Western Conference: Where Are We Now?

Three weeks into this young NBA season, and the elite teams out west have begun to separate themselves.  Sort-of.  Here is where each team stands thus far:

1) Los Angeles Lakers – The defending champs have posted an 8-3 record to begin the season without their second best player and while incorporating Ron Artest into the mix.  That being said, Andrew Bynum is establishing himself as the best center out west, and if that keeps up this team will be terrifying.  Kobe is off to a great start, and the bench will only get better with age as Shannon Brown, Jordan Farmar, Josh Powell, and DJ Mbenga have provided huge contributions thus far.  Tough losses to Houston and Dallas have hurt, but a loss in Denver in a back-to-back is nothing short of expected.  Marquee wins: Phoenix and Atlanta (both atop their respected conferences).

2) Denver Nuggets – I was way off this bandwagon to begin the year.  Then I saw Carmelo’s play against Portland, and I became a believer.  Carmelo Anthony is as good as anyone in the league.  Yes, anyone.  He has led this team in scoring in all but one game this season (that being a 30-point blowout against the Nets).  Bad losses to Milwaukee and Miami prove what made me a doubter before the season: a lack of focus, however wins against Portland and LA have proven they can rise to the occasion when they need to.  JR Smith coming back will definitely continue to help.

3) Dallas Mavericks – Dirk Nowitzki is straight-up, the man.  The guy is 7’0” and is without a doubt the best shooter in the game, and if not for his playoff-futility, he belongs in the “best player in the league conversation.”  Not an extremely difficult schedule thus far, but a huge win against LA proves they’re for real.  This team struggles against LA every season, so this season’s win may be evidence this team is different (Dallas was just 29-93 against the Lakers all-time).  Eric Dampier’s solid play has a lot to do with their success, and if he can keep that up, this team could finally win come playoff time.

4) Phoenix Suns – I am not entirely buying into the hype, but maybe I am wrong.  Steve Nash is a legitimate star, and as long as he is on the floor, this team has a chance to win.  Their biggest problem is their lack of inside game, as the Lakers pointed out in their rout of the Suns.  Aside from their win over Boston, the Suns lack a marquee victory, so I’m taking the wait and see approach with this team.

5) Portland Trailblazers – Talk about a team benefiting from a cake-walk to open the year.  The Blazers have eight wins, but four came against Charlotte, Memphis, and Minnesota.  The Blazers have blown wins against Atlanta (twice) and Denver, and could easily be sitting at 11-1 if not for some late game collapses.  This team is extremely young and talented, but injuries to Travis Outlaw and Nicholas Batum could be detrimental unless Martell Webster and Rudy Fernandez can develop some consistency to balance the outstanding play of Brandon Roy.

6) Houston Rockets – Talk about a rag-tag bunch.  Their best player is one-season removed from being the fifth option, and he is surrounded by career role-players and unproved youngsters.  The great thing for Rocket fans, however, is that they’re beginning to prove themselves.  Aaron Brooks is as dynamic a point guard as you’ll find anywhere in the league, and if the Rockets can continue to get production from Carl Landry and Luis Scola, this team might continue to defy the odds.

7) San Antonio Spurs – Clearly the biggest disappointment of the year, but I don’t expect them to remain that way for long.  Richard Jefferson is still learning to fit into this team, and I’m convinced that when he does, this team will start to roll.  Tony Parker is the heart and soul of this team, and his presence has definitely been missed.  I still think this team will start to click over the next month, as they get to play Golden State, Philadelphia, Washington, and Milwaukee.

8) Utah Jazz – Carlos Boozer is back.  I’m just not sure where the rest of his teammates are.  This team has seemed lost since their hard-fought loss against Denver on opening night, as if they are still searching for their team identity.  Just a four-point loss at the hands of Cleveland might be a sign they are turning the corner, but as of right now, this placement could be based solely on false-hope that they can get their act together.

9) Oklahoma City – There seems to be a trend in the West, where each team seems to have one go-to, bonafide star on their roster.  For the Thunder, that player is Etan Thomas.  Okay, clearly that was a joke.  Kevin Durant is a freak with a ceiling higher elthan even Lebron could jump through.  I don’t think Durant is better than Lebron, I just feel like we have a much more vague idea of where he could be five years from now.  As for now, this team is exciting to watch, but unless one of the teams above collapses, I think KD and friends are on the outside looking in.

10) Sacramento Kings – Definitely the pleasant surprise of the season.  Three wins over teams above them and an overall .500 record is leaps and bounds better than I would have ever predicted, especially with the absence of their best player, Kevin Martin.  Tyreke Evans is the stud I predicted he would be, and appears capable of leading this team to mediocrity (which is much better than they’re used to).

11) LA Clippers – The loss of Blake Griffin took the Clippers from a fringe playoff team to, well, the Clippers.  This team has lots of talent, but Mike Dunleavy continues to coach them into the grave, and as expected the Clips find themselves below .500.  I don’t think this will last long-term, but with Griffin out for so long, I don’t see them making the playoffs.  Chris Kaman back healthy, however, has been one of the biggest bright spots for the other team in LA this season.

12) New Orleans – Chris Paul is really, really good.  David West is really good.  The rest of the Hornets fall somewhere between awful and worthless.  Take CP3 out of the equation, and you have a team lucky to be 4-8.  Sure, the Hornets have faced a really tough schedule thus far, but this team is a long way from their 2007-2008 success.

13) Golden State – What does a 3-7 team get when it trades away its best player? Worse.  Okay, so maybe things can’t get worse, but I can’t see them getting much better.  Sure, they’ll get more exciting with more playing time for Anthony Randolph, Anthony Morrow, and Kelenna Azubuike, but I don’t think that lineup translates into more wins.  Things get even worse when reports claim Monta Ellis now wants out of Oaktown as well, but we’ll have to wait and see how that all plays out.

14) Minnesota Timberwolves – I give them the nod over Memphis solely because at least the Wolves can point to injuries as part of their problem.  Al Jeff is playing with half of one leg it seems like, and Kevin Love isn’t even playing at all.  I watched this team play, and couldn’t name more than six players on the entire roster.  Never a good sign.  Jonny Flynn also worries me as part of the future in Minny, because his upside is Nate Robinson at best, and that won’t bring winning back to Kurt Rambis and the boys.

15) Memphis Grizzlies – Marc Gasol has been a bright spot, completely justifying the Pau Gasol trade.  Not quite.  But he has been the lone bright spot in the Black Hole that is Memphis, and that wasn’t even intended to refer to the amount of passing.  Zach Randolph will never be a winner, and the loss of first-round pick Hasheem Thabeet was a huge blow, but at least that means more playing time for Hamed Haddadi, right?