2007-08 NBA Western Conference Preview

The 2007-08 NBA season is approaching fast and the Western Conference looks to continue its claims as the stronger side of the NBA. Despite losing stars such as Kevin Garnett, Zach Randolph, Rashard Lewis, and Ray Allen the West still has some of the most solid teams and high scoring, fast-paced offenses in the league. Last year gave us a good idea of just how tough the West is, as the heavily favored #1 seed in the playoffs, the Dallas Mavericks were sent home early by the surging Golden State Warriors. In addition to the unexpected early exit by the Mavs, the San Antonio Spurs defeated the Phoenix Suns and went on to win the NBA title. This year the Spurs will look to repeat and win the title, as Phoenix, Dallas and several other Western teams try to contend. Here's a look at the predicted divisions for the Western Conference, as well as playoff predictions.

Pacific Division

1 - Phoenix Suns - The Phoenix Suns will most likely be hungry to make a continued bid for the NBA Finals and an NBA championship. Their strengths are built upon their core three players of point guard Steve Nash, versatile forward Shawn Marion, and superstar forward/center, Amare Stoudamire. Two time MVP Nash will continue to run the show and keep this team focused. Stoudamire's continued improvement after his return from injury will be a major key to their success. While the team is able to run up the score in bunches, the major knock on them will continue to be their inability to play solid defense and shut down other teams when needed. They will likely lead the NBA in scoring as well as three point shooting and feature a deep bench including Boris Diaw, Leandro Barbosa and recent addition, Grant Hill. The Suns should finish at the top of the NBA's West and look to make an NBA finals trip in 2007-08 with their fast-paced, talented scoring lineup.

Predicted Playoff finish: Western Conference champions.

2 -Los Angeles Lakers - The Lakers may be the biggest toss up of the Western Conference. A lot of their success is based on the health and strength of one player, Kobe Bryant. When Bryant's playing healthy and brings his "A game", the Lakers are a dangerous team. Their weakness lies in the unknown factor of who else can be counted on to shelter the load should Kobe be injured, foul out or not be on his game. Look for players such as Lamar Odom and Luke Walton to step up. Returning veteran, Derek Fisher, will be of some help too, but not a tremendous amount. The Lakers will not be able to outdo teams like Phoenix, San Antonio or Dallas come playoff time. If a team finds a way to shutdown Kobe, it will be tough for this team to advance far in the playoffs as they lack depth, defense and interior scoring.

Predicted Playoff finish: Lose in 1st round.

3 - Golden State Warriors - The Warriors were the NBA's surprise of 2007 as they were the able to dethrone the top seeded Dallas Mavericks in the playoffs. This year they will be missing star player Jason Richardson who averaged 20 points a game for them. Despite having the star power of a guard like Baron Davis, he tends to be injury prone which can hurt them. 2007-08 will also mark the first full season for mid-season acquisitions Al Harrington and Stephen Jackson. Both players bring talent and scoring, and Monta Ellis will continue to be a solid sixth man off their bench. The Warriors will look to find someone to replace Jason Richardson's scoring this season and also try to overcome a lack of bench depth. Expect Golden State to just barely miss a return trip to the NBA playoffs, despite having a somewhat exciting uptempo team in the West.

Predicted Playoff: N/A

4 - Sacramento Kings - The main strengths for the Kings will be star guard, Mike Bibby, as well as frontcourt stars Ron Artest and Brad Miller. Last year's breakout player Kevin Martin will also look to help with the scoring. Aging player Shareef Abdur-Rahim will probably not add all that much to the team on a consistent basis. Scoring and leadership from Bibby should be there as well as the defense and rebounding abilities of Artest and Miller. However, a weak bench will not provide those players much relief, making it very tough for them to hold their own with the likes of Phoenix, Dallas, San Antonio and even the Utah Jazz. Don't expect the Kings to be challenging for a playoff spot in 2007-08.

