Let the “khaos” of the Western conference begin! A new season is finally here as we begin breaking down the 2024 NBA season preview. Denver Nuggets are your defending champs as they begin their quest to repeat. Los Angeles Lakers may have something to say about it as well. Golden State went through misery and distraction to say the least. Will the new look Phoenix Suns rise or set with Bradley Beal? As the late comedian Robin Harris once said: “Follow the drip, follow the drip!”
Denver Nuggets: Overnight success or one hit wonders? This team finally broke through and won their first NBA championship in franchise history. Of course, one would say: “who did they play?” Glad you asked. Minnesota, Phoenix and sweeping the Lakers in the Western Conference Finals. Now, remind you this was a complete team with Nikola Jokic leading the way. Mike Malone pushed all the right buttons and they gentlemen swept Miami in five games. Here's where we get down to business… Can the Nuggets maintain prosperity after one championship?
It’s difficult to win (1) championship; to repeat is a different animal. Every team in the west has retooled their rosters to compete against Denver. They’ve got most of their roster back in the fold minus Bruce Brown and Jeff Green. Losing Bruce Brown will be more impactful due to his three and defensive prowess. A role player who could give Denver 15-18 points off the bench and help guard the oppositions best shooter. Jeff Green, a journeyman
who finally won a ring is now in Houston.
Denver was feeling the behind the scenes noise in what they felt was lack of respect upon sweeping the Lakers. Los Angeles is a bigger brand than Denver, which drew ire from head coach Mike Malone. You won the chip, but can you maintain the prosperity which comes with being a champion? Are the Nuggets a title contender? Yes, they’re the hunters right now until they become the hunted. Championship pedigree will be tested throughout this season. Can they handle it? Or will we see some major flaws unveil?
Los Angeles Lakers: What a magical ride it was for the purple and gold in 2023. LeBron James passing Kareem Abdul-Jabbar for all-time leading scorer. Los Angeles quietly revamped their team and made it to the Western Conference Finals. Second year head coach Darvin Ham will have this team ready to compete every night. GM Rob Pelinka was able to re-sign the core players of Austin Reaves, Rui Hachimura, Jared Vanderbilt, D’Angelo Russell without star chasing big names.
Signing guys like: Gabe Vincent, Jaxson Hayes, Taurean Prince, Cam Reddish and Christian Wood to complete this Lakers roster. As the Lakers look to build off last season’s second half success, it starts with Anthony Davis. AD is under contract for three more years and had one of the best seasons of his career. AD will move back to his natural position as power forward; allowing him to roam on defense. Look for Hayes or Wood to start at center in any lineup Coach Ham rolls with. AD is capable of being an MVP caliber player any given night.
LeBron James entering his twenty-first season; there’s no worries of passing the scoring record. We can expect LBJ to have lighter minutes and still impact the game in LeBron fashion. All the pieces fit around LeBron and will allow him to put guys in spots to be successful. If you recall, Coach Ham said, “defense is non-negotiable” and if guys want to earn time, defense is a priority. Are the Lakers title contenders? Yes, this roster can make a run to the Finals. No matter how you dice it, Los Angeles is a team who’ll be in the mix. Even with the defending champion Denver Nuggets, we will get our West Finals rematch on opening night.
Golden State Warriors: Dub nation fans got a glimpse of reality this team’s success shouldn’t be taken for granted. After what became a bigger story and distraction, Golden State traded away Jordan Poole to Washington; insert savvy veteran Chris Paul. CP3 to Golden State felt like Warriors fans were getting prime Chris Paul from 2011-2017. But here’s the biggest flaw which we all know: INJURY RIDDLED! Chris at this stage is a solid back-up and having him as Steph’s insurance policy gives Golden State a small window to get back to the Finals.
Can Golden State make it to the Finals? Easy answer, no. Here’s why I say this in a humble perspective way. The biggest glaring position: center. A veteran like Dwight Howard would be a perfect fit for a team who lacks size. As we seen during the 2023 season, Golden State couldn’t hold skilled big men like Jokic, AD, Embiid and Giannis. This is where Dwight could help the Warriors and be a solid role player in the rotation. You can’t continue to play three guards and two forwards with no center in the mix. If truth be told, Golden State will wait until desperate times calls for desperate measures and try to fix it later in the season. It’s best to sign Dwight Howard now versus February and not close a window of opportunity.
Golden State’s a veteran led team with Steph, Klay, and Draymond. What hurt them in 2023 is lack of size down low to defend Jokic and AD. Credit, small lineups work from time to time, but you can’t rely on Steph every single night. It feels like boom or bust with Steph, who’s in his prime and not looking to slow down. Even with CP3, you already know what could happen regarding his injury prone self. Klay has declined but still impacting by being a decoy to help open more space. Draymond can still be a force and the team’s defensive quarterback. Kevon
Looney, Jonathan Kuminga, and Dario Saric likely your best rebounders. But their lack of size will be exposed as the season progresses. Bigger teams in the west such as the Lakers, Nuggets will wear them down inside and furthermore remind Golden State they’re outmatched. Golden State will have to make some moves at the trade deadline to stay afloat in the western conference playoff race.
Phoenix Suns: A big three has formed with the addition of Bradley Beal via blockbuster trade with Washington Wizards. All the hype, hoopla and penciling them in as West favorites. Well… The bigger issue remains: who’s their point guard that’ll get them into sets? Direct traffic and be the floor general? Devin Booker could be the starting point guard and take on the role as general. The last couple seasons, Booker has been sensational in the postseason, but run into a wall during the playoffs. Kevin Durant, who enters year seventeen hasn’t won much since departing Golden State summer of 2019. Can he be KD of old and help Devin Booker carry the scoring load? Bradley Beal, who’s an all-star player is under the most pressure to be a factor in Phoenix’s title hopes. New head coach Frank Vogel is known for his defensive schemes will need all hands on deck from
his star players.
Lack of depth will hurt Phoenix as the season progresses; the potential of their three superstars’ injuries can hamper their chances. Are they contenders? No, here’s why. When you subtract depth to add another superstar, it’s the chance you take. In a crowded Western Conference, how will Phoenix rise before setting? Trading DeAndre Ayton for an injury plagued Jusuf Nurkic who hasn’t played much in the regular season or postseason. That’ll rear its ugly head when Phoenix needs to figure out the best big lineup against Denver and the Lakers. Even when they
play Giannis and Embiid, Nurkic isn’t going to stop neither one. Bol Bol hasn’t hit his potential, but Phoenix is banking on him to be an offensive threat with KD. It was a questionable signing, but you can’t replace the depth given up for Bradley Beal.
Frank Vogel in his first season will have his hands full trying to figure out his rotations on a nightly basis. He doesn’t have the right personnel to make it work; bad sign for him in general. Inherit three superstars who are ball dominant and lack of depth to compete with the western conference. Phoenix has used their draft equity to go for it all. There’s zero room of error for Phoenix in 2024; solid during the regular season, mixed bag of results in the postseason. With this being Vogel’s first season, he may get the benefit of the doubt to implement his brand
of basketball which is defense. That’s going to be a power struggle for the superstars; can and will they buy into winning defense over high potent offense? We shall see…
They’ll need to maintain a fully healthy roster and let the chips fall where they may. In a league where the "Big 3” era has sailed, the Suns window to capture a title is very slim. KD is a sensational player, but he’s not a vocal guy. D-Book is entering his prime but can’t do it by himself. Bradley Beal’s postseason success is very little to remember with Washington. The Suns will set into the valley before rising to an NBA championship.
Stai tuned…
