For the first time since 2006-07, the Pacific Division wasn’t dominated by the Los Angeles Lakers.
Injuries as well as a coaching change prevented the Lakers from becoming a force despite the additions of Dwight Howard and Steve Nash. In preseason, they were penciled in for a match-up against the Miami Heat in the NBA Finals but ended up flaming out in the first round.
The Lakers rough season allowed their crosstown rivals, the Clippers, to take charge and win their first ever division title.
You figured with Blake Griffin and Chris Paul, this team (even though it’s the Clippers) would become the dominant squad in the division for years to come.
Not so fast, though.
The all-star point guard is scheduled to hit free agency and should easily be the most sought-after player on the market.
But it wasn’t only the Clippers who took a major step forward in 2012-13. The Golden State Warriors stepped up and showed they can be more than just an exciting group on offence.
They pushed past the Denver Nuggets, in easily the most intriguing series of the first round and pushed the eventual Western Conference-winning San Antonio Spurs, to six games in a tight series.
With Stephen Curry and Klay Thompson running the guard position, Mark Jackson’s squad isn’t going away any time soon.
And yes, the Sacramento Kings and Phoenix Suns still exist. The two teams that had contended with the Lakers earlier in the decade are dwindling and may need to take an even bigger step back before they can move forward.
This looks like a three-horse race for the foreseeable future.
Note: All numbers below courtesy of hoopshype.com
Golden State Warriors
2012-13 record: 47-35
2013-14 contract commitments: $74.9 million
UFAs: Jarrett Jack, point guard, Carl Landry, power forward (player option)
RFAs: N/A
Free agent fit: Devin Harris, Atlanta Hawks
The skinny: Heading into the offseason, the Golden State Warriors are limited financially. They have close to $75 million already in commitments but are very well set up for the future. This season, they have three huge expiring contracts (Andrew Bogut, Richard Jefferson and Andris Biedri?š combine for close to $34 million) and won’t have much wiggle room to add free agents or take on salary in a trade. Going forward, they have their key players in place and may need a cheaper alternative at backup point guard if they are unable to re-sign Jarrett Jack.
Los Angeles Clippers
2012-13 record: 56-26
2013-14 contract commitments: $45.3 million
UFAs: Chris Paul, point guard, Matt Barnes, small forward, Chauncey Billups, point guard, Ryan Hollins, centre, Lamar Odom, forward, Ronny Turiaf, centre
RFAs: N/A
Free agent fit: Chris Paul, Los Angeles Clippers
The skinny: Earlier in the week, it seemed like half the Clippers roster would end up on the Boston Celtics but that’s on hold for now. No Doc Rivers and Kevin Garnett after all. So, Los Angeles can get back to their original off-season priority — trying to keep Chris Paul and finding a coach that will keep their star point guard happy. It cannot be understated how badly this organization needs to keep Paul around. They cannot afford the risk of reverting back to the old days when the franchise was a laughing stock. With Blake Grffin around, you like to think that’s not possible but Paul is the key player on this roster.
Los Angeles Lakers
2012-13 record: 45-37
2013-14 contract commitments: $78.2 million
UFAs: Dwight Howard, centre, Earl Clark, small forward, Antawn Jamison, power forward, Jodie Meeks, shooting guard (team option), Metta World Peace (player option)
RFAs: Devin Ebanks, small forward, Andrew Goudelock, point guard, Darius Morris, point guard, Robert Sacre, centre
Free agent fit: Dwight Howard, Los Angeles Lakers
The skinny: Remember when the Lakers were a sure thing to win the Western Conference? Well, I guess they didn’t foresee Dwight Howard’s questionable fit; Steve Nash’s declining play, and Kobe Bryant’s knee injury. Now going forward, this team has more questions than answers. They’re already loaded with commitments (Pau Gasol on the hook for almost $20 million in 2013-14) but since when does that stop the Lakers? Howard is the real decision to be made here and it could come down to how much they’re willing to pay him to return. If they need some space, it wouldn’t be a surprise to anyone to see Gasol moved. He isn’t exactly getting better with age.
Phoenix Suns
2012-13 record: 25-57
2013-14 contract commitments: $46.2 million
UFAs: Jermaine O’Neal, centre, Wesley Johnson, small forward
RFAs: Diante Garrett, point guard
Free agent fit: Alan Anderson, shooting guard
The skinny: If you thought the Toronto Raptors were in bad shape, meet the Phoenix Suns. The roster is full of underwhelming talent and we can’t see any pieces to really build around. Right now, the Suns’ best course of action would be to try and bottom out. They currently hold the fifth pick in a shady 2013 draft but that won’t be enough to really help much next season. They have a new young GM in place and certainly could position themselves for the Andrew Wiggins sweepstakes in 2014. Overpaying veteran players would be the least logical move for a frugal Phoenix team at this point in time.
Sacramento Kings
2012-13 record: 28-54
2013-14 contract commitments: $40.7 million
UFAs: Cole Aldrich, centre
RFAs: Tyreke Evans, shooting guard, Toney Douglas, point guard, James Johnson, small forward
Free agent fit: Timofey Mozgov, centre
The skinny: The Seattle Supersonics Sacramento Kings have a serious hole to get out of. The organization made the peculiar decision to build around questionable characters like DeMarcus Cousins and Tyreke Evans and now new GM Pete D’Alessandro has some work to do. The first decision revolves around Evans – who could be looking for a fresh start after a rather uneventful run in Sacramento. If the Kings prioritize bringing the talented guard back, it could be somewhere south of $10 million. Like Phoenix, Sacramento isn’t close to competing and needs to restock their system with high-end talent (they miss Chris Webber and Vlade Divac). Tank for the Canadian kid.