2019-2020 NBA Western Conference Season Rosters and Predictions

[Ramcus]

Well here goes nothing. This stacked as fuck Western Conference.

1. Los Angeles Clippers: 62-20
PG: Patrick Beverley
SG: Landry Shamet
SF: Kawhi Leonard
PF: Paul George
C: Ivica Zubac
6th Man: Lou Williams/Montrezl Harrell
Man, where do I start? I'm a Lebron fan, but even I have to admit this is a ridiculous team. 3 defensive dogs in the starting lineup, 2 offensive machines coming off the bench. Finals MVP Leonard, 3rd in MVP voting George, 6MOTY Lou Will. Beverley is a dog on defense, and fits his role nicely on the offensive end. Shamet is lights out from 3. Zubac is young, but fits his role nicely as well. A high energy monster in Harrell. The only thing bringing this team down is that they traded away all their picks. Reports say that Leonard and George may or may not have lingering injury problems in their thigh/shoulder, respectively, for the rest of their careers. That may be something they have to deal with. And if that results in some horrid injury that prevents them from playing at their best, or derails their career, well then the Clippers have no picks for the next 6 years. That's ok though, they got PG13, The Claw, and Lou "2 Girlfriends" Williams.

2. Houston Rockets: 55-27
PG: Russell Westbrook
SG: James Harden
SF: Eric Gordon
PF: P.J. Tucker
C: Clint Capela
6th Man: Eric Gordon
You probably think I'm crazy. Putting the new pairing of Westbrook+Harden as 2nd in the loaded West? I must be buggin' out. But hear me out, I'll explain myself. I truly believe that Westbrook and Harden can work together, and well at that as well. There will be some growing pains, for sure, but the Rockets already have experience playing 2 high usage guards. Sure, Chris "Point God" Paul is just on a different tier, but the evidence is there. D'Antoni has a system he can enforce when Westbrook is on the court as well. Westbrook learned last season how to defer, which I can heavily see influencing his offensive schemes this season. But it's all speculation. For all we know, Westbrook might just do what he's been doing for the last 3 seasons, and try to play some my-turn your-turn with Harden, and that won't end well at all. But I have my hopes up for this team. It's exciting, I wouldn't be surprised if they took the league by storm next season.

3. Los Angeles Lakers: 53-29
PG: Rajon Rondo
SG: Danny Green
SF: LeBron James
PF: Anthony Davis
C: JaVale McGee(?)
6th Man: Kyle Kuzma(?)
This team is entirely overrated, solely due to the existence of LeBron James. Don't get me wrong, James is an amazing player. But at 34, going on 35, he cannot afford to take the regular season seriously anymore if he wants to play in the playoffs. But despite that, with this team, he cannot afford to take the regular season off. They're just not deep enough, not talented enough as a whole to challenge the rest of the West. I like this team. A lot. But almost everyone on this team that is capable of producing at a high level is too old to take the regular season seriously. I have this team going 53-29, but I can just as much see them going near the 45 wins range.

4. Denver Nuggets: 52-30
PG: Jamal Murray
SG: Gary Harris
SF: Torrey Craig
PF: Paul Millsap
C: Nikola Jokic
6th Man: Malik Beasley(?)
Wow, this is a tough decision. Between the 4th and 5th seed is about a 2-3 game difference. But I have the Nuggets edging out over the Jazz, solely due to possible MVP candidate Nikola Jokic. Nicknamed "The Joker", and for good reason, he plays with his opponents like he's solving a puzzle. It all looks so wrong, until it's correct. This man is a certifiable wizard out there on the court. He even fixed his diet, he's looking way leaner.The only problem I can see with the Nuggets this season is that they may have too many mouths to feed. Murray is looking at an increase in production, he wants to prove his new max contract was worth it. Harris is looking to bounce back after an injury filled season. Craig shined in the playoffs, and would expect some more ball duties. Morris wants to increase his value. So does Beasley. Grant's going to want to do more, after his time in OKC. And they got Hernangomez and Porter Jr. off the bench, who also want to show out. There might be too many mouths to feed, and not enough balls on the court. But in spite of all that, this team is going to shine.

5. Utah Jazz: 51-31
PG: Mike Conley
SG: Donovan Mitchell
SF: Joe Ingles
PF: Bojan Bogdanovic
C: Rudy Gobert
6th Man: Emmanuel Mudiay(?)
With the offseason additions of Conley and Mudiay, the Jazz look to capitalize on the fading prime of Conley. Conley was obtained to address one specific weakness in the Jazz's team, where in the playoffs, if Mitchell was shutdown, they wouldn't have another primary ball handler. There's not much to say about this team, it'll be exciting for sure. Lockdown defense with Conley, Mitchell, Ingles, and DPOY Rudy Gobert. Ball handlers to run the offense in Mitchell, Conley, Ingles, and Bogdanovic. They got spacing, offensive sets, and are overall a fun team to watch. Also, The Bo-Jo Show(14:13).

