After their first round exit in the 2009 playoffs, fans and basketball experts alike were pronouncing the San Antonio Spurs reign over. That seems to be a bit premature as the Spurs opened the vault and traded for Richard Jefferson. Jefferson gives the Spurs extra offense and insurance if Manu Ginobili is hurt for large amounts of the season.
The Spurs also added Dejaun Blair in the draft from Pittsburgh. An undersized forward with a style like Charles Barkley, Blair could start and will only need to play defense and rebound well to get playing time.
Houston’s loss of Yao Ming for the entire season severely cripples any chances they had of success. The roster is still good enough to make the playoffs, especially if Tracy McGrady is healthy all or most of the season. When they traded Rafer Alston they lost a solidpoint guard, and they have yet to fill that void. The Rockets will remain competitive but will not be a factor in winning the west.
Dallas fans always know Mark Cuban will spend money to win. After adding Shawn Marion and Drew Gooden to their frontline, Dirk Nowitzki and Erik Dampier now have solid teammates in the paint. Cuban is not afraid to make trade deadline deals to improve his team. Expect Dallas to be a major factor in the west, and challenge San Antonio for the division crown.
The New Orleans Hornets came into the 2009 season as many people’s pick to win the NBA Finals. The addition of James Posey was supposed to be the final piece to the Hornets’ championship puzzle. The Hornets depth up front other than David West is poor. Tyson Chandler is not a physical or defensively skilled center. The depth, and quality of the bench is poor, but they still have Chris Paul, and that makes the Hornets a threat to win the division. I do not know what the Hornets will do, it would not be surprising to see them win the division or finish last. My better judgment tells me they will make the playoffs, but not escape the first round.
Memphis has several good players to make a push for the playoffs. OJ Mayo is a future scoring champ, and all around player Rudy Gay is a solid forward. With the No. 2 pick in the 2009 Draft Hasheem Thabeet, the Grizzlies have a solid defensive center. But he will need to improve his offense. Memphis can make the playoffs, but their young players must take the next step in their careers and become impact players.