Preview of the NBA in the West
The western conference might just be the one to watch in the NBA this year. With some off-court drama, likely downfalls by once-great teams, and some surprising rise to the tops, the West is going to see some great storylines along the way of the shortened 66-game season.
When we left the Lakers last year, they were utterly defeated. If being eliminated by the Mavericks (and by a clean sweep,) in the second round of the playoffs didn’t completely defeat this team, the soon-after retirement of their coach Phil Jackson did. What’s happened to the Lakers, who were once one of the top contending teams every year? Basically, they’ve gotten old. Kobe Bryant is still the guy carrying the team, but he’s no longer the untouchable star he once was. Add to that the fact that he closed out the season last year injured, and now is nursing injuries in preseason, and clearly Bryant is not the one to lead this team to the playoffs. Add to that the fact that Chris Paul has just been traded, and all seems pretty quiet on the Lakers front.
Another team that’s going to see its fair share of surprises, although in a much better way than the Lakers, is the Oklahoma City Thunder. This team is one of the youngest in league and while that can often also mean the most inexperienced, that’s not the case for the Thunder. They might be one of the only teams to be able to stand up against the tight game schedule and actually come out of it unscathed — because they are so young. Kevin Durant will continue to show why he’s the best offensive player in the league, while James Harden will further the role he stepped into last year, of being a huge player for this team. While things may look set for a spot in the Finals for the Thunder, some of the team’s youngest (and best) players are likely to hold them back, namely Russell Westbrook. Westbrook holds his own in talent, but he has questionable decision-making skills on the court, and can’t seem to muster up any chemistry with his own players on the court.
For more excitement than the Thunder can provide, fans can look to the Dallas Mavericks, who will most likely take their spot in the finals for the second year in a row. Coming off a great year of wiping the Miami Heat out in the finals last year, the Mavericks also have some new, big names under their belt to help them get there again. One of those names is Vince Carter and although Carter might not draw the star-power he once did, he’s now with a superstar team and might be looking to close out his time in the NBA with a championship ring. Along with Carter, Lamar Odom also joins the Mavericks, after leaving the Lakers. However, the two big acquisitions aren’t going to mean that Dallas has a smooth road ahead of them. Tyson Chandler is gone, which is going to hurt and the only person in the league who can stop LeBron James, DeShawn Stevenson, also left to play for the New Jersey Nets. The Mavericks certainly aren’t guaranteed a playoff spot, but it’s definitely going to be a lot of fun watching them try to get there!
Just two days away from the start of the NBA season, these are just a few of the teams that we can’t wait to watch play! What teams are you waiting to see?
Categorized in: NBA