82 Things to Watch For This NBA Season (Pt. 4)

Also see: Pt. 1 | Pt. 2 | Pt. 3

In the past three installments of our countdown of the "82 Things to Watch For This NBA Season," I've examined some of the league's biggest stars, its biggest potential future stars, and who could walk away with the league's biggest individual awards.

Now, with the season a mere eight days away, we will continue our countdown by examining the Western Conference and the projected record for each team.

In reverse order of predicted finish, they are:

Lottery Teams

30. Minnesota Timberwolves

I don't want to give the impression that being addicted to the NBA League Pass is a bad thing, it really isn't. I mean, you get to watch any NBA game you want. It doesn't get much better than that.

But there are downsides, too. For example, sometimes the only game not at commercial is the Timberwolves game and you get stuck watching them for up to as many as three-to-five minutes at a time. Trust me, it's not pretty.

However, had it not been for this rare phenomenon I would have missed my favorite League Pass moment of the 2007-08 season.

After Sebastian Telfair sailed a behind-the-back pass over the scorers table and into the second or third row, the T-Wolves play-by-play announcer casually remarked, "Sebastian told us before the game to expect more flashy plays than usual from him tonight because his mother is in attendance."

I'm not exactly sure what stage of the rebuilding process "showing off for your mom with ridiculous behind-the-back passes" is, but I'm guessing Kevin McHale still has a lot of things to cross off his list before he gets back to "reach the playoffs".

Projected record: 21-61

29. Memphis Grizzlies

The Grizz might not be on LeBron's radar of free agent destinations when his contract expires, but they did do a nice job of dumping salaries by trading away Pau Gasol and Mike Miller. Sure, they didn't get anything remotely close to a legit NBA player back in either deal, but they are trying. At least saving up a bunch of money to throw at free agents down the road is some sort of a strategy.

They have a logjam at the guard position, so expect them to move some players and continue to rebuild as the season goes along. If they can keep acquiring draft picks and keep cap space available for the next few summers there is some hope in Memphis.

Hope is a good motivational tool for second-year head coach Marc Iavaroni to use, which is why they'll be way better than Minnesota.

Projected record: 22-60

28. Sacramento Kings

"Hang Time's" Reggie Theus will probably be the unfortunate victim of rebuilding for this Kings team. It's not his fault that he inherited a team that desperately needed an identity change with a front office that had its heart set on making drastic changes.

It's not his fault that the kings traded away Ron Artest and Mike Bibby in his first calendar year on the job, basically assuring another trip to the lottery.

However, coaching success is based simply on winning games, and there is no way this Kings team matches its win total of 38 from a year ago. A coach can't take over a sub-.500 team and decrease the amount of wins in his second season and expect to keep his job.

It's not Theus' fault what's happening in Sacramento, but he'll certainly take the fall. My guess is he'll be the first coach fired this season, and it'll happen by Christmas.

Projected record: 26-56

27. Oklahoma City Thunder

I know, it's just as weird to write it out as it is to say it, but we'll get past this. It's like writing out a check in January, you always want to date it with the previous year out of habit, but eventually it becomes so ingrained that you need to add the extra digit at the end that it becomes second nature. The preseason is just like writing checks in January, it'll get easier.

As for the team itself, I'll admit it's tough to put a positive spin on going 2-18 in the month of March, but look at it this way: they went undefeated in April (2-0).

All kidding aside, I do like the direction in which this team is heading. In part two of our preview I compared Kevin Durant's rookie stats to those of the top-five scorers in the league from last season. I fully expect Durant to continue to improve and be an elite scorer this year, finishing in the top 10 in points per game. He's that talented.

You can make the excuse that the Sonics rookies ran out of gas late last year having dealt with the grind of an 82-game season for the first time, but both Green and Durant finished with better scoring and rebounding numbers in the second half of the season.

Though they may be a long way from prominence, the Thunder decided to commit to rebuilding last year, their willingness to take a few on the chin in order to get their young guys NBA experience is an example, and I fully expect that to pay off this season.

Thirty wins may be an embarrassment for some teams, but it's a 10-game improvement for the Thunder. Baby steps.

Projected record: 30-52

26. Golden State Warriors

Last season, the Warriors won 48 games, a total that would have been good for fourth best in the East, but found themselves at ninth and on the outside looking in at the Western Conference Playoffs.

Normally, that would be enough to keep anyone optimistic; not team president Robert Rowell. Rowell hasn't extended the contracts of head coach Don Nelson or GM Chris Mullin, both of which expire at the end of this season, which is a pretty good indication that he already knows who is taking the blame if the warriors fail to make the playoffs again.

The lineup that Nelson used to get the 48 wins will look significantly different this time around having lost Baron Davis (free agency) and Monta Ellis (moped). The Warriors spent nearly $180 million on free agents this offseason, but unless Nelson can find a diamond in the rough at point guard to carry this team until Ellis returns, Nellyball could be making its farewell tour this season.

