It’s almost upon us! After a gruelling summer of picnics, barbecues, and beach days, we are finally approaching the start of another glorious season in the Association. Any fellow fans will understand the hardship of summer-time in a way that normal folk simply do not comprehend. Aside from the light relief of the Eurobaskets tournament, showcasing a selection of the finest international players the NBA has to offer, we have been starved of any meaningful basketball. This summer has been more gruelling than most in recent memory, simply due to the fervour generated during the free agency mayhem of the early off-season. We have had to wait an agonising length of time to see how the Association will shape-up, following significant changes to the rosters and coaching positions of some of the major players heading into the new season. So with everything in place going into training camp, it seems like as good a time as any to analyse and hypothesise.
Without any further ado, this post represents my predictions of the bottom feeders of the Western Conference. These are the teams that willingly (or not, sorry Lakers fans!) will be propping up the standings come the end of the season. It’s a long road ahead for these three teams, the only solace to take being the hope of young, emerging talent and what prospects await them in next year’s draft.
15. Los Angeles Lakers
This is sure to upset a few people, but it’s hard to see the 21 win team from a year ago making much ground. Make no mistakes, the stars of this team are on the decline in a conference that just seems to be getting younger and stronger. This has all the makings of a makeshift team, a bunch of strewn-away players of days gone by. Kobe will always have respect among his peers for his never-say-die attitude, but health and questionable shot selection are always a worry these days. Jordan Clarkson impressed many in his rookie season, especially in Kobe’s absence, but the selection of D’Angelo Russell at no.2 in the draft, along with the Black Mamba’s return, could seriously impact on the young guard’s development. Russell himself has a lot of pressure to cope with given his weak summer league performances and the intense Hollywood spotlight that will follow his career henceforth, just don’t expect too much from the young man in his first year.
Unlike many, I see the additions of Brandon Bass and, in particular, Roy Hibbert as big positives. Big Roy has been lambasted in the media for his one-dimensional skillset and lack of mobility, which was highlighted by his inability to guard small-ball 5’s during the last couple of seasons. But that was the East, where small ball reigns supreme. Over in the West they do things differently. Golden State apart, teams look to set up with a more traditional big man – the likes of Dwight Howard, DeAndre Jordan, Marc Gasol, Rudy Gobert et al are unlikely to stretch Roy too far from the cylinder. He could make a serious positive difference to the Lakers’ defence this year. Unfortunately, this won’t be supported by any discernible perimeter defender or enough reliable offence to boost the Lakers beyond the 25-30 win range. Swaggy P won’t be carrying them to the playoffs this year round.
14. Denver Nuggets
It doesn’t seem long ago that Denver were a team to fear in the West, but there’s been a steady decline since the departure of ‘Melo barring a brief glimmer when Danilo Gallinari looked like offering much more than the three point threat he is known for (injuries haven’t helped in that respect). There’s no question that they have enough explosive talent to surprise a few teams – Kenneth Faried can be a beast when he puts his mind to it – but off-court discipline issues and a lack of veteran presence have plagued the Nuggets for the last two seasons. The front office have at least tried something to remedy this in offloading the troubled Ty Lawson to the Houston Rockets and replacing Head Coach Brian Shaw.
Count the next season (or two, or three) as a write-off – this franchise is looking much further forward. The key question they’ll want answering is whether fresh leadership can inspire a renewed focus in a young team that lost its way somewhere along the line. Mike Malone seems like the perfect man to get the most out of this group given the way he unlocked DeMarcus Cousins’ potential in a way no other Kings coach had been able to achieve. However, with the rookie Emmanuel Mudiay set to take the reigns at PG and a new system to learn, it’s hard to see the Nuggets making much noise in the insanely strong West this year. If they can keep this core together there’s serious potential down the line, but we’re talking way down the line. As things stand I can’t see this team getting out of the lottery for at least the next 2 years. Good thing for them is that’s the plan.
13. Portland Trailblazers
Oh what a fall from grace. Only 6 months or so ago this was a team to be reckoned with; a well-balanced starting 5 that could rival anyone in the league. And then they lost Wes Matthews to a season-ending injury, and with that went their hopes of making waves in the playoffs. The rest is history. Only Damian Lillard remains of the starting group of last season. It’s not a bad place to start, and there’s a case (a small case) to say they’d be in playoff contention were they in the East, but in the West the replacement talent, while exciting, isn’t refined enough to make a serious push.
For the last three seasons the team’s success has been based on the strength of their starters, with their progression limited by a lack of depth on the bench. Now they have a squad full of role-players surrounding Lillard – who can name the number two option? There’s a lot of youth in this team, so fans will be hopeful of a bright future built around Lillard. A season in the lottery could be just what’s needed for the remodelling post-Aldridge.
The Ice Bath 