Keon Ellis for the kings is 100% gonna be that 3 and D defensive stopper for the Kings, also, seriously underrating Fox and Keegan's defense. Keegan is arguably the best defender on the team. As for Ellis, he's shot 40+% from three 2 years straight in the G-League, and shot 42% from 3 last season. He's honestly one of the most gifted defenders I've seen in a while. Fox was second in the league in straight up pick pockets, first in steals, and second in deflections. People just don't know this much about the Kings it seems. So you have 3 really strong perimeter defenders in the starting 5, Fox, Keegan, and Ellis, and Sabonis is not a "rim protector" but he is a good post defender. He's underrated on defense.
*I actually think both the Kings & Lakers are super sleepers that could easily be playing in the West Finals. Fox & Sabonis are 2 of my favs to watch play this game. As for the Lakers, well the got unlucky draw with Nuggets but led 70% of that series without there best "Wing Defender" and there best "On-ball Defender" was hurt all year and 60% in the Playoffs. Vando & Gabe Vincent. Coach JJ Reddick will get much more from the 6'11 C.Wood and make a DLo trade to put Lakers into Contenders. The Laker/Kings rivalry will be the best rivalry in the West this season. I also think the Nuggets take step back. And I question both the Thunder & T-Wolves. I would not be stunned if the Kings, Lakers, Suns, and Grizzlies are maybe better than last years top 4 teams*
Rob Dillingham was actually good in Summer League, especially the last game (it was only that his shot wasn't falling the first few games). Also Kyle Anderson was horrific on offense for the Wolves and not much of a playmaker most of this season (seriously declined after that eye injury). Not to mention that the bench players like Troy Brown and Shake Milton who gave us very little and KAT's knee injury late in the season (Wolves are easily 1st in the west if he doesn't get injured). To say the Wolves roster got worse is ridiculous. Tim Bontemps should stick to the eastern conference. Lol!
Don’t forget that they asked rob to be an assist first point guard and he had to learn that, look what happened in the last game when they told him to score first lol. He looked unstoppable!
I stopped listening after no one jumped on him for that. The rookies plus Joe Ingles replacing Slowmo's worst year, is at least staying neutral but has the potential to be better.
@@jeffskinner1873 yeah like don’t forget our players that were hurt last year that didn’t even play, plus with Luka garzas development he should be nice as well
OKC deserves to be in that first tier for sure. But important to remember that they had a roster full of guys that had career years last year and they had almost miraculous health good luck. With just a few weeks left in the season last year their starters had missed a combined 11 games! Chances of everyone again having a career year and getting through a season essentially uninjured again are pretty slim. So I wouldn't be surprised to see some regression in games won.
@@CharlesAshton-x6v SGA in year 5, Dort in year 4, Joe in year three. I repeat, they all had career years. Won't happen again and certainly the injury luck won't happen again.
The issue with Braun is more likely to be an inability to shoot than it is that he won’t be able to keep up on defense. That team got a lot worse from a shooting perspective. They’re going to need MPJ, Murray and Jokic to carry A LOT of water, offensively.
Exactly, though CB is a different kind of defender than KCP. KCP is elite at getting over screens and staying attached to shooters which allowed the Nuggets to be really effective in pick and roll defense and allowed Jokic to play at the level of the screen rather than drop coverage where he's bad. CB is not the screen navigator that KCP is so they will be effected defensively too. Where CB excels is in defending big wings like the LeBrons and Kawhis of the world which KCP was too slight to do.
As a Denver fan I think a lot of people are underestimating Denver and their chance to redeem themselves and get a little bit more healthy I really believe that Jamal will be a lot more healthy this season as he was as opposed to last season all season last season he had a lot of issues and in the playoffs it definitely showed and even through the Olympics but I think he's going to come back stronger now that the summer is getting over and before they get into training camp and it's not just Jamaal but the pickups Dario saric is a lot better than people think he is he's not a game changer Dario but he's definitely good he takes up space and is a big man he definitely can fill the role and do what's needed Russell Westbrook I think even though he's in his his past his prime I think Russell will be a lot better in Denver Than People expect I do I think he'll get a regeneration A Renewed Rejuvenation and he's going to still show that he's got a little something left in the tank for about 2 more years and then the younger guys I think they're going to get a lot better so I think that that will fill out their depth and I think it'll surprise a lot of people so I think they're going to be a lot better than people expect they might even surprised a lot more people and they could possibly redeem themselves and maybe even beat Minnesota back in in a Revenge after beating them the first time @@tompratt7125
🪄✨ Made with SummarizeYT 0:39 - Discussing tax breaks in Northern California. 1:19 - Teams gathering informally in LA. 4:10 - Denver Nuggets' performance in the playoffs. 7:00 - Potential of the Timberwolves with Joker. 13:15 - Oklahoma City Thunder's roster concerns. 16:00 - Impact players in the NBA draft. 23:09 - Lakers' chances with their current team. 27:08 - Lakers' development and potential. 30:29 - Phoenix Suns' chances in the West. 33:07 - Pelicans' center position and trade talks. 37:40 - The Warriors have a higher ceiling than the Lakers but need Steph and Draymond to perform consistently. 39:00 - The Warriors may struggle due to roster limitations and may end up in the play-in tournament. 41:26 - The Kings' Keegan Murray could be a critical piece if he can improve his performance. 43:10 - The Kings need to address their defensive issues and lack of size to improve. 45:02 - The Kings' focus on offense over defense has been a concern for their performance. 46:04 - The Rockets face challenges in managing their young talent and finding a balance in their lineup. 49:00 - The Clippers' success hinges on Kawhi Leonard's performance and staying healthy. 50:40 - The Spurs may struggle to compete in the Western Conference due to their lineup limitations. 1:02:14 - The Rockets have potential but may face challenges in the competitive Western Conference. 1:05:14 - The Jazz and Blazers are expected to compete for playoff spots in the Western Conference.
1:01:51 I think the Sochan move was to teach him and Wemby 2 lessons: 1. How important a point guard is for him and why he shouldn’t bring it up. 2. For Sochan to value just getting to work on defense and fill space on offense. Hopefully he worked on his shot this Summer as well to help space the floor.
OKC will have a great regular season as a young team, but i dont have them over Tims Mavs and Nuggets. Those teams are stronger and more reliable then the OKC's others ( Not including Shai). I dont see the OCK betting any of those teams in a 7 game series sorry
Nuggets still have yet to beat a 50 win team in a regular postseason. They beat the Clippers (who were on 50 win pace if you adjust for a 82 game season) in the bubble. But, they are far from reliable in the playoffs. Every time they face a top tier, elite 50 win team, they get beat out the gate and don't start playing their best ball until they get down by two games, either 1-3 or 0-2. Denver gets way more credit than they deserve after winning a title facing nothing but 40 win teams to win a title, which is an unheard of lack of competition for a championship winner in an 82 game season. They have as much to prove as anyone moving forward.
Clippers arent that bad They added defenders like DJJ, Dunn, Batum. Plus they added KPJ for offense Tier 1: OKC, DAL, MIN Tier 2: MEM, HOU, DEN Tier 3: NO, SAC, PHX, GS, LAL, LAC Tier 4: SAS, UTA, POR
He can, but if you want him to do it in April-July then he needs to have limited stints in Feb-March. He doesn’t have a recovery system in place after the holidays and he gets himself injured (which he typically plays through) that limits him in a 7 game series. Especially games 3-5. 47:00
The Hartenstein signing msy have been partly fir that reason. He's supposed to be a good passer. I was hoping the team would sing a Lowry/CP3, though to help the team with that and maybe help JDub grow into the primary facilitator. Your 2nd/3rd option being your #1 assist guy tends to work best.
Sengun can if he can run the high post in a triangle or ‘12 Spurs like high tempo fast passing offense. I’m concerned Jalen and some of his buddies on the bench may not have the listening skills, or maybe it just doesn’t satiate their highlight reel needs. Who’s to say, but we shall hear. 🤷🏽♂️ 52:55
Suns can't defend better, but the two low turnover point guards they have will limit opponent transition opportunities off of turnovers, which helps with defensive rating. Probably negated in the halfcourt by the fact that Booker is going to be playing small forward though.
They made noise in the playoffs! They made the WCF and last year just played their weakness which is Denver! Lakers like it or not, have 2 top 10 players!
I thought this was actually insulting to the Dallas Mavericks. Mavericks went 22-7 after the trade deadline, a 62-game win pace,, then beat OKC in the playoffs. Granted, Holmgren might improve in his 2nd year, but Gafford and PJ get a full training camp, Lively is likely to improve in his 2nd year, Dallas added frontline defensive depth with Naji, added backcourt defense with Grimes, re-signed Dinwiddie, the 3rd best player on their WCF team from 2-years ago, AND, just as a kicker, signed Klay Thompson. Let's not forget Hardy entering his 3rd year averages 20-5 every 36-minutes, as well. The idea that someone thinks OKC is suddenly better than Dallas because they added a couple of role players in Hartenstein and Caruso, is so absurd its offensive. Insulting.
