All they have is a two-time reigning MVP in Jokic, and the returns of Jamal Murray and Michael Porter Jr. Devin Booker is entering his prime, and Chris Paul is running out of opportunities to finally get his championship. The Game 7 embarrassment at home last season isn't something that will be easily forgotten and it wasn't exactly a smooth offseason amid the scandal surrounding owner Robert Sarver. Oh, and they have Stephen Curry and Klay Thompson. The Draymond Green mess is exactly that - "a crisis," coach Steve Kerr called it - but the Warriors seem like a group that can handle such a situation. If Paul George can stay healthy, and if John Wall has anything left - the Clippers would be smart to watch his minutes - then this is a team that could win the whole thing.Ģ. Leonard should quickly remind the league he's still elite. But yeah, it's going to be a brutal one."Ī look at the West, in predicted order of regular-season finish:ġ. There's certainly stratas of teams, but I think there's no clear-cut, dominant team, as there has been. He noted the conference has so much quality that even some good teams - New Orleans was an example he cited - just aren't getting talked about. But even with that acquisition, Finch knows nothing will be easy in the West. "And most important, also coming together as a team."įinch's Timberwolves are another team that made big offseason moves, landing Rudy Gobert from Utah. "There's a lot of work that goes into it, remaining healthy being at the top of the list," Ham said. The Lakers went through three coaches that injury-plagued year, won 45 games and got swept in the first round by San Antonio. They started seven games together that season - and went 0-7. That group had two Hall of Famers in Nash and Bryant, and two likely future ones in Gasol and Howard. He was an assistant coach for the Lakers in 2012-13, when the team entered the year with a lineup of Steve Nash, Kobe Bryant, Metta World Peace, Pau Gasol and Dwight Howard. Lakers first-year coach Darvin Ham knows a great offseason, or a great lineup on paper to start a season, doesn't guarantee anything. "When you put in the work," James said, "you see the results." Oh, and there's LeBron James of Los Angeles Lakers, entering Year 20, somehow still not slowing down and maybe 50 or so games away from catching Kareem Abdul-Jabbar for the all-time scoring record. The Los Angeles Clippers get Kawhi Leonard back, the Phoenix Suns have won more games than any team in the NBA over the last two regular seasons, the Denver Nuggets have the two-time reigning MVP in Nikola Jokic, the Dallas Mavericks have a presumed future MVP in Luka Doncic, and the Memphis Grizzlies can say the same about Ja Morant. The defending NBA champion Golden State Warriors rightly expect to contend again, and there will be no shortage of teams entering this season believing they're good enough to compete for a title as well. Minnesota coach Chris Finch has another word: "Brutal," he said. Loaded, deep, stacked, daunting: They all certainly apply. There are many one-word answers that could be given about the state of the NBA's Western Conference.
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