<div class="quote_poster">Quote:</div><div class="quote_post">Minnesota and San Antonio are the teams to beat in the Western Conference, and there's considerable dropoff from there. As many as nine teams have a realistic chance at the third-best record in the conference, which means several very good teams won't even make the playoffs. The good news for the conference? No more Shaq to deal with! Here's how the Western Conference lines up on paper: (1) San Antonio Spurs Southwest Division Last season's record: 57-25 The Spurs would have beaten the Lakers in the playoffs last year if they had made a few more jump shots, but they went cold at the wrong time and faded. That's why Brent Barry may have been the best free agent signing of the offseason. Barry is one of the best three-point shooters in the NBA, and he can play either guard spot, giving San Antonio great depth and versatility in the backcourt. This team is terrific defensively, and will again rely on Tim Duncan to dominate games. Manu Ginobili is ready to become an all-star, and Tony Parker will get better and better. The Spurs are the team to beat. (2) Minnesota Timberwolves Northwest Division Last season's record: 58-24 The Wolves made a great playoff run a year ago, and they appear primed to take the next step and get to the finals. MVP Kevin Garnett finally received the help he needed from Latrell Sprewell and Sam Cassell, but both are a bit long in the tooth. Their health and scoring could be the key for this team, because everything else is in place. The Wolves have a terrific bench, great chemistry, good shooters and an excellent defense. Kevin McHale deserves credit for patiently allowing this team to develop; the Wolves are mentally tough as a result. Along with San Antonio, Minnesota is a favorite to win the conference. (3) Denver Nuggets Northwest Division Last season's record: 43-39 How about the job general manager Kiki Vandeweghe has done? The Pepsi Center was empty two years ago, but the place was rocking by the end of last season and it will be even louder this year with the addition of Kenyon Martin. Jeff Bzdelik's squad should be improved, as Carmelo Anthony has a year under his belt and Andre Miller feels more comfortable in his second year running the club. The Nuggets snuck up on the league and really overachieved a year ago, and they'll have to deal with higher expectations this season. Their great depth should help them to improve and again make the playoffs. (4) Utah Jazz Northwest Division Last season's record: 42-40 A year ago I looked at the Jazz roster and predicted 25 wins. I should have realized that with Jerry Sloan at the helm, that just wasn't going to happen. Sloan has established a foundation so strong in Salt Lake City that even the departures of John Stockton and Karl Malone didn't faze him. This season, with the free agent signings of Carlos Boozer and Mehmet Okur and the drafting of Kirk Snyder, the Jazz have some talent to help Andrei Kirilenko. And with emerging point guard Carlos Arroyo gaining confidence with his terrific Olympics showing, Utah should be back in the playoffs.</div> Link Some interesting picks in there, including the Dallas Mavericks at 9 and Sacramento Kings at 10.
Yeah, this is a great example of Steve Kerr having no idea what he is talking about. His East picks are just as bad. He should stick to shooting 3 pointers.
Yeah Steve Kerr isn't exactly the best analyst out there. HE shouldn't have tried to enter the booth. I think the Lakers are ahead of the Jazz IMO.
<div class="quote_poster">Quoting Bobcats:</div><div class="quote_post">I posted this already, but this guys a moron. Detroit, Indy, and Miami cannot be the top 3. Man...</div> His rankings aren't meant to be the seeds they'll get in the playoffs. Otherwise, why bother going past 8? He's ranking how good the team will be overall. But, yeah, some weird choices. Denver will not get the third seed -- no way. And I think Dallas will be just as good as last year. Sacremento will be worse, but I think they'll have enough to beat out the Lakers for the division title.
<div class="quote_poster">Quoting 44Thrilla:</div><div class="quote_post">Yeah, this is a great example of Steve Kerr having no idea what he is talking about. His East picks are just as bad. He should stick to shooting 3 pointers.</div> Steve Kerr,should really find another line of work here.It seems he has absoutely no idea on what he's talking about.but than again a lot of people in their respective careers have no idea on what there doing,so that doesn't say much at all.
There is a serious problem when casual NBA fans have more sense than former players. The Jazz will make noise on occasion, but to say that they will have homecourt advantage is absurd. Dirk has a good team around him. Even if he was placed with role players the Mavs would still be more of a threat than Kerr is giving them credit for. The same thing applies to the Kings. He retired with the Spurs, so that is why he gave them the edge over the Wolves, plain and simple.
Give Steve Kerr credit for stirring up controversy and conversation with some of his selections. His job is to get people to talk about his articles whether it's good news or bad news. I agree with the rest of you, his rankings are absurb to say the least. His first two rankings are legit, but after the TWolves, his rankings fall just short of insanity. The Nuggets and Jazz are far, too high on his list. I would rank the Grizzlies ahead of both those teams and the Kings, as much as it pains me to say it, is a top three team in the West still. The Kings are a great regular season team because of their ability to score. They lost some of their depth, and they cannot afford another injury riddled season, but this team is playoff worthy and I was shocked to see them ranked at #10. I think Kerr is also short changing the Mavs with his rankings. I'm a little skeptical about the Mavs this season, but on paper they look better than last year. They lost some scoring, but replaced it with much needed interior defense and an intimidating shotblocker in Dampier. This team will miss Nash's leadership and intangibles, but they do have plenty of depth at PG with Terry, Daniels, and Harris.
