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Thread: Predicted Western Conference Standings- 2012/13

  1. #1
    All-Star Attila The Hun's Avatar
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    Question Predicted Western Conference Standings- 2012/13

    Barring minor tweaks (or by some miracle the Dwight Howard saga finally playing out), the team rosters seem pretty much set for the coming season.

    So, I'm interested to see how people foresee the West playing out? Whereabouts do you place our (very) young but exciting team in among the combatants?

    The playoff teams in the West last season were as follows:

    1) San Antonio
    2) OKC
    3) LA Lakers
    4) Memphis
    5) LA Clippers
    6) Denver
    7) Dallas
    8) Utah


    My honest opinion is that it's hard to see many of those teams dropping out- the top 5 will almost certainly be contending again.

    Denver looks likely to be exciting again, although they can't afford too many injuries. Dallas seemed likely candidates to drop out at one point, but managed to salvage their off-season with some smart veteran signings. Utah is actually a reasonably young team still, have managed to make some decent additions and have young players who should develop.

    Golden State is the team I see as most likely to jump up into the playoffs. Most teams in the West should actually be pretty competitive next season- on paper there looks to be only one probable straggler.

    So, how do you predict teams will finish, 1-15 in the West this season?
    "I'd like to send this letter to the Prussian consulate in Siam by aeromail. Am I too late for the 4:30 auto-gyro?"

  2. #2
    Quote Originally Posted by Attila The Hun View Post
    My honest opinion is that it's hard to see many of those teams dropping out- the top 5 will almost certainly be contending again.
    I agree. It would probably take everything going right for the Hornets and several other teams having injury issues for the Hornets to make the playoffs. They'll make the playoffs when both Davis AND Rivers become reliable contributors.

  3. #3
    All-Star PennStatePelican's Avatar
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    1. OKC
    2. San Antonio
    3. Lakers
    4. Clippers
    5. Memphis
    6. Golden State
    7. Minnesota
    8. Denver

    Just barely missing out are Utah and Dallas. So, after the top 8 I'd say the remaining teams are:

    9. Utah
    10. Dallas
    11. Portland
    12. New Orleans
    13. Houston
    14. Phoenix
    15. Sacramento

    Honestly, the last 4 are interchangeable in my view. I don't see us breaking the top 10 this season.
    "Davis is gonna be the best Basketball Player Ever. ......Please quote me." -Silverfoxx

  4. #4
    Vote Voodoo! Contributor Unknown Poster's Avatar
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    I can see the Hornets finishing in the 10-12 range. Maybe they get the 8th seed with lights out/flawless play, no injuries, and injuries to other teams.
    "Hornets means nothing." - Tom Benson

  5. #5
    RIP HunnyB iNolaNightmare's Avatar
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    Why are both Louisiana sports teams in the hardest conferences?

  6. #6
    All-Star Attila The Hun's Avatar
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    My own prediction..

    1-5 San Antonio, OKC, Lakers, Clippers and Memphis- all teams with high pay-rolls who are built to contend now. None have lost any players of real significance, Memphis did pretty well to replace Mayo with Bayless for cheap.

    6) Denver I think they're building a team that suits their unique home advantage and George Karl's style- McGee and Faried over the course of a full season will be an interesting combination. They have some depth too (Miller, Chandler, Harrington, Brewer).

    7) Utah Adding Mo Williams, Foye and Marvin Williams were underrated moves in my eyes- they needed better perimeter players and 3Pt-shooting badly. Favors, Kanter, Hayward and Burks should develop further, and they still have Jefferson and Millsap- giving them strong frontcourt depth. I really can't envision them missing the playoffs.

    8-9) Dallas and Golden State A bit of unknown with both these teams- their rosters have changed a lot in the last 18 months. Dallas managed to get Collison, Mayo, Brand and Kaman for cheap (without hurting their budget next year), so with Nowitzki, Marion, West and Wright still around, they probably won't fall far. The Warriors actually have scary depth now- their 'second 5' now goes Jack-Rush-Jefferson-Landry-Tyler, plus they drafted Harrison Barnes and may (finally) have a decent center. I think they can win 45 games..

