Best of the West

Are Kobe Bryant's Lakers or Tim Duncan's Spurs the best team in the Western Conference?


There has been lots of roster changes and player movement this off-season as teams gear up for another 82 game season and the shot at a championship. This is a look at some of the teams in the Western Conference and the changes they've made to their rosters in preparation for the upcoming year. Let's start at the top:

Los Angeles Lakers
The defending champs only lost one player (Trevor Ariza) and they signed Ron Artest this off-season. Artest is somewhat of a loose cannon and is very volatile, but Phil Jackson is one of the best coaches in the history of the game and I'm sure he'll find a way to keep Ron-Ron under control. Artest is one of the elite defenders in the league and will be able to guard the other team's best perimeter player, which allows Kobe to rest a little more on defense and use his energy on offense. With most of the squad returning and the addition of Artest, the Lakers look to be early favorites to repeat as champions.

San Antonio Spurs
The Spurs were eliminated in the first round of the playoffs this past season, but they were playing injured. Only one of the Spurs "Big Three" was at full strength during the post season. The Spurs have added two veteran players with loads of playoff experience in preparation for this season. Antonio McDyess is a power forward who can rebound, defend, and hit the mid-range jumper. Richard Jefferson is a very athletic small forward that can score from just about anywhere on the court. If the Spurs can stay healthy, and that's a big if, then they could contend with the Lakers for best record in the West.

Denver Nuggets
Denver finished second in the West behind the Lakers and made it to the Conference Finals before losing to Los Angeles in six games. Denver's roster remains basically the same, with the only loss being Dahntay Jones. The Nuggets acquired Arron Afflalo and drafted Ty Lawson during the off-season. Afflalo is much like Dahntay Jones and will probably have a lot of the responsibilities Jones had, such as defending the opponent's best perimeter player. Lawson is a quick and crafty point guard who should benefit tremendously from playing with Chauncey Billups. All in all, Denver looks to be no better and no worse than a year ago.

Dallas Mavericks
The Mavericks were the six seed in last years playoffs and knocked out the injury riddled Spurs in the first round. Along with re-signing Jason Kidd, the Mavs signed Shawn Marion over the summer. Marion is a small forward with great athleticism and even better defense. The Mavs also added Drew Gooden, a veteran power forward who can score inside. If Dirk Nowitzki is his usual self, Josh Howard can stay in the lineup, and Marion clicks in the Dallas offense, then the Mavericks should be much improved from a year ago.

I know I haven't mentioned a lot of teams in the West, but that's because I don't think they have a legitimate shot at being the Western Conference champs. Check back in a few days for a quick rundown of the Eastern Conference.

The Newest Buck

There has been plenty of talk about the big names from the NBA draft: Blake Griffin, Stephen Curry, Brandon Jennings, but very little has been said about Jodie Meeks. Meeks was the fifth leading scorer in college basketball before deciding to forego his senior season at Kentucky and enter the NBA. He is a terrific shooter, both coming off of screens and off the dribble, with a quick release and picture perfect technique. The Milwaukee Bucks drafted Jodie Meeks with the 41st overall pick in the draft and in doing so, may have found a diamond in the rough. Meeks outperformed all expectations with his play in the summer league, playing 32.2 minutes per game and averaging 19 points while shooting a pristine 56 percent from the field. After coming off the bench in the first game, Meeks started every game thereafter and continued to impress the Bucks staff. He scored 29 points in the final summer league game and was offered a 3-year contract by the Bucks shortly after. Summer league stats don't count for much once the regular season begins, however. Some of the leading scorers from the league won't get to see much more than the end of the bench this year, but if Meeks can earn some minutes in the Milwaukee rotation and can continue to shoot the lights out, then the former Wildcat may be able to make a name for himself in the NBA.

Calipari's Cats

I know we're still a couple months out from the start of the college basketball season, but I'm so excited about the potential of this particular group of Kentucky Wildcats that I can't wait any longer to give my thoughts on the upcoming campaign. With a new coach at the helm and some of the best young recruits in the nation, this bunch of Cats has the chance to contend for an NCAA championship, which is a far cry from the NIT bid the Wildcats received a year ago. Kentucky has added tons of talent this year, and headlining the group of incoming freshman is John Wall. Wall is a 6-4 point guard with tremendous vision and exceptional playmaker ability, something that was lacking from last year's squad. Also coming to UK are two of the best big men in this years freshman class, DeMarcus Cousins and Daniel Orton. The 6-9 Cousins can be effective inside and out and has a knack for rebounding. Orton is a 6-10 center who is best known for his defensive prowess and ability to clean the glass. Although Orton could stand to improve on his low post offense, he has a nice touch and good range for a big man. Rounding out this group of incredibly talented freshman is Jon Hood, a 6-6 guard from Madisonville. Hood is a very versatile player with the abilities to play either guard position or small forward. This Kentucky team has talent outside of its freshman class as well. Patrick Patterson chose to bypass the NBA draft and return to UK for his junior season and a shot at a title. Kentucky's frontcourt of Patterson, Cousins, Orton, and Stevenson (a shot blocking machine) looks to be one of the best in the nation. Add that frontline to John Wall, Jon Hood, Darius Miller, and Deandre Liggins and you've got one of the most talented teams in all of college basketball. If everyone stays healthy and is able to mesh in Coach Calipari's offense, then this could be the year that Kentucky regains its spot as the top program in the world of college basketball.

