"Halfway Point: The West"

Welcome to the Wild, Wild West. No, I am not trying to subtly imply the Western Conference is crap like the horrible Will Smith pop song and film, but rather the West has become a wild, wild place for the top nine basketball teams in the conference. It's basically a zoo for the top nine teams in the conference. There's the obvious Lakers at the top with a nice five game cushion half-way through this season, but the eight teams that follow are pretty much neck in neck, with only 3.5 games separating the 2nd place Spurs from the 9th place Mavericks. The problem? There only exists 8 playoff spots for each conference. One of these great teams is destined for the lottery.

Western Conference Standings:

1. LA Lakers: 31-8
2. San Antonio: 26-13
3. Denver: 27-14
4. New Orleans: 24-13
5. Houston: 25-16
6. Phoenix: 23-15
7. Portland: 24-16
8. Utah: 24-17
9. Dallas: 23-17
10. Minnesota: 12-26
11. Golden State: 12-29
12. Memphis: 11-28
13. Sacramento: 10-31
14. LA Clippers: 9-30
15. Oklahoma City: 8-33

Trying to figure out who that team will be is nothing more than guesswork. Similar to last years race in the West(without the Lakers so far ahead), there might be nine Western Conference teams to win 50 games, which means another 50 win team won't be in the playoffs. While the East has three elite teams at the top and every other team has a chance to still run at the playoffs(maybe not the Wizards), the West is almost the exact opposite. It's basically like jumping off a cliff when going from the 9th place Dallas(23-17) to 10th place Minnesota(12-26). None of the teams from 10th to 15th really have any chance at the playoffs, it's basically just 9 teams fighting for 8 spots.

From 1-15 in the standings, here is a short analysis of each team:
(Contender: any team I label as a contender will be further discussed in another article)

1. LA Lakers: Made it to the finals last year without Bynum. What more needs to e said? They are one of the deepest teams in the league, and their core of Kobe, Gasol, and Bynum is as good as it gets. Bynum hasn't looked quite as explosive as last year, but he's slowly getting into a groove and anchoring the defense. Kobe is as efficient as he has ever been in his career shooting a great percentage from the field(improved shot selection). Gasol is another efficient stud, averaging 20ppg with limited touches. Odom is slowly becoming more effective as he adapts to his 6th man role, but the rest of the bench has been great. Trevor Ariza might be the biggest surprise for them this year. He has stepped up his game, improved his shooting, ball handling, and defense. Ariza is slowly becoming their glue guy and perimeter lock-dow defender. Contenders.



2. San Antonio: 2009 is an odd year. 1999, 2003, 2005, 2007, all championship rings for Duncan and company in those odd years. Now that's a scary trend. It will probably be their most challenging playoffs if they make a run at it, mostly because of a pretty new rotation with players like Roger Mason, Matt Bonner, George Hill, and other young players. Bowen and Finely are a year older, and Bowen's defense is not quite what it used to be. But when you have Tim Duncan, one of the greatest power-forwards to ever play, you are going to be competing every night. All this talk that they are "old and over the hill" is basically a joke, but people still hop on the bandwagon. Ginobli and Duncan are 32 and 31, and have shown very little, if any signs of deteriorating. Add in a Tony Parker entering his prime years at 26 having his best statistical year yet, and this team is still atop the eliete. Contenders.



3. Denver: This off-season fans and journalists rambled on about how Denver was no longer a playoff team, especially after they traded two-time DPOY Marcus Camby to the Clippers to cut their costs and avoid luxury tax. But a few games into the season Joe Dumars delivered an early Christmas present: Chauncey Billups. Iverson is a great player, but things ran their course in Denver and Iverson just wasn't the right piece. Billups has come in and taken this team on his shoulders, providing the leadership and pure point-guard play that have always needed. Carmelo has become a better all-around player focusing more on rebounding, passing, and defense as a result of the teams new look. Nene has emerged as a solid all-around center in the league, and is still a youthful 26. JR Smith has toned it down a little bit and become a better all-around player as well. Simply put, Billups attititude and style has rubbed off on the entire team, hell, even on the coach. Because of it they are winning games like never before. Right now I consider them "semi-contenders".
   



