NBA Basketball Previews: Pacific Division

Phoenix Suns-There is no doubt that the Suns are the best team in this division. However, they should be wary of the approaching Clippers. It seems they are starting to get their act together, and to me, the Clips are a very similar team to the Suns. Unlike most Western Conference teams, they don't rely on a big man to dominate inside, and have an effective running game. But it does help to have the back-to-back MVP, Steve Nash on your team. The amazing effectiveness Nash has continuously allowed the Suns to average 108.4 points a game. Having this guy on your team with a bunch of runners like Marion, Bell, and Diaw, you easily outrun and win games against teams who rely on big men. Maybe this year with Amare coming back, they'll be able to get back to the NBA finals they came short of last year.

Who has to step up: Last year, Boris Diaw showed opponents how effective of a player he could be by claiming the Most Improved Award, so now we need to see that it wasn't a fluke. Diaw posted 13.3 points, 6.9 rebounds, 6.2 assists, and 1.05 blocks, and improved in every category except free-throw percentage. Many people are also questioning the effectiveness Amare will have with the Suns, since they were able to do so well without him last season. Amare needs to come back strong, and quickly remind the league how powerful he was two years ago.

L.A.
Clippers- The Clippers are coming off a breakthrough season and hope that the momentum will carry on to this season. Returning with the same veteran cast as last year, with Cassell and Mobley leading the way, and some very improved players like Livingston and Kaman, I think they have a chance of getting more than 47 wins, which is what they obtained last season. Not to mention the monster named Elton Brand, who improved by averaging almost 25 points, ten rebounds, and just above two blocks a game. Definitely expect more of the same from him this season. Even though Maggette is returning, I don't know how effective he'll be in making the Clippers a better team. It seems they did just fine without him last season, but he's definitely an exciting player to watch, and can get his team pumped up.

Who has to step up: With Elton Brand playing the best ball of his life, he knows that the defense is going to make hitting shots harder for him. He needs Kaman to be available for the dish and make the baskets. If Kaman can do this and help Brand out, opponents are going to be in a world of trouble when trying to figure out defensive strategies against two threats in the key. For the perimeter, Livingston has to continue learning under Sam Cassell while he can, since Sam doesn't have much left in him. But who can blame the almost 37 year old? Let him do what he can, but for this season, teach Livingston and leave behind a valuable point guard for Los Angeles' future. Lastly, I like the Tim Thomas for Vladimir Radmanovic switch-a-roo because Thomas offers them a more versatile role-player than just the 3-point shooting of Radmanivic. It also offers yet another league veteran who has fifteen years under his belt.

L.A.
Lakers- It's been proven again and again that
Kobe
cannot carry a team the way Dirk or Wade can. Being a superstar, Kobe barely got his team into last years postseason, and was surprisingly able to notch three wins against the Suns. The biggest problem was that while Kobe was scoring last season, no one else was. Inconsistent help from teammates made winning harder for an already talent-shallow roster. Odom has to start being aggressive (and not only on nights he wants to), Kwame needs to prove the entire nation wrong of their preconceptions of a wasted trade (and wasted draft pick in Washington), and everyone else needs to step up when Kobe is missing (it's a rare occasion, but still).

Who has to step up: Everyone without a "Bryant" written on the back of their jersey. If Odom can play aggressively every night, and not only when he feels like it, and Kwame can start catching passes and making plays, the Lakers can start winning again. Unfortunately, I don't see this happening anytime soon, so that's why I rank them coming in third in the division.

Sacramento Kings-
Talent-wise, the Kings are comparatively worse than what they were a year ago. During the off-season, they lost Peja through free agency, and most recently Bonzi Wells is refusing to play for the amount of money he's getting paid. Shareef Abduhl-Rahim does bring an inside presence...when he's healthy. I felt bad for him, because I thought when he was on the Hawks and Blazers, he was on dead-end teams and was wasting talent that he could be using to help other teams win championships. Last year I thought he could really boost the struggling Kings, but like I said before, his health and bad knees kept him out of a few games. Then, when Bonzi and Brad Miller went down, Sacramento was left to rely on Mike Bibby and newly acquired Ron Artest.

Who has to step up: Mike Bibbly has already shown us his best, and the Kings continued to lose, so he needs help from Kevin Martin and free agent John Salmons to fill some big shoes left behind by Bonzi. In the key, Brad Miller has to continue to support Bibby. A comparatively season last year left many wondering what kind of a future Miller has on Sacramento. Overall, no playoff hopes for this team, but may be a good year to give younger players like Martin some much needed experience and maybe trade away Miller or Abdul-Rahim for the gaping hole that was left by the Peja/Artest trade.

Golden

State

Warriors- This team still isn't going anywhere. I remember in the 2004-2005 season, the Warriors had one of their best streaks after the All-Star break, going 19-10. Many people believed that Golden State could easily ride their momentum to have a successful season for 2005-2006. Unfortunately, they did not meet expectations and ended up with a horrid record of 34-48. However, it's really hard to win games when your All-Star point guard is one of the most injury prone players in the league. Baron Davis, who has missed 118 games the past three seasons, is starting to The only bleak of light this team has is new head coach, Don Nelson. Hopefully, with his coaching experience, we'll be able to see an overall improvement in the players we've been expecting it in, like Murphy, Dunleavy Jr., and Mickael Pietrus. Besides that, and with no notable additions to the team, look for them to finish last in the division...again.

Who has to step up: Jason Richardson. And it's not like he's been doing bad, he actually posted career best numbers in points, three-point percentage, and field-goal percentage. However, I think he has way more potential than a Slam Dunk champion and great scorer. He has to realize that Golden State is his team, and he can't rely on Baron Davis, because lets face it, Davis won't be playing most of the season. Start getting those rebounds, look for your teammates, somehow find a way to make them better role-players so you can focus on winning games.