I think Utah is too high, I know they got Boozer and AK47 but they are still young at SG and PG. The Kings at #10 SHOCKED me a ton. Dallas didn't shock me as much but they should be higher too, I don't expect them to be a top 5 team but #6 or 7 with Dirk, Dampier, Finley, and young guns in Josh Howard and Marquis Daniels.
The thing I dont get about the Jazz ranking is that Boozer is the main player that they added. Boozer couldn't even lead the Cavs to a playoff berth in the weak east, teamed with Lebron. What makes Kerr think that he could make the Jazz a top team in a stronger conference?
<div class="quote_poster">Quoting Jurassic:</div><div class="quote_post">The thing I dont get about the Jazz ranking is that Boozer is the main player that they added. Boozer couldn't even lead the Cavs to a playoff berth in the weak east, teamed with Lebron. What makes Kerr think that he could make the Jazz a top team in a stronger conference?</div> Last season the Jazz were lacking a PF. They even had Michael Ruffin start games for them and the skinny AK47 who looked badly undersized at PF. Boozer is exactly what they needed, someone who could rebound, score and has a good work ethic. He will fit right into Jerry Sloan's system and will fill the Jazz's biggest weakness from last season, PF. That said, I think Kerr's expectations are a little to high for the Jazz.
Too many reviews are based on last season team records and finishes in the playoffs... Steve has done his review with at least his own analysis, I guess he deserves more credit. If a year ago he would write a review that the Jazz winning 40+ games, we'd have called him moron too, so anything can happen, Jazz at the four? Kings at the ten? Maybe.
Seriously, I had a lot of respect for Kerr as a player, but as an analysis, he has no clue. I agree with 44 that his east rankings were just as bad. Jazz above Houston? Dallas and Sacramento at 9 & 10!?? Give me a break.
Steve Kerr made some bold predictions. It takes balls to come up with stuff like that and makes watching analysts opinions alot more entertaining to watch. The west has changed dramtically, we'll see how things work out.
<div class="quote_poster">Quoting 30 standing ver:</div><div class="quote_post">Steve Kerr made some bold predictions. It takes balls to come up with stuff like that and makes watching analysts opinions alot more entertaining to watch. The west has changed dramtically, we'll see how things work out.</div> the NBA West is certainly different than last year.it's anybodys guess who will win the west now.It'll be fun to watch,though
Kerr is stirring up controversy, he's obviously learned a lot from the Chuckster. He game little reason for dropping the Mavs and Sac, for the Mavs, he said that they replaced Nash well and added Dampier, and for the Kings, he said that Weber has no hops, but hell, they won a lot of games without him last year. I can see being bold, but teams that have been good for many years don't just collapse (unless intentional like the Nets), and teams that are getting better do so incrementally. He's basically saying that Denver will go from 43 wins to about 58 in order to win that division. Great team, but that's a stretch. Oh yeh, and lets not forget that Kerr has a working relationship with Phoenix, so he's not totally impartial.
Sac will still have a starting line-up of Bibby, Christie, Peja, Webber, and Miller (that's 3 all stars and 2 borderline all stars), and B Jackson off the bench. Dallas' starters might look like Terry, Finley, Howard, Dirk, and Dampier, with Daniels, Harris, Stackhouse coming off the bench. And these two teams are gonna miss the playoffs?
<div class="quote_poster">Quoting celtfan:</div><div class="quote_post">Sac will still have a starting line-up of Bibby, Christie, Peja, Webber, and Miller (that's 3 all stars and 2 borderline all stars), and B Jackson off the bench. Dallas' starters might look like Terry, Finley, Howard, Dirk, and Dampier, with Daniels, Harris, Stackhouse coming off the bench. And these two teams are gonna miss the playoffs?</div> Some people just don't know what their talking about.the Kings & The Mavs are playoff material.no doubt. Kerr just hasn't a clue on the reality of the NBA and how the teams do well.
<div class="quote_poster">Quoting S.Livingston14:</div><div class="quote_post">Yeah Steve Kerr isn't exactly the best analyst out there. HE shouldn't have tried to enter the booth. I think the Lakers are ahead of the Jazz IMO.</div> I disagree I believe Steve Kerr is a great analyst and those rankings could hold up. I may be a bit biased considering the fact that I am a spurs fan and well Steve Kerr was a former spur and he ranking them number 1.
<div class="quote_poster">Quoting PupMelo:</div><div class="quote_post">Too many reviews are based on last season team records and finishes in the playoffs... Steve has done his review with at least his own analysis, I guess he deserves more credit. If a year ago he would write a review that the Jazz winning 40+ games, we'd have called him moron too, so anything can happen, Jazz at the four? Kings at the ten? Maybe.</div>