I don't think anyone assumes Dallas will repeat the kind of success they had last year, and young teams like OKC will often get better simply from experience. Even if OKC didn't add Caruso and Hartenstein, who will be great fits for one of last season's best defensive teams, they'd still be considered contenders simply from having a young core gain experience on the court together. They were the top seed in the West last year and got better.
@@thetramp123the Mavs got that experience as well plus two series. Luka 25. Lively 20. PJ 26. Gafford 26. Hardy 22. Your logic should apply to the Mavs as well
It’s not absurd bro. OKC had addition by subtraction getting rid of Giddey, who was the total opposite of the 3 and D player they needed. They replaced him with arguably the best in the league. They had the skinniest center in the league, they just needed a guy who gives them the flexibility to play big if they need to, and they signed him. J Dub and Chet are going into another year and are incredibly young so they’ll both get better in all likelihood. Meanwhile, the Mavs 2nd and 3rd best offensive players are aging veterans who are what they are and if anything will regress.
Shai's usage shouldn't be a problem. It's not out of line with dominant #1's on championship teams. Also Giddey was moved largely to free up room for JDub and Chet to grow. As the team improves, SGA's usage will likely drop a bit as he should be getting more fastbreak opportunities and open looks from 3 off the team's improved defense and the growth of the other 2 on offense. That said, replacing Giddey's playmaking will be important. If JDub focuses on growing more as a facilitator and Xhet as a rebounder and paint protector, that would be perfect as the 2nd/3rd option. Their scoring will come along naturally.
The Kings will have 55+ wins and will be a Top 3 seed. Ellis also has 0% chance to start if Huerter is 100% healthy. Ellis will be the defensive anchor for the 2nd unit. McLaughlin and McDaniels are 3rd string guys and are past the 10 man rotation so no one else coming off the bench as 2nd unit of Monk, Lyles and Len can play defense well. Fox, Huerter, DeRozan, Murray and Sabonis is the starting lineup with Ellis, Monk, Lyles and Len coming off the bench. Huerter will also get time as the SF when DeRozan is getting rest. If the Kings didn't lose Huerter and/or Monk, Kings wouldve had 49-50 wins. Adding DeRozan definitely gives them 5+ wins from that
So is Ingram leaving the NBA then? Cuz it doesn't seem like any franchise knows the "true" value of him, according to him. 33:30 Says the guy with a terrible attitude and limited bag. Lemme guess, dribble dribble pull-up from 20' over a defenders hand? Then pout on the bench.
1:04:24 I wouldn’t want to see Wemby break 32 mpg. Until he is 20-21. He needs another year of growth before his body catches up with his growth. There’s a reason they weren’t mentioned earlier and it’s not worth a Greg Odem situation for him to get an over use injury in a season like this. I truly hope his lesson this year will simply be patience and timing. If he masters those I think they can win the chip next year.
The Mavericks should be the favorites in the West. They just went to the NBA Finals, and in any playoff matchup with OKC / Timberwolves / Denver have 4 of the 5 best players in the series (Luka, Kyrie, Klay, Lively), and excellent depth off the bench.
A 5 seed who made a run is not going to be favored, sorry. The defending conference champions in the West haven't made it back the next year all decade. Lakers, Suns, Warriors, Nuggets, Mavs.
Wolves have “real questions” about replacing their 8th man who was benched in the playoffs for lack of shooting. A combination of ingles dillingham and TSJ should easily be able to cover that (particularly given they’re better fits with Rudy). It’s insane how big a deal y’all are making this.
He had the biggest impact off the bench and he played a significant role for them when there offense got stagnant, ant was tired and not hitting and Kat got benched. Losing him for nothing was high, and they didn’t add a replacement for him.
Harden clearly isn't the same player like he was before.... he's only averaging 16ppg on poor efficiency, that is not enough alone to carry a team to the playoffs
@@weathersponge5000 u sound like a hater because the heat don’t have any top scorer on their team for how many years and they still find a way to make the playoffs stop the hate
If denver kept KCP they would still be the best team in my opinion but jamal would still have to play better but they didnt so I probably like the mavs thunder and wolves more now but I dont think thunder are clear cut favourites
I wouldnt say that. Rookies are rarely positives their first year and Ingles has looked washed. Slomo always finds a way to play real minutes in the playoffs which shows value
The redundant skill set is only an issue when they have no point guards . Yall always talk about redundant skillsets but forget the mention the skillsets includes to be efficient with or without the ball like all 3 are . Funny how ppl like to spin things when they want be negative
I see 5 teams at top. Okc - they have players tgat fit well and i am pretty sure they gonna win west regular season, but i have a lot concerns about play-offs. They have only one true star that can carry that might be not enough. Den - they have the best player in nba, also they have 4 very good players core that fits well together. On the other hand they lack depth. My guess us that they might rest a bit during regular season to be ready to strike in play-offs. I wouldnt suprise if they finish like 4th or so. Dal - i dont see klay as upgrade over jones unless he will play ray allen role for heat. He was bad last year, hole on defense and even not that good on off. I have no idea how will dal defend with doncic, irving and klay same time.. pho - you cant take out that talent they have. Also they made right moves during summer. On the other hand i just dont think beal fits this team. He just dublicates booker at the worse level. For insane price. Probably someone like d. Jones would be better fit. But again the talent is huge here. Min - it woudnt suprise me if this team would finish at 5th. I am not hyped about edwards. Yes he us very talented but can he be real leader and lead team to real wins? I am not sure yet. Also team lost some key reserve guys. Gober and conley are getting older. Also i am not sure how kat feels and fits at that PF role. Overall i think okc, den, dal and pho if manages to stay healthy fits better together. I also see utah and por as worst teams. Next 8 teams all have their arguments to reach 6th seed. I believe the one that gonna stay the most healthy gonna win. For the end i believe as more or less there will teams that gonna spark and suprise in a positive way. If healthy mem can reach like 4 or even 3 seed. They are young and talented enough. Another team might be the kings. They have a lot of talent too, they are young and most likely gonna be healthy. If derozan gonna fit well they can really suprise.
46:16 speaking of, do y’all think we can convince Adam Silver to do a top 20 playoff bracket instead of East and West? It’s been a necessity since Jordan dismantled the East, and it is high time we get to watch more high quality basketball for longer. Come on no one was watching Knicks-Pacers. Let’s see a playoffs centered around overall numbers regardless of conference. Then you can simply make the schedules based on travel, tv, time, and fit for all parties involved.
I believe Houston will win at least 50 games and finish as the 5th or 6th seed. Why? Even if the seven young guys do not improve at all, they have 40% of Memphis starters from their very successful 22-23 season that is used as the benchmark for arguing Memphis will be contending this season. The bench was Houston's soft spot last season. Adams and Reed were not acquired yet. Tari missed 60, Cam missed 35, and Amen missed 20 games. Landale had to play injured for 3/4 of the season and therefore he was terrible. In January and February when the team struggled, Şengün, FVV and Brooks were either absent or played hurt... Basically, Houston suffered from injuries more than any team not called Memphis and yet improved 19 wins from their previous season. They will win at least 50, and more if a few of their young guys takes a leap.
Nah. Actually nobody in the conference will win 50 games. I think 54 games won the conference last yr. And everyone got better. Houston and Spurs are not easy wins anymore. Every game is a battle unless it's Portland or Jazz. The conference will be won with probably 49 wins
@@thefebo8987 Lebron at 40 years old is a top 10 player at worst and AD has been healthy the last 2 seasons, but you stay stuck in the past lil bro 🤣🤣🤣🤡
@@BabylonGateLAsit down. AD was only healthy this past season. The season before he played 56 games. Sit down and quit pulling false stats outta your rectum.
It really comes down to Dallas, Minnesota, and OKC. Denver is on their way out. Murray is starting to show he isn't the 2nd option and MPJ got away with highway robbery on that contract.
I think it's too early to say that about Murray, I really think his injury is what cost him in the playoffs...This year will be telling for him tho I will admit that
I think Denver is going to surprise a lot of teams they didn't have the greatest off-season that's true but a lot of people are underestimating Dario they're also underestimating Russell Westbrook in his past his Prime and that he still has gas in the tank and I think this change of scenery will be a Rejuvenation and the young guys that they've got they got some young guys that are growing I think that they're going to fill out their depth and I think that even as a fan of their team I think they're going to surprise me because they want Redemption the other thing is Jamal will be a fully percent 100% healthy are they going to chip on the shoulder you put all those factors I think Denver will be a lot better than what they were last year it's not a guarantee because there's no guarantee but I think they could have something to say about it and they make it revenge on Minnesota and there's always that possibility I would still put Dallas as a favor for now in the West
@DeanNicks No idea how Westbrook is gonna help this team. He doesn't fit at all. He won't replace K Pope defensively and he can't stretch the floor. The pieces they added aren't enough to keep up with what the best of the west did this offseason. They fell a bit behind. Maybe they make moves at the deadline this year that gets them back in the running.
