Man... looks like a bunch of you all forgot Lebron is the best player on the planet and he is very well rested. Then they added Davis and now have Rondo, Green, KCP, Cousins and Quinn Cook. Seriously i am as far from a Laker fan as there is but thinking they won't be top #1 or #2 this year is baffling.
Still a lot of age, and a lot of pieces it's hard to trust too much. Expect there will be enough missed games (either voluntary or due to injury) that it is hard to see them as a top seed.
[ I'm not counting lebron out yet, but he's not exactly a young NBA player any more. I don't know if I trust AD to be healthy and reliable, and Cousins I have no idea what to expect from him after the achilles and then the quad and all that. They could definitely put it together and make a run.
Just to be perfectly honest, I have no idea how the West is going to sort itself out. I think you can make arguments as to why any of the top 8 teams can have a tremendous season or end up struggling. For the Blazers, I hate that Nurk is going to be out until February at the earliest. I think that the new guys can mesh well with the core, but chemistry takes awhile. I’m excited for the growth of Ant and Collins, but growth is seldom a straight path or synonymous with instant success. I feel like if the Blazers can stay close to the leaders the first half of the season, they could be killers the second half. If not, there’s the silver lining of possible trade deadline deals to set things up great for the future. I don’t know how it will play out, but it’s not going to be dull and there’s a good chance the Blazers will become true contenders through the process.
LeBron was the best player on the planet. Key word, WAS. He's played the second most minutes in NBA history. He couldn't get throught last season healthy. He couldn't lead a team to the playoffs like Hardin or many others did. Now he's a year older. His defense hasn't been great in 5 years. Could he be great next year? Sure, but it's not a lock like it was a decade ago. Father time is continuing to come and he's undefeated.
Jamal Murray will probably continue to get better. Paul Millsap could very easily get worse. I think Denver will be good, yet still over rated. Utah is also getting over hyped, just liked they did last year. Why? Donovan Mitchell did no get better last year. I am not sold yet that Mitchell will play better next to Conley. This teams success seem to be riding on Bojan Bogdanovic As for the order I think it is wide open. But If I had to choose one I would pick the Clips. These 9 seem to have the best chance to be playoff contenders. Clippers No particular order: Portland -Nurk might not be back to Feb, that is a factor for sure Denver Utah Golden State Rockets Lakers Spurs Kings
I think they are talking about the future, they are not putting a lot of hope in him right now. It will be difficult for him to get a large enough role. Man Denver was hit really hard with the injury bug last season, their important players missed a ton of games.
Agree with KJIronman, Lakers ( Lebron comes back strong and the Unibrow beast ) Warriors ( they beat us handedly without KD, they may sneak in because of no Klay but when he is back ) Clippers ( a Superstar, a Star, and mix of veteran and youth but we'll see ) Nuggets ( just got better ) Blazers ( on paper got better but it's all about chemistry with this 50% turnover ) Rockets ( looks like they are slipping ) Jazz ( quietly had a great FA ) Wolves ( they look good on paper but can't seem to put it all together )
Dude???? lebron is 34 years old. And only played 55 games last year while he rested and took a long summer off. Cousins is 28 years old Anthony Davis is 26 years old. Kuzma is 23 QuinnCook is 26 Danny Green is 32 McGee is 31 KCP is 26 Rondo is 33 Not sure if they got Lance Stephenson back???? But he's 28 Where is the age? Seriously?Where do people get this stuff? Just because someone says something doesn't make it true. Try doing a little research and find stuff out before repeating what some random dude says?
He's the oldest player on the team at 34 years old. He has had not only the end of the season but all summer this year to rest. His injury was a groin injury. This is not like it's a debilitating long term injury. He has been and is currently the best player in the entire league. No Kawhi is not better but no question he is very good. Just having LeBron on the team can get you to the playoffs as we have all seen. All these 7th and 8th seeds are crazy talk. There are people who have them as 9th and 10th? Seriously? Even just Anthony Davis does better than 9th or 10th seed.
34 in the NBA is old, and the King is no longer able to will scrap to the Finals. AD has an injury history, as does Cousins. Rondo's defensive/passing game should survive into late stage of his career, but he has never been a scorer. Kuzma may take his next step up, but I'd not count him as a proven star. Frankly everyone else doesn't matter, and if AD and James miss a combined 50 games, the Lakers will be lucky to make the playoffs.
I don't like to make predictions, but if I were an LAL fan, I'd be NERVOUS: James does the best job of anyone taking care of his body, but he's getting older. Davis: injury history AND is an FA after this season. Kuzma: noob Green: can still shoot, but was mediocre in the finals. McGee: hasn't gotten any smarter which is how big men age well. KCP: fine, but not more. Rondo: game is based on quickness, he's 33 and small, and still a headcase. Could be good, but don't know what you're going to get. Not damning, but a lot to be nervous about.
Ok AD has made the playoffs twice? So I'm not in agreement that he by himself does better than 9th or 10th, he's one of those guys who is basically always hurt... I think Lebron has been surpassed as the best player in the league by a couple of guys honestly he's still great but I think KD had passed him before he tore his Achilles and I think Kawhi has too. Did just having Lebron on the team make the Lakers a playoff team last year? He'll be 35 in the middle of the season, he is not a young guy anymore and who knows how well he's recovered from the injury or where he's at. I have no doubt they'll be really good and hard to beat, but the entire western conference outside of Pheonix I guess is really good. Then the surrounding talent on that team, I still don't trust them.
Top 4: Clippers, Lakers, Warriors, Utah Next 3: Denver, Houston, Spurs #8: Us On the bubble: Minnesota
I'm not even saying it just because I don't like the Lakers, I'm saying I think they'll be really good, but I'm not at all sold they are really outside of the group of 6-8 teams in the west who are all really good. Could they finish higher? Sure not counting that out either. Just making "my predictions" I think there are holes in that team, and that they'll be basically "in the pack", last few years in the west a couple of games can shift you from 2nd to getting lottery balls so yeah I can foresee a future where the Lakers win the conference if things go well for them but I could see them just as easily not being in the top 4.
I’m not sure I buy DEN being the best team in the west (Non-Kawhi Division) just because they got a collective year older and that that also means healthier. Don’t get me wrong, they’re in my 8 almost solely from having some hope of a bunch of games where Jokic and Murray play, but let’s remember that Porter Jr has 2x more back surgeries than starts since the McDonalds HS game almost 3 years ago. Like saying SAC is dangerous because of Harry Giles. Could be, but you gotta get on the court first.
Bad look all around First Lebron pretty much took the last month and a half off and the Magic Johnson issues ripped the Lakers apart. Last year was an anomaly at best. Another thing is this "Davis is always hurt" thing? Last year with the trade request makes things a bit different but if you take the 6 seasons before last year he averaged over 68 games a year and logged 75 in the two seasons prior to last year. Making the Playoffs only twice had little to do with him and when he finally had even just decent players around him he made the second round. KD is in fact hurt so he is not the best! You could make a case for Kawhi because he is in fact the Finals MVP but that also could be said for Giannis as he is the League MVP. It can be said Curry has been the best? However there is no mistaking that Lebron in any game can be the best player on the court. Even at 34. Trying to say he is 35 before he is 35 is wrong. Until he is 35 he is 34. Old dudes everywhere will agree with me on this. Don't trust them all you want but underselling them is what i am talking about. That team is better than 9th or 10th seed. And if they make the Playoffs with Home court they will be a force to contend with.