Western Conference Preview

While the Eastern Conference has certainly made a case in the last few seasons to claim some type of equality, the Western Conference top-to-bottom is still better. Sorry guys.

The West once again proved its dominance by have .500 teams miss the playoffs while under .500 teams made the Eastern Conference playoffs. Point taken.

That trend will continue. But the balance at the top has certainly changed. The East has won three of the past six NBA titles and arguably has three of the best four teams in the NBA. But one of those three from the West is the Los Angeles Lakers. And the Lakers, it can be argued only got better.

The three beasts of the Eastern Conference certainly got better to try and compete with the Lakers.

But while the Lakers are the class of the West, San Antonio also put in all of its chips to try and battle the Lakers and make one last run at a title. Tim Duncan's career, or at least his prime, is nearing an end and Manu Ginobili's injury problems have kept San Antonio from meeting expectations.

The Spurs certainly have the know-how to get back to championship contention. But do not sleep on Denver. A lot of things went right for the Nuggets to get to the Western Conference Finals -- including avoiding the Spurs in the second round. But with Chauncey Billups at the point and a continually improving Carmelo Anthony, the Nuggets could still get better.

Unlike the other contenders, Denver did not make any significant moves to improve. That might hurt them in the postseason. But, then again, stability might be OK for a team that is still learning how to win. The Nuggets still have some holes though and continued growth could get them over the hump.

Those sitting in the pack and waiting might be teams like Portland and Utah. The Trail Blazers took a big step in qualifying for the postseason, but struggled with the pressure on against the Rockets. Portland has the talent to return to the postseason and make some noise. The question is will the young players continue to grow and is Andre Miller enough veteran leadership to get them there?

The Jazz had a disappointing season too. But with Deron Williams at the point, the Jazz can always be dangerous. Carlos Boozer, despite his trade request, is still a pretty darn good player when healthy. Memo Okur and Paul Milsap will continue to create a pretty formidable front line. Of course, health is always an issue with the Jazz.

But in the end, this is the Lakers' conference to lose. Los Angeles has one of two best players in the league in Kobe Bryant, a pretty solid and versatile front line in Andrew Bynum, Lamar Odom and Pau Gasol and a solid secondary scorer in Ron Artest. Artest will not provide the versatility that Trevor Ariza did, but he should be able to take some of the scoring and defensive pressure off Bryant.

1. Lakers: the champs got better in adding Ron Artest and will bring back a healthy Andrew Bynum. Plus Kobe Bryant is pretty decent at basketball. The defending champs are just that until someone knocks them off.

2. Nuggets: Denver is good. They have been the sleeping giant, waiting for the crafty veteran to make Carmelo Anthony serious instead of the egotistic veteran to keep Anthony selfish. Chauncey Billups is one of the best point guards of the last decade and with another good year in Denver should get serious Hall of Fame consideration. There are some questions about whether Denver can do it again. But Billups is THAT good that he will find a way to make this team good again.

3. Spurs: This definitely has some strange Ride of the Valkyrie theme to the Spurs' latest push for the NBA title. This is probably their last realistic chance of winning a title with Tim Duncan getting older and Manu Ginobili on and off the injured list. Adding Richard Jefferson and Antonio McDyess will help significantly, but these aging guys are one injury away from another disaster like last year's.

4. Trail Blazers: Portland to me has great regular season team written all over it. Brandon Roy is a great player and they have a lot of good young pieces. Andre Miller will give them some veteran leadership, but the rumors have started that he is causing some trouble with his new role. But they are a solid offensive team. Roy will need to become that all-encompassing superstar to get Portland out of the first round.

5. Jazz: Utah is one of those scary teams. They stay healthy and it is clear they can compete in the West. They don't stay healthy and they lack the superstar to support Deron Williams' playmaking ability. Questions abound about Carlos Boozer and whether he will stay in the team. But with Memo Okur and Paul Milsap behind him, they have a difficult front court for opponents to deal with.

6. Mavericks: Dallas backcourt continues to be sneaky good. Jason Terry and Jason Kidd can still play despite some advanced ages -- and height disadvantages. Josh Howard is good when healthy and Shawn Marion is a do-everything forward. Dirk Nowitzki of course is a pretty solid player too. This would be a great running team if Rick Carlisle weren't such a plodding coach. I really don't know how to judge this team. Their front court depth is very worrisome.

7. Hornets: New Orleans will definitely be going through a transition with the trading of Tyson Chandler for Emeka Okafor. That could make them much more efficient in the half court, but could make it more difficult for Chris Paul to be Chris Paul. Definitely some transition, but this team could be a lot better with a more consistent, albeit still injury prone, center.

8. Suns: Phoenix has lost a little bit of its identity, but should find it again. Steve Nash is definitely on his last legs and who knows what Amare Stoudemire's health is like. But it is easy to forget Stoudemire can be quite an offensive force. The Suns will never be the force they were, but they can be a shadow of their former self.

