ok this sucks. if the lakers are still losing by the time bynum comes back, just go ahead and do gasol + bynum for howard
They would do that trade NOW if they could...
Mavericks will still be a playoff team, but with the changes over the off-season it's a huge stretch to say they'll be competing for a championship. I still think Cuban was right to blow it up, but it pretty much means they're banking on grabbing Howard or Williams next year. Delonte West will be better than most people expect if he can stay healthy, but VC is pretty bad and Lamar Odom doesn't fit into this team nearly as well as Chandler did. Losing JJ hurts too.
Whoever suggested using the amnesty on Haywood; that would leave them with 0 starting Centers, they're already lacking depth at the position and Haywood was probably better than anything they could've gotten in free agency without overpaying and locking themselves out of next years superstars.
Every single person whose playoff lists for the West didn't include the Nuggets is going to look dumb in a month or two :) IMO they're a lock for the playoffs and have the potential to make a decent run, that team is young and deep. I believe they were the BEST team in the league last year post Melo trade and look to be a high quality team again this year. Every tired team coming into Denver at the tail end of back to backs and long road trips will be easy wins for the Nuggets, even more so than usual.
West -
1. Thunder
2. Nuggets
3. Clippers
4. Spurs
5. Lakers
6. Grizzlies
7. Mavericks
8. Trailblazers
East -
1. Heat
2. Bulls
3. Knicks
4. Celtics
5. Pacers (!)
6. Magic if they retain Howard
7. Hawks
8. 76ers unless they finally trade AI, in which case either Nets or Bucks, leaning Nets.
