08/09 NBA Preview - Pacific Division

Check out the Southwest, Northwest and the East.

Pacific Division

Sacramento Kings, 5th



This team is gonna be bad. And not in a fun train-wreck way like the Thunder or the Nuggets. Just really boring. The positive for this year is that John Salmons is free to ball it up like we all know he can. He doesn't have to wait around for Ron Artest to beat up a dog or curse off a trainer to get in starts at small forward. Same with Beno Udrih regarding Mike Bibby. They have a consistent starting five that they'll lose around fifty games with. Kevin Martin is sure to have another big year, but he needs to add some defense or passing to his game to truly be an elite shooting guard. And the big man rotation? Brad Miller, Mikki Moore, Spencer Hawes and Shelden Williams? That's not gonna cut it, Sacto. It's hard to believe that this franchise was the most exciting one in the league a few short years ago.

Golden State Warrios, 4th



This team really got off on the wrong ankle this postseason. Get it? Ankle? Monta Ellis? Mopeds? Corey Maggette and Ronny Turiaf are both nice high-energy additions to this team, but this could be years that the wheels fall off in Oakland. Without Monta for the first 30 games this season, this team will essentially be rudderless for the first half of the season. They got all the high-flyers in the world, but Marcus Williams is a bit of downgrade from Baron as far as distribution. Andris Biedrins and Al Harrington will not hold up defensively as far as a starting 4/5 combo in the West and Stephen Jackson has been too good for a bit too long. I have no doubt that he'll shoot up a riverboat casino or rob a bank or do something wacky and illegal at some point this season. It's been a good ride for Don Nelson and the boys, but the return of small ball to the Bay will come to a screeching and a possibly ugly halt this year.

Los Angeles Clippers, 3rd



Marcus Camby is pissed about his treatment at the hands of the Nuggets and he'll let everyone know about it for 82 games this year. I guarantee it. He'll be a man possessed, blocking shots, swooping in for dunks, hitting that awkward set-shot with regularity. He'll challenge for Defensive Player of the Year and, along with Chris Kaman and Al Thornton, he'll give the Clip Show everything a team could want out of a big man rotation. On the other end of the court, Baron Davis is also pissed as his dream pairing with Elton Brand got David Falkified when Philly offered up $30 extra or Equinox gym membership or something. Add on reliable veterans like Cuttino Mobley and . . . well I guess just Cuttino Mobley. I wouldn't rely on Ricky Davis or Tim Thomas for much more than a dunk or two and maybe a bong fashioned out of a plastic Coke bottle while they're on the road in Salt Lake City. Still, this team has a solid collection of ballers that know the tricks and they could trip up a younger team, like the Blazers, and compete for the 8th playoff spot in the West.

Phoenix Suns, 2nd



This will truly be a stranger year down in Suns land. Run-and-gun is out and Terry Porter will make sure that the squad D's it up. Shaq will force the team to play a halfcourt offense and Steve Nash could be on the downswing of his spectacular career. Still, despite being one of the oldest and most decrepit teams in the league, with Big Dies and Grant Hill making up 40% of the starting five, you can't count out a team that has Amare Stoudemire at the 4 spot. If all else fails, they can throw Shaq on the bench and Black Jesus and Nashty can run the old pick-and-roll like it's San Antonio circa 2005. Leandro Barbosa also keeps getting better and Raja Bell is the defensive stopper that every playoff team needs. It's tempting to rank this team a lot lower, but they've got some serious ballers on the roster. They won't be the fun D'Antoni-led team that stole all of our hearts a few years ago, but they'll still be a solid 50-win playoff team.

Los Angeles Lakers, 1st



This squad is built to win the title this year and anything less will be a gigantic disappointment. With Bynum and Gasol, they have, arguably, the best big man combo in the game. With Kobe they have, arguably, the best overall baller in the game and the rest of the roster, led by smart veterans Derek Fisher and Lamar Odom and sparkplugs Jordan Farmar and Sasha Vujacic and sharpshooting Vlad Radmanovic, fill in the spaces nicely. There's been grumblings of an Odom trade or a movce to the bench for Queens' finest, but my Laker sources tell me that it's just Phil Jackson playing mind games. With the whole team healthy and with a full training camp together under their belts, this really is the year for the Lake Show. Kobe could be balling it up in Slovenia next year so if they're smart, the squad will play with some desperation. Even though last spring's blowout at the hands of the Celtics is fresh in everyone's mind, it's hard not to pick this team for the title.

So, we've come to the end of my 08/09 NBA Preview. I hope you've all enjoyed it. I'll be back before the season kicks off with some final picks and some postseason awards predictions, hopefully acoompanied by my man Ra Boogie aka G.T. aka Walnut Creek's Finest (Where you at, homey?). That's all I got for now.