Mike: Also, the steady improvement of Andrea Bargnani is a major plus. One team in the Atlantic Division that I'm not surprised about is the New York Knicks. This franchise has been going in the wrong direction for awhile and need to make some changes quick, and it should all start with trading Stephon Marbury for whoever they can get. Marbury was supposed to shine under Isiah Thomas not put up the worst numbers of his career. However, as you mentioned last week, David Lee is looking good this year, and Balkman showed signs of becoming a solid role player by posting 10 points, 13 boards and three blocks in last week's loss to the Bulls.
Dennis: It's hard to say that Orlando is better than the defending champion Miami Heat, but I'm going to go out on a limb and say that for the regular season they will be. Yes, I'm sticking my neck out and saying the Magic will have a better regular season record than the Heat. But, like you said, they won't make much noise in the playoffs and it'll be because of their youth and lack of playoff experience. I really like the combo down low of Dwight Howard and I'm expecting big things from Darko Milicic, at least from a defensive point of view. The guy can get at the ball and block shots. Add Jameer Nelson who is an up-and-coming point guard and there is a very good young base for the Magic... which will probably be their downfall in the postseason. So, better team in the regular season than the Heat, but the Heat will be better in the playoffs.
Okay, let's keep the "getting better" theme and talk about a few teams that started off slow and have, of late, come on. And unlike the ugly East, we're talking about a few Western teams that are polishing their games - the Phoenix Suns, Denver Nuggets, and Sacramento Kings. Being a Nuggets fan, were you worried with their 3-4 start? I mean, I don't know how people start going nuts this early in the season about their team, but I've seen it. So, talk about your Nuggets.
Mike: Honestly, I was a little worried because of Utah's great start. Before the season, I really believed that the Nuggets would roll through the Northwest division and I really liked how they stacked the front court and added a much needed starting two guard in my man Earl Smith during the offseason. Maybe it just took a few games for the team to adjust to its new additions, but now they're cruising behind Melo, who I believe will finish as the league's leading scorer, and this could be the Nuggets year to make a run at the Western Conference Finals.
Dennis: I'm very impressed with Melo's performance. What is it, 30 or more points in 10 of his last 11 games? That's straight up sick! As I've told you before, I really wasn't a Melo fan, but since last season, he's really growing on me with the way he's improved his game and discipline. And speaking of improvement, it looks like Amare Stoudemire's knee is doing just that and it seems the Suns' record is running parallel with Stoudemire's elevated play. The Suns started off at 1-5 and are now 7-6 which means that they've won six of their last seven games for all those math challenged readers out there. Amare, Shawn Marion, and Boris Diaw in the frontcourt at the same time is looking pretty strong. Add in the reigning MVP in Steve Nash, Raja Bell, and Leandro Barbosa in the backcourt and you had to know if was only a matter of time before the "sun would be rising" yet again in Phoenix.
Mike: I know it's still very early, but who do you see in the Western Conference Finals?
Dennis: Well, I picked the San Antonio Spurs to win the whole thing, so it's going to obviously be them and I really think the Utah Jazz keep it going and makes it to the Western finals.
Mike: Oh man, the Jazz?!? Not the Suns?
Dennis: I really like Deron Williams leading that team the way he led the University of Illinois, but the real thing is that they nned to stay healthy. Particularly Carlos Boozer and Andrei Kirilenko... although they have shown that they could win without AK-47 thanks to Paul Milsap and Matt Harpring stepping up. And Mehmut Okur is one of the better centers in the league. They have Derek Fisher on the team who will be that veteran presence and he has some rings, so he'll help the younger guys during the playoffs. I know it's crazy, but I really think the Jazz go far in the West. And, no, not the Suns. Why? I honestly cannot tell you other than my first instinct had me choosing the Jazz against the Spurs in the West. Just going with my gut.
Mike: Well I'm going with the Nuggets and Mavs, so I guess I'm going with my gut also.
Dennis: Okay, enough about our guts, let's talk about Ron Artest's. How much guts does it take to put out a rap album and have it sell under 400 copies? I think K-Fed's album was copped more than that. That is straight up embarassing and it takes a whole lotta guts to show your face in public after that. Luckily for Artest his public venue is the hardwood where he's kicking butt along with the rest of his Sacramento Kings teammates. The team has won seven of their last 10 games, including three in a row. Kevin Martin continues to flourish as a starter, Mike Bibby is getting it done, and Brad Miller just came back from injury. Yeah, the Kings are setting up nicely to be one of the better teams in the West.
Mike: Haha, did Artest really sell less than K-Fed? That's sad. Anyway, acquiring Ron Ron was a great move for the Kings last season and he should have been on Team USA. But, I guess he's too much of a nut to represent our country.