Burns: Western Conference Rankings (SI.com)

[mexicanjunior]

It's early but...

sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2008/writers/marty_burns/08/15/west.rankings/

Western Conference rankings
Marty Burns
We've already evaluated the Eastern Conference based on the offseason moves to this point. Now let's assess the West.

The West has been remarkably quiet so far -- at least among the top clubs. Other than the Rockets (who have acquired Ron Artest from the Kings), no elite team has really made a big move yet. It will be interesting to see if a top contender with tradable assets such as the Lakers or Jazz makes a deal to try to bolster its chances now or whether it stands pat.

At any rate, here's how we see the conference at the moment:

1. Lakers: The defending conference champs have had a mixed summer, re-signing Sasha Vujacic but losing reserve forward Ronny Turiaf (via free agency to Warriors). Turiaf's departure could be a significant blow, as L.A.'s reserve corps played a big role in last season's run to the Finals. The Lakers also lost out in the Artest sweepstakes, meaning Lamar Odom might be back after all. That's not necessarily bad, but it puts more pressure on 20-year-old Andrew Bynum to be a force under the rim next season in his return from a knee injury. Even so, the Lakers still have Kobe Bryant and that's enough to merit keeping them at No. 1 -- at least for now.

2. Rockets: It's tempting to put them ahead of L.A., now that they have Artest to pair with Tracy McGrady and Yao Ming. If Artest behaves, and T-Mac/Yao stay healthy, the Rockets could be that good. Keep in mind, they did post a 22-game winning streak last season. They also signed free agent Brent Barry to bolster their bench (and replace Bobby Jackson, who went to Sacramento in the Artest deal). But until we see how the volatile Artest gets along with his new teammates, we'll slot them here.

3. Hornets: Another legitimate contender for the top spot, they added free-agent forward James Posey (last seen helping the Celtics to the NBA title) to a club that won 56 games a year ago and reached the conference semifinals. Along with Chris Paul, David West, Peja Stojakovic and Tyson Chandler, it should put New Orleans right back near the top of the standings again. But the Hornets are about to lose key reserve Jannero Pargo in free agency, and it remains to be seen how they will handle the pressure of raised expectations next season.

4. Jazz: Their biggest move (outside of selecting center Kostas Koufos in the first round of the draft) has been to acquire veteran point guard Brevin Knight in a trade with the Clippers. Knight should provide quality backup for Deron Williams, but it's not as if he's going to push Utah over the top in the West. Still, the Jazz have a lot of weapons with Williams, Carlos Boozer, Andrei Kirilenko, Mehmet Okur, et al., and they know how to run that Jerry Sloan system. Even if they don't make a major trade, they should be right back in the thick of things.

5. Spurs: Only a fool would count out a team with Tim Duncan, Manu Ginobili and Tony Parker (especially in an odd-numbered year), but there is certainly reason to think San Antonio might slip a bit in 2008-09 -- at least in the regular season. To their aging core the Spurs have added free-agent guard Roger Mason, who is coming off a nice year with the Wizards, and 2005 first-round pick Ian Mahinmi, who averaged 17.1 points and 8.2 rebounds in the D-League last season. They also re-signed Kurt Thomas, and are waiting to see about Michael Finley and Robert Horry, but it looks as if this San Antonio team will be pretty much the same as a season ago -- only a year older.

6. Mavericks: Mark Cuban's team has been surprisingly quiet, with the most buzz being generated by the trade rumors involving Josh Howard. Dallas did reacquire center DeSagana Diop (via free agency from the Nets) and took a flier on former Slam Dunk champion Gerald Green, who finished last season out of the league after the Rockets waived him in March. Of course, the Mavs' big change came on the bench after the season when Rick Carlisle was hired to replace Avery Johnson.

7. Trail Blazers: One of last season's big surprises, the Blazers didn't want to tinker too much with their roster. They added forward Ike Diogu and rookie guard Jerryd Bayless in a trade with the Pacers for Jarrett Jack, and signed Spanish guard Rudy Fernandez, but general manager Kevin Pritchard otherwise pretty much stood pat. With Greg Oden set to join Brandon Roy and LaMarcus Aldridge, Portland appears primed to build on its 41-win campaign and return to the playoffs for the first time in six years.

