Predictions: Western/Eastern Conference Standings for 09/10 season!!!

[Austin]

What do you predict for the Eastern/Western Conference Standings this year are going to be?

Here's my prediction

West:
Spurs
Lakers
Mavericks
Denver
Trailblazers
Suns
Hornets
Jazz
Rockets are my 9th place prediction, but they'll win 40+ games.

IMHO, the Spurs are the most stacked team. The Lakers will be behind them, but Dallas may be a sleeper with all of it's newly aquired weapons, they may take 2 or even #1 baring injuries to LA or San Antonio. Denver is the same team basically, so they will still be good especially with Billups there for an entire season. Portland and Phoenix was a toss up, they could very well be switched in rankings, but the Hornets and Jazz are both worse teams this year than they were last year (the Jazz may be good depending on who they get for Boozer). The Rockets are pretty much out of it for sure without Yao and TMac.

East:
Celtics
Magic
Cavs
Heat
Hawks
Bulls
Wizards
Bobcats

Celtics are now the most stacked team with Sheed. Think about it, they have a their Championship year starting center now coming in off the bench behind sheed and they still have the big 3... which is now the big 5 because Rondo has come along so well and sheed is still a fantastic player, and they have excellent production off the bench. The Magic come next bc Dwight Howard will be a better player next year simply because of training in the off season and now they have VC, and Nelson is back for the year, they will be a great team. The Cavs will be a better team than last year, but they are still not as stacked as the prior 2 even with Shaq, who will probably get injured half way through the season because the trainers there are not Phoenix's trainers! The rest i just kinda threw together because I didn't really care THAT much about the east. I picked Washington to make the playoffs this year becuase their big 3 are finally back and healthy and i picked the bobcats because they were very close last year and now baring tyson chandler's health, I think they have what they need to do it; plus i gotta rep my boys Raja and Boris... they are sadly missed here in Phoenix

Well there you go. Who are your predictions for east/west this year???

 

[TJ]

1 Lakers
2 Spurs
3 Denver
4 Mavs
5 Blazers
6 Jazz
7 Hornets
8 Suns

Potential dark horses: Thunder and Clippers.

I do not see the Rockets being relevant at all this season.

I don't care about the east, so I won't speculate. Im too lazy today

 

[buttsR4rebounding]

1. Lakers (with Odom)
2. Spurs
3. Denver (should win their division)
4. Mavs
5. Portland
6. Jazz
7. Hornets
8. Suns

If Odom signs w/ Miami then drop the Lakers 2 spots. That would mean Luke Walton would be their 1st big off the bench. Does that scare anyone?

 

[Sunburn]

The spurs got Richard Jefferson and now they're the favorites over the defending champs?

 

[Sunburn]

Also I see the loss of Turkoglu hindering the magic quite a bit. VC is great, but the reason the Magic won the series against the cavs was because they had two 6' 10" guys able to stretch it out to 3 point range. The cavaliers had no one to cover these guys. Call me crazy but I don't think VC will pose as much of a problem for Lebron and company. Especially now with Shaq on Howard.

 

[boisesuns]

The spurs got Richard Jefferson and now they're the favorites over the defending champs?

Bill Walton would endorse that statement.

 

[Ouchie-Z-Clown]

The spurs got Richard Jefferson and now they're the favorites over the defending champs?

jefferson and mcdyess and they also got blair in the draft.

 

[Mainstreet]

jefferson and mcdyess and they also got blair in the draft.

Kerr gets an assist on giving Blair to the Spurs. Too bad the Suns panicked about obtaining Dragic and gave the Spurs the GS pick. IMO, Kerr has methodically destroyed the Suns with bad moves.

 

[NastyOne]

The Suns won't make the playoffs this upcoming season unless all three of these things happen.

#1 Amare and Nash have to play 70+ games.
#2 Channing Frye has to finally have his breakout season and live up to his top 10 draft selection.
#3 Goran Dragic and Robin Lopez have to become consistent contributors off the bench.

And i can't see all three happening. So with that...

1. Lakers
2. Nuggets
3. Mavs
4. Spurs
5. Blazers
6. Hornets
7. Jazz
8. Clippers

 

[Darth Llama]

1. Lakers
2. Spurs
3. Blazers
4. Hornets
5. Mavericks
6. Jazz
7. Suns
8. Clippers

East:

1. Boston
2. Cleveland
3-8 who cares?

 

[mojorizen7]

1. Lakers
2. Spurs
3. Blazers
4. Hornets
5. Mavericks
6. Jazz
7. Suns
8. Clippers

East:

1. Boston
2. Cleveland
3-8 who cares?

Yo Darth, you did the same thing i did and left out the NUGZ. I forgot about 'em.....did you? I'm not sure the SUNS get in.

 

[Darth Llama]

Yo Darth, you did the same thing i did and left out the NUGZ. I forgot about 'em.....did you? I'm not sure the SUNS get in.

You know what? I did forget Denver.

I would probably put them in instead of Phoenix then at the #7. For some reason my gut says that they will struggle next season. My #8 could be either the Clips or the Suns that's a tough call.

 

[krazyasiankid]

Lakers
Spurs
Nuggets
Blazers
Hornets(With Okafor)
Mavs
Suns

At 8th
Either.. Jazz, Rockets or Thunder .. Personally. I dont think the Jazz have it in them this season. I dont know why, but I just do..