Predicted Playoff: N/A

5 - Los Angeles Clippers - Rookie Al Thornton may be a brightside for a team that will be without its main star, the hard working veteran, Elton Brand. Brand will be out for most of the season due to an unfortunate achilles injury. The Clippers had a disappointing 2006-07 season as they didn't even qualify for a playoff spot, and without Brand helping in the lineup, it's difficult to expect them to do better this season. Veteran Sam Cassell will do his best to lead this team along with Corey Magette and Cuttino Mobley adding scoring relief. Ruben Patterson joins the team as well adding a possible fourth scoring option. The team will have a generally weak bench and frontcourt as they will sorely miss their consistent all-star forward Elton Brand while he recovers. Chris Kaman will have to increase his production in Brand's absence. They will find weakness in trying to play the uptempo game of many other Western teams and most likely will finish amongst the very bottom of the Western Conference.

Predicted Playoff: N/A

Northwest Division

1 - Denver Nuggets - This will be the first full season played together by Allen Iverson and Carmelo Anthony and should make for a successful one. The Nuggets should be one of the top scoring teams in the Western conference along with Phoenix, but their defense will be a huge question mark. While Iverson and Anthony will be able to hold their own in shootouts with other top teams, they lack a forward/center capable of matching up with the likes of Yao Ming, Amare Stoudamire, Tim Duncan or even Dirk Nowitski. Marcus Camby, Nene and Kenyon Martin will be the major focus for their contributions to make this team more successful in 2007-08. The team will most likely make the opening round of the playoffs but lack an answer for other more talented Western forwards.

Predicted Playoff finish: Lose in 1st round.

2 - Utah Jazz - The strengths of the Jazz rest with their amazingly talented point guard, Derron Williams. If he continues to improve and play at the level he did last season, this team will be a tough opponent on any NBA squad's schedule. Also helping the Jazz will be their star forwards, Carlos Boozer, Andre Kirilenko and Mehmet Okur. All three players give the Jazz a versatile frontcourt attack. Boozer will be one of the top double-double men in the NBA this season and Kirilenko should continue to pick up consistent stats in all categories. The main weakness will lie in their ability to match the firepower of Phoenix, Denver or Dallas. They will also have a general inability to matchup with tougher frontcourt players like Yao Ming, Tim Duncan and Amare Stoudamire over the course of the season and in the playoffs. They will need stronger defense to compete and will have trouble duplicating last year's impressive playoff run.

Predicted Playoff finish: Lose in 1st round.

3 - Seattle Supersonics - Seattle lost its major 1-2 punch in players Rashard Lewis and Ray Allen, and even with these two players the Sonics failed to get into the playoffs last season. However, Seattle may have drafted the top rookie for 2007-08 with the #2 pick, Kevin Durant, as the team looks to build for the future. The rookie will look to showcase his talents while weathering the storm of a struggling team this season. The Sonics will be in a pure rebuilding phase for 2007-08 and not expected to make a playoff bid. Luke Ridnour should continue to play solid ball at the point and rack up assists to his new rookie pal. Expect Durant to have the breakout season everyone is looking for, but don't expect Seattle to rank high in the division as the season closes.

Predicted Playoff finish: N/A

4 - Portland Trailblazers - Portland had very high expectations for their first season with future franchise player and #1 draft pick, Greg Oden. However, Oden's knee surgery will keep him out the entirety of the 2007-08 season, putting Portland's plans for a playoff trip on hold. The team has also lost one of its top scorers, Zach Randolph to the Knicks, but will still have the services of last year's talented Rookie of the Year, Brandon Roy. Versatile forward and second year player LaMarcus Aldridge will look to shoulder the load along with Roy. Roy and Aldridge will hope to avoid the dreaded sophomore slump as Portland fans await Oden's return to the team. Darius Miles will try to add to the team but it won't be enough to compete with the much better teams of the West. The Blazers will most likely struggle to find player roles and may even be qualifying for another high draft pick come June of 2008.

Predicted Playoff finish: N/A

5 - Minnesota Timberwolves - Since the team did badly with Kevin Garnett last season, it's fully expected they will be even worse without his services. Despite an influx of new players, the team will be weakened by a lack of veteran experience as they are rebuilding. Juwan Howard and Theo Ratliff will try to impart their leadership and experience, but this team will feature mostly talented younger players. Ricky Davis will be the team's inconsistent leading scorer amongst the new talent. They will be looking to define their team leaders and player roles this season, and most likely will finish at the bottom of the barrel. Newcomer Al Jefferson will be looked upon to take the load of the team. Sensational sophomore, Randy Foye will look to lead the team at point. Rookies Corey Brewer and Chris Richard will also try to add their talents to a struggling Minnesota team in 2007-08.