@@brianfitzsimmons6074 not true at all now he's past his prime just like James Harden is and those guys but that a lot of times a change of scenery makes a difference and he's still got a little bit of gas left in his tank he's an upgrade Reggie Johnson I liked Reggie but he's not as good as Westbrook Westbrook for a change of scenery I think will make a difference because he's never been happier we were his at I think he might surprise some people same thing with Dario Sarge and the young players coming off the bench I think they're going to be a lot better than people expect and they'll fill that role of that extra depth we have to wait and see but I think there's a good chance they will and if Jamal is healthy all those possibilities are there you are underestimating them trust me they're the kind of thing that wants to redeem themselves
You can tell when they dont really know much about a team ie. The rockets. Nothin that was said made any sense. Sengun is stayin, jalen is stayin unless he plays inconsistently. Also jalen didnt play better without sengun. He actually just played better in general.
The other thing with OKC is yes they got some experience keywords some experience last year and they added yes they got better that's all true on paper we need to see how that jails and how that works together as chemistry but it still doesn't guarantee anything they still need more experience you don't just go through one time and you lose and get a heartbreak and then you come back and go all the way there that doesn't ever happen just it just doesn't teams that do that always get beat know you always go through heartbreak sometimes it's another year or two and sometimes you may never get there
I'm thinking okc is clearly the most talented team and should be the favorite to come out of the west. It just feels like it's their time. They made that huge jump last season and they've gotten better in the off-season
@@MDB465 nah bro okc is definitely more talented and deeper. There is a reason why they are the favorites to come out the west this according to the odds. They have the best roster on paper. Getting Caruso and Hartenstein just made them pretty much the team to beat out there and im not even a thunder fan. The only people who would say the mavs are more talented are mavs fans. Mostly everyone else would say okc is definitely more talented
@@JonathanEvans1977yeah mavs fan here and okc is easily the best roster in the west and 2nd best after Celtics. Only way Dallas win is if Luka is healthy and not playing on a torn meniscus
@@JonathanEvans1977nah no Mavs fans think we are more talented. Gotta be okc haters We know okc is the best roster team in the west but Mavs have the best player
@@JonathanEvans1977 not concerned with odds makers, none of them had the mavs going to the finals and they did, odds makers aren’t the know all be all, what makes them more talented?
Their loss last playoffs was due to a bunch of factors and I'm not sure if any one of these things were at all addressed: lack of 3pt shooting(they lost one of their two best shooters and Jokic seemingly hasn't hit a 3 since the end of the regular season), shaky bench play(best addition was Sariç), Jamal Murray struggling (Olympics play left a lot to be desired), coach and front office seemingly at odds(Zach Lowe's report that things are spicier than normal....in the entire league), and lastly a strategy to beat Jokic was uncovered: have two bigs one that can stand in front of him and another that can contest him with strong perimeter defenders to keep Murray in check. Two teams have that now the Wolves (who beat them including from coming down 20 on the road in a game 7) and OKC. But I guess Jokic is just so good none of that matters 😕
Exactly! They treat Denver like it’s a dynasty lol Never seen a team get this much respect because of an overrated championship! Jokic is great but they haven’t done anything but lose key players on that championship team. Losing KPC is going to be devastating. Plus Murray is hurt and he’s declining. Nuggets shouldn’t be in the top tier at all, I have like 5 teams ahead of them
Jokic is still arguably the best in the world, and although Murray played bad in the playoffs they were a 4th quarter meltdown away from another conference finals. Losing KCP will hurt but Braun is arguably a better defender of larger guards (Ant and Book both cooked KCP, Braun held his own) and he's a better cutter/finisher. KCP easily a better shooter and you can't replace his vet experience. But I doubt the nuggets just fall off a cliff. Still a lock for 50+ wins with Joker.
I can’t wait for Rockets to have a 20W &7L record to kick off the season. And then let’s see how these “NBA experts” shamelessly apologise and change their view on Rockets in public then.
OKC isn’t getting any underdog vibes and Dallas still is. Dallas upgraded several positions, they have the deepest bench in the west. Kai can miss 20 games like he usually does and this Mavs team can still win 55-60 games. Quentin Grimes, Naji Marshall, Spencer Dinwiddie, Klay Thompson are all dudes that are better players than who they replaced. Isiah is good but 8/8/2 isn’t life changing. I like Caruso but I honestly think it’s going to hurt Cason Williams development because they are super similar. They still need a legit playmaker.
Nuggets right now are legitimately a 1 man show. Tier 1 - OKC Dallas Minnesota Tier 2 - Phoenix Denver Memphis Tier 3 - Sacramento Houston Golden St LA Lakers San Antonio Tier 4 - New Orleans LA Clippers
Minnesota needs to add an younger All-Star Guard to pair with Anthony Edwards to make the NBA Finals this season. Mike Conley is a good guard but gets cooked on defense from time to time because of his age. Golden State Warriors need to trade for an All-Star to pair with Steph Curry and Draymond Green.The West is too deep for Steph Curry to have to carry the Warriors the entire season. He's going to get burnt out by March, April. Asking him to be the Top Scorer on the team every game. Lakers need to Blow up their Roster and go young and build for the future. Trade Lebron James & Anthony Davis and try to compete for a Championship in 2026, 2027 , or something. Lakers won't beat OKC, Denver, Minnesota or Dallas in the playoffs even with a healthy Lebron & AD playing in every game.
They laid it out pretty well. The series was closer than 4-2. They added more significant players to more significant holes. They should expect more player development overall. They were the 1 seed. Mavs weren’t necessarily the obvious best team last season, even tho they got to the West. Makes sense to me enough to not be mad about it.
@@MDB465 cmon dawg. Stats aren’t the point. Caruso and Hartenstein fill universal needs, and especially for OKC. They will elevate everyone else on the roster to new heights.
This year or next year, Rockets are going to be better than OKC, and possibly better than Dallas. It's going to be SOOO much harder to get to the finals again this year.
Wolves virtually tied for the one seed w their second best player (KAT) missing the last QUARTER of the season. How many All-Stars were the Thunder and Nuggets missing?
Get real. Murray played 57 games for the Nuggets last year and played hurt in many of the games he did play. He was about 50% in the playoffs and as a result played very poorly v both the Lakers and Wolves. The fact that he hit two game winners v the Lakers masked how limited he was. He shot under 40% from the field and about 25% from 3 throughout the whole playoffs. The guy is fire in the playoffs when healthy. If he had been healthy the Nuggets easily come out of the west last year.
@@stolpk Maybe you don't follow basketball--obviously--but Murray has been one of the greatest playoff performers ever when he's healthy. Who cares about meaningless all star awards? Those awards mean absolutely nothing in terms of winning and especially winning championships. KAT is an all time great in his own laughable mind. He's done jack in the playoffs. Jesus, you Wolves fans are funny. I realize you've watched garbage basketball for decades so I'll cut you some slack.
I think you have to take Chet bc he is the more versatile offensive player but lively is a perfect fit for the Mavs. I’m looking forward to their sophomore seasons
Kyle Anderson wasn't vital imo. He was simply a perfect filler role. he's decent at everything but will never give you anything special outside of some defensive moments. Ingles might not have all those defensive tools but at least he's a threat on the outside so defenders can't just ignore him. Wolves already have the defense to replace him for more offense.
San Antonio Spurs will make the #10 Seed Play-In Tournament but will lose in the game. Los Angeles Clippers will miss the playoffs entirely. Steve Balmer considers trading both Kawhi Leonard and James Harden by Feb, 2025 and gets a young a faster roster for next season (2025 - 2026).
MacMahon is spot on about OKC. Bontemps have some nerve to put that team on their own tier when it's full of newbies. By newbies, I mean the lack of playoff experience. Alex Caruso is the only player that has real playoff experience. Everyone else has less than two max. This also includes the head coach
Coaching in the playoffs is my biggest question mark with them. But after this year with Indiana and the 2021 Hawks I think making the confrence finals can happen due to match ups without much experience. Its making the finals that experience can be the diffrence.
Can someone please breakdown how OKC is the “clear favorite”? They had one more win than the Wolves and DEN in the regular season. Then they beat a Zion less Pelicans and were bounced in the 2nd. DEN at least brought it to game 7 of the 2nd round. OKC has nobody that has won at a high level on their team and they are young and haven’t made a single run yet. I don’t think Caruso and Hartenstein are what’s going to change any of that. DAL and the Wolves should be in the top tier, then DEN and then OKC.
The way you say OKC was "bounced" in the 2nd round is ridiculous...They had game 6 and was down to the wire where a close call at the end cost them that game, so it almost went to game 7...You make is sound like they were swept lol
Okay? and if Wolves played Mavs 2nd round they got outed in 5 so your logic makes no sense based on that? Playoffs are all about matchups and a little bit of luck.
