Oct 18, 2015; San Antonio, TX, USA; San Antonio Spurs power forward Tim Duncan (L) shares a laugh on the court with teammate LaMarcus Aldridge (R) during the first half against the Detroit Pistons at AT&T Center. Mandatory Credit: Soobum Im-USA TODAY Sports
Who Wins the Western Conference?
Tyson Newman: The Golden State Warriors. Four or five teams could come out of the crazy Western Conference, but i’m banking on the Warriors continuing their historically great offense this season.
Karthik Narayanan: San Antonio Spurs. This will be a blood bath. The Cavs should consider themselves blessed if anyone other than the Spurs show up to face them in the NBA Finals. OKC is a dark horse here–they match up well against any team.
Greg Foster: The Golden State Warriors. They had a historic season last year; they were the number one offensive and defensive team in the league and they return nearly the exact same roster and coaching staff from their title run last year. All signs point to another year of Juggernaut-like thrashing for the boys in the Bay.
This, of course, is subject to change with how stiff the competition is in the West. But until someone slays this dragon, I have to pick the Warriors.
Richard Lu: Golden State Warriors. The Clippers bench, though upgraded talent wise, may not mix very well as they have what looks to be a potentially huge chemistry issue. The Harden and Howard duo, even combined with Lawson, does not feel dynamic enough to put the Rockets over the hump while the Spurs lost a valuable interior defender in Splitter and Tony Parker may not recover to his All Star form
Ryan Aston: San Antonio Spurs. Historical rivalries notwithstanding, the most organizationally sound franchise in the league continues to reload and reshape their roster in a way I can’t help but admire.
Blake Draper: San Antonio Spurs. Their longtime players keep getting older, but at the same time, the Spurs keep adding depth, with players like Danny Green and David West giving up money to play in San Antonio. There will definitely be an adjustment period for LaMarcus Aldridge, but come playoff time the Spurs will be primed to break through the West and meet the Cavaliers in a rematch of the 2007 Finals.
This time it won’t be a sweep, and the Spurs won’t be winning.
Next: Who Wins the East?