According to this guy: (PS: I don't have the subscription. If anyone who does wouldn't mind posting just the portion regarding the Blazers, that would be great.) http://insider.espn.go.com/nba/stor...clippers-new-western-conference-favorites-nba
This from Golliver: http://www.blazersedge.com/2011/12/20/2649478/pelton-blazers-in-western-conferences-second-tier
You know, in the past I would have said there was a clear "tier 1" and "tier 2" in the west, but not this year. I'm really not that impressed with OKC or Dallas, and the Lakers really aren't that great anymore. I think there will be parity in the west this season, and just like last time I think the Blazers will take advantage of the lockout shortened season. I'm not sure if that means WCF, but I do think it means we have a much better shot this season than we did last season.
I disagree that there isn't a clear cut favorite. OKC's eight man rotation of Westbrook, Sefalosha, Durant, Ibaka, Perkins, Harden, Maynor, and Collison (or Cook if you prefer) is just straight up nasty. Head-to-head the Blazers look like they could be competitive, but they're still overmatched at almost every position except power forward and the gap between Aldridge and Ibaka isn't all that great (different roles of course).
This year's Thunder may very well become an iteration of the 1998-'99 San Antonio Spurs...who won their first NBA title that season......under the shroud of an asterisk.
I agree they kill us at every position except at SG and PF. I will take wes and jamal anyday over sefalosa and its not close. ibaka is not even a top 15 pf imo also never loved maynors game either. however hes better than anyone we have behind felton.
Dirk LA Amare Boozer Milsap Garnett Cousins Favors West Dunacn Bosh Love All those guys im taking over ibaka
Plus, out of that nasty eight, one of them is Kevin Durant, the leading scorer in the NBA. OKC looks tough and are making their way to the NBA finals as each year they seem to progress in the playoffs. The continued progress (or maybe lack of it) between Westbrook and Durant will be a factor this year in determining how far they go, IMO.
Dallas gets no respect. Ridiculous. Why is OKC a favorite again? What did they do their roster in the offseason to improve it? And I don't understand why there would be an asterisk this year or in 1999. The playoffs are still the same.
See, that team doesn't impress me that much. It's not Lakers scary (from two years ago). Sure, Durant is a god and Westbrook is an All-Star, but the rest of the lineup doesn't scare me. Collison, Maynor, and Harden are all okay, but I don't see those guys dominating us. Perkins and Ibaka are both solid, no doubt, but I don't see much coming off the bench. I don't know. I guess I just feel that the Thunder have been overhyped for the past two or three years.
everyone is gaga over okc. I agree with speed. I realize durant/westy is great. However ibaka. maynor, sabosha, collison, harden are very very average players. also can perkins stay healthy?
Dallas gets noticably older each year and lost a key piece of their championship team in Chandler. OKC should continue to improve each year as their players are arguably still improving or just hitting their peak career wise.
The wrong teams are playing, though. Everybody knows only the best teams come along late and hard.....over the course of the full 82 games.
So OKC is one star away from a championship because isn't the reciepe, three stars and role players. In fact when the Lakers won it was two stars and role players. Those stars have to be great and I don't know if Westbrook is there . . . but if Westbrook takes his game up another level (perfects his passing/shooting decsions), then OKC has the right balance of role players to support Durant and Westbrook all the way to the finals.
I think they will need more than Westbrook. If someone like CP3 or Dwight Howard ended up in OKC with Durant, I could see that team dominating.
Dallas still has the best player in the league. They have a solid center in Haywood and they added Carter and Odom. Not always true and Dallas still would've made the playoffs last year if the season was 66 games.