6. Golden State Warriors: 48-34
PG: Stephen Curry
SG: D'Angelo Russell
SF: Alfonzo McKinnie
PF: Draymond Green
C: Kevon Looney
6th Man:(?)
This team is incredibly thin. I didn't add a 6th man, because it's incredibly difficult to know who can play 6th man for them. Alec Burks? Jacob Evans? Glenn Robinson III? I'm not sure. None of them are seriously notable players. The departure of their veterans make Curry the oldest on the team. Wow that's wild to say out loud. But yea, this team is a big question mark. I can see Curry popping the fuck off, and getting the MVP. I can also see Curry get 1 serious injury, and the Warriors decide to fold it all up and decided to tank for the season. With Klay out, and no timetable for his return, I'm curious to see where Steve Kerr decides to take this team. The players have been saying the right things all preseason, all the "We'll be playing to contend all season," the "I'm excited to play with the Splash Brothers." But we all know how stacked this West is. So I'm not sure what's going to happen. The Warriors are a huge question mark this season.

7. Portland Trail Blazers: 47-35
PG: Damian Lillard
SG: CJ McCollum
SF: Rodney Hood
PF: Zach Collins
C: Hassan Whiteside
6th Man: Kent Bazemore(?)
Look, I get it. The Blazers were in the conference finals last season, and I have them dropping to 7th just 1 season later. They got some issues to figure out. Of course, they kept their main guys. Dame and CJ are still here, Rodney "Mama there goes that man" Hood is still here, and so is Zach Collins, the bad boy from Gonzaga. But... that's it. Those are the only returning players from last season. So this is another team that's got a lot of questions. Whiteside is great, for sure. But are we talking 2016 Whiteside, or 2019 Whiteside? The Blocks-Per-Game leader, or the bench warmer? They also obtained big question marks in Anfernee Simons(who showed up in Summer League), Mario Hezonja, and Skal Labissiere. Look, I'm not saying the Blazers are bad, they still got their core 2. But the rest of the team, I'm not so sure. We'll have to see the season unfold to see how these pieces mesh together.

8. San Antonio Spurs: 46-36
PG: Dejounte Murray
SG: Derrick White
SF: DeMar DeRozan
PF: LaMarcus Aldridge
C: Jakob Poeltl
6th Man: Rudy Gay
I had a choice between 4-5 different teams to place here, and it was a difficult choice. But in the end, I decided to go with ole'reliable, the San Antonio Spurs. There isn't much new with this team either. DeRozan will do his same old Kobe-lite thing, Aldridge will come in and drop the quietest 20/10 since Tim Duncan. But there are a lot of exciting gems on this team. Derrick White, for one, who showed off in the playoffs, including a massive dunk on Paul Millsap in the playoffs. Rudy Gay's been playing the best basketball of his career, post Achilles tear. Patty Mills does... Patty Mills things. Bryn Forbes will shoot his shots, he showed up in the playoffs as well. Belinelli, the king of off balance 3 pointers, will get his shots up. And don't forget, Dejounte Murray is coming back from his ACL tear last season. He's someone to keep an eye on. Will he bounce back to 2nd Team All Defense Dejounte Murray, or will it take some time for him to get his feel back. I'm sure we're all excited to see that.

9. Sacramento Kings: 43-39
PG: De'Aaron Fox
SG: Buddy Hield
SF: Harrison Barnes
PF: Marvin Bagley III
C: Dewayne Dedmon
6th Man: Bogdan Bogdanovic
I'm extremely sad to say that the SacTown Kings will not be making the playoffs. In an incredibly stacked West, I just cannot see them making the playoffs. In spite of that, they're going to be fun to watch. Fun and good. Having fully embraced the pace last season, they surprised the entire NBA, playing some of the fastest and most fun basketball people have seen from the Kings in a while. Fox showed his athletic prowess, running up and down the court in approx. 3 seconds. Hield shot the lights out. Bagley, in his rookie year, showed that he is a capable rim runner, and has a soft left hand turnaround hook at all times. They definitely overpaid for Barnes, but 'tis a minor issue. Nobody wants to forget about Harry Giles III either, he showed glimpses of his coordination and ball handling skills at the center position. This team will be fun to watch, for sure, but I can't see it making the playoffs unless one of the upper teams makes the fall from grace.

10. Dallas Mavericks: 42-40
PG: Delon Wright
SG: Luka Doncic
SF: Tim Hardaway Jr.
PF: Kristaps Porzingis
C: Dwight Powell
6th Man: Jalen Brunson
I like this team a lot. The Dallas Mavericks Front Office made the right moves to address the holes in their team. They made the move to sign Delon Wright, to compensate for Doncic's defensive deficiencies. Seth Curry to add more efficient shooting (ahem Tim Hardaway Jr.). Dorian Finney-Smith is a long limbed defender. And many people are sleeping on rim runner Dwight Powell, who looks to make a jump from backup C to starting C. The duo of Doncic and Porzingis will be feared, but I'm not sure it's enough to challenge the other duos in the West. I could make the argument that every duo mentioned above these 2 are better, either more experienced or just a better player.