Well they replaced their biggest liability (Josh Giddey), with Caruso, one of the best defenders in the league. And addressed thier biggest weakness (rebounding) with Hartenstein, one of the best role player big men in the league. So yeah... they're better
@anycoveryoulike7510 They're better, but probably not by much save their internal development from their core guys. They should've went more for Caruso, especially if their only other move was to overpay for Another guy who doesn't give you much statistically in Hartenstein.
OKC hasn’t even lost yet. Wolves have been to the playoffs three straight years and lost each of them. Everyone said “they need to lose before they can win”. What about OKC? I feel like they are so overrated.
They’re going to run through the regular season, it’s just a question of if Hartenstein was enough to fix their size concerns and was last year’s playoff experience enough to meaningfully help them this time around. Not worried about SGA, he showed he can rise in the playoffs, it’s everyone else.
@@cmn225 yeah that’s a terrible take. The dude who’s the most consistent player in the NBA and one of the most efficient, that has been 1st team all-NBA the last 2 years and top 5 in MVP voting is overrated.
@@TTVSLIMMG that’s what they said last year, they had us losing to the clippers, definitely OKC (“cause they were the 1st seed”), and DEFINITELY the Timberwolves and we all saw how that went. You better pray Luka not healthy cause that was your only chance last year and the only chance you’ll get next season 😃😃
Watch more ball. Basketball is a game of matchups. Denver would’ve won the finals had they beat wolves. Same can be said for lakers. If they played anybody but the nuggets in playoffs they could probably win a chip
@@CASKET6OY97 I mean they aren't that good that they would practically have secured the ring if they won game 7. Plus they would be exausted playing against dallas, just like twolves were. Luka would have made Joker look like the worst defender you have ever seen. Kyrie would have destroyed Jamal. They aren't that good and they are going to be worse next season
My Rockets are not in a good position right now. They need to trade 2-4 of their good/young players in order to develop 2-4 more good:young players. To have good/young players riding the bench diminishes their value, which is bad for them and the Rockets. I think Green must go first.
No. Whitmore, Eason, and Sheppard are potential HOF'ers, and they're not even considered prime rotation players. Whitmore is the most underrated offensive force in the NBA. Eason's one of the best defenders in the NBA when healthy. Sheppard looks like a young Steph. if you think they need to trade these guys, you don't know what you have. Add in Udoka is one of the best coaches in the NBA, and they're sleeping on this team. Take advantage of it. Enjoy it. I'm not even a Rockets fan, and I'm looking forward to watching them year.
Keon Ellis for the kings is 100% gonna be that 3 and D defensive stopper for the Kings, also, seriously underrating Fox and Keegan's defense. Keegan is arguably the best defender on the team. As for Ellis, he's shot 40+% from three 2 years straight in the G-League, and shot 42% from 3 last season. He's honestly one of the most gifted defenders I've seen in a while. Fox was second in the league in straight up pick pockets, first in steals, and second in deflections. People just don't know this much about the Kings it seems.
So you have 3 really strong perimeter defenders in the starting 5, Fox, Keegan, and Ellis, and Sabonis is not a "rim protector" but he is a good post defender. He's underrated on defense.
Let em keep sleeping
*I actually think both the Kings & Lakers are super sleepers that could easily be playing in the West Finals. Fox & Sabonis are 2 of my favs to watch play this game. As for the Lakers, well the got unlucky draw with Nuggets but led 70% of that series without there best "Wing Defender" and there best "On-ball Defender" was hurt all year and 60% in the Playoffs. Vando & Gabe Vincent. Coach JJ Reddick will get much more from the 6'11 C.Wood and make a DLo trade to put Lakers into Contenders. The Laker/Kings rivalry will be the best rivalry in the West this season. I also think the Nuggets take step back. And I question both the Thunder & T-Wolves. I would not be stunned if the Kings, Lakers, Suns, and Grizzlies are maybe better than last years top 4 teams*
The thing that would worry me if I was a King's fan is the size or lack thereof of the starting lineup.
@@williamroper5422with keon ellis towards the end of last season they had something like the 4th best defense so who cares that they're undersized
@@williamroper5422 This is actually true that's my main concern as well actually.
Rob Dillingham was actually good in Summer League, especially the last game (it was only that his shot wasn't falling the first few games). Also Kyle Anderson was horrific on offense for the Wolves and not much of a playmaker most of this season (seriously declined after that eye injury). Not to mention that the bench players like Troy Brown and Shake Milton who gave us very little and KAT's knee injury late in the season (Wolves are easily 1st in the west if he doesn't get injured). To say the Wolves roster got worse is ridiculous. Tim Bontemps should stick to the eastern conference. Lol!
Don’t forget that they asked rob to be an assist first point guard and he had to learn that, look what happened in the last game when they told him to score first lol. He looked unstoppable!
I stopped listening after no one jumped on him for that. The rookies plus Joe Ingles replacing Slowmo's worst year, is at least staying neutral but has the potential to be better.
Exactly. This episode is another prime example for why I stopped listening. Lost me at- ‘Wolves lost some key pieces’
@@jeffskinner1873 yeah like don’t forget our players that were hurt last year that didn’t even play, plus with Luka garzas development he should be nice as well
@@aximus11When would Garza play he's their 4th center lol
So ready for the season to start it’s gonna be a good one with all these upgraded teams
Except Lakers😂😂😂
Lol...the Lakers being overrated like always. The Rockets are being slept on.
I honestly don’t see how they put us in tier 2 and we were injured last season.
Agree, Rockets are being slept on.
They could very well end up like the Heat in 2023. Or at the very least, get a spot in the playoffs.
Yup kings swept them last year 🤣
OKC deserves to be in that first tier for sure. But important to remember that they had a roster full of guys that had career years last year and they had almost miraculous health good luck. With just a few weeks left in the season last year their starters had missed a combined 11 games! Chances of everyone again having a career year and getting through a season essentially uninjured again are pretty slim. So I wouldn't be surprised to see some regression in games won.
Having a career year in your 1st or 2nd season is pretty easy. It's about as easy as having one in your second or third year.
@@CharlesAshton-x6v SGA in year 5, Dort in year 4, Joe in year three. I repeat, they all had career years. Won't happen again and certainly the injury luck won't happen again.
The conventional NBA way is to overrate young teams and players. OKC will come crashing back down to earth this year
@@pawnography5788 No, not crashing back. Like I said, some regression in games won and a tougher path to winning a championship.
They added one of the best defenders in the league and a good backup center. They’ll be better.
EXACTLY what i needed to finish this essay before my 11am💯
I know, USWB helps me get through all dat tuffness!!!🍆🍆
The issue with Braun is more likely to be an inability to shoot than it is that he won’t be able to keep up on defense. That team got a lot worse from a shooting perspective. They’re going to need MPJ, Murray and Jokic to carry A LOT of water, offensively.
Exactly, though CB is a different kind of defender than KCP. KCP is elite at getting over screens and staying attached to shooters which allowed the Nuggets to be really effective in pick and roll defense and allowed Jokic to play at the level of the screen rather than drop coverage where he's bad. CB is not the screen navigator that KCP is so they will be effected defensively too. Where CB excels is in defending big wings like the LeBrons and Kawhis of the world which KCP was too slight to do.
As a Denver fan I think a lot of people are underestimating Denver and their chance to redeem themselves and get a little bit more healthy I really believe that Jamal will be a lot more healthy this season as he was as opposed to last season all season last season he had a lot of issues and in the playoffs it definitely showed and even through the Olympics but I think he's going to come back stronger now that the summer is getting over and before they get into training camp and it's not just Jamaal but the pickups Dario saric is a lot better than people think he is he's not a game changer Dario but he's definitely good he takes up space and is a big man he definitely can fill the role and do what's needed Russell Westbrook I think even though he's in his his past his prime I think Russell will be a lot better in Denver Than People expect I do I think he'll get a regeneration A Renewed Rejuvenation and he's going to still show that he's got a little something left in the tank for about 2 more years and then the younger guys I think they're going to get a lot better so I think that that will fill out their depth and I think it'll surprise a lot of people so I think they're going to be a lot better than people expect they might even surprised a lot more people and they could possibly redeem themselves and maybe even beat Minnesota back in in a Revenge after beating them the first time @@tompratt7125
Luka is offensively head and shoulders above shai and that makes a huge difference, mavs should be same tier as thunder
Not after that finals appearance lmao
he plays no defense lol i wouldn’t say head and shoulders
Luka might’ve been dealing with injuries but shai was the best offensive player in their series
@@QUARTERBACKYYYYLike shai plays any defense.pj washington was picking shai on offense.
@@stephyfra1243where shai's finals appearance?
🪄✨ Made with SummarizeYT
0:39 - Discussing tax breaks in Northern California.
1:19 - Teams gathering informally in LA.
4:10 - Denver Nuggets' performance in the playoffs.
7:00 - Potential of the Timberwolves with Joker.
