Pacific Division Preview
by Corey Tulaba
Golden State Warriors
Is there any team in the league that is more fun to watch when they’re hot (and really just in general)? Steph Curry and Klay Thompson catching fire and shooting flames to the net is like watching a game of NBA Jam. Klay has been the league’s best two guard early into the season and has a chance to stay there because of his denfense, if he can get to 22-23 points per game. He just got a huge extension so he should be playing stress free the rest of the year and getting him locked up is a sigh of relief for Warriors fans. Steph Curry looks like the league’s best point guard right now and is on the list of the top 3 most feared scorers in the league. Steve Kerr’s new motion offense has really worked wonders in the pre-season and early regular season thus far, which is a beauty to watch in comparison to Marc Jackson’s iso heavy offense. Kerr’s offense better utilizes the passing skills of Bogut and Lee leading to gorgeous back door cuts to Iguodala and Barnes. The Warriors look like they have taken the leap to legit contender this year. They really need Bogut healthy for the playoffs this year if they want to win the title and that has proven difficult in the past, but with a top 10 offense and defense and a insane home crowd they are a nightmare match-up for anyone.
Los Angeles Lakers
It hasn’t been a great start for the Lake Show so far and it probably isn’t going to get any better. Steve Nash is out for the year (and most likely his career) becuase he could’nt lift his luggage. Julius Randle the 7th pick in the draft and one of the only fun things Lakers fans had to watch this year, injured his leg and is out for the rest of the season. Now the only fun things the Lakers fans have to look forward to is Kobe adding to his all time scoring numbers and Carlos Boozer shouting Boozer-isms all season (more fun than one might realize). The Lakers aren’t going to trade Kobe no matter the rumors, so just enjoy as much Mamba in purple and gold as you can while we all still can. The good news for the Lakers is if they finish with a bad enough record to get a top 5 pick they get to keep the pick and get another building block for the future. The bad news is they won’t even need to tank to accomplish that as they are a really bad team playing for a coach who thinks that shooting 3’s is the equivalent of the Holocaust. We can only hope that Swaggy P is back soon to entertain us the rest of the season.
Sacramento Kings
It is going to be another mediocre year in Sacramento. If they played in the East, I would pencil them in for a playoff spot, but alas they play in the west and are headed to a high 30’s low 40’s win season. Rudy Gay has looked really good this season and should continue to play well in a contract year. Boogie Cousins has been doing Boogie Cousins things as the most underrated Center in the league. He is a monster and the best Center in the game today. Collison has performed decent early in the season, but letting go of Isiah Thomas (especially at his price tag) is still leaving a sour taste in my mouth. I think Stauskus is going to start playing a lot better as he gets more comfortable and you have to admire the kids swag, ex: getting caught by Boogie counting his cash, his comments about white players, and his handshake with his dad on draft night. They’re off to a hot start right now and it will be a big surprise if they can sustain it, but if they can get consistent play out of their young back court they should be competitive every night. One wrinkle for them is they may start driving the tank at the end of the season if it looks like they arent making the playoffs. The Chicago Bulls receive their draft pick if they land at number 11 or higher in the draft. That can be a valuable pick for them (if Vivek gets out of his own way andthey don’t draft another shooting guard) as they are still trying to build a foundation for their team.
Phoenix Suns
The Suns are currently my second favorite team to watch! I love me some Goran Dragic, the guy is fearless! They shocked everyone last year by just missing the playoffs and they are off to another hot start this year. The West is still a battle and they are really hoping this is the year they can get back into the playoffs, their first since the Nash era. They added Isiah Thomas to bolster their back court and they are going to continue running people to death and killing opposing teams in transition. Bledsoe, Thomas, and Dragic are just too much too handle and chances are good that one of them will be hot every night. Gerald Green is still raining threes and running the wings in transition and the Morris twins have looked good taking on a bigger role due to the loss of floor spreader Channing Frye. They still have question marks in the front court as they are still looking for a shot blocking rim protecting big man, but hopes are that Alex Len and Miles Plumlee can hold down the fort there. If the Suns make the playoffs it will be as a 6-8 seed and they are going to be a nightmare first round match up for any of the top seeds.
Los Angeles Clippers
Sterling is gone, Balmer is here, and the Clips have arrived as legit title contenders. Lets all soak that in for a second. Ok, now we can move on to why that is. First up is Blake Griffin and his quest for the MVP this year. He was right there last year and with Durant hurt and LeBron playing bad so his teammates stop being selfish (this is something actually being floated around) this is his best shot. He was a monster last year, turning into a do it all PF who showed a consistent jumper, a crazy handle for a 4, great passing, and still mind numbing athleticism; next up is defensive stopper, and I’m not betting against him. They signed Spencer Hawes to back up DeAndre Jordan (who will be playing for a contract) and it finally gives them legit depth and some real versatility, as Hawes can shoot the 3 ball and is a great passer. Crawford is going to do Crawford things and JJ Reddick is going to continue being a marksman from deep. The big question comes from the ability of Chris Paul to finally understand that he needs to be aggressive through the first 3 quarters and not just the 4th. He can’t be stopped offensively, as he is just too crafty with the ball, and he needs to not passively get everyone involved an turn it up in the 4th. If he can figure that out, the Clippers have their best shot at coming out of the West, and once they do, they can beat anybody.
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