4. New Orleans: I think I am part of the minority when I say that New Orleans as a team is a "pretender". I don't think they have the make-up of a championship team, but they will manage to put up a solid 50+ win season. Chris Paul is playing as spectacular as ever, but it seems everyone else on the team is either the same or have taken a step back. David West is still an offensive beast, but his defense is less than stellar and his rebounding has become lazy. Tyson Chandler has stopped improving, and I think we all know he has already reached his ceiling as a player with Chris Paul. He is good for a block or two and an alley-oop dunk a game, but really nothing else can be expected. I just think so much hype surrounded this team because of the emergence of CP3, that we forget teams win championships. He has great shooters surrounding him in Stojakovic and Butler, but they are very one-dimensional players. James Posey was supposed to be their missing piece that put them over the top into contention, but he is just a solid role-player that can hit some 3's and play hard-nosed defense. I am being hard on this team right now, but only because they have potential. I think they are a solid all-around shooting guard away from contention, but that's not an easy piece to find. With all that said, they are still winning games and I consider them a pretty damn good team. Maybe it's just a gut feeling that I can't describe, but I just don't see them winning more than one series come playoff time, if that. Pretenders.
   



5. Houston: Looked like they were going to be serious contenders on paper. With the addition of Ron Artest in a trade that only cost them Bobby Jackson/Donte Greene, they looked like they could be the next Celtics big-3 with Artest, T-Mac, and Yao. I still think it's too early to really distinguish anything. McGrady, Artest, and Battier have been fighting through injuries for the most part of the season. Even without them for a majority of the time they are managing to put a solid record together and develop some younger players. The emergence of young backup PG Aaron Brooks has been very beneficial, and Von Wafer's natural ability to score has become obvious as well. Yao is playing great as of late, and he has been healthy all year(knock on wood). Scola is doing a solid job at PF, and when he has an off night Carl Landry comes in and get's the job done. I still think Alston is their weak link. Skip-to-my-Lou is cool and all, but he isn't really a pure PG, yet he's not really a scoring guard either(at least in his percentages at 36% FG). But come playoff time, if Artest and Battier are both healthy, and if T-Mac can manage to come into somet type of old form, well, they could be a very dangerous squad. It's all really up to health for this team. Contenders if healthy.
   



6. Phoenix: Similar to the Rockets, this team is a deadly contender on paper(and in video games). The duo of Shaq-Stoudemire seems like it should be impossible, especially now that Shaq looks like more of his old self. They changed things up even more a month ago, sending Raja Bell and Boris Diaw to Charlotte in exchange for Jason Richardson(and Jared Dudley). Richardson is a solid addition at SG: a very athletic slasher that is also one of the best 3-point shooters in the league. Then you have solid veteran Grant Hill starting at SF, and the crazy Canadian Steve Nash running the show. Add in solid players like Leandro Barbosa, Matt Barnes, and Robin Lopez off the bench, and it's hard to think this team wouldn't be a contender. New coach Terry Porter still looks to be figuring things out, and the players are no different. One night they look extremely dominant and things seem to just click for everyone. The next night they look completely lost going to Boston and go down by 30 in the first half. Their defense is definitely still a cause of concern come playoff time, as they are currently 5th to last in team-defense. Adding J-Rich was a bold move, but they did lose Bell's savy defense and leadership that can be so important come playoff time. Stoudemire looks frustrated with his situation: less touches, but if he can push his ego aside for a year and let Shaq-Diesel do his thing along with Nash and company the Suns could be another dangerous team. This team really confuses me though, because one week you think they're settled into the new system and then it all changes. Possible contenders if egos and chemistry work come playoff time.....
   



7. Portland: Rise with us! Their advertising motto and slogan rings true with the team this year, as fans are welcome to "rise with them". The Roy/Aldridge/Oden trio is finally in full effect, and effective is the perfect word to describe it. After a scary start for Oden on opening night, he has come around the last 10 to 20 games and is finally learning how to play center effectively in the NBA, and without getting into foul trouble(though he will continue to fight through that). Aldridge has steadily improved his offensive game, increasing his range and improving his low-post moves. Most importantly is the emergence of a new star in Brandon Roy. He has continuously improved his game, and he has gone from being a good guard to becoming a legit franchise player and leader. He reminds me of a Joe Johnson, but one that is more vocal and can lead a team. Other role players like Steve Blake, Nicholas Batum, Travis Outlaw, and Joel Pryzbilla are the other key to the success of this team. Portland somehow continued to get young talent after last year. Rookie Rudy Fernandez is a legitimate player and solid scorer to bring off the bench, and was NBA ready on day 1. Lately, Jared Bayless is slowly emerging as a solid guard, and the fight for backup minutes between him and Sergio continues. The team is still so young yet they are likely headed for the playoffs. Whether or not they can make some noise come post-season will be something to look at, but I think it's more about experience for them this year. If they end up as a 7 or 8 seed I think they could scare some teams like Atlanta did last year. Not really contenders, but definitely not pretenders. One more year.
   