13:15 - Oklahoma City Thunder's roster concerns.
16:00 - Impact players in the NBA draft.
23:09 - Lakers' chances with their current team.
27:08 - Lakers' development and potential.
30:29 - Phoenix Suns' chances in the West.
33:07 - Pelicans' center position and trade talks.
37:40 - The Warriors have a higher ceiling than the Lakers but need Steph and Draymond to perform consistently.
39:00 - The Warriors may struggle due to roster limitations and may end up in the play-in tournament.
41:26 - The Kings' Keegan Murray could be a critical piece if he can improve his performance.
43:10 - The Kings need to address their defensive issues and lack of size to improve.
45:02 - The Kings' focus on offense over defense has been a concern for their performance.
46:04 - The Rockets face challenges in managing their young talent and finding a balance in their lineup.
49:00 - The Clippers' success hinges on Kawhi Leonard's performance and staying healthy.
50:40 - The Spurs may struggle to compete in the Western Conference due to their lineup limitations.
1:02:14 - The Rockets have potential but may face challenges in the competitive Western Conference.
1:05:14 - The Jazz and Blazers are expected to compete for playoff spots in the Western Conference.
Regular season or Playoffs? Very different.
1:01:51 I think the Sochan move was to teach him and Wemby 2 lessons:
1. How important a point guard is for him and why he shouldn’t bring it up.
2. For Sochan to value just getting to work on defense and fill space on offense. Hopefully he worked on his shot this Summer as well to help space the floor.
OKC will have a great regular season as a young team, but i dont have them over Tims Mavs and Nuggets. Those teams are stronger and more reliable then the OKC's others ( Not including Shai). I dont see the OCK betting any of those teams in a 7 game series sorry
Idk? Remember the 94 Nuggets beating the Sonics in the 1st round?
Nuggets still have yet to beat a 50 win team in a regular postseason. They beat the Clippers (who were on 50 win pace if you adjust for a 82 game season) in the bubble. But, they are far from reliable in the playoffs.
Every time they face a top tier, elite 50 win team, they get beat out the gate and don't start playing their best ball until they get down by two games, either 1-3 or 0-2.
Denver gets way more credit than they deserve after winning a title facing nothing but 40 win teams to win a title, which is an unheard of lack of competition for a championship winner in an 82 game season. They have as much to prove as anyone moving forward.
Al those teams got worse 😂 OKC addressed their weaknesses
A shame people are so low on the Rockets
Boy ... the Kings are going to be 2nd teir for all 3 of you at the end of the season. It startled me that only one of you had them in that teir.
Kings and Pelicans are the 2 most intereating teams to keep an eye on in the West
My top tier - Thunder, Mavs & Wolves.
My 2nd tier - Suns, Grizzlies, Nuggets, Pelicans & Kings.
My 3rd tier - Warriors, Spurs, Rockets & Lakers.
My 4th tier - Clippers, Jazz & Blazers.
Clippers arent that bad
They added defenders like DJJ, Dunn, Batum. Plus they added KPJ for offense
Tier 1: OKC, DAL, MIN
Tier 2: MEM, HOU, DEN
Tier 3: NO, SAC, PHX, GS, LAL, LAC
Tier 4: SAS, UTA, POR
@@americanified101I agree with all but Houston. They're 3rd tier at best
you dont know ball
He can, but if you want him to do it in April-July then he needs to have limited stints in Feb-March. He doesn’t have a recovery system in place after the holidays and he gets himself injured (which he typically plays through) that limits him in a 7 game series. Especially games 3-5. 47:00
Classic bontemps: when talking about the Lakers, the final standings os what matters, when warriors it is the w/l gap that matters lol
Bontemps speaks in circles 😮💨
I know okc added defense but did they lose any offense by losing Giddy? If so, is that something they need to address?
The Hartenstein signing msy have been partly fir that reason. He's supposed to be a good passer.
I was hoping the team would sing a Lowry/CP3, though to help the team with that and maybe help JDub grow into the primary facilitator. Your 2nd/3rd option being your #1 assist guy tends to work best.
Sengun can if he can run the high post in a triangle or ‘12 Spurs like high tempo fast passing offense. I’m concerned Jalen and some of his buddies on the bench may not have the listening skills, or maybe it just doesn’t satiate their highlight reel needs. Who’s to say, but we shall hear. 🤷🏽♂️
52:55
51:25 Is Sengun our 5 now?
Suns can't defend better, but the two low turnover point guards they have will limit opponent transition opportunities off of turnovers, which helps with defensive rating. Probably negated in the halfcourt by the fact that Booker is going to be playing small forward though.
Top tier-OKC Mavs Denver
2nd-Wolves Suns Grizzlies Kings
3rd- Pelicans Lakers
4th-LAC Warriors Rockets
LeBron and AD were top 10 guys the last few years and still they did not make any noise in the playoffs
They made noise in the playoffs! They made the WCF and last year just played their weakness which is Denver! Lakers like it or not, have 2 top 10 players!
Who is coming up this year? 59:26
I thought this was actually insulting to the Dallas Mavericks. Mavericks went 22-7 after the trade deadline, a 62-game win pace,, then beat OKC in the playoffs. Granted, Holmgren might improve in his 2nd year, but Gafford and PJ get a full training camp, Lively is likely to improve in his 2nd year, Dallas added frontline defensive depth with Naji, added backcourt defense with Grimes, re-signed Dinwiddie, the 3rd best player on their WCF team from 2-years ago, AND, just as a kicker, signed Klay Thompson. Let's not forget Hardy entering his 3rd year averages 20-5 every 36-minutes, as well. The idea that someone thinks OKC is suddenly better than Dallas because they added a couple of role players in Hartenstein and Caruso, is so absurd its offensive. Insulting.
I don't think anyone assumes Dallas will repeat the kind of success they had last year, and young teams like OKC will often get better simply from experience. Even if OKC didn't add Caruso and Hartenstein, who will be great fits for one of last season's best defensive teams, they'd still be considered contenders simply from having a young core gain experience on the court together. They were the top seed in the West last year and got better.
@@thetramp123the Mavs got that experience as well plus two series. Luka 25. Lively 20. PJ 26. Gafford 26. Hardy 22. Your logic should apply to the Mavs as well
It’s not absurd bro. OKC had addition by subtraction getting rid of Giddey, who was the total opposite of the 3 and D player they needed. They replaced him with arguably the best in the league. They had the skinniest center in the league, they just needed a guy who gives them the flexibility to play big if they need to, and they signed him. J Dub and Chet are going into another year and are incredibly young so they’ll both get better in all likelihood. Meanwhile, the Mavs 2nd and 3rd best offensive players are aging veterans who are what they are and if anything will regress.
@@samnewman9029Kyrie 32, Klay 34. The 2nd and 3rd best players who you conveniently left off?
@@samnewman9029of the young players you mentioned that the Mavs have outside of Luka, Lively is the best and he isn’t better than Chet or J Dub.
Came here to say, shout out the Tims
F Bontemps and his bias towards Boston and Philly!
@@BabylonGateLA i have a strong dislike for bontemps hes such a homer
Lakers are more likely 11th then top 6 🤷♂️
Been saying that
SGA'S usage is going to be a problem moving forward. Can he take a step back offensively to allow Chet and JW to develop?
Shai's usage shouldn't be a problem. It's not out of line with dominant #1's on championship teams. Also Giddey was moved largely to free up room for JDub and Chet to grow. As the team improves, SGA's usage will likely drop a bit as he should be getting more fastbreak opportunities and open looks from 3 off the team's improved defense and the growth of the other 2 on offense.
That said, replacing Giddey's playmaking will be important. If JDub focuses on growing more as a facilitator and Xhet as a rebounder and paint protector, that would be perfect as the 2nd/3rd option. Their scoring will come along naturally.
The Kings will have 55+ wins and will be a Top 3 seed. Ellis also has 0% chance to start if Huerter is 100% healthy. Ellis will be the defensive anchor for the 2nd unit. McLaughlin and McDaniels are 3rd string guys and are past the 10 man rotation so no one else coming off the bench as 2nd unit of Monk, Lyles and Len can play defense well. Fox, Huerter, DeRozan, Murray and Sabonis is the starting lineup with Ellis, Monk, Lyles and Len coming off the bench. Huerter will also get time as the SF when DeRozan is getting rest. If the Kings didn't lose Huerter and/or Monk, Kings wouldve had 49-50 wins. Adding DeRozan definitely gives them 5+ wins from that
So is Ingram leaving the NBA then?
Cuz it doesn't seem like any franchise knows the "true" value of him, according to him. 33:30 Says the guy with a terrible attitude and limited bag. Lemme guess, dribble dribble pull-up from 20' over a defenders hand? Then pout on the bench.
so ready for us to trade him
1:04:24 I wouldn’t want to see Wemby break 32 mpg. Until he is 20-21. He needs another year of growth before his body catches up with his growth. There’s a reason they weren’t mentioned earlier and it’s not worth a Greg Odem situation for him to get an over use injury in a season like this.