 

[Chaplin]

I'm not sure why everyone is falling over the Rockets. They replaced the big 3 of McGrady, Yao Ming and Artest with... Trevor Ariza. That team has "Lottery" written all over it.

And the Hornets swap Chandler with Okafor and they jump from 7, 8 or out of the playoffs to the 4th best team in the West? How does that make sense?

And the Nuggets will most definitely be challenging the Spurs for that 2nd best spot in the conference.

 

[Darth Llama]

After some thought, I have revised my list:

1. Lakers
2. Blazers
3. Spurs
4. Nuggets
5. Mavericks
6. Jazz
7. Hornets
8. Suns

I think the Blazers will fall a couple games shy of best record in the West behind LA. While it looks tempting to put the Spurs number 2 I don't think they'll be able to stay healthy enough to finish #2. Nuggets are good but not good enough to beat LA, Portland or San Antonio. Portland is the team in the West that scares me most.

 

[Bufalay]

Lakers wont make the playoffs.

 

[buttsR4rebounding]

The spurs got Richard Jefferson and now they're the favorites over the defending champs?

Plus McDyess, plus Blair in the Draft, plus the top ranked prospect from Europe according to draft express in Haislip, plus most of all a returning healthy Ginobili. To a lesser degree their 2005 #1 pick who was the D-League MVP a couple of years ago Ian Mahimni. With Jefferson, you have to admit the Spurs have had the biggest improvement of any team this year by a long shot. Although I do expect the Lakers will get the #1 seed since the Spurs will probably keep Duncan's, Ginobili's and Parker's minutes all down to keep them fresh since their team is so deep.

 

[JCSunsfan]

Plus McDyess, plus Blair in the Draft, plus the top ranked prospect from Europe according to draft express in Haislip, plus most of all a returning healthy Ginobili. To a lesser degree their 2005 #1 pick who was the D-League MVP a couple of years ago Ian Mahimni. With Jefferson, you have to admit the Spurs have had the biggest improvement of any team this year by a long shot. Although I do expect the Lakers will get the #1 seed since the Spurs will probably keep Duncan's, Ginobili's and Parker's minutes all down to keep them fresh since their team is so deep.

The Spurs seem to have the best minor league type of development system of anyone in the NBA.

 

[greensborohill]

Lakers
Mavericks (homer I know, but I see more moves coming (sept. 9th)
Spurs
Blazers
Nuggets
Suns
Oklahoma City
Utah

No Rockets, no Hornets

 

[TucsonDevil]

I'm not sure why everyone is falling over the Rockets. They replaced the big 3 of McGrady, Yao Ming and Artest with... Trevor Ariza. That team has "Lottery" written all over it.

This might be the first time in ages that I agree with Chaplin, and we seem to sit in the minority position. Amazing... blind squirrel thing.

My Prediction:

1. Lakers
2. Mavericks
3. Spurs
4. Nuggets
5. Trail Blazers
6. Hornets
7. Jazz
8. Clippers/Suns/Thunder

If the Lakers had failed to resign Lamar, then I would have knocked them off the top. I think the Mavericks could really run away from their division, if the Spurs don't stay relatively healthy.

If the Clippers or Thunder beat out PHX for that 8th seed, Kerr is going to be hated for the rest of his adult life in PHX. The only place in Arizona that will be willing to let him stop for gas and a bite to eat will be Tucson. That already is true about Sarver... (in my book anyway...).

 

[jandaman]

The Hornets need to re-shuffle, getting Okafor next to Paul is the first step.

David West is a keeper too, but they have shortage in swingmen.

 

[buttsR4rebounding]

The Spurs seem to have the best minor league type of development system of anyone in the NBA.

In fact, there is a good possibility that there will be 3 players on the 15 man squad that are from the Toros system--Ian Mahimni, Marcus Williams, and Hairston. The Spurs hire the coach, Quin Snyder, and have him implement a watered down version of the Spurs offense and defense so that players coming in have a much shorter learning curve. It really is a model for the league. I expect you will see more teams buying an D-League team in the near future. The Lakers and the Spurs were the only ones to own their own team before this year. OKC bought one of the teams now as well.

 

[Mainstreet]

... In fact, there is a good possibility that there will be 3 players on the 15 man squad that are from the Toros system--Ian Mahimni, Marcus Williams, and Hairston. The Spurs hire the coach, Quin Snyder, and have him implement a watered down version of the Spurs offense and defense so that players coming in have a much shorter learning curve. It really is a model for the league. I expect you will see more teams buying an D-League team in the near future. The Lakers and the Spurs were the only ones to own their own team before this year. OKC bought one of the teams now as well.

Maybe it is a good model, however, the Suns will not even carry a 15 man roster.

 

[Covert Rain]

1. Lakers
2. Spurs
3. Nuggets
4. Mavs
5. Hornets
6. Jazz
6. Portland
7. Thunder/Suns
8. Suns/Thunder

Suns no chance out of 1st round.

 

[TucsonDevil]

1. Lakers
2. Spurs
3. Nuggets
4. Mavs
5. Hornets
6. Jazz
6. Portland
7. Thunder/Suns
8. Suns/Thunder

Suns no chance out of 1st round.

Nice try SteelDog, but there can't be two 6 seeds in the West.