2008 Woodie Awards
The wild, wild West
Ryan Hecht
Issue date: 3/4/08 Section: Sports
There's about a month and a half left of one of the more interesting NBA seasons of recent memory. After a whirlwind of blockbuster trades and a few recent injuries, the Western Conference has a number of competitive teams still fighting for a playoff seed, while the Eastern Conference's top seven teams have basically solidified their place in the postseason.
The difference of talent in the teams from top-to-bottom in the two conferences is the most noticeable since the 2000-2001 season when the Houston Rockets missed the playoffs with a 45-win record. This year a Western Conference team could finish with 48 wins and not make the playoffs while three Eastern Conference teams could play in the post-season with losing records.
I'm not here to write about the changes that need to be made to fix this NBA playoff situation because as we know with the wacky BSC Bowl system, changes in the organization of the postseason are unlikely to occur anytime soon. What is important is who will come out of the Western Conference. Below are my predictions for the eight teams that can win the West and play for the NBA Championship.
1. Los Angeles Lakers: The Lakers made the best mid-season move by acquiring power forward Paul Gasol. He is capable of playing the center position and with Lamar Odom, the Lakers have one of the most talented and athletic front courts in the NBA. Andrew Bynum is expected to return in early April to provide an excellent three-man rotation inside the paint. They have a combination of experience and youth at point guard in Derek Fischer and Jordan Farmar and of course, Kobe Bryant is having an MVP-caliber season.
2. San Antonio Spurs: Right now it isn't Tim Duncan or Tony Parker leading the ageing Spurs. Manu Ginobili is coming off the bench and having MVP numbers, igniting yet another late-season run by San Antonio. They have added depth with veterans Kurt Thomas and Brent Barry. The Spurs' slow, defense-first strategy is always more favorable in the playoffs, and the talent is there. It's just a matter of desire, which for much of the season the Spurs have lacked.
The difference of talent in the teams from top-to-bottom in the two conferences is the most noticeable since the 2000-2001 season when the Houston Rockets missed the playoffs with a 45-win record. This year a Western Conference team could finish with 48 wins and not make the playoffs while three Eastern Conference teams could play in the post-season with losing records.
I'm not here to write about the changes that need to be made to fix this NBA playoff situation because as we know with the wacky BSC Bowl system, changes in the organization of the postseason are unlikely to occur anytime soon. What is important is who will come out of the Western Conference. Below are my predictions for the eight teams that can win the West and play for the NBA Championship.
1. Los Angeles Lakers: The Lakers made the best mid-season move by acquiring power forward Paul Gasol. He is capable of playing the center position and with Lamar Odom, the Lakers have one of the most talented and athletic front courts in the NBA. Andrew Bynum is expected to return in early April to provide an excellent three-man rotation inside the paint. They have a combination of experience and youth at point guard in Derek Fischer and Jordan Farmar and of course, Kobe Bryant is having an MVP-caliber season.
2. San Antonio Spurs: Right now it isn't Tim Duncan or Tony Parker leading the ageing Spurs. Manu Ginobili is coming off the bench and having MVP numbers, igniting yet another late-season run by San Antonio. They have added depth with veterans Kurt Thomas and Brent Barry. The Spurs' slow, defense-first strategy is always more favorable in the playoffs, and the talent is there. It's just a matter of desire, which for much of the season the Spurs have lacked.
Be the first to comment on this story