11. Oklahoma City Thunder: 39-43
PG: Chris Paul
SG: Andre Roberson
SF: Terrance Ferguson
PF: Danilo Gallinari
C: Steven Adams
6th Man: Shai Gilgeous-Alexander
I might be crazy for putting SGA on the bench, sure. But I don't expect Paul to stay the entire season. Heck, I don't expect Paul to make it past December. But we're not talking about post December, we're talking about the beginning of the season. So I'm making the executive decision, and starting Paul+Roberson over SGA. This isn't a bad team. Maybe in the East, they'd be closer to the top, maybe even a playoff team if the dice rolls the right way. But with 3 of their 5 starters known for their historical injury issues, I just can't see this team making much noise. They've got a fairly well-rounded bench, all things considered. Schroder, SGA, Diallo, Bazley, and Noel doesn't sound terrible. But it's not on par with many other teams out in the rabid West.

12. New Orleans Pelicans: 37-45
PG: Lonzo Ball
SG: Jrue Holiday
SF: Brandon Ingram
PF: Zion Williamson
C: Derrick Favors
6th Man: JJ Redick
I mean... it's not a bad team, for sure. Ball+Holiday is one of the most fearsome defensive duos in the league. Ball and Ingram are due for an increase in production. And Williamson will get some good transition dunks in. But this team is incredibly lacking. There's not much else for me to say, except that Williamson will probably fuck this up.

13. Minnesota Timberwolves: 35:47
PG: Jeff Teague
SG: Jarrett Culver
SF: Andrew Wiggins
PF: Jordan Bell
C: Karl-Anthony Towns
6th Man: Gorgui Dieng
Look, I like KAT. He's one of the most talented centers the NBA has ever seen. Elite handles, elite shot creation, elite shooting, athletic enough to post up, dunk, turnaround fade, he can do it all on the offensive end. But it feels like the Timberwolves have a curse. A curse, where they draft an elite, All NBA talent big man, and fail to put any talent next to him whatsoever. I feel like this will be the TWolves' last chance to appease KAT. And their solution is to... try Andrew Wiggins, whos known for doing shit like this, at point guard. Well, we'll see where this project goes. I just want to see KAT succeed in his carrer. Oh, there's also potential DPOY Robert Covington, recent draftee Jarrett Culver, and rim runner Jordan Bell, but theres not much to be excited about in Minnesota.

14. Phoenix Suns: 33-49
PG: Ricky Rubio
SG: Devin Booker
SF: Kelly Oubre Jr.
PF: Dario Saric
C: Deandre Ayton
6th Man: Mikal Bridges
This is a first. The Phoenix Suns not bottom?! They had a fruitful offseason, and finally look to not be at the bottom of the league. Successfully overpaying Rubio, they also drafted promising prospects Ty Jerome and Cameron Johnson. I'm excited to watch Booker NOT be the only offensive option, and I hope new coach Monty Williams can instill some sort of defensive effort into the team. With a real point guard, Ayton should see a healthy jump in production, and the offense should flow a lot smoother, at least compared to previous years.

15. Memphis Grizzlies: 25-57
PG: Temetrius "Ja" Morant
SG: Dillon Brooks
SF: Kyle Anderson
PF: Jaren Jackson Jr.
C: Jonas Valanciunas
6th Man: Jae Crowder
If this were the East, this team would be in the 30 wins range. That being said, it's not the east. This team has a lot of question marks. How will Morant transition to the NBA? Will JJJ make the jump we all expect him to? How about Brooks and Anderson? Will Grayson Allen ever grow the fuck up? They made really good moves in the offseason, drafting their possible future superstar point guard Ja Morant and complementary piece Brandon Clarke. They also traded for Josh Jackson of the Phoenix Suns, giving up defensive workhorse Jevon Carter. Josh Jackson is... starting the season in the G-League. But hey! It's ok. This team may still be able to keep some of their defensive image, especially with players like Anderson and JJJ. I'm for sure excited to watch this team. But it's probably only because of Ja Morant and JJJ.

[Ramcus]

I like the colourways of the West way more then I do the East. More variation.

[ozymandias]

Damn, West really is stacked. Those top 8 really do look realistic but I'm hoping Kings will somehow make it through. Also, that Pelicans team should be very fun to watch with Zo, Zion and Ingram.

[drumr]

3. Los Angeles Lakers: 53-29
PG: Rajon Rondo
SG: Danny Green
SF: LeBron James
PF: Anthony Davis
C: JaVale McGee(?)
6th Man: Kyle Kuzma(?)
This team is entirely overrated, solely due to the existence of LeBron James. Don't get me wrong, James is an amazing player. But at 34, going on 35, he cannot afford to take the regular season seriously anymore if he wants to play in the playoffs. But despite that, with this team, he cannot afford to take the regular season off. They're just not deep enough, not talented enough as a whole to challenge the rest of the West. I like this team. A lot. But almost everyone on this team that is capable of producing at a high level is too old to take the regular season seriously. I have this team going 53-29, but I can just as much see them going near the 45 wins range.

I never saw this. LoL This overrated team was on pace for a championship and was coming off beating the top 3 teams in the league on the road. Near 45 wins.

I hate that Rockets team. So so much lol. They're so small it's borderline offensive.

Go Baby Pels!