Hat tip to N41D for posting this a few days ago in the fan shots...
Rank the West, in terms of playoff positioning as you see it as of right now...
SI.com's is reporting it's early rankings of the West (and more pre-season awards) They have Dallas at the 4th spot:
Plausible surprises
2. The Mavericks. Rick Carlisle is an efficiency expert with a track record of getting the most out of his teams over the regular season. Who's to say that he can't find ways to squeeze 55 or more wins out of a deep roster led by Dirk Nowitzki, Jason Kidd and a rejuvenated Josh Howard?
Thats what he has to say really about the Mavs, and here is the rankings as Ian Thomsen sees it.
- Lakers
- Jazz
- Hornets
- Mavs
- Spurs
- Rockets
- Suns
- Trail Blazers
- Clippers
- Nuggets
- Warriors
I tend to be hesitant to put Dallas above the Spurs right now, because they seem to still be adding quite a few pieces to their team. Still, I think I would switch those two teams up. I dont see us any better or worse than the Rockets or Suns, and actually see the Blazers, Clips, and even Warriors as all being sleepers. So here are my pre-season rankings...
- Lakers
- Hornets
- Jazz
- Spurs
- Mavs
- Suns
- Trail Blazers
- Rockets