The Suns play their first home preseason game this Wednesday and it has the Fredstrom thinking. Where will the Suns finish in the West? Here's the Fredstrom's power rankings for the top 8 seeds in the Western Conference.#1 New Orleans Hornets- Chris Paul keeps getting better and better. David West will again have an all-star season and watch out for James Posey. He has been on two of the last 3 championship teams. He will help spread the floor along with Peja allowing Paul, West, and Chandler to dissect the inside. They will be a force!
#2 L.A. Lakers- Two words: Kobe Factor. Two keys to the Lakers improving: Phil Jackson shaving the goat-tee and they will get Bynum back. Even though Gasol is tissue-soft, he still poses match up problems for other Western Conference contenders. The X factor for the Lakers will be the consistency of the Euros. Will they show up strong or will they fall, flop, and cry their way to Phil's bench?
#3 Utah Jazz- Deron Williams is a stud. Carlos Boozer also poses match up problems for many. Utah's biggest strength is the Sloan Factor. Jerry Sloan has a system that gets his guys to work and work hard, especially on the defensive end. If Okur can play anything like he did two years ago Utah will secure the 3 spot in the West.
#4 Phoenix Suns- The Suns may be old but they have made some positive moves this summer. A new coach with a defensive past... a back up point guard, signing Mike Barnes a scrappy defensive player and not having to work in the Big Saguaro mid-season should make the Suns a better team than last year. Remember D'Antoni running the Suns 7 into the ground? The Fredstrom has to believe that Terry Porter won't do the same allowing the Suns to have more legs for the home stretch and more importantly the playoffs.
#5 Houston Rockets- Picking up Ron Artest this summer can only make them better. If Yao and T-Mac can stay healthy look for the Rockets to lay some exhaust on the West.
#6 San Antonio Spurs- Speaking of coaches facial hair, have you seen Pops beard? The Fredstrom has never seen a baby with such a huge beard! Someone find that baby a Quattro! Experience, Experience, Experience... however Manu's ankle complications will hurt the Spurs. Timmy is a year older but is still effective and Tony Longoria will still be a Suns killer. Look for the Spurs to play possum once again until their rodeo trip is over, then they will turn it on. The Fredstrom thinks the Spurs early exit in last year's playoffs was a preview of their decline. Unfortunately it might have been the Suns preview as well.
#7 Dallas Mavericks- The Mavs will make the playoffs because they have talent. Jason Kidd, Dirk, Howard (what happened to that guy?) and Terry should be able to make the 7 spot in the West...and not any higher. Last year we saw adding Jason Kidd doesn't equate to winning in the playoffs.
#8 Portland Trailblazers- Greg Oden seems to be cursed and may only play 75% of this season, but the Blazers have some really nice and youthful pieces in place. The Fredstrom can't put an unstable, back-biting Nuggets or a Brandless Clippers, or a B. Diddyless Warriors, the Sacramento Queens, or an inexperienced Thunder ahead of the Blazers.
It looks like our D-Backs finished 2nd in the West, and definitely won't win the World Series! They didn't win a 100 or more games or even break the 90's, so it looks like the polls were mostly wrong. Don't they get anything for that huge number of strike outs?
Looks like the Cubs may have to wait another 100years...wow that was bad!
The Cardinals beat up on an undefeated Bills team to improve to 3-2, but the Cowboys are coming! Do the Cards have a chance?
New polls posted today including where the Suns will finish in the West.
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