8. Utah: Another solid Jerry Sloan year. Deron Williams missing the first quarter of the season didn't help things, and having Boozer for only 12 of their games hasn't helped either. They are still a tough team(better than their record looks), and can still make some noise. Boozers injury has given 3rd year man Paul Millisap a chance to play heavy minutes, and this kid took off running the instant he became a starter. He has played so well that Boozer has become expendable, proving that he is also a 20/10 player, but also plays defense. Utah is methodical as ever, running their sets and playing hard-nosed defense. Okur is playing like he did a few years back as well, another great sign. I really like the move of moving AK-47 to the 6th man spot, as he brings great energy and versatility off the bench. Young players Ronnie Brewer and CJ Miles are a bit inconsistent(especially Miles), but Utah is deep enough that it's not too big of a deal. I think with Deron Williams coming into full health recently, and with Boozer coming back relatively soon, that this Utah team will make a nice run post-All-Star break and could be anywhere from a 2-8 seed. Many are counting them as the possible team to miss the playoffs, but I think the exact opposite of them. Not quite contenders, but not pretenders.
   



9. Dallas: Mark Cuban and his crazy antics...I'll focus on the team though. Dirk is playing at an elite level; he's clearly the go-to guy and key to the teams success. But the re-emergence of Jason Terry has been a very welcomed phenomenon. Jet is putting up better than jet-like numbers averaging 21 points a contest: more than he has ever posted in his career, and at the age of 31. This is definitely a combination of playing with pure PG Jason Kidd, but I also give a lot of credit to Rick Carlisle for changing the Mavs style to better suit it's roster. I think Josh Howard will pretty much be their difference maker to finish the season. The one time All-Star has been riddled with injuries and has failed to find a groove this season. With rumors of him being traded surface, I think his play will determine whether the Mavs can make the playoffs and do anything. Whether they get talent for him in a trade; whether he comes into form and puts up 20 ppg and plays his defense; whether he continues to be the lost pot-head; these are the things that will determine the extent of the success this third Texas team has. Not contenders......
   



10. Minnesota: This is where the big drop-off starts. Minnesota is over 10 games back of number 9 Dallas, so it's safe to say the rest of these Western teams are focusing on the future(no I don't mean the playoffs). Minnesota has been playing some legitimately good basketball since the Christmas. If we can just ignore their horrendous start to the season; let's take a look where they are headed. Since Christmas their record is 9-4. Kevin Mchale is obviously having a positive effect on the team, and moving Foye to the SG spot where he belongs was a much needed boost as well. Telfair is a decent young PG running the team now(they could do better), but he gets the job done. Kevin Love is already one of the most efficient rebounders in the league, and as he improves his conditioning he will become a solid player next to their beast Al. Speaking of which, Jefferson is having, yet again, his best season averaging 22 points, 11 rebounds, and 2 blocks(a nice increase). He is one of the leagues most underrated PF/C's in the league, mostly because he is on a poor team, but they are showing signs of a future. Give them more time to build on this and they could be a nice surprise in the not so distant future. They have a coupe first round picks this year; hopefully they use them wisely. I also wouldn't be surprised to see savy veteran Mike Miller traded either before the deadline or on draft day to get a young guard or center.
    



11. Golden State: It's kind of sad isn't it? They go from upsetting the best team in the league(Dallas) in the first round of the playoffs in 07, to barely missing the playoffs last year(by one game), to becoming a garbage team this year. They lost Baron Davis in the off-season to the Clippers, so they retaliated by giving Maggette a 5 year contract at $10 million a year. Why not just pay Baron his $12 or $13 million a year....definitely worth it in comparison to Maggette. I'll stop flaming now; Golden State has made some nice moves this season, and they have some good, young talent that is developing. The trade sending Al Harrington to NY for Jamaal Crawford seemed kind of lateral, but he is a talented player that fits Nelson's style. Monta's moped accident was a good hint at the kind of season the Warriors would have, so nobody had too high of hopes. Stephen Jackson got his 3-year extension, and has been riddled with injuries as well. Maggette got his 5 year deal, and his hamstring has kept him from playing on too many games. Now the bright spots: Andris Beidrins is ever-improving and has become a stud center. Bellinelli, who saw little to no time last year, is finally getting some run and showing why he's in this league. He is a great shooter and will be an ideal off the bench scorer for any team. Brandon Wright was breaking through, though he has been injured lately, but he's showing signs of becoming a solid forward. They also have rookie Anthony Randolph, who I am quite high on, but I guess Nellie isn't too high on his attitude. Anyway, as bad as this season looks for the Warriors, the future is actually looking extremely bright. Next year they will start the season with this line-up: Monta Ellis, Jamal Crawford, Stephen Jackson, Brandon Wright, Andris Beidrins, with Maggette(unless traded), Azubuike, Bellinelli, Watson, and Turiaf off the bench. That looks like a playoff team to me.
    