    10-14) Minnesota, Portland, New Orleans, Phoenix and Sacramento Out of this group, I think Minnesota is most likely to challenge for a playoff spot- it will depend on how their new pieces (Kirilenko, Roy, Budinger, Shved) fit. If Rubio plays a significant amount of games, if Derrick Williams improves a little and they stay healthy, I think they're a .500 team.

    Portland and Phoenix are tough to get a read on. Portland's roster feels a little uneven- their starting five is decent (don't know what they'll do at center), but their bench is very young an unproven. If Aldridge stays healthy, Lillard produces, Batum repays their faith and Mathews and Hickson are consistent, then they might push .500- but if Aldridge goes down, they're in trouble. Phoenix has actually amassed a roster with some interesting pieces and some depth- don't know how they'll fare defensively though. If Dragic shines and Scola and Gortat mesh well, they'll probably be in the 35-40 win range- they'll certainly be competitive.

    New Orleans and Sacramento will be interesting this season- I'm not sure anyone knows quite what to expect, there's a lot of young talent on each team. Our Hornets can boast the best player (Gordon) and the best prospect (Davis), but the Kings probably have more depth at this point. Outside of Gordon (injuries aside) and Anderson, we can't be 100% sure of what Vasquez, Aminu, Rivers, Lopez and (to a lesser extent- due to age) Davis will produce for this season. Our bench still looks a little thin, and very young too. Sac-town managed to add Robinson in the draft, and picked up Aaron Brooks which might be interesting. They'll need to figure out how to juggle Brooks, Thomas, Thornton, Evans and their plethora of small forwards.. they do have an intriguing frontline (Cousins, Robinson, Thompson) on paper. I think they'll be under pressure to improve. I think both teams will be in the 30-35 win range.

    15) Houston The only team in the West that is CLEARLY going to decline this season- who knows how many wins they'll cobble together? They might be doing the right thing in the long run- 3 first rounders this year, presumably a top-5 pick next year, and cap-room to sign at least one star- of course a star will need to actually want to play in Houston, but if the plan works, they might rebuild quickly.
    Last edited by Attila The Hun; 07-31-2012 at 04:00 PM.

  7. #7
    Hall of Famer glepurple's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Attila The Hun View Post
    My own prediction..

    1-5 San Antonio, OKC, Lakers, Clippers and Memphis- all teams with high pay-rolls who are built to contend now. None have lost any players of real significance, Memphis did pretty well to replace Mayo with Bayless for cheap.

    6) Denver I think they're building a team that suits their unique home advantage and George Karl's style- McGee and Faried over the course of a full season will be an interesting combination. They have some depth too (Miller, Chandler, Harrington, Brewer).

    7) Utah Adding Mo Williams, Foye and Marvin Williams were underrated moves in my eyes- they needed better perimeter players and 3Pt-shooting badly. Favors, Kanter, Hayward and Burks should develop further, and they still have Jefferson and Millsap- giving them strong frontcourt depth. I really can't envision them missing the playoffs.

    8-9) Dallas and Golden State A bit of unknown with both these teams- their rosters have changed a lot in the last 18 months. Dallas managed to get Collison, Mayo, Brand and Kaman for cheap (without hurting their budget next year), so with Nowitzki, Marion, West and Wright still around, they probably won't fall far. The Warriors actually have scary depth now- their 'second 5' now goes Jack-Rush-Jefferson-Landry-Tyler, plus they drafted Harrison Barnes and may (finally) have a decent center. I think they can win 45 games..

