G9.
Pistons GM
- Messages
- 6,172
Pre-Season Power Rankings: Western Conference Top 10.
By
G9., monta8curry
1
G9: I actually disagree with this ranking. I have Vancouver #2 behind Seattle, but I’ll talk about why. Pinero and Rose are certainly at the top of their respective positions but Cuello and Sanders leave me questioning whether this team has what it takes to go all the way. I learned it myself against Seattle last season, if you don’t have someone who can at least negate Manu, you’re screwed. I can see Manu and Almeida pretty easily running the floor against Vancouver, despite their multiple superstar acquisitions. Still, I do expect Vancouver to win 55+.
monta: Donkey formally decided he’s been tanking for far too long and it was time to make a run at a championship. Not only does he have the pieces to do it, but he didn’t trade his most coveted prospects in that process. Acquiring Facundo Pinero for Terrell Castle and friends was a great move in solidifying their SF position, while also giving them a true #1 scoring option. A trio of Martin Cuello, Rakim Sanders, and Pinero is excellent as a 1-2-3 scoring punch. Add to that the blockbuster of the offseason in acquiring Malik Rose to anchor their frontcourt, while keeping Tyreese Breshers, and you’ve got yourselves the favorites out West.
2
G9: As I mentioned above, I have Seattle at the top of the conference. Manu and Almeida may be getting older, but it does not seem to be slowing either one of them down as they both appear set to have career years. I have a hard time believing that any team is capable of winning more games in the West than do the Sonics, and I expect them to make easy work of the earlier playoff rounds. The additions of Mockevicius and Hollenback are all but icing on the cake as this team turned ‘needing to take a step back’ into ‘taking a few steps forward.’ As last years western conference runners up, I can honestly say that I was disappointed to see Cloud handle this offseason so well.
monta: On paper, the Sonics don’t look as strong depth-wise as the Cavs or Grizzlies, but the defending Western champs have the experience and the star-power to make the West still run through Seattle. Bringing back Ivan Almeida was critical for the Sonics, and he and Manu will look to carry more of a burden this year as they look to bounce back from a disappointing Finals. In the offseason, they flipped aging big man Mac Koshwal to Cleveland for two young up-and-comers in Mockevicius and Hollenbeck. While they might not be ready to make huge contributions right away, Seattle’s hoping these two can help them continue their run of dominance in the West.
3
G9: Can’t believe I’m putting Allen Iverson third in the Western Conference. The West has severely lacked star power over the past few seasons and if it weren’t for the recently built star combo of Pinero/Rose, or for the longer-tenured star combo in Almeida/Manu, I’m certain Lamb and Iverson would claim that top spot. Let’s hope they can keep the pair together long enough and surround them with enough talent to take down the farmhouse Grizzlies and the franchise Sonics.
monta: Losing Dylan Andrews in free agency was definitely a blow for the Blazers, but they have a well built team and can probably absorb some of that impact, especially with the acquisition of Federico Aguerre. Qian Wu has emerged into a nice young player, and Tyler Lamb can still score the ball effectively. Originally had them lower on this list, but the acquisition of Allen Iverson changes everything. I’ve slotted them here at 3, but AI makes them a legitimate threat to claim the crown in the West. Losing Bouldin hurts, but Aguerre and Wu should be able the hold the fort down on the wings.
4
G9: As a runner up last season, 2 wins away from a Finals appearance, I was ecstatic knowing that I would be able to run the same team back. It looked as if Seattle faced tougher financial trouble than I, Sacramento was also looking to lose some pieces, etc. I didn’t foresee the future in which Cloud worked that magic, Donkey began to capitalize, and yrtb acquired an MVP caliber point guard. As it now stands, I expect to be on the outside looking in. I’m confident that my squad can win us a lot of games in a weak conference, but I fear multiple playoff matchups.
monta: The Mavericks seem to finally have found consistency after a long drought of missed playoffs and mismanaged superstars. While this version of the Mavericks doesn’t have a true superstar, they have a litany of players who can score in a very well-balanced attack. Naoki Uto leads the way with 24 PPG, but he is by no means a superstar. The acquisitions of Svetozar Stamenkovic, Erving Walker, and Marshawn Powell have really elevated this team into the top two or three in the West. It will be interesting to see how they fare against the Seattles and Vancouvers of the league.
5
G9: I have the Clippers 5th and Kings 6th. Anyways, Ejim looks about the same. Bojan took a step back. Ty freak was able to get Jalen Weaver cutback and his depth chart is rather deep, but neither their stars nor their depth match up with the stars or depth of the teams ahead of them. It’s a shame that Ejim’s career arc didn’t mirror that of someone like Gentile or Moser’s, the Kings could really use an elite #1 option. If they keep this roster throughout the year, I predict 50 wins and a first-round fight. Not to say I think they should give up on Ejim and Ellington. I’d definitely keep that combo for years to come.
monta: The Kings are somewhat of a sleeping giant going into this season. They’ve had quite a few years of regular season and playoff success, but this year is a strange, transitional one. They were able to bring back Melvin Ejim on a five-year which was critical, but it’s clear that their run won’t last much longer with an aging core. Jalen Weaver is on his last legs, and Bojan Tomasevic isn’t too far behind him. Regardless, if they keep this core together, expect the Kings to finish 4th or 5th out west and maybe win a playoff series.
