1 - Lakers
2 - Jazz
3 - Mavs
4 - Spurs
5 - Blazers
6 - OKC
7 - Suns
8 - Nuggets (Melo gets traded in December to Knicks)
Mavs (Still will be good because they are always a good regular season team.
Spurs will be healthier this year. Another year for Richard Jefferson figuring out the offense. Giniboli and Parker will be healthier than last year. Splitter will help and Blair will be improved. Possibly could move in front of Mavs or Jazz
Blazers are better because they are healthier but still can't contend because Roy and Miller don't coexist very well. Games are too similar
Thunder are overrated: I will give a long detailed explanation if needed (I have multiple times before)
Suns: They will still make the playoffs because they will still be one of the best scoring teams. But when they play the playoff teams they will lose.
Nuggets: Melo won't go to the Nets. He will only accept a trade to the Knicks. Nuggets know this so they make the trade so they can get something in return. Trade won't happen until December once Anthony Randolph can be traded again.
Rockets: Too many players who shoot a horrible percentage and jack up dumb shots and Yao won't be effective enough to make a big difference.
Grizzlies: They are the wild card but I still don't think they are good enough defensively and not enough players willing to pass.
I agree with you completely. Last year our bench was what? Millsap, Price, Korver? Not exactly an elite group of players coming off the bench.
I think OKC is in the 4 - 8 seed range, behind Lakers, us, Dallas and flip-flopping with Portland. This assumes Denver falls apart. KD is a star, but he's basically a perimeter player.
Where is their inside scoring and defense?
These "experts" only know about the Lakers and the Thunder in the west. All the rest is just a bunch of ************ doing what they do best: ************.