    10-14) Minnesota, Portland, New Orleans, Phoenix and Sacramento Out of this group, I think Minnesota is most likely to challenge for a playoff spot- it will depend on how their new pieces (Kirilenko, Roy, Budinger, Shved) fit. If Rubio plays a significant amount of games, if Derrick Williams improves a little and they stay healthy, I think they're a .500 team.

    Portland and Phoenix are tough to get a read on. Portland's roster feels a little uneven- their starting five is decent (don't know what they'll do at center), but their bench is very young an unproven. If Aldridge stays healthy, Lillard produces, Batum repays their faith and Mathews and Hickson are consistent, then they might push .500- but if Aldridge goes down, they're in trouble. Phoenix has actually amassed a roster with some interesting pieces and some depth- don't know how they'll fare defensively though. If Dragic shines and Scola and Gortat mesh well, they'll probably be in the 35-40 win range- they'll certainly be competitive.

    New Orleans and Sacramento will be interesting this season- I'm not sure anyone knows quite what to expect, there's a lot of young talent on each team. Our Hornets can boast the best player (Gordon) and the best prospect (Davis), but the Kings probably have more depth at this point. Outside of Gordon (injuries aside) and Anderson, we can't be 100% sure of what Vasquez, Aminu, Rivers, Lopez and (to a lesser extent- due to age) Davis will produce for this season. Our bench still looks a little thin, and very young too. Sac-town managed to add Robinson in the draft, and picked up Aaron Brooks which might be interesting. They'll need to figure out how to juggle Brooks, Thomas, Thornton, Evans and their plethora of small forwards.. they do have an intriguing frontline (Cousins, Robinson, Thompson) on paper. I think they'll be under pressure to improve. I think both teams will be in the 30-35 win range.

    15) Houston The only team in the West that is CLEARLY going to decline this season- who knows how many wins they'll cobble together? They might be doing the right thing in the long run- 3 first rounders this year, presumably a top-5 pick next year, and cap-room to sign at least one star- of course a star will need to actually want to play in Houston, but if the plan works, they might rebuild quickly.
    real good post

  8. #8
    Quote Originally Posted by Attila The Hun View Post
    My own prediction..

    1-5 San Antonio, OKC, Lakers, Clippers and Memphis- all teams with high pay-rolls who are built to contend now. None have lost any players of real significance, Memphis did pretty well to replace Mayo with Bayless for cheap.

    6) Denver I think they're building a team that suits their unique home advantage and George Karl's style- McGee and Faried over the course of a full season will be an interesting combination. They have some depth too (Miller, Chandler, Harrington, Brewer).

    7) Utah Adding Mo Williams, Foye and Marvin Williams were underrated moves in my eyes- they needed better perimeter players and 3Pt-shooting badly. Favors, Kanter, Hayward and Burks should develop further, and they still have Jefferson and Millsap- giving them strong frontcourt depth. I really can't envision them missing the playoffs.

    8-9) Dallas and Golden State A bit of unknown with both these teams- their rosters have changed a lot in the last 18 months. Dallas managed to get Collison, Mayo, Brand and Kaman for cheap (without hurting their budget next year), so with Nowitzki, Marion, West and Wright still around, they probably won't fall far. The Warriors actually have scary depth now- their 'second 5' now goes Jack-Rush-Jefferson-Landry-Tyler, plus they drafted Harrison Barnes and may (finally) have a decent center. I think they can win 45 games..

    10-14) Minnesota, Portland, New Orleans, Phoenix and Sacramento Out of this group, I think Minnesota is most likely to challenge for a playoff spot- it will depend on how their new pieces (Kirilenko, Roy, Budinger, Shved) fit. If Rubio plays a significant amount of games, if Derrick Williams improves a little and they stay healthy, I think they're a .500 team.

    Portland and Phoenix are tough to get a read on. Portland's roster feels a little uneven- their starting five is decent (don't know what they'll do at center), but their bench is very young an unproven. If Aldridge stays healthy, Lillard produces, Batum repays their faith and Mathews and Hickson are consistent, then they might push .500- but if Aldridge goes down, they're in trouble. Phoenix has actually amassed a roster with some interesting pieces and some depth- don't know how they'll fare defensively though. If Dragic shines and Scola and Gortat mesh well, they'll probably be in the 35-40 win range- they'll certainly be competitive.

