Predict the standings in the West

1. LAL - 65 wins
Too good to get less than the best record and the title.

2. OKC - 60 wins
Assumes they keep Harden and get the extension headache resolved

3. LAC - 53 wins
Love the bench additions.. assuming LO shapes up as they need him

4. SAS - 52 wins
Their demise has to start sooner or later, right?

5. MEM - 50 wins
I don't think the loss of Mayo hurts much

6. DEN - 48 wins
The win totals seem low, esp. for them, but the West is sooo deep.

7. MIN - 44 wins
The biggest wildcard in the West

8. DAL - 44 wins
The decline of Dirk seems to have started.. at least in the regular season

9. UTAH
It's not as though they got worse, other teams just got/stayed better

10. GSW
Their two best players are their two most injury prone at PG and C no less.

11. SAC
My sleeper of sorts. They have to pull it together soon or later, right?

12.POR
Hard to see a rookie PG and C helping this team to the playoffs.

13. PHO
Interesting line-up but missing a SG and better depth.

14. NOH
Check back in a few years

15. HOU
Ummm..... yeah.

I actually like your list Charles. Most fair, logical one I've seen so far. No I'm not saying this cause you have Clippers 3rd but rather because of your 5-8 spots I agree with.

[QUOTE=TheMarkMadsen]Isn't It usually assumed that the team predicted to win the conference are also the favorites to represent that conference in the finals?[/QUOTE]

No, the % of teams who have the best record wins how many times? not many not in recent years.

[QUOTE=Clippersfan86]I actually like your list Charles. Most fair, logical one I've seen so far. No I'm not saying this cause you have Clippers 3rd but rather because of your 5-8 spots I agree with.[/QUOTE]
Yeah.. those spots are tough as is the last spot.. can't tell who is worse.

But I have to admit I like the Clippers off-season. Very aggressive even if they didn't have to be as you can expect continued growth from Griffin and Jordan.

However, I think they need a definitive upgrade at SG/SF to be considered a contender or up there with OKC and LAL. They have a lot of nice pieces, but they are somewhat flawed.. either old (Billups/Hill), small (Billups/JC), don't play defense (JC) or just very average (JC/Butler). And like I mentioned LO is key. They need him in shape and mentally checked-in as they need his depth up front and experience. If he doesn't show up, then they need to get rid of him and find another big man to add to the rotation.

What's up with K-Mart btw? He seems like he could still have a role.

[QUOTE=ChuckOakley]Yeah.. those spots are tough as is the last spot.. can't tell who is worse.

But I have to admit I like the Clippers off-season. Very aggressive even if they didn't have to be as you can expect continued growth from Griffin and Jordan.

However, I think they need a definitive upgrade at SG/SF to be considered a contender or up there with OKC and LAL. They have a lot of nice pieces, but they are somewhat flawed.. either old (Billups/Hill), small (Billups/JC), don't play defense (JC) or just very average (JC/Butler). And like I mentioned LO is key. They need him in shape and mentally checked-in as they need his depth up front and experience. If he doesn't show up, then they need to get rid of him and find another big man to add to the rotation.

What's up with K-Mart btw? He seems like he could still have a role.[/QUOTE]

Un-signed. He wants a bigger role than anybody is going to give him apparently.

[QUOTE=Clippersfan86]Un-signed. He wants a bigger role than anybody is going to give him apparently.[/QUOTE]
Between him and Evans that is a lot of toughness lost up front.
Hollins is as soft as cotton, Turiaff always injured and LO a big question mark. I would try to bring him back.

I forgot you guys also signed Barnes this off-season. Even more depth on the wings, but again I think you need to upgrade substantially at least one of the starters.

[QUOTE=Clippersfan86]Not at all. How many times in the last decade did Mavs and Suns have best regular season record? Nobody expected them to beat Spurs or Lakers come deep playoffs. Not many expected Cavs to beat the Celtics either when they had best regular season record.[/QUOTE]


Ok yeah, but those same people predicting the mavs & the suns to win the conference weren't predicting them to lose anytime before the finals.

I realize that the #1 seed doesn't always make it to the finals..

But when you're making pre season PREDICTIONS on who will have the best record in the conference that's usually an indication of who you think has the best shot at making the finals and who you PREDICT/EXPECT to represent the conference in the finals.


Is it not?

So what your saying is that all these people picking okc to finish 1st in the west, don't believe that okc has the best shot at making the finals out of the west?

[QUOTE=TheMarkMadsen]So what your saying is that all these people picking okc to finish 1st in the west, don't believe that okc has the best shot at making the finals out of the west?[/QUOTE]

Some do yeah I'm sure...just like other will pick L.A.

Thunder are younger so getting best record will be more of a focus than it will for L.A. Just like the Spurs who got best record due to great depth.