I truly hope his lesson this year will simply be patience and timing. If he masters those I think they can win the chip next year.
The Mavericks should be the favorites in the West. They just went to the NBA Finals, and in any playoff matchup with OKC / Timberwolves / Denver have 4 of the 5 best players in the series (Luka, Kyrie, Klay, Lively), and excellent depth off the bench.
This
Throw in Dinwiddie, PJ and Gafford will make more noise now he’ll know his role better, he made a lot of mistakes last season.
Agree 100%
The finals team that didn’t need homecourt in the West playoffs got alot better,deeper,and healthier
A 5 seed who made a run is not going to be favored, sorry. The defending conference champions in the West haven't made it back the next year all decade. Lakers, Suns, Warriors, Nuggets, Mavs.
klay is bricks
Wolves have “real questions” about replacing their 8th man who was benched in the playoffs for lack of shooting. A combination of ingles dillingham and TSJ should easily be able to cover that (particularly given they’re better fits with Rudy). It’s insane how big a deal y’all are making this.
In a competitive western conference, Rockets could realistically beat Suns, Lakers, Clippers, Grizzlies, Warriors and/or Kings in the ranking
putting rockets and spurs to the same tier is criminal
Who did the Wolves lose? Kyle Anderson? There's no shot losing the 8th man on the roster should be considered a 'significant loss'
He was kind of their floor general though when Conley wasn't on the floor.
@@brianfitzsimmons6074 He was, but his complete inability to shoot hurt the offense more than his floor general organizing helped it.
@@brianfitzsimmons6074 the on/off with Conley was eye opening.
He had the biggest impact off the bench and he played a significant role for them when there offense got stagnant, ant was tired and not hitting and Kat got benched. Losing him for nothing was high, and they didn’t add a replacement for him.
Bro said clippers can end up in a 10 seed when was the last time harden didn’t take his team to the playoffs? And im a lakers fan
It’s going to happen eventually, and it could be this year.
Harden clearly isn't the same player like he was before.... he's only averaging 16ppg on poor efficiency, that is not enough alone to carry a team to the playoffs
Harden is the 3rd best player on the team, he wasnt carrying them last season
@@weathersponge5000 u sound like a hater because the heat don’t have any top scorer on their team for how many years and they still find a way to make the playoffs stop the hate
If denver kept KCP they would still be the best team in my opinion but jamal would still have to play better but they didnt so I probably like the mavs thunder and wolves more now but I dont think thunder are clear cut favourites
This episode is a testament to why every man needs to grow facial hair.
Dillingham + TSJ + Ingles is a HUGE improvement from Slomo. Let's be real here people.
I wouldnt say that. Rookies are rarely positives their first year and Ingles has looked washed. Slomo always finds a way to play real minutes in the playoffs which shows value
Maybe, maybe not
Slomo was the best Luka defender for the Wolves
No it isn’t. It’s an offensive upgrade. It’s a major, major defensive downgrade. None of these 3 can guard a paper bag.
Leadership wise absolutely not. He was a general on the floor for the Wolves.
Beal has missed 102 games in the past three sessions.
And, even when he's healthy, his skillset is largely redundant with KD and Booker out there, unless he's gonna anchor the bench.
The redundant skill set is only an issue when they have no point guards . Yall always talk about redundant skillsets but forget the mention the skillsets includes to be efficient with or without the ball like all 3 are . Funny how ppl like to spin things when they want be negative
I see 5 teams at top. Okc - they have players tgat fit well and i am pretty sure they gonna win west regular season, but i have a lot concerns about play-offs. They have only one true star that can carry that might be not enough. Den - they have the best player in nba, also they have 4 very good players core that fits well together. On the other hand they lack depth. My guess us that they might rest a bit during regular season to be ready to strike in play-offs. I wouldnt suprise if they finish like 4th or so. Dal - i dont see klay as upgrade over jones unless he will play ray allen role for heat. He was bad last year, hole on defense and even not that good on off. I have no idea how will dal defend with doncic, irving and klay same time.. pho - you cant take out that talent they have. Also they made right moves during summer. On the other hand i just dont think beal fits this team. He just dublicates booker at the worse level. For insane price. Probably someone like d. Jones would be better fit. But again the talent is huge here. Min - it woudnt suprise me if this team would finish at 5th. I am not hyped about edwards. Yes he us very talented but can he be real leader and lead team to real wins? I am not sure yet. Also team lost some key reserve guys. Gober and conley are getting older. Also i am not sure how kat feels and fits at that PF role. Overall i think okc, den, dal and pho if manages to stay healthy fits better together. I also see utah and por as worst teams. Next 8 teams all have their arguments to reach 6th seed. I believe the one that gonna stay the most healthy gonna win. For the end i believe as more or less there will teams that gonna spark and suprise in a positive way. If healthy mem can reach like 4 or even 3 seed. They are young and talented enough. Another team might be the kings. They have a lot of talent too, they are young and most likely gonna be healthy. If derozan gonna fit well they can really suprise.
Sleeeeping on the rockets
46:16 speaking of, do y’all think we can convince Adam Silver to do a top 20 playoff bracket instead of East and West?
It’s been a necessity since Jordan dismantled the East, and it is high time we get to watch more high quality basketball for longer. Come on no one was watching Knicks-Pacers. Let’s see a playoffs centered around overall numbers regardless of conference. Then you can simply make the schedules based on travel, tv, time, and fit for all parties involved.
Don’t even gotta watch to know Sacramento the biggest western conference sleeper. Light the beam
I believe Houston will win at least 50 games and finish as the 5th or 6th seed. Why? Even if the seven young guys do not improve at all, they have 40% of Memphis starters from their very successful 22-23 season that is used as the benchmark for arguing Memphis will be contending this season. The bench was Houston's soft spot last season. Adams and Reed were not acquired yet. Tari missed 60, Cam missed 35, and Amen missed 20 games. Landale had to play injured for 3/4 of the season and therefore he was terrible. In January and February when the team struggled, Şengün, FVV and Brooks were either absent or played hurt... Basically, Houston suffered from injuries more than any team not called Memphis and yet improved 19 wins from their previous season. They will win at least 50, and more if a few of their young guys takes a leap.
Nah. Actually nobody in the conference will win 50 games. I think 54 games won the conference last yr. And everyone got better. Houston and Spurs are not easy wins anymore. Every game is a battle unless it's Portland or Jazz. The conference will be won with probably 49 wins
Warriors and Lakers should be in the same tier
Lakers have 2 top 10 players!
@@BabylonGateLA not really. AD often get injuries and Lebron is 40 years old.
@@thefebo8987 Lebron at 40 years old is a top 10 player at worst and AD has been healthy the last 2 seasons, but you stay stuck in the past lil bro 🤣🤣🤣🤡
@@BabylonGateLAsit down. AD was only healthy this past season. The season before he played 56 games. Sit down and quit pulling false stats outta your rectum.
@@BabylonGateLAlakers can’t even beat Sacramento
1. Mavs Celtics
2. Thunder Knicks
3. Wolves 76ers
4. Nuggets Bucks
5. Suns Magic
6. Kings Cavs
7. Rockets Pacers
8. Pelicans Heat
9. Grizzlies Hawks
10. Warriors Hornets
11. Lakers Raptors
12. Spurs Bulls
13. Clippers Pistons
14. Jazz Nets
15. Blazers Wizards
I’m curious why you got Warriors over Lakers?
It really comes down to Dallas, Minnesota, and OKC. Denver is on their way out. Murray is starting to show he isn't the 2nd option and MPJ got away with highway robbery on that contract.
I think it's too early to say that about Murray, I really think his injury is what cost him in the playoffs...This year will be telling for him tho I will admit that
I think Denver is going to surprise a lot of teams they didn't have the greatest off-season that's true but a lot of people are underestimating Dario they're also underestimating Russell Westbrook in his past his Prime and that he still has gas in the tank and I think this change of scenery will be a Rejuvenation and the young guys that they've got they got some young guys that are growing I think that they're going to fill out their depth and I think that even as a fan of their team I think they're going to surprise me because they want Redemption the other thing is Jamal will be a fully percent 100% healthy are they going to chip on the shoulder you put all those factors I think Denver will be a lot better than what they were last year it's not a guarantee because there's no guarantee but I think they could have something to say about it and they make it revenge on Minnesota and there's always that possibility I would still put Dallas as a favor for now in the West
@@jesseswarbrick7895 He looked terrible in the Olympics too
@DeanNicks No idea how Westbrook is gonna help this team. He doesn't fit at all. He won't replace K Pope defensively and he can't stretch the floor. The pieces they added aren't enough to keep up with what the best of the west did this offseason. They fell a bit behind. Maybe they make moves at the deadline this year that gets them back in the running.