9. Rockets: they are down their top two players -- Tracy McGrady and Yao Ming -- but something about this team says they could still be decent. Trevor Ariza is a decent pickup and this will be his first chance to be a featured player in an offense. But Daryl Morey knows his stuff and rarely misses. The way Houston played after Yao went down in the playoffs shows there is a lot of heart in this team. Can that las them 82 games?

10. Thunder: NBA geeks will say the Thunder are the sleeper team of the league. Kevin Durant is the best kept secret in the NBA and there are so many good young pieces. But this team is not ready. They do not nearly defend well enough to make it into the postseason out of the Western Conference. But the ex-Sonics are certainly coming in the future -- sorry Seattle.

11. Clippers: the Clippers might be good, seriously. Blake Griffin could be good. Baron Davis could be healthy. Eric Grodon could do more than score... maybe. Take everything with the Clippers with a grain of salt. They certainly have the talent, but might be too young and raw to make any postseason noise.

12. Warriors: Golden State is such a mess, I doubt I could make a complete sentence about them. Stephen Jackson, the team's best player, wants out. Stephen Curry is the perfect fit for that system, but has no one to pass him the ball. If you are looking for the definition of a team with all offense and no defense, this is it.

13. Timberwolves: the Ricky Rubio flop will haunt Minnesota for the next calendar year, but this team in all its wheeling and dealing made some good moves. Jonny Flynn will make a case for Rookie of the Year Runner-up. Al Jefferson is one of the best post players in the league -- and no one knows about him since he tore up his knee last season. They should play a decently entertaining style of ball. When they get Kevin Love back from injury in December, Minnesota will not be a tough out.

14. Kings: everyone likes Kevin Martin. He is an efficient scorer. But is he the high-volume scorer of the future for Sacramento? Who knows. Spencer Hawes and Jason Thompson are also good players and Tyreke Evans might be the most interesting prospect from last year's draft. All in all, this is a young team with a lot of room to grow.

15. Grizzlies: Allen Iverson. Zach Randolph. Rudy Gay. O.J. Mayo. One basketball. The math just does not work for this talented, yet egotistical team. It has failure written all over it. Makes you fell sorry for Hasheem Thabeet.

West Finals: Lakers over Spurs in 6

What They're Saying: Cavaliers vs. Magic Game Four

Sorry I did not post anything about Game Three. I was out of town and did not have access to the Internet and actually could not even watch the game (the hotel we were staying at did not get TNT, don't they know it is the Eastern Conference Finals?).

But I heard we did really well. Does not matter if the Magic do not get the big one tonight...

-Woody Womack of Orlando Magic Daily was inside the Cleveland locker room after Game Three and the air was that of quite confidence. The players that are playing are saying the right things like Mo Williams' quote: “We're giving these guys too much respect. They are a good basketball team, but so are we.” But some of the role players whose minutes have been cut short are having their nerves tested by this adversity.

-Kyle Williams of The Bleacher Report says balance has been the key to Orlando's success in this series against Cleveland. The Cavaliers have been unable to find anyone to stop Mickael Pietrus.

-Mike Freeman of CBS Sportsline writes that Orlando's dirty little tricks are becoming an annoying habit. He says the team is crossing the line between "gritty and dirty." Certainly the Magic let their emotions get the best of them sometimes, but calling this a dirty team is a little far. Inexperienced and emotional is certainly in the realm of the discussion.

-erivera7 of 3rd Quarter Collapse writes about the emergence of Mickael Pietrus in the postseason after struggling throughout the season.

-John Cherwa of The Orlando Sentinel comes right out and asks the question: Are the Magic roughed up by the referees? Who knows the answer. But the Sentinel does know Orlando's records against each referee this season. Surprisingly, the Magic are 7-0 when Steve Javie is officiating.

-George Diaz of The Orlando Sentinel lays out why tonight's game is a must-win for Cleveland. And Brian Schmitz also explains the importance of being up 3-1 rather than being tied 2-2 heading into Game Four.

-Anthony Johnson appears to be earning his new-found boxing nicknames after an elbowing incident with Mo Williams in Game Three.

-Hedo Turkoglu might be the most boring player in the league.

-Matt Moore of Hardwood Paroxysm has some nice charts explaining why the Magic are getting more from their players than the Cavaliers.

-LeBron James has had a tough time shooting, but it might not be because of Orlando's defense according to Zach McCann of Orlando Magic Daily.

-One thing never changes in the league: teams win titles. That's why Jeff Schultz of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution writes that the other 28 teams in the NBA want to see Orlando and Denver succeed.

What They're Saying: Cavaliers vs. Magic Game Three

-George Diaz of The Orlando Sentinel writes after Game Two that the Magic and Nuggets deserve the respect of their more highly glamorized opponents and the national media. Even after both teams split their two games on the road, they may not be getting it.

-Mike Bianchi of The Orlando Sentinel writes after Game Two that just because Orlando was able to compete and take one game in Cleveland, it does not mean winning the next three will be so easy. Just like we are telling our friends we can compete with Cleveland, Cavaliers fans are prepping for a long, competitive series. Nothing will be easy.