Predicted Playoff finish: N/A

Southwest Division

1 - San Antonio Spurs - Last year's champion will surely be tested again and again by many top Western Conference opponents. It's tough to find any weakness in the 2006-07 NBA Champion's game. The Spurs have the strengths of a very balanced and talented team led by future Hall of famer, Tim Duncan. Duncan will continue to be aided by guards Manu Ginobli and Tony Parker, each of whom has made the All-star team in years past. Bruce Bowen will continue to provide solid defense and shutdown the best one on one players. The Spurs still feature one of the best veteran-filled lineups in the NBA again this season with players like Robert Horry, Bret Barry and Michael Finlay. Despie the solid, balanced attack and great defense, the Spurs could be outdone by hungrier teams such as the Mavericks and Suns this season, who will find a way to outrun, outscore and outlast the current NBA champs.

Predicted Playoff finish: Lose in second round.

2 - Dallas Mavericks - Last year was considered a major disappointment for the Mavericks as they were bounced from the first round of the playoffs by the Golden State Warriors. The Mavericks finished with the top record in the West and were heavily favored to win the NBA title. This year the hungry Mavs lead by their all star forwards, Dirk Nowitski and Josh Howard will look to go beyond the first round. The team features a balanced attack on the court with Dirk Nowitski leading the way and Josh Howard, Jason Terry and Devin Harris providing additional scoring, rebounding and leadership. They will have a rather decent defense as well which will rely on Howard and Nowitski staying healthy. Their glaring weakness will remain at the center position which features DeSagana Diop and Erick Dampier. Dallas should manage to make it much farther this time in the playoffs, as they have added veteran Eddie Jones into the mix as well.

Predicted Playoff finish: Lose in Western Conference finals.

3 - Houston Rockets - The Rockets may be one of the top teams in the West, yet puzzle fans and analysts alike as to why they can't succeed in the playoffs. Their strength lies in their towering force, Yao Ming who is easily the best center in all of the NBA. If Yao improves his game and plays more aggressively the team could go far this season. High-scoring forward Tracy McGrady, and the addition of a top scoring guard, Steve Francis should help quite a bit. The guard position will be heavy with players such as Steve Novak, Rafaer Alston and John Lucas III to back up Francis off the bench. New coach Rick Adelman will look to push this team to finish farther in the playoffs this year. Expect a second round playoff appearance but the Rockets will not be able to advance past the likes of a San Antonio, Phoenix or Dallas as they are not nearly as balanced or talented overall.

Predicted Playoff finish: Lose in 2nd round.

4 - New Orleans Hornets - The Hornets were competing for the final playoff spot last season and should finally break into the post-season this year. Point guard Chris Paul is a true great and will continue to improve even more this season. David West will also return to the team after missing 30 games last season. West should continue his consistent scoring and rebounding contributions. Tyson Chandler gives the team a versatile defender and rebounder. The additions of Morris Peterson and Bobby Jackson provide great bench relief for this team, which will finally break into the playoff picture in 2008. This team seems to have a tremendous amount of talent and upside. They will feature some younger players coming off their bench in Hilton Armstrong and Cedric Simmons. Like several other Western teams the Hornets' true weakness will be their inability to compete with the tougher frontcourts of teams like Utah, San Antonio and Phoenix.

Predicted Playoff finish: Lose in 1st round.

5 - Memphis Grizzlies - The Grizzlies went 22-60 last season. They will have the services of all-star Pau Gasol back for this season, but they will most likely struggle again in 2007-08. Sophomore Rudy Gay will look to have a breakout year, but overall this team will continue to try to develop and mold its young talent. Despite having a talented shooter like Mike Miller, and the versatile Stromile Swift, this team is very weak in depth and won't be challenging for a playoff spot in 2007-08.

Predicted Playoff finish: N/A