@@brianfitzsimmons6074 not true at all now he's past his prime just like James Harden is and those guys but that a lot of times a change of scenery makes a difference and he's still got a little bit of gas left in his tank he's an upgrade Reggie Johnson I liked Reggie but he's not as good as Westbrook Westbrook for a change of scenery I think will make a difference because he's never been happier we were his at I think he might surprise some people same thing with Dario Sarge and the young players coming off the bench I think they're going to be a lot better than people expect and they'll fill that role of that extra depth we have to wait and see but I think there's a good chance they will and if Jamal is healthy all those possibilities are there you are underestimating them trust me they're the kind of thing that wants to redeem themselves
Would love to see Zach Lavine on the rockets or spurs
Steph Curry for Jalen Green and some picks?🤔 58:38
I would put okc and Dallas in the first tire alone then Denver and wolves after that.
You can tell when they dont really know much about a team ie. The rockets. Nothin that was said made any sense. Sengun is stayin, jalen is stayin unless he plays inconsistently. Also jalen didnt play better without sengun. He actually just played better in general.
The other thing with OKC is yes they got some experience keywords some experience last year and they added yes they got better that's all true on paper we need to see how that jails and how that works together as chemistry but it still doesn't guarantee anything they still need more experience you don't just go through one time and you lose and get a heartbreak and then you come back and go all the way there that doesn't ever happen just it just doesn't teams that do that always get beat know you always go through heartbreak sometimes it's another year or two and sometimes you may never get there
I'm thinking okc is clearly the most talented team and should be the favorite to come out of the west. It just feels like it's their time. They made that huge jump last season and they've gotten better in the off-season
Mavs are the most talented team, put the rosters side by side and consider depth and the quality of that depth
@@MDB465 nah bro okc is definitely more talented and deeper. There is a reason why they are the favorites to come out the west this according to the odds. They have the best roster on paper. Getting Caruso and Hartenstein just made them pretty much the team to beat out there and im not even a thunder fan. The only people who would say the mavs are more talented are mavs fans. Mostly everyone else would say okc is definitely more talented
@@JonathanEvans1977yeah mavs fan here and okc is easily the best roster in the west and 2nd best after Celtics. Only way Dallas win is if Luka is healthy and not playing on a torn meniscus
@@JonathanEvans1977nah no Mavs fans think we are more talented. Gotta be okc haters
We know okc is the best roster team in the west but Mavs have the best player
@@JonathanEvans1977 not concerned with odds makers, none of them had the mavs going to the finals and they did, odds makers aren’t the know all be all, what makes them more talented?
Nuggets in tier 1 is wild
Their loss last playoffs was due to a bunch of factors and I'm not sure if any one of these things were at all addressed: lack of 3pt shooting(they lost one of their two best shooters and Jokic seemingly hasn't hit a 3 since the end of the regular season), shaky bench play(best addition was Sariç), Jamal Murray struggling (Olympics play left a lot to be desired), coach and front office seemingly at odds(Zach Lowe's report that things are spicier than normal....in the entire league), and lastly a strategy to beat Jokic was uncovered: have two bigs one that can stand in front of him and another that can contest him with strong perimeter defenders to keep Murray in check. Two teams have that now the Wolves (who beat them including from coming down 20 on the road in a game 7) and OKC. But I guess Jokic is just so good none of that matters 😕
@@uwannasee_greatnessCeltics in 5 bro doesn’t matter the team
Exactly! They treat Denver like it’s a dynasty lol
Never seen a team get this much respect because of an overrated championship!
Jokic is great but they haven’t done anything but lose key players on that championship team. Losing KPC is going to be devastating. Plus Murray is hurt and he’s declining.
Nuggets shouldn’t be in the top tier at all, I have like 5 teams ahead of them
Jokic is still arguably the best in the world, and although Murray played bad in the playoffs they were a 4th quarter meltdown away from another conference finals.
Losing KCP will hurt but Braun is arguably a better defender of larger guards (Ant and Book both cooked KCP, Braun held his own) and he's a better cutter/finisher. KCP easily a better shooter and you can't replace his vet experience. But I doubt the nuggets just fall off a cliff. Still a lock for 50+ wins with Joker.
@@jaysmith4357 We will see. Most of the times, the best player itw will find a way
Kings will be in the top 3 in the West. Keep sleeping on them.
I can’t wait for Rockets to have a 20W &7L record to kick off the season. And then let’s see how these “NBA experts” shamelessly apologise and change their view on Rockets in public then.
Knicks should be first in line trying to get Robert Williams if he's healthy
If Reddick hits, Lakers are dangerous. Theyre always competitive regardless of end result. OKC Mavs nuggets, guaranteed someone regresses.
OKC isn’t getting any underdog vibes and Dallas still is.
Dallas upgraded several positions, they have the deepest bench in the west. Kai can miss 20 games like he usually does and this Mavs team can still win 55-60 games.
Quentin Grimes, Naji Marshall, Spencer Dinwiddie, Klay Thompson are all dudes that are better players than who they replaced. Isiah is good but 8/8/2 isn’t life changing. I like Caruso but I honestly think it’s going to hurt Cason Williams development because they are super similar. They still need a legit playmaker.
JDUB and Chet will take a leap, IHart addressed their rebounding/facing a big issues, and replacing Giddey with Caruso? Ggs
That Ozempic treating brian good
That was just him eating real food in France for the Olympics now he's back in America in 2 weeks he'll be back to normal
@@jimmyjohns7866looks like a drug. His face is as red as the Hoop Collective border trim
@@jimmyjohns7866 looks like a drug. His face is almost as red as the hoop collective border trim
@@jimmyjohns7866it’s ozempic
You would be amazed how bad American food is compared to food from Europe! They killing you with food in the US 😂😂
Regular season power rankings
- wolves okc grizzlies Denver
- pelicans suns Mavs warriors lakers kings
- Clippers rockets
- jazz spurs blazers
RS + playoffs power rankings:
- wolves nuggets grizzlies suns
- okc pelicans Mavs
- Lakers warriors
- kings Clippers
-rockets spurs
-blazers
-jazz
Suns fan found
@@pawnography5788 not at all
Not even a KD fan, nor booker's really
My team is the la Lakers (and I know bron is the best ever etc)
@@firuBR what argument is for them above OKC or the Mavs?
I feel Windhorst with 3 tiers
Nuggets right now are legitimately a 1 man show.
Tier 1 - OKC Dallas Minnesota
Tier 2 - Phoenix Denver Memphis
Tier 3 - Sacramento Houston Golden St LA Lakers San Antonio
Tier 4 - New Orleans LA Clippers
New Orleans being in your tier 4 is crazy. Regardless if Ingram plays, they got Murray and ascending forwards Herb and Trey Murphy.
I would have New Orleans at least in tier 3, maybe even tier 2. If anything, I would put the Warriors in tier 4 and the Pelicans in tier 3.
@@Shortballa11 No Centers. The west has very good bigs. If you can’t rebound or defend the paint that’s a major problem.
you buggin out...NO is better than every team in tier 3 only one you could argue is LA and how the hell are PHX & MEM tier 2?
@@cmn225 who’s New Orleans Center? Phoenix is the same as last year. Memphis has Ja back.
The lakers have 0 chance. They were the 8 seed when Lebron and AD played basically an entire season. The rest of the roster is awful.
Bontemps was right. AD/Bron played last year and they were 8th. Their roster stayed the same, they are maybe 9th this year.
Minnesota needs to add an younger All-Star Guard to pair with Anthony Edwards to make the NBA Finals this season. Mike Conley is a good guard but gets cooked on defense from time to time because of his age. Golden State Warriors need to trade for an All-Star to pair with Steph Curry and Draymond Green.The West is too deep for Steph Curry to have to carry the Warriors the entire season. He's going to get burnt out by March, April. Asking him to be the Top Scorer on the team every game. Lakers need to Blow up their Roster and go young and build for the future. Trade Lebron James & Anthony Davis and try to compete for a Championship in 2026, 2027 , or something. Lakers won't beat OKC, Denver, Minnesota or Dallas in the playoffs even with a healthy Lebron & AD playing in every game.
Man, the love for the Lakers. You're counting on 39 year old Lebron and Street Clothes to stay healthy, lol?
The hate for the Lakers 😂😂😂 Street Clothes have been healthy the last 2 seasons and a top 10 player! The Queens have such small D fans 😂😂😂
The only thing stopping the thunder from winning the west would be injuries. If they get to the playoffs healthy they running through the west.
They couldn't beat Dallas with injured Luka they aren't going to beat Dallas with healthy Luka.
OKC in a tier by themselves? How if the team that knocked you out 4-2 and went on to the finals got better as well.
They laid it out pretty well.
The series was closer than 4-2.
They added more significant players to more significant holes.
They should expect more player development overall.
They were the 1 seed.
Mavs weren’t necessarily the obvious best team last season, even tho they got to the West.
Makes sense to me enough to not be mad about it.
I agree. The Wolves and DAL should be in the top tier.