    New Orleans and Sacramento will be interesting this season- I'm not sure anyone knows quite what to expect, there's a lot of young talent on each team. Our Hornets can boast the best player (Gordon) and the best prospect (Davis), but the Kings probably have more depth at this point. Outside of Gordon (injuries aside) and Anderson, we can't be 100% sure of what Vasquez, Aminu, Rivers, Lopez and (to a lesser extent- due to age) Davis will produce for this season. Our bench still looks a little thin, and very young too. Sac-town managed to add Robinson in the draft, and picked up Aaron Brooks which might be interesting. They'll need to figure out how to juggle Brooks, Thomas, Thornton, Evans and their plethora of small forwards.. they do have an intriguing frontline (Cousins, Robinson, Thompson) on paper. I think they'll be under pressure to improve. I think both teams will be in the 30-35 win range.

    15) Houston The only team in the West that is CLEARLY going to decline this season- who knows how many wins they'll cobble together? They might be doing the right thing in the long run- 3 first rounders this year, presumably a top-5 pick next year, and cap-room to sign at least one star- of course a star will need to actually want to play in Houston, but if the plan works, they might rebuild quickly.
    Great post, agree with this. GS, Minny, PHX and Portland could all be tight for that 8 spot, and us and Sacramento have a slim chance, but I really doubt we make it

    1. OKC
    2. Lakers
    3. Spurs
    4. LAC
    5. Grizzlies
    6. Nuggets
    7. Mavs
    8. Golden State if healthy
    9. T-Wolves
    10. Jazz
    11. Suns
    12. Blazers
    13. Hornets
    14. Kings
    15. Rockets
    Last edited by speedyG; 07-31-2012 at 04:21 PM.

  9. #9
    All-Star PennStatePelican's Avatar
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    You might want to contact Joe and the gang about writing for hornets247. Very well written post and analysis of the western conference this season.

  10. #10
    SAS
    OKC
    LAC
    LAL
    MEM
    DEN
    UTA
    MIN
    ------------------
    Everyone else

    This is my regular season prediction. If the clippers stay healthy, I expect them in the west finals against OKC.

  11. #11
    1)OKC
    2)SA
    3)LAL
    4)LAC
    5)DEN
    6)MEM
    7)DAL
    8)UTA or MIN (Healthy Rubio)
    ----------------------
    9)UTA or MIN
    10)GLD
    11)NOH
    12)PHX
    13)HOU
    14)POR
    15)SAC

    EDIT: Switch HOU and PHX and i can see GLD getting a playoff spot.
    Last edited by HornetsFan1; 07-31-2012 at 05:09 PM.

  12. #12
    Hornets were 6-3 with Eric Gordon even there wasnt too much talent around him, with the addition of Anderson, Davis, and Rivers, I feel like the bar is set too low by some Hornets fans... I'm expecting 6-10 seed.
    Last edited by joetzeng; 07-31-2012 at 05:05 PM.

  13. #13
    1. San Antonio
    2. OKC
    3. LA Lakers
    4. LA Clippers
    5. Memphis
    6. Denver
    7. Golden State
    8. Minnesota

    "I'm not going to allow my putative owner to answer that question, this is an NBA related press conference. Paul Tagliabue and Roger Goodell have collectively sung their praises of Tom and if uh ESPN has a problem with that tell Mr. Skipper to call me at my office."

