NBA: Western Conference Team Predictions 2011-2012

What is this? Robin following up on his last article? It's about time I did. I left you all with my predictions for individual awards next year, and now it's time I make some predictions about teams. I'm going to break down each conference and then let you know my championship match up. Here we go!

Western Conference:
Now this conference is known for it's depth. Usually the 8th seed in this league has a better record than the 5th seed in the Eastern Conference. Since 2000, the Western Conference has also produced a 9-3 record in the NBA finals. It seems that the Western Conference has been dominated by the Lakers dynasty and the Spurs dynasty, and that all seems to be getting to the end. So is it time for a new dynasty to rise up?

On the Rise:

Los Angeles Clippers

How can I not pick this team? Kind of looks like the Thunder a couple years back. Thing about this team is, that they also have veteran leaders as well. Chauncey Billups, Caron Butler, Reggie Evans and Chris Paul were key additions. It adds huge depth to their bench and that is key to winning a championship. I also believe that Butler was a little over paid, but I think he can become a huge contributor to this team. Now lets get back to the main man, Chris Paul. He single handedly pushes the Clippers to automatic playoff contention. Keep this in mind, while in New Orleans, he had what I think was a less talented team than he has now. And he still manages to get his team into the post season every year. Now imagine a team with Blake Griffin and DeAndre Jordan who are residents of "Lob City". Obviously the offense is going to explode off the scene, we've already had a glimpse of it against the Lakers twice this week. Now this is the team to get excited about, they will be fun to watch and I guarantee you'll be pulling for them if they make the playoffs.

Falling Fast:

Los Angeles Lakers

Don't get me wrong, I love Kobe Bryant, he has five rings, nine 1st Team Defense  and 1st Team All-NBA, but he can't do it by himself. I've heard great things about his surgery and how he feels almost 100 percent. My doubts are not in him, it's his team. The point guards on this team will not be able to compete against most point guards in this league. They're to slow and soft and need I remind you about J.J Barea? Now that they have lost Shannon Brown too, it's a mystery on why the Lakers front office didn't attack this weakness. I understand they tried to get Chris Paul, but because of that you also lost your 2nd best player on the team, Lamar Odom to the team that swept you last year. Not only that, but everyone knows that Pau Gasol is a soft player and Andrew Bynum has yet to prove he can stay healthy a full season. There are a lot of question marks on this squad, and I'm not sure if they'll be able to fix it.

Dark Horse:

San Antonio Spurs

People keep forgetting that the Spurs still have Manu Ginoboli, Tony Parker and Tim Duncan. I understand these players are getting older, but you really have to factor in the shorten schedule of 60 games. It's going to help these guys out. They were on fire during the season last year and towards the end, injuries happened and they wore down. I think this team is still capable of championship basketball. It's whether or not this team can pull through the whole season.

Champions:

Oklahoma City Thunder

Yes, I know. I picked the zombie sonics, but you can't argue against it. They have the same exact team coming back, but every single player looks better. Even Kendrick Perkins lost 35 pounds. My biggest emphasis is how Russell Westbrook and Surge Ibaka play this year. We all know how Kevin Durant will do, but can Westbrook get the ball to Durant more? Will Serge be a bigger presence in the post this year? I think if they can do that, we have ourselves the new dynasty that you've been looking for. Remember last year when they had the motto, "Why not now?" Well here is your chance, it's your Western Conference to lose.