@@Colinkrauss1 huh? The center averaged like 7 points and like 5-7 rebounds and Caruso is just a good defender… yall trippin
@@MDB465 cmon dawg. Stats aren’t the point. Caruso and Hartenstein fill universal needs, and especially for OKC. They will elevate everyone else on the roster to new heights.
@@Colinkrauss1 and Dinwiddie, Klay, Naji Marshall and Quintin Grimes won’t?
Rockets disrespect
This year or next year, Rockets are going to be better than OKC, and possibly better than Dallas. It's going to be SOOO much harder to get to the finals again this year.
Wolves virtually tied for the one seed w their second best player (KAT) missing the last QUARTER of the season. How many All-Stars were the Thunder and Nuggets missing?
Get real. Murray played 57 games for the Nuggets last year and played hurt in many of the games he did play. He was about 50% in the playoffs and as a result played very poorly v both the Lakers and Wolves. The fact that he hit two game winners v the Lakers masked how limited he was. He shot under 40% from the field and about 25% from 3 throughout the whole playoffs. The guy is fire in the playoffs when healthy. If he had been healthy the Nuggets easily come out of the west last year.
@@tompratt7125 KAT had surgery a month before the playoffs. Did Jamal Murray?
@@tompratt7125 he said all-stars, Jamal Murray has never been an all-star.
@@williamyankosky7773 And he was fully healthy in the playoffs which Murray wasn't. I mean, I realize you're a homer but come on.
@@stolpk Maybe you don't follow basketball--obviously--but Murray has been one of the greatest playoff performers ever when he's healthy. Who cares about meaningless all star awards? Those awards mean absolutely nothing in terms of winning and especially winning championships. KAT is an all time great in his own laughable mind. He's done jack in the playoffs. Jesus, you Wolves fans are funny. I realize you've watched garbage basketball for decades so I'll cut you some slack.
Tier 2: Suns Pelicans Kings
Who would you take Derrick Lively or Chet Holmgrem? I am fan of Chet, but I think this is a decent question.
I think you have to take Chet bc he is the more versatile offensive player but lively is a perfect fit for the Mavs. I’m looking forward to their sophomore seasons
ask wemby!
The time lord corner replaced the cavs corner
Kyle Anderson wasn't vital imo. He was simply a perfect filler role. he's decent at everything but will never give you anything special outside of some defensive moments. Ingles might not have all those defensive tools but at least he's a threat on the outside so defenders can't just ignore him. Wolves already have the defense to replace him for more offense.
Rockets gonna kick off the new season like a bucket of ice water pouring on these “NBA experts”.’s faces. Welcome to the era of Rockets, folks!
Lakers did nothing this offseason season but are in tier 2😂😂😂?
San Antonio Spurs will make the #10 Seed Play-In Tournament but will lose in the game. Los Angeles Clippers will miss the playoffs entirely. Steve Balmer considers trading both Kawhi Leonard and
James Harden by Feb, 2025 and gets a young a faster roster for next season (2025 - 2026).
MacMahon is spot on about OKC. Bontemps have some nerve to put that team on their own tier when it's full of newbies. By newbies, I mean the lack of playoff experience. Alex Caruso is the only player that has real playoff experience. Everyone else has less than two max. This also includes the head coach
They have such a complete long starting five though, especially if Isiah does the dirty work like he did with the Knicks.
Coaching in the playoffs is my biggest question mark with them. But after this year with Indiana and the 2021 Hawks I think making the confrence finals can happen due to match ups without much experience. Its making the finals that experience can be the diffrence.
“The survey said so”
Before clicking on it I airway know there’s gonna be laker hate and that one dude is gonna say the lakers are a 9 seed maybe 8
Curry isnt going to have a injury free season. Let's see if Kerr really does reduce his minutes. Toppling Boston would be 👍
Can someone please breakdown how OKC is the “clear favorite”? They had one more win than the Wolves and DEN in the regular season. Then they beat a Zion less Pelicans and were bounced in the 2nd. DEN at least brought it to game 7 of the 2nd round.
OKC has nobody that has won at a high level on their team and they are young and haven’t made a single run yet. I don’t think Caruso and Hartenstein are what’s going to change any of that.
DAL and the Wolves should be in the top tier, then DEN and then OKC.
The way you say OKC was "bounced" in the 2nd round is ridiculous...They had game 6 and was down to the wire where a close call at the end cost them that game, so it almost went to game 7...You make is sound like they were swept lol
Okay? and if Wolves played Mavs 2nd round they got outed in 5 so your logic makes no sense based on that? Playoffs are all about matchups and a little bit of luck.
Well they replaced their biggest liability (Josh Giddey), with Caruso, one of the best defenders in the league. And addressed thier biggest weakness (rebounding) with Hartenstein, one of the best role player big men in the league. So yeah... they're better
@@jesseswarbrick7895plus they improved their roster
@anycoveryoulike7510
They're better, but probably not by much save their internal development from their core guys. They should've went more for Caruso, especially if their only other move was to overpay for Another guy who doesn't give you much statistically in Hartenstein.
Wemby is incredible...AND people are way too high on the Spurs imo. Too soon and not enough help yet...Guess we'll see though.
OKC hasn’t even lost yet. Wolves have been to the playoffs three straight years and lost each of them. Everyone said “they need to lose before they can win”. What about OKC? I feel like they are so overrated.
They’re going to run through the regular season, it’s just a question of if Hartenstein was enough to fix their size concerns and was last year’s playoff experience enough to meaningfully help them this time around. Not worried about SGA, he showed he can rise in the playoffs, it’s everyone else.
Shai is overrated...just a ft merchant
@@cmn225 yeah that’s a terrible take. The dude who’s the most consistent player in the NBA and one of the most efficient, that has been 1st team all-NBA the last 2 years and top 5 in MVP voting is overrated.
@@joshahlstrom2764 he's a flopper with no 3 ball...it's like watching Houston Harden but if he was only a 2 level scorer
@@cmn225 total casual
32:42 what is wrong with you!?! Why would you say that!?!?! 🙄
WE STILL GETTING OVERLOOKED, WHAT THEY GON SAY WHEN WE SEND THE THUNDER HOME AGAIN 🤣🤣🤣
Yall not sending us home this year 😂😂
We to loaded
@@TTVSLIMMG that’s what they said last year, they had us losing to the clippers, definitely OKC (“cause they were the 1st seed”), and DEFINITELY the Timberwolves and we all saw how that went. You better pray Luka not healthy cause that was your only chance last year and the only chance you’ll get next season 😃😃
@Itslilmomo we got rid of Josh giddy and added Alex curoso and Isaiah hartenstein..if we had them last year Dallas would of been cooked
@@TTVSLIMMGKlay to Dallas> Harvenstein Caruso to OKC
Now Windy is blowing smoke for Denver lol. Denver is tier 1. But nah they aint the favorite
That take on the suns dude u can't be taken seriously its ALMOST as bad as Brian's take on the 2003 draft when he mentions D west and not Carmelo
Keep sleeping on the kings watch 🤦🏻♂️🤣
Windy looking like he lost a few pounds, right on Windy!
Can’t wait for the Mavs to silence the critics
Why does Bryan make it a sure think that denver would have beat Dallan in WCF. Nuggets are being overated
Watch more ball. Basketball is a game of matchups. Denver would’ve won the finals had they beat wolves. Same can be said for lakers. If they played anybody but the nuggets in playoffs they could probably win a chip
@@CASKET6OY97 Again the nuggets aren't that good. I think both Mavs and Celtics would have beaten them.
@@RMusing not that good but finished as the 2nd seed get a grip bro. Watch more ball like I said lol
@@CASKET6OY97 I mean they aren't that good that they would practically have secured the ring if they won game 7. Plus they would be exausted playing against dallas, just like twolves were. Luka would have made Joker look like the worst defender you have ever seen. Kyrie would have destroyed Jamal. They aren't that good and they are going to be worse next season
@@RMusingcoulda shoulda woulda. We'll never know tbh but calling them overrated is just ignorant lil bro
KD sweeped twice back to back
My Rockets are not in a good position right now. They need to trade 2-4 of their good/young players in order to develop 2-4 more good:young players. To have good/young players riding the bench diminishes their value, which is bad for them and the Rockets. I think Green must go first.
No. Whitmore, Eason, and Sheppard are potential HOF'ers, and they're not even considered prime rotation players. Whitmore is the most underrated offensive force in the NBA. Eason's one of the best defenders in the NBA when healthy. Sheppard looks like a young Steph. if you think they need to trade these guys, you don't know what you have. Add in Udoka is one of the best coaches in the NBA, and they're sleeping on this team. Take advantage of it. Enjoy it. I'm not even a Rockets fan, and I'm looking forward to watching them year.
@@richardworsham3697 - You can’t keep, play or pay all of that young talent!!! And, they don’t know how to win. Veterans must be brought in.
Stop it Celtics faced teams that were injured
Taylor Timothy Clark Jason Robinson Donna