Projected record: 38-44

25. Los Angeles Clippers

The Clippers had the most action of any team this offseason. There was the Elton Brand/Baron Davis saga; the Elton Brand/Mike Dunleavy saga; the Corey Maggette saga. There were a lot of sagas.

But once all the offseason chaos was settled, the Clippers actually made out pretty well. Despite losing Elton Brand in curious if not overly dramatic fashion, the Clippers still managed to add Baron Davis, Marcus Camby, and Ricky Davis without having to give up virtually anything.

The possibility of Baron Davis running the break along with Ricky Davis and second year player Al Thorton has the Clippers poised to be a very potent offense team. Combine that with the fact that Marcus Camby and Chris Kaman are a more than formidable duo protecting the rim, and all the sudden, this team starts to look scary.

Alas, they are still the Clippers. Despite the fact that they got better this offseason, they still left open the possibility of failure. Clipper fans can be optimistic about Baron Davis and Marcus Camby all they'd like, but the fact is it would take a small miracle to get these two guys on the floor 70 times together.

The West is too deep for a mediocre-to-begin-with-team to overcome any injury problems. The Clippers only hope to sneak out an eight-seed is to keep those two players healthy all year. Good luck with that.

Projected record: 41-41

24. Denver Nuggets

If I was a player, I'd want to play for George Karl. He seems like a pretty cool guy. His offense gives his players a lot of freedom to be creative. And I bet he can tell some pretty funny stories.

But the most important reason I'd want to play for George Karl is because never, under any circumstance, does he expect you to play defense. Now that's a system I can buy into.

How adamant is Karl that defense is overrated? The Nuggets just gave Marcus Camby to the Clippers this offseason. Just gave him away for option to swap second round picks two years from now.

Call me crazy, but a team that finished last season giving up the second most points in the league, then got swept in the first round by the Lakers who averaged 115 points per contest in their brief series, shouldn't be just giving away their best defensive player.

This team was the only team to make the Western Conference playoffs last year that I never considered to be the least bit of a threat. They did nothing to improve their situation in the offseason.

The Nuggets are still talented enough on offense to run lesser teams out of the gym, but just don't have the size or depth to compete with the big boys in the West. They'll win some games, just not enough.

Projected record: 43-39

Playoff Teams

23. Dallas Mavericks

Say what you want about Mark Cuban, but his teams will always be interesting. He rolled the dice last season at the trade deadline by spending a small fortune and bringing in Jason Kidd. The trade was pretty much a disaster, leading to a stretch of about three months where the Mavericks couldn't beat a team with a winning record and then capped it off with a pretty lackluster 4-1 series defeat against the Hornets.

That prompted the firing of the "Little General" Avery Johnson (or "the Little Dictator," as Dirk Nowitzki calls him) this offseason. Johnson has been replaced by journeyman head coach Rick Carlisle who vows to open up the offense and let Jason Kidd control the floor.

A coaching change is a subtle move that a team can make to improve its existing roster. Nothing about Mark Cuban is subtle. With players like Jason Kidd, Jerry Stackhouse, Erick Dampier, and Devean George all playing on contracts that other teams covet, expect to see more fireworks from Cuban this February if the Mavs don't get off to a great start.

Projected record: 46-36

22. Phoenix Suns

Could this be the end of the run-and-gun Suns? Swapping out Shawn Marion for Shaq last season was a big step towards slowing things down, but it may have only been the first step.

After Suns GM Steve Kerr fired head coach Mike D'Antoni and brought in Pistons assistant Terry Porter, he should have given a eulogy for the "Seven Seconds or Less" style offense right then and there.

With 30-somethings Shaq, Steve Nash, Grant Hill, and Raja Bell all figuring to play prominent roles this season, slow and steady may be the only way Phoenix to has enough left in the tank come April to compete in the West.

Expect a drop off in victories while they adjust to their new style, but don't expect the Suns to just completely go away. They still boast one of the most talented starting fives in the league.

Projected record: 47-35

21. Portland Trail Blazers

Portland was the feel good story of the 2007-08 season with its early 13-game winning streak, but this year is the real test to see if Portland is ready to be taken seriously as playoff contenders.

Portland flirted briefly with the playoffs last year before losing seven of the last 10 and finishing at .500, well out of contention. Now that the young Blazers have a year of experience under their belt and the return of Greg Oden looming, Portland is poised to be a team to be reckoned with out West.

The tandem of Brandon Roy and Greg Oden has limitless potential. These two could easily produce very similar to the production that Shaquille O'Neal and Dwyane Wade gave the Miami Heat in 2006. Wade averaged 27 points, 7 assists, and 6 rebounds per game, while Shaq was good for 20 and 9 and played in 59 games.

I can't say I'd be the least bit shocked if Oden averaged 20 and 9 this year and only played in 59 games. And Brandon Roy may have only averaged 19 points, 6 assists, and 5 rebounds last year, but this is his third season and he could primed for a huge year.

Remember, Wade's 2006 campaign was also his third season. I'm not going as far as to call Roy and Oden Wade and Shaq just yet, but you've been warned.