-Hedo Turkoglu: outstanding player or well-coached? Brandon Ribak of Bleacher Report wonders.

-Ira Winderman of the South Florida Sun-Sentinel explains briefly how important it is to have a strong supporting cast around your superstar.

-Respected beat writer Brian Windhorst of the Cleveland Plain Dealer says once the Cavs come down from that emotional high, there are lots of things to worry about in this series.

-Kyle Williams of the Bleacher Report argues that momentum favors the Magic despite James' Game Two heroics.

-Get excited for the triumphant return of former Magic head coach Chris Jent.

-Brian Schmitz of the Orlando Sentinel reports the Magic are not phased by losing at the buzzer again.

-LeBron James might be staying in Cleveland after all. News of Chinese investors possibly buying in the Cavs and opening the door to business opportunities in China. Full article from Brian Windhorst of the Cleveland Plain-Dealer.

-Mary Schmitt Boyer of the Cleveland Plain-Dealer reports the Cavs are still coming down from the high of a buzzer-beating Game Two victory.

-Zach McCann of Orlando Magic Daily breaks down Dwight Howard's touches in Game Two. After dominating the first game, he really was a non-factor in the second one. As I said in my adjustments for tonight's game, Orlando has to find a way to keep him involved, whether it is in the pick and roll or feeding it to him in the post. Orlando has to find a way to establish him and make him a real threat rather than just a lingering threat. That also means, Howard has to be more active to get his position on the low block against Zydrunas Ilgauskas.

That Place You Cannot Win

Since it is still Friday the 13th, I decided to look up the place where Orlando has had the least luck winning. Denver just broke a 15-game losing streak at the Amway Arena on Wednesday night and it got me thinking, where have the Magic struggled recently?

Well, we all remember Orlando's struggles with Milwaukee. And the Magic have never done well with their trips to the great Northwest -- Portland and Seattle -- or Sacramento.

But right now, the Magic's longest road losing streak is to Phoenix. Orlando has lost seven straight to the Suns, including this year's last second defeat at U.S. Airways Arena, site of the All Star game this year ominously.

The last time Orlando won at Phoenix was a 93-92 win on Nov. 14, 2001. Assistant coach Patrick Ewing had 22 points and 15 rebounds for the Magic in the win. Don't think he will be suiting up when they visit the desert next year.

There were some long streaks recently snapped in Dallas, Sacramento and Detroit. But the road success in the last two seasons has made pretty much every stadium hospitable to the men in blue.

Overall, the worst record on the road is at San Antonio. Orlando, including the team's win this season, is 4-17 at AT&T Center and the Alamodome. Tells you how big the win was this year. The wins were this year's victory, April 2006, January 2001 and April 1992. Two of them were in overtime too.

The Magic are also pretty bad in Boston (even after closing the Boston Garden in 1995) and against the Lakers.

Orlando Magic 101, Denver Nuggets 86

I just finished listening to this one and all I can say is: wow.

Orlando swept a four-game trip out West that featured wins at the three division leaders for the Western Conference. That includes the team's first win in Denver in five years and the completion of season sweeps of San Antonio and Los Angeles (Lakers) for the first time in franchise history.

This game was all about Jameer Nelson.

He was once again the facilitator and generator of offense. Nelson had 23 points and five assists. More importantly it was against his nemesis Chauncey Billups. Billups was held scoreless in the first half before he finished with 18 points.

The starters were on fire even coming off a back-to-back. The Magic had just two points off their bench.

Not ideal, but impressive.

This was a big road trip for Orlando and the team has to be feeling pretty good coming home. It does not get any easier with Boston coming to town Thursday. But this team looks up to the challenge after a gritty and seemingly easy trip out West.

Ding Dong Billups is Gone

All the munchkins from Orlando Magic-land can come out of hiding. Dorothy might have crushed the Pistons.

After five straight appearances into the Eastern Conference Finals, Joe Dumars shook up the Detroit roster in a big way. Dumars traded Chauncey Billups, Antonio McDyess and Cheikh Samb to Denver for Allen Iverson.

Iverson is no friend of the Magic either, but he has not killed Orlando like Billups has. Billups has been a thorn in the team's side since the 2005 Playoffs when he helped Detroit erase a 3-1 deficit. Every time since then it seems that Billups is the primary offensive option against the smaller Jameer Nelson.

Now he is gone. In steps Iverson.

Iverson nominally makes the team better. But I think it is a significant downgrade for the Pistons. Iverson is not the distributor and playmaker Billups is. In fact he needs the ball more.

I think it hurts Richard Hamilton a lot. He needs a good distributor to set up his cuts and runs at the basket. It also turns Tayshaun Prince into a spot-up shooter.

The move makes the Pistons' control of the division very tenuous. I do not think Cleveland is that great, but they can certainly challenge Detroit for the division title this season.

For the Magic, it means there might be less fear of seeing the Pistons in the playoffs. They will still be a bruising team, but the offense will be much easier to predict and maybe control. If Orlando can get out of its current funk, the team should be better than Detroit this season.