Ok, so this conference just keeps getting better. GS is clearly ahead of everyone, then POR, OKC, HOU, UTAH, DEN, MIN, SA, MEM, NO all look like playoff caliber teams, with teams like LAC still lurking with a decent PG replacement. Portland could actually play better, be better and miss the playoffs. This next season really should mean every game counts
This is going to be my irrational belief all season long. "Sure we're under .500, but it's not because we're not good; it's just because the rest of the conference got so much better!" We damn well better be .700 against the East.
Could be a blessing in disguise year. I'll gladly take missing the playoffs, ending up with the 10th or 11th pick and drafting a Paul Pierce or Klay Thompson to add to a core of Lillard, Cj, Nurk and Collins please.
FWIW, which is not much, Rick Fox just put us 6th in the conference......which isn't ridiculous either way, IMO GS (clearly best) SA (lost no one) OKC (Paul George) HOU (Chris Paul) UTAH (with Hayward) POR (great back court) MEM (still solid. Love coach) MIN (Butler, year older, Thibs) DEN NO
Let's say Hayward stays. I see it like this, if the season started tomorrow. Warriors Spurs Jazz Rockets Blazers Thunder Nuggets Wolves
GS (clearly best) duh OKC (Paul George) if Westbrook and George mesh and no injuries (big ifs) HOU (Chris Paul) if Beard and CP3 can share the ball (another big if) and CP3 can stay healthy POR (great back court) if they play like the Nurk era MIN (Butler, year older, Thibs) seems like this is their year to make the jump UTAH (with Hayward) lottery if Hayward leaves or he or Gobert get hurt SA (lost no one) -LMA situation, old getting older, the beginning of the end. DEN Milsap addition was huge for the short term MEM (still solid. Love coach) NO Any way you cut it, two playoff worthy teams don't make it. This will be the year they change the playoff seedings. 8th place in the East will have a worse record than the worst team in the West.
Here's mine with Hayward staying. Warriors Spurs Rockets Blazers Jazz (cheat off Rubio to help on Hayward) Thunder Wolves Nuggets Jazz are not gonna be as good without Hill IMO.
Mine currently, with Hayward staying: Warriors Spurs Rockets Jazz Thunder Timberwolves Blazers Nuggets I separated them into tiers that I think will be super-competitive, where I could see the order being extremely volatile. To me, the Jazz, Thunder, Blazers and Wolves will all be pretty close to each other and all sorts of factors (health, of course, being predominant among them) will determine the exact finish. I think the Nuggets could work their way into the tier above, but I really think their defense is going to sink them. The Blazers' defense could also be an issue but, for now, I'm expecting Nurkic to be the kind of anchor that the Nuggets don't have.
Unless Nurk puts up Marc Gasol-like numbers on both sides of the court we're going to be fighting for that 8th spot. It seems like since Brandon Roy was drafted we've been a fringe playoff team - always fighting for that 8th seed.
The Blazers were on pace for 33 wins before Nurkic showed up. Is he really worth a 20 game improvement? Because that is about what it would take or more to get a Top 4 seed and HCA.
Tony Parker. Aldridge situation. I feel if Parker doesn't return to form they will be considerably worse. Manu retired? Not retired? They'll be worse than last year.
I think we all agree that GS is far and away the best team in the league, so is it important which place we end up in? or is it more important that we continue to get better by developing our young players? Granted I still want to have a winning record, but if we finish behind OKC this year and next year they lose PG and Westbrook....who is really the winner? (Just one example)