  14. #14
    Hall of Famer glepurple's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by joetzeng View Post
    Hornets were 6-3 with Eric Gordon, I feel like the bar is set too low by some Hornets fans... I'm expecting 6-8 seed.
    I thought that way early on...but I think our core have a lot of maturing to do before we can honestly claim a playoff spot. Rivers has a lot of improving to do and is learning a new position on the fly. We have to pray that gordon plays majority of the season for us to have a chance at the playoffs and his history doesn't make that a guarantee. Also aminu would have to improve a lot as a shooter and defender to take that next step. Also i think we need better players off the bench. We don't have any proven scoring coming off the bench unless anderson is gonna be our sixth man. So I think we might compete night in and out but we will miss out on the playoffs.

  15. #15
    Quote Originally Posted by joetzeng View Post
    Hornets were 6-3 with Eric Gordon even there wasnt too much talent around him, with the addition of Anderson, Davis, and Rivers, I feel like the bar is set too low by some Hornets fans... I'm expecting 6-10 seed.
    I think Monty makes them tank out of the playoffs one more year

  16. #16
    Do we really prefer a quick first round playoff series at eighth seed, over a lottery pick for a solid big in next year's draft?

  17. #17
    Max Contract Pelicans78's Avatar
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    Dallas improved this offseason a bit.

    1. OKC
    2. SA
    3. LA
    4. LAC
    5. MEM
    6. DAL
    7. DEN
    8. NO.

    Emeka Okafor - Joe Smith - Carmelo Anthony - Manu Ginobili - Jason Williams

    Al Jefferson - James Posey - Aaron McKie - Shaun Livingston

  18. #18
    Hall of Famer neitzelbaby12's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Hornets78 View Post
    Dallas improved this offseason a bit.

    1. OKC
    2. SA
    3. LA
    4. LAC
    5. MEM
    6. DAL
    7. DEN
    8. NO.

    THIS
    Welcome to be here

  19. #19
    Quote Originally Posted by PennStateHornet View Post
    1. OKC
    2. San Antonio
    3. Lakers
    4. Clippers
    5. Memphis
    6. Golden State
    7. Minnesota
    8. Denver

    Just barely missing out are Utah and Dallas. So, after the top 8 I'd say the remaining teams are:

    9. Utah
    10. Dallas
    11. Portland
    12. New Orleans
    13. Houston
    14. Phoenix
    15. Sacramento

    Honestly, the last 4 are interchangeable in my view. I don't see us breaking the top 10 this season.
    haha @ your sig!
    CAW CAW!!!

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  20. #20
    1. OKC
    2. San Antonio
    3. Lakers
    4. Clippers
    5. Portland
    6. Hornets
    7. Minnesota
    8. Denver

    9. Utah
    10. Dallas
    11. Warriors
    12. Memphis
    13. Sacramento
    14. Houston
    15. Phoenix

  21. #21
    Quote Originally Posted by joetzeng View Post
    Hornets were 6-3 with Eric Gordon even there wasnt too much talent around him, with the addition of Anderson, Davis, and Rivers, I feel like the bar is set too low by some Hornets fans... I'm expecting 6-10 seed.
    This. Im not a person who is very unrealistic but i feel the Hornets will surprise alot of people this year, including their own fans.


    And why the *bleep* is Memphis soooooo high own people lists? If anything Minny or Portland should their spots!

  22. #22
    All-Star PennStatePelican's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Silverfoxx View Post
    haha @ your sig!
    I've been looking for a good sig, and might as well have one that is both funny and true (fingers crossed). Glad you don't mind that I used it

  23. #23
    Quote Originally Posted by HornetsFan1 View Post
    I think Monty makes them tank out of the playoffs one more year
    It was all luck that we got Anthony Davis. Monty coaches to win, he does not tank. Remember how he was pissing all of us off late in the season last year?

  24. #24
    Quote Originally Posted by PennStateHornet View Post
    I've been looking for a good sig, and might as well have one that is both funny and true (fingers crossed). Glad you don't mind that I used it
    haha naw bro to be quite honest im flattered

  25. #25
    I reckon the Hornets will finish in the position indicated on Rafael Addison's jersey....

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