12. Memphis: They obviously didn't have really high expectations. After they traded Gasol to the Lakers last year it was obvious they were heading in a new direction. I felt they made a great draft-day trade attaining OJ Mayo/filler for Mike Miller/Kevin Love. Mayo has been hot out of the gate putting up nearly 20 points a contest, and he has displayed an overall knowledge of the game and high basketball awareness and IQ. I think him and Rudy Gay are great building blocks for this team. Marc Gasol has turned out to be a solid player too, basically a double/double guy that brings energy and toughness every night. Mike Conley has proven nothing, and Kyle Lowry has actually become the superior player and PG, which have thought all along. Arthur is developing into a decent PF, and Hakim Warrick is having the best year of his career. This has not equated into wins at all, but the team looks promising....and that's all that matters right now. It's also nice how they have managed to sign Darius Miles to two 10-day contracts and get him into games; consequently putting his $18 million over 2 years back on Portlands cap. Slick move Wallace, slick move.
    



13. Sacramento: This team is actually painful to watch. They were basically a .500% team last year, yet they are lucky to win one out of four this year. Kevin Martin, their go-to guy, was out for a huge part of the season; I guess that can help to justify it a little bit. Add in Beno Udrih(who just signed a pretty big contract) is failing to live up to expectations, having a worse year than last, and you have a struggling offense. Well, enough about this season's failings, but onto the future. John Salmons is having a career year, nearly doubling his scoring output to nearly 20 points a contest. He has been their one consistent and healthy force all year. He has a nice all around game: slashing, shooting, passing, defending; I really like his game. Fransisco Garcia, their 6th man, was also out for the first 25+ games as well. He is a gritty defense that has a nice all around game, so the season isn't a total failure. Spencer Hawes started off great with Miller suspended, and has been inconsistent lately, but he proved he is a solid player that can produce when given minutes. He is actually very similar to Miller, just more athletic. This makes Miller expendable, and I wouldn't be surprised to see him traded for an expiring and a young player. Also, we can't forget their productive rookie Jason Thompson, who has proven to be a great draft pick. While they are struggling this year I still think they have a bright future. A Hawes/Thompson/Salmons front-court in combination with a Martin/Udrih backcourt is promising. Give them a year or two.
    



14. LA Clippers: Wow...just....wow! There's not much to say about this team. They lost Brand and Maggette in the off-season, but replaced them with great players in Baron Davis and Marcus Camby. Then they made a nifty little trade that sent aging Tim Thomas along with the forced to retire Cuttino Mobley to the Knicks. In return they got the always productive, always cancerous, 20ppg/10rpg Zach Randolph and a backup Mardy Collins. Talent wise they come out on top, but talent doesn't equate into wins necessarily. Rookie Eric Gordon has been great since getting starting and minutes, proving to be the great scorer he was in college. Al Thornton has yet improved statistically, showing he is a solid SF of their future. With a line-up of B-Diddy, Eric Gordon, Al Thornton, Zach Randolph, and Marcus Camby you would think they could be a playoff team...right? WRONG! I haven't even mentioned Chris Kaman, who has been injured since the first part of the season. Who knows if he bothers to come back this season. Many had high hopes for this talented roster coming into the season; Dunleavy and company have done more than expected to knock some sense into us. I want to say that their future looks bright, because on paper they do(plus another lottery pick). But Clipper history tells us otherwise.
    



15. Oklahoma City: This is one of those bad teams that are actually fun to watch. They have great potential and a bright future. Expectations were low going into the season, as they are one of the youngest teams in the league. Management fired coach PJ Carlisimo after a horrid start to the season, and since then Interim Brooks has this team respectable. The biggest change was moving young franchise guy Kevin Durant from shooting-guard to small-forward. We have seen a solid improvement in his overall stats(scoring, rebounding, even assists) since this move. The team has also won quite a few games lately; hell, they are even 5-5 in their last 10. Sliding Durant over also moved his second year pal Jeff Green over from small-forward to power-forward. Green has had to adjust a little, but he seems to have benefited as well. He's having a great year and has put all the critics on mute for being the 5th pick. Russel Westbrook has also become the starting PG under Brooks, and though he is inconsistent and turn-over prone(like all rookies), he has some serious talent and potential. He has had a 30 point game or two, and while he is more of a combo guard he is a bright player for their future. Other guys like Desmond Mason, Earl Watson, Chris Wilcox, Nick Collison, Damien Wilkins, and freshly signed Nenad Kristic are all solid role-players as well. I think OKC is doing a fine job with their team, and as time goes on they are definitely going to become a bright spot in the league. How long it takes is the only question.