Projected record: 50-32

20. San Antonio Spurs

You know about this team. You think they're boring. You think they're old. You think their window is closing.

They don't care what you think; they're just going to keep winning, the same way that they've just kept winning for the past decade.

You know how you can tell when people stop caring about what other people think: they look like this.

That's right, Pop has gone to the "Robin Williams in 'Good Will Hunting'" look just to rub in the fact that it kills the casual fan the "boring Spurs" are really good.

It doesn't matter a whole heck of a lot that Manu Ginobili is out (he missed some time last year, too), the Spurs will again reach the 50-win mark for the ninth straight season.

Projected record: 53-29

19. Utah Jazz

I keep waiting for Utah to have a breakthrough season; one where Deron Williams and Carlos Boozer each reach their maximum potential and the Jazz become as unstoppable an offensive team as we've seen in a long time.

Last year looked like it had all the makings for the Jazz, coming off a season in which they advanced all the way to the conference finals. They seemed poised to take that last step towards a title, learning from their missteps the previous season.

Yet the Jazz regressed, getting bounced by the Lakers in the second round of the playoffs. Sure, there's no shame in losing to the eventual conference champion, but for a team on the cusp of a title taking a step backwards is a pretty big letdown.

Now, unbelievably because their all-world point guard Deron Williams is all of 24-years-old, all of a sudden this could be Utah's last chance. If Carlos Boozer packs his things and bolts out of Utah after this season, the Jazz could be in real trouble. They may have another 10 years of greatness left from Williams, but this team could very well be the best chance he ever gets at winning a title. It's not easy to replace 21 points and 11 rebounds.

If Williams and Boozer become completely unstoppable (not impossible), the Jazz could finally be the breakout team out West I've been waiting for. If not, and Boozer decides he's had enough of the Jazz, it's back to the drawing board once again for Jerry Sloan.

Projected record 55-27

18. Houston Rockets

It looks like someone in Houston has finally decided that the window is closing and has gone all in. The window for what is debatable, however.

You can't exactly call the time Yao and Tracey McGrady have spent together a championship window (champions actually win a playoff series), but certainly the potential was there.

Now, with T-Mac set to turn 30 on May 24 (or "the week I start my summer vacation" as he should call it) and Yao having just turned 28, it's apparent that the Rockets feel they have one last chance to remove the title of "most underachieving team in the history of the NBA."

(In the history of the NBA, has there ever been an older 30-year-old than McGrady? It's like he was pieced together with Larry Bird's back, Patrick Ewing's knees, and Sandy Koufax's shoulder.)

Sensing that desperation might be the only way to salvage something out of this group, the Rockets got drastic this offseason by acquiring Ron Artest. There's no denying that Artest has immense talent that will no doubt help the Rockets win a lot of games this year. He's also most likely certifiably insane and has the potential to split the already delicate franchise in two.

Either way, the Rockets have as much talent if not more than any other team in the league and will put that talent to use to accumulate a lot of regular season wins. Even if they only get 50 games apiece from their big three, it should equate to a pretty big spike in the win total. Sure, the odds of all three of those guys (Artest, McGrady, Yao) being healthy enough for a big playoff push is about 1,000-1, but at least they're poised for a big regular season.

Projected record: 58-24

17. New Orleans Hornets

This is the playoff team most likely increase its win total by five games. The Hornets won 56 games last season and tied for the second best record in the Western Conference. They edged out San Antonio in a tiebreaker for the Southwest division title, only to get beat on their home floor by those same Spurs in the playoffs.

The Hornets proved they can go on the road and win tough games last season, finishing with the fourth most road wins in the NBA. It was defending home-court that was a problem for New Orleans.

They finished with just the seventh best home record in the west last year. If Chris Paul, David West, and Tyson Chandler can figure out a way to make the New Orleans Arena a place visiting teams hate to play at, something similar to what the Kings had in Sacramento a few years back, the Hornets suddenly become a 60-win team without even really having to improve talent wise.

Factor in that we have no idea where Chris Paul's ceiling is at and we could be looking at a very tough team to beat this season.

Projected record: 61-21

16. Los Angeles Lakers

Look, I've spent the better part of the past three seasons writing about how great Kobe Bryant is, and I'm sure there is more to come on that topic later this season. It doesn't need to be said anymore.

In fact, the Lakers are so good and so popular that there isn't much else that can be said about this team. They were a miraculous second half comeback by the Celtics away from a potential stranglehold on the NBA Finals, only to find themselves eliminated in six games via an embarrassing blowout.

While teams like the Rockets made major roster moves to try to keep pace with the Lakers, the Lakers trumped everyone by making the biggest move of all: moving Andrew Bynum from the injured list to the starting lineup.

While teams paid an arm and a leg just to try to get to the level the Lakers were at last year this offseason, the Lakers may have improved more than any team by adding a potential 20 and 10 guy into the mix without spending a dime.

As great as Kobe is, it's the development of Andrew Bynum that will determine whether or not the Lakers can take the final step towards their 15th title as a franchise.

Projected record: 63-19