves a lot to be desired unless there's a Marquis Daniels among the rookies.

True, the chances are pretty slim in the case of an injury. But then the same would go with TWolves, an injury to Cassell and the aging of Spreewell aren't exactly out of that position either. Duncan had been injured for some part of the last season too. He has also played during the summer as well.


So there are always chances of an injury to them as well.

Eventhough they have good players to back them up an injury to any of these could seriously affect them.

 

[AriesMar27]

sac could be #1, but it all depends on how the spurs and wolves match up against the jazz nuggets and suns.... those were easy wins last year that they wont be getting this year. especially the wolves/nuggets, the play miami twice and the pistons so... it all depends on match ups. they will win the games that they should win, but some of these teams will be a little more hungry this time around.

 

[Ryan]

Ok ok..Spurs 3rd.

I don't know..we'll see come playoff time

Spurs 3rd?!?

 

[Gargamel]

True, the chances are pretty slim in the case of an injury. But then the same would go with TWolves, an injury to Cassell and the aging of Spreewell aren't exactly out of that position either. Duncan had been injured for some part of the last season too. He has also played during the summer as well.

So there are always chances of an injury to them as well.

Eventhough they have good players to back them up an injury to any of these could seriously affect them.

The Spurs and Wolves are deeper than Sac though. If Cassell or Spree got hurt, Minny could replace them with Hudson or Wally. It also seems like the Kings are more unlucky in the injury dep't than most other teams esp with Webber and their points. Webber has missed 12+ games in each of the last 4 seasons and about 100 overall. Jackson missed 51 over the last 2 seasons.