Going into this season, there were obvious picks for the next Western Conference champion, such as the defending champion San Antonio Spurs, who are always a contender, the Dallas Mavericks, who will be looking to avenge an early first-round loss last season and the Phoenix Suns who added veteran Grant Hill to their offseason lineup. Although all of these teams are still on their way to being the best in the West, there are some unexpected surprises in the West this season.
There are three teams in the Western Conference that continue to surprise and improve as the season progresses: the Los Angeles Lakers, the New Orleans Hornets and the Portland Trailblazers.
The Portland Trailblazers began the season on a sour note with their number one pick Greg Oden undergoing season-ending surgery before he could play his first game in a Blazer uniform. That somewhat took their breath away walking out of the gate, but not for long as their young superstar Brandon Roy put his team on his back and rallied the troops to a very impressive start with the promise of a spot. in the playoffs in June. .
The New Orleans Hornets have to be the biggest surprise of these three as Rookie of the Year Chris Paul has emerged as a true leader and one of the best point guards in the NBA, just behind Steve Nash and Jason Kidd. . If the playoffs were to start today, the New Orleans Hornets would be the number one seed in the West, quite surprising considering they didn’t come close to making the postseason last year.
Then we come to the never-ending saga of the Los Angeles Lakers, who have been the NBA’s equivalent of a drama-filled soap opera all offseason with questions and trade rumors about the NBA’s best player, Kobe Bryant. Even though the future of the Lakers looked very bleak and eminent for disaster when the season started, somehow Kobe Bryant and company were able to put it all together and become one of the best teams in the league with most of the credit. going to the promising ones. center Andrew Bynum who looks more and more like the future of the Lakers and the next great center in the NBA.
Who will emerge victorious in the Western Conference? Who knows, but one thing is for sure, as the season heads into the playoffs, basketball fans are in for a treat as it looks more competitive than ever in the West.