6
G9: I think the Clippers will regress quite a bit in the regular season but I also think this will be their most competitive year in recent history. They may end up as 4th or 5th seed, but the individual abilities of N’Dong, Moser, Woodall, Dillard, Lucio, etc. are all capable of taking over games. None of these guys are superstars, but I’d put them all at least a tier above average starters – and as a team they become pretty nasty. Imagine if Woodall really scores 17 points to 1 turnover?
monta: I would’ve put them lower for sure, but their scorching hot preseason shoots them up into the top 6. Nobody foresaw a 35-7 preseason, while going a whopping 26-0 at home. Kevin Dillard didn’t even play in presesason, and they still put up those numbers, which begs the question if Dillard should still start for the Clips. LA seemed to do just fine with Travon Woodall and Lucio Redivo starting in the backcourt, so we’ll see how Tyler reacts. Mike Moser and Boniface Ndong help anchor the Clippers’ defense and rebounding, but they are a clear half step or two behind VAN/SEA/POR.
7
G9: Purely due to the shocking lack of having a better team to put here, we will roll with Phoenix. I do not think they are rebuilding, as they still appear to be courting some ‘good’ players, but I have a hard time believing that Tiny Gallon and Josiah Turner are going to be able to outscore the true competitive teams in this conference. I respect the hustle, as Dallas isn’t rocking the sexiest roster either, but this team has quite a few holes to fill and upgrades to make if the want to make it past round 1.
monta: The Suns in a re-tooling stage after losing Tyrese Maxey to retirement/bird years, and dealing Kiril Sitnik to the Timberwolves. While they no longer have a true go-to option on the perimeter, they’re hoping Jaedo Lee and Josiah Turner can play well enough to keep them afloat. Talented, but flawed big man Tiny Gallon will likely be relied on to provide the bulk of their scoring; outside of him, there aren’t a lot of reliable scoring options for Phoenix.
8
G9: There can’t be more than what, 2 or 3 guard combos in the entire league that are better than Mark Price and Juwan Staten. And yet, they find themselves ranked 8th in the conference! To say that they have provided Price with the teammates and coaching that he needs to succeed would be an absolute.. lie? Not to say Mark isn’t becoming to blame, the long time Warrior appears to be taking things a bit easier since signing his latest fat extension. If there’s one thing he knows he is guaranteed in Golden State, it’s money.
monta: The Warriors are by no means a good team, but as long as they have Mark Price they will be in the hunt for a playoff spot. Juwan Staten is solid as a starting point guard too, but it’s clear that a backcourt of Staten and Price isn’t working. They acquired young big man Walt Wesley last season, and while he has upside, his defense is so horrendous that he’s become one of the worst contracts in the league. We’ll see if the Warriors decide to rebuild and deal Price away. If they do, expect them to take a nosedive in the standings
9
G9: I honestly love the Jazz front court. All of the players have clear flaws but combined they make up for a pretty complete unit. We all know that the league is chock full of point guards who can run fast and shoot often – but it appears Utah never got the message. The Jazz are adamant about this being Kevin Ware’s team, and I’m sure this won’t be the last season that he ultimately holds them back.
monta: The Jazz have one of the best frontcourts in the league with Kuminga/Daugherty/Wang/Ibeh. However, their guard play is so bad that they have a good chance of being on the outside looking in at seasons end. They gave Kevin Ware a hefty 5-year deal to remain in Utah, which barring a breakout season in the next couple years, will probably be one of the worse contracts in the league. D’Vauntes Smith-Rivera has not impressed as some people thought, and clearly isn’t ready to run a team yet.
10
G9: We all know Greeme hates tanking, and as such, he hasn’t quite nuked this roster to the extent of some managers (cough curry, fortson cough). They are one of few teams at the bottom of the West that aren’t starting any LOFA’s and because of this, Denver will end up winning some games. Wuycik did take a step back ratings wise but I expect we will still see production out of him that is similar to last year, and Johnny Canada’s “A” outside will provide them with one of the leagues most accurate shooters. It will be hard to lose 50.
monta: Nuggets are a wild card for this season, and I could easily see them sneaking into the playoffs even with their current roster. With a ton of young talent, it will be interesting if they take things slow or try to flip one of their prospects for a solidified star. If they do, they have a good shot at shooting up into the top 5 of the West. Their clear go-to scorer this season will be Johnny Berhanemeskel, but outside of that they don’t have a lot of options.
