What will Dallas do for an encore? How will the young Miami trio finally play right to win it all? Will Derrick Rose repeat as MVP? Are the Celtics and the Lakers too old to contend? Does the Thunder have what it takes to win it all? Is Melo and Amar'e enough for a Knick renaissance? And is the Clippers the newest big thing in Hollywood? We look forward to the 2011-12 NBA season.
We now preview the Western Conference Pacific Division.
Golden State Warriors
36-46 (12th in West, missed playoffs)
Mark Jackson, an untested coach, begins his first season on the bench. The Warriors still have the exciting players that translate to sellout crowds. The question is, will it translate to a playoff berth? Is Mark Jackson a well-deserved hiring? We'll see. For now, though, the Warriors' fortunes will rely on David Lee, Monta Ellis and Stephen Curry; if healthy and together, they're exciting to watch. Rookies Klay Thompson and Jeremy Tyler will be keeper for the season. Dorell Wright broke out big after spending six years in the Miami doghouse, and is expected to provide outside scoring once more. The center position will be a problem for the Warriors, as Kwame Brown and Andris Biedrins are inconsistent and injury-prone. For Mark Jackson, it will be a challenging season to prove his coaching mettle.
Los Angeles Clippers
32-50 (13th in West, missed playoffs)
Chris Paul to the Clippers should raise the expectations for this laughingstock franchise on the other side of the Staples Center. Blake Griffin was a box office hit, earning an All-Star nod, a Slam Dunk title, and Rookie of the Year. Now on Year 2, the Blake Show needs to shoot more and dunk less, if he were to succeed in the NBA. Paul, Chauncey Billups and Mo Williams play the same position, but Paul has a great chance of taking the starting job and Billups a backup role, with Williams taking the shooting guard duties instead. While DeAndre Jordan played well as a starting center, he needs to be more assertive in the paint to be effective, as well as boxing out more often. Caron Butler will start slow after a severe knee injury ended his season early, but when healthy, he's a dangerous scorer in the wings. The time is now for the Clippers. Missing the playoffs will be a failure for this year's crew.
Los Angeles Lakers
57-25 (2nd in West, lost to Mavericks in 2nd round 4-0)
The Lakers enter the new season with so many questions. Are they too old? Are they fragile? Are they too dysfunctional? They lost to the eventual champions Mavericks in a sweep, then Lamar Odom bolted to those same Mavericks. Phil Jackson retired, and Mike Brown takes over in a new Lakers era. Kobe Bryant will begin the season in pain, and may remain so until the season ends. Pau Gasol and Andrew Bynum underachieved in the playoffs, so how will they redeem themselves? As for Metta World Peace (formerly Ron Artest), will his name change translate to a better performance? Derek Fisher needs more rest now that he's 37, so Steve Blake needs to play more and be efficient. Josh McRoberts and Troy Murphy act as two different versions of Odom, the perimeter dude and the paint dude. This group, however, will take time to mesh, so a short playoff run is a mere achievement for this year's Lakers.
Phoenix Suns
40-42 (10th in West, missed playoffs)
Like the Lakers, the Suns are facing questions of age. Steve Nash is 37, so he needs more rest than ever. Ditto 38-year old Grant Hill, though he had been playing consistently since coming to Phoenix. Ronnie Price played well as Deron Williams' backup in Utah, but now he needs to play more minutes while Nash is on the bench. Hakim Warrick didn't exactly replaced Amar'e Stoudemire, yet he played well off the bench. Robin Lopez, however, needs to get back to his 2010 playing level, or else Marcin Gortat will overtake him as a starting center. So is Channing Frye, who needs to rediscover his shooting touch from 2010. While Jared Dudley will continue pouring threes and Shannon Brown leaping on bigger opponents, the Suns will be on the bubble between making and missing the playoffs. A 33 or 34-win season is a realistic goal.
Sacramento Kings
24-58 (14th in West, missed playoffs)
Simply put, the Kings regressed from 2010. Hopes of a better season crashed because of Tyreke Evans' injuries, DeMarcus Cousins' outbursts, and rumors of relocation to Anaheim. For now, the Kings remain in Sacramento, but for how long? If Jimmer Fredette becomes a box office sensation at Power Balance Pavilion, it may help, but this Kings team is too young and playoff contention is still a long shot. Evans needs to rediscover 2010, while Cousins should start playing right inside. Chuck Hayes needs to take care of his heart, period. There's not much to discuss about this Kings team, so the playoffs is out of the question.
We'll preview the Southwest Division on our next post.
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