BY PAUL JONES
sportsnet.ca
Leading up to opening night on Oct. 26, sportsnet.ca NBA analyst Paul Jones gets you ready for the season by asking the burning questions surrounding each division.
In addition, Jones will wrap up the six division previews with a special analysis of both the Miami Heat and Toronto Raptors.
To continue, Jones examines the Pacific Division.
Enjoy.
It's been the home of the NBA champs the last two seasons and it's a two-tier division with the Lakers in the penthouse and everyone else living below.
The Suns took the elevator to the top last season to get a look, but that could be as close as the Suns (or any divisional opponent) come to the title.
Amid all the hoopla in Miami, the Lakers are taking dead aim at a third straight title and in the process sending Phil Jackson off into the sunset as with his fourth three-peat.
Can Golden State effectively change its style of play?
Please sit down when you read this because there will be something put in print here that might make people faint. The Golden State Warriors will play defence this season and actually try to stop its opponent. Don Nelson is gone and some are wondering if the "run-shoot-substitute" style went with him. It's true; lots of talk about defence in Golden State.
The problem is the new coach is the guy who sat beside Nellie, which leaves many to wonder if Keith Smart can really pull it off? General manager Larry Riley went out and picked up some players that will fit the up-tempo style that Smart wants to play - as he does not want to limit the creativity of guards Stephen Curry and Monta Ellis - but are also blue collar types.
David Lee was brought over from New York, while Charlie Bell, Dorell Wright, Lou Amundson and Dan Gadzuric are all also new additions that are not necessarily known for their offensive prowess. Rookie Epke Udoh and a healthy Andris Beidrins will also help the cause.
The Warriors defence stats can't get much worse than last year. They were last in rebounding and opponents scoring, and finished 29th in opponent field goal percentage and opponent assists.
How quickly can the Clippers reach its potential?
Stop me if you've heard this before: the Clippers have talent. Much of that talent is concealed right now as it sits in the form of potential. Blake Griffin is hoping to stay healthy this season after missing all of last season due to injury. There are draft picks Al-Faroq Aminu, Eric Bledsoe, Willie Warren and Marqs Blakely as well as young veterans Randy Foye and Ryan Gomes. Chris Kaman had a solid campaign a season ago and there are role players like Craig Smith, Brian Cook and DeAndre Jordan that could fit nicely into new head coach Vinnie Del Negro's plans.
The key will be the leadership of Baron Davis. A season ago, Davis looked disinterested playing under Mike Dunleavy. With a new coach at the helm, that is old fashion in his values about playing basketball, and good pieces, Davis has to demonstrate leadership as a veteran to help this team come together.
But as stated there are a lot of "ifs" surrounding the Clippers, but one thing is for sure, if they don't find some chemistry, it's back in the lottery next summer.
Can the Lakers stay healthy and play well enough to earn a good seed while maintaining enough energy for another championship run?
They are still the champs and that alone motivates every opponent to play its best. The start of the season sees Kobe Bryant returning from off season surgery and uncertainty around Andrew Bynum and when he'll return to the lineup.
The Lakers made some key moves replacing Jordan Farmar with veteran Steve Blake. Veteran big man Theo Ratliff will add to the length in the front court and Matt Barnes brings toughness.
If the Lakers can stay healthy, it's the experience that will serve them well. Remember last season when they were tied with a young Oklahoma City squad at two games apiece and questions were being asked? Well two wins later, the Lakers had advanced. And yes, they were down 3-2 in the NBA Finals before coming back to win their second straight title.
Laker fans have to hope that there is enough focus at the start of the season to avoid the championship hangover and realize, you don't just advance to the playoffs and the finals. You have to start at the bottom with everyone else and climb the mountain again. Phil Jackson will undoubtedly remind them as he looks for his 12th title before giving up the reigns.
How will the Suns replace the loss of Amar'e Stoudemire and his contributions?
The Suns surprised many people last season by making it to the Western Conference Finals before bowing out to the eventual champion Lakers.
One of the reasons was that head coach Alvin Gentry had his team pay more than just lip service to defence. Phoenix, yes the Phoenix, finished 11th in opponent field goal percentage. Not great, but good and certainly good enough with its offence to make them a team that raised eyebrows.
| Paul Jones: Predicted Order of Finish: | |
| 1. | Lakers |
| 2. | Suns |
| 3. | Clippers |
| 4. | Warriors |
| 5. | Kings |
Phoenix always had a potent offence with Stoudemire rolling hard to the basket after setting screens for two-time MVP Steve Nash or taking the ball to the basket from the elbow against slower big men trying to defend him. But with Stoudemire, whose name always came up in trades, finally gone, who takes over in that spot? Currently, the Suns will be doing it by committee with Robin Lopez, being the most likely candidate to get more touches in that role.
New additions Hedo Turkoglu, Hakim Warrick and Josh Childress will also be counted on for scoring and rebounding and if they think they are only going to play one way, they better think again as Gentry is not afraid to put players on the bench when they don't defend.
It should be another playoff run if they stay healthy but the loss of Stoudemire will, unfortunately, mean my man, Steve Nash, will stay atop the list of most playoff games played without appearing in the finals. Man! Many of us Canadians hope that changes soon.
Will the young players mature quick enough to become the future?
The Kings, at one point last season, were the fourth youngest team in the NBA and leaning heavily on a young star in Tyreke Evans. Well Evans did his part becoming Rookie of the Year and joining only Oscar Robertson, Michael Jordan and LeBron James to average 20 points 5 rebounds and 5 assists as a first year player. But Evans had some off court issues this summer and you can bet the Kings are hoping it was just an isolated incident.
The other young player that is viewed as one of the future cornerstones is rookie and fifth overall selection DeMarcus Cousins. But before he stepped on the court as an NBA player, his demeanor at the University of Kentucky, had people questioning his maturity level as he headed for the NBA.
Sacramento is young up and down the roster and in many key positions so veterans Francisco Garcia, Beno Udrih, and newly acquired players Samuel Dalembert and Antoine Wright may have to step into leadership roles by default.
They reside in arguably the tougher conference and the same division as the champs so the young Kings mettle will be tested. The maturity level with which they handle adversity will ultimately determine their success.
-
Poll
-
Which team will win the Pacific Division?