John Wall: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v4CbQGBbUOw
DeMarcus Cousins: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PSLHZrRtuWc
Daniel Orton: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cnd9jx4NjLk
Jon Hood: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AmxCCSDV-RE

All Underrated Team

Some players just don't seem to get the credit they deserve, they are overlooked because they aren't flashy or because they're overshadowed by another teammate or maybe because they play for a small market team but whatever the reason, its time they got their due. So here's my all underrated team, its a player at each position who I feel is underrated in one way or another. My only criteria for choosing the team was that the player had to be a starter, that's it. Without further ado, may I present to you my all underrated team:

PG: Jose Calderon, Toronto Raptors
Calderon is pretty much the perfect point guard, he loves to pass, he doesn't turn the ball over, he can shoot the three, and he is automatic if you send him to the line. Check out his stats from the past two seasons, in 07-08 he averaged 11.2 points per game, 8.3 assists, shot 43 % from three, shot 52 % from the field, and shot 91 % from the free throw line. Last season he averaged 12.8 points, 8.9 assists, shot 41 % from three, 50 % from the field, and 98 % from the line. He was first in free throw percentage and first in assist to turnover ratio. Tell me you don't want this guy running your team.

SG: Kevin Martin, Sacramento Kings
Okay, Kevin Martin's shot is not exactly textbook but the guy can practically score at will. He can score inside or outside, he can take you to the rim or he can hit the pull up jumper, and he gets to the line with the best of 'em. He only played 51 games last season but he averaged 24.6 points per game, shooting 42 % from three point territory and 87 % from the charity stripe. Of course he does play for Sacramento which probably has a lot to do with his relative unfamiliarity.

SF: Tayshaun Prince, Detroit Pistons
Tayshaun Prince is the definition of consistency, he is the glue guy that will do a little bit of everything to help his team get the win. He can shoot the three, he can drive, his post up game is lethal (his little lefty hook move is unguardable), he can rebound, he can pass, he can handle the rock, and he will D you up. Prince has never really had a chance to be the star of a team, his Piston teams have always had good players who needed to get touches so the offense never really ran through him. He was a member of the olympic gold medal team in Beijing but he has yet to be invited to an All-Star game.

PF: Al Jefferson, Minnesota Timberwolves
Jefferson was the main piece the T-wolves acquired in the Kevin Garnett deal a couple years ago. Al Jefferson is an absolute beast, to put it simply. In his first year with the Timberwolves he averaged 21 points, 11.1 boards, 1.5 blocks, and shot 50 % from the field. He was only able to play 50 games this past season due to an injury but in those 50 games he averaged 23.1 points, 11 rebounds, 1.7 blocks, and once again shot 50 % from the field. Jefferson is only 24 years old and if he continues to play like this I have no doubt that he will soon become a household name.

C: Al Horford, Atlanta Hawks
Horford may be undersized for the center position at 6-10 but he sure doesn't play like it. He can play both ends of the floor and he will always give 110%, night in and night out. Last season he averaged 11.5 points per game, 9.3 rebounds, and 1.4 blocks while shooting 53 % percent from the field. Horford is a little overshadowed on his Hawks team by the likes of Josh Smith and Joe Johnson (who is just now starting to get the credit he deserves). Al Horford has the skill to be a key part of any team and as far young centers go, you can't get much better than him.

Well there you have it, my all underrated team. I'm sure there are many different opinions on whos underrated but that's all part of the fun, isn't it? Feel free to leave a comment listing your all underrated team.

The Return of Big Ben

Well Piston fans, guess who's coming home. That's right, Ben Wallace has signed a 1-year deal with the Detroit Pistons making him the fifth big man on the roster. I'm sure any Piston fan who remembers the 2004 championship is ecstatic about getting Ben back but let me be the first to warn you that the Pistons are not getting the Ben Wallace of old, they are just getting the old Ben Wallace. Big Ben will not be the player that fans remember from his time in Detroit but that doesn't mean that he can't contribute and be a leader on the team. If Ben is dedicated to the team, as I believe he will be, then the Pistons got a big man who'll grab boards, block shots, and play his heart out every single night. Having Wallace back will also give the Pistons a boost in the locker room. With the off season overhaul of the roster there are really only two veterans on the team, Rip Hamilton and Tayshaun Prince, well now we can add Ben Wallace to that list. Ben has always been a great leader and the young players on the team should learn from his work ethic and determination. There's a bit of a question as to what role Ben's going to play on the team though. I think he can give the Pistons 20 or 25 solid minutes a night but are those going to be minutes as a starter or minutes as a role player? Right now the Pistons starting center is Kwame Brown and I, for one, am all for giving the starting spot back to Big Ben but I'm not sure what new head coach Kuester's plans are. One other question that needs to be raised is what number is Wallace going to wear? All Piston fans are accustomed to seeing Ben wearing the number 3 but Rodney Stuckey has that number as of right now. I'm pretty sure Stuckey would be willing to give Ben the number but the league might not allow it. If the Piston merchandise has already been made with Stuckey's name on the back of the number 3 jersey then the league will not let Stuckey give up his number. Seeing Ben Wallace wearing any other number might take a little getting used to but seeing him in the Piston red and blue will be a welcome sight. Altough there are still some questions left to be answered one thing is for sure, come October the gong of Big Ben will be heard in the Palace once more.