2010-11 SBNation NBA Blog Previews: Pacific Division

I think we have a chance and am guessing we may pull it off. Is it enough to make the playoffs? If things go well it could be close. I’m saving my predictions until I see this team play some games though.

Just divided my tix this morning with my partners so I’ll be going to the first pre-season game against the Suns and the Home opener as well.

They were a strange team last year, going 21-20 at home and 8-33 on the road. They also won 14 of their 30 games against the East but only 15 of their 52 games against the West. I guesss I don’t have much faith in Del Negro to get them to play consistently. And, other than Griffin, I don’t see where they got better. Ryan Gomes doesn’t seem to be any better then Rasual Butler at the 3, and DeAndre Jordon stills needs to prove he’s not the 2nd coming of Mikki Moore. And, their backcourt players are a little undersized with all 5 between 6-1 & 6-4.

With new coaches and only one real improvement in the lineup, I don’t see either GS or the Clips making big jumps in wins this season. I see GS regressing some 24-27 wins and the Clips improving to maybe 30-33 wins with the Kings at least winning 35.

One of the two will implode. We will just have to wait and see. The clips will probably ride the Griffin train to another year of around 30 wins. Until I see some positives from this new and relatively unknown coaching staff, my money is on the warriors to crash and burn.

The Dubs may finish last in the West, a close call with Minnie. I don’t believe (as HT says) that the Clips really got any better – and I think we did. The Suns? We’ll see.

He picked them as the #8 seed in the playoffs….love it!

and while most of his assessments so far seem to show that he has a great deal of knowledge about the NBA, he’s the only one to go that high about the Kings. Most of the better know professional writers are guessing more around 30 or less.

So, if you want to believe that Prada knows more than everyone else, go ahead. He might be. ;)

I think in one of my scouting reports last season, I said that the Suns would make it deep into the playoffs, and more than a few people told me I was crazy.

As far as the Clips luck, I think they make their own bad luck. They gave away Camby for Outlaw and Blake and then let them both walk in Free Agency. The did the same with Gooden who was a 15/10 guy for them after joining the team. Now, they let him walk because they have Griffin, but Griffin starts out in a hole because he’s got to average 15/10 just to make up for the loss of Gooden.

Griffin is going to give them rebounds, but I don’t see him giving them 20/10 from the PF spot in his 1st year and coming off injury. I like any combo of our bigs against Kaman & Griffin. At least this year.

but, the vast majority 5 of 7 were to outside shooters for long 2’s and 3’s. I think because he always takes it to the rim inside 14 ft, defenses wait closer to the rim and therefore alley-oops and shovel passes to our bigs around the basket are more dangerous than just taking it to the rim himself. Plus, we tend to clear out the lane when he has the ball.

I think he needs to make the short 14 ft jumpers at a high percentage, to force defenses to come out and defend him more often. And, the Kings need to send more cutters through the lane off the weakside. The one – four spread filled a need last season and was good experience for Evans. But, if he’s to be a top PG in this league, he needs to run the Pick & Roll better, and set his bigs up for easy baskets with improved ball handling and passing.