The west is going to be a dog fight top to bottom this year. Last year there were really 9 teams contending all year but the east got a little better overall so I don't think it is going to take 50 wins to get into the playoffs again just because there are going to be so many good but not great teams that will take a few wins away. After OKC/SA/Clippers It seems like any team can just as easily be 4th or 10th. Blazers/Memphis/Houston/GSW/Dallas/Phx/NO will all be within 10 games by the end of the year and you can argue any of those teams will finish 4th just as easily as you can argue they will finish 10th. On top of how close I think 3-10 are then you will have teams like Lakers/Sacromento that will see no reason in giving up any game and will steal quiet a few games from those 10 on off nights. Plus the east shouldn't be so godawful after the top 3, a lot more teams that looked to improve rather then tank this off season which should lead to a stronger east.
[TWEET]517357410118139904[/TWEET] And they predicted 38.5 last year ... keep sleeping on Rip City Vegas odd makers
Hold on. Did you just say that Scott Brooks is a great coach? That puts you in a company of 1. I would argue the same with Spoelstra in Miami - let's see how he fares without the King leading things.
You can say what you will about brooks, but he's had great success, even when Westbrook went down. Also, they are a decent defensive team as well.
Number of wins will come down to each team's assassin. Those are the difference makers for so many games, since so many games are close in the 4th. OKC has two IMO, Dallas has Monta.(Maybe still Dirk) Houston has Hardin, Clippers have CP3, Blazers have Dame. GS has Curry Lakers: Is Kobe still Kobe? Does Memphis have one? Not really IMO as much as I like Conely Denver? Ty Lawson N.O : Gordon? Minnesota? Phoenix: Gordon Dragic Sac: Rudy Gay Utah: ? SA is the exception. But I would still consider Parker one.
For me....... an "assassin" has to have the ability to get to the rim, hit a pull up J, and be money with the 3. Has to have all three to keep the defense honest. I love Wes, but I don't think he can do all three. Certainly both he and Nic, along with LA are great options in crunch time, but lets face it when the game is on the line, it's Lillard time. Although I would love to see Nic take over more games like he did for France.
Having a solid roster with an "assassin" or two at the start of the season is great, but I'm more concerned with what the roster looks like as the season goes along and as the playoffs approach. Success in the West will be most dependent upon which teams can stay the healthiest. There's such a razor-thin margin between the top 6 or 7 teams that the loss of a key player or two for more than a few weeks could kill a team's chances of a favorable match-up in the first round and maybe even result in not making the playoffs at all.
I don't see him as an assassin. He reminds me how the Lakers used Shaq back in the day. He would carry the load for the first 3 quarters, then Dame takes over the 4th.
BTW, how bad-ass is the word "assassin"? It's so bad-ass that it's got two "ass"es in it and ends in the word "sin".
I don't think Mathews or Batum are assassins. To me an assassin is a player that can not only carry a team but put a team away on there own so to say, if that makes sense. Mathews & Batum are great help teammates to put a team away and don't get me wrong they can hit big shots. It just takes more than hitting a big shot to be an assassin.
See I disagree. Robert Horry was an assassin imo. They are the guys not afraid to make that big shot. The ones that don't choke when it matters. You are describing a superstar. The Jordan, kobe, bird, etc. they are at an entirely different level. I don't think even Chris Paul is at that level. The cool thing is I see that in Lillard. He has that Superstar swag!
