NBA 2023 Prospects and Hopes - Western Conference

    There are maybe five potential winning teams in the East; I talked about that already in a previous post. Now for the West. This is a pretty open year compared to many seasons of the past. Last year, 2022, the resurgent Golden State Warriors came back and prove triumphant, and are a legitimate dynasty. Way to go, Steph et al.

    Now some people are picking the quite effective Denver Nuggets; they have one of the best centers in the league, and they are pretty well balanced and successful. That would be a new one. Have they ever won it all? But wait! The Phoenix Suns, who made the Finals in 2021, just got Kevin Durrant. Could that change everything? Yes it could. The Los Angeles Clippers just traded for an old favorite, Eric Gordon, who played one year at my alma mater, Indiana, and with some other ballers like George and Leonard, they might do the trick. The Memphis Grizzlies are not bad. Who else? Could the Portland Trailblazers or the Sacramento Kings have what it takes to get to the finals? To win it all?

    I think it is going to be among the Suns, the W's (Dubs), and the Nuggets. Although the Clippers would be a sweet outcome. Not so much for Kawahi, but for George and now the returning EG, the Smurf of yester years. And the Clippers would be an amazing story.

    Who is doneski? The Spurs, the Jazz, the ... Rockets. Maybe Oklahoma, but then again they are good, better than their record so far, and maybe, possibly the Lakers. New Orleans and Minnesota? These would be big surprises.