8. Suns: Like the Mavs, these one-time top title contenders are hoping a new coach (Terry Porter) can find a way to incorporate a big-name star (Shaquille O'Neal) and earn some kind of payoff for last season's big midseason blockbuster trade. But also like the Mavs, the Suns haven't done much this summer to add pieces. Matt Barnes comes over from the Warriors to provide scoring off the bench, big man Robin Lopez was drafted to help add toughness and the Suns are working on signing second-round pick Goran Dragic of the Spanish league to back up Steve Nash. With a new coach, an aging Shaq and a slowing Nash, the Suns could be in for a fall.

9. Nuggets: After yet another first-round playoff ouster, it's no surprise that they might take steps to break it down and start over. GM Mark Warkentien seems to be paving the road for a big trade, perhaps next year. It's the only way to explain the giveaway trade of Marcus Camby to the Clippers while adding only role players Renaldo Balkman (trade with Knicks) and Chris (Birdman)Andersen (free agent). The Nuggets will still be competitive this season with Carmelo Anthony, Allen Iverson and Kenyon Martin, but they also might implode.

10. Clippers: No team has been more active in the offseason. Gone are leading scorers Elton Brand (Sixers) and Corey Maggette (Warriors). In their place are free-agent signees Baron Davis (formerly of the Warriors), Ricky Davis (Heat), Jason Williams (Heat) and Brian Skinner (Suns), as well as Camby. The Clippers probably still won't be good enough to make the playoffs, but they will be fun to watch.

11. Warriors: The sudden departure of Davis to the Clippers left them scrambling, and they settled for signing free agents Maggette and Turiaf. The good news is they also managed to re-sign Monta Ellis, Andris Biedrins and Kelenna Azubuike, while acquiring a decent point guard prospect in former Nets first-round pick Marcus Williams. Don Nelson still has firepower, but the loss of his catalyst Davis appears to be a fatal blow for Golden State's playoff hopes.

12. Kings: The loss of Artest signals they are (wisely) thinking of the future. Bobby Jackson might not be as talented as Artest, but he's a decent backup and a more stable presence in the locker room. President Geoff Petrie also re-signed point guard Beno Udrih, one of their few bright spots from a year ago. Along with Kevin Martin, Francisco Garcia, Spencer Hawes and John Salmons, in addition to 2008 first-round pick Jason Thompson, the Kings have put together a young nucleus that as it develops will get them back in the playoff race.

13. Timberwolves: Mike Miller (formerly of the Grizzlies) and rookie forward Kevin Love headline the big offseason changes. Beleaguered team vice president Kevin McHale also picked up a future No. 1 pick and cash, as well as reserves Rodney Carney and Calvin Booth, from the Sixers without having to give up any bodies in return. The Timberwolves still have a long way to go to get back to respectability, but the presence of the veteran Miller should join with rising star Al Jefferson to at least keep them moving in the right direction.

14. Oklahoma City: They made a huge offseason move, literally, shifting the entire franchise from Seattle to the Plains. On the personnel front, GM Sam Presti brought in veteran forwards Joe Smith and Desmond Mason (via a three-team trade with the Cavaliers and Bucks) for Luke Ridnour and Adrian Griffin. He also added two prospects in first-round picks Russell Westbrook and D.J. White. Smith and Mason (who played collegiately at Oklahoma State) should provide some much-needed leadership to Kevin Durant and Co., but the franchise's debut season in OKC still won't feature a lot of Ws in the standings.

15. Grizzlies: They tried to appease fans still angry over last season's giveaway of Pau Gasol by signing ... Marc Gasol. Pau's 7-foot younger brother, who had been playing professionally in Spain, is actually a solid prospect who should be able to contribute right away. Memphis also obtained rookie guard O.J. Mayo on draft night (in the deal with the Timberwolves for Miller). With Gasol and Mayo joining Mike Conley and Rudy Gay, the Grizzlies have an exciting young core around which to build. But look for more growing pains in '08-09.

This seems pretty fair for the most part...although I wouldn't be suprised to see the Blazers in the top 5 before it is all said and done. The Rockets could implode easily if Artest gets out of tone and the Mcgrady/Yao health problems continue. The Spurs just finished their worst offseason in history...they are done.

[matt51180]

I was hoping Dallas would pull off the J. Ho for Josh Smith trade with the Hawks.