By Andrew Stefanilo
The Pacific Division in the Western Conference should have some drama between the two top teams in the division to make up for what might be the most cut-and-dry division in the West this season.
The two teams who will battle it out for the top two spots in the division are the Golden State Warriors and the Los Angeles Clippers.
Right now, the Warriors are 8-3 and on top of the division. Adding versatile swingman Andre Iguodala was huge for a team that could really make a run to the Western Conference Finals in the spring.
The Clippers are sitting close behind at 7-4 but should have a great shot at the top spot by season’s end. All-Star point guard Chris Paul is too good and the Clippers have too much depth for the Warriors to stay ahead of them all year.
The reason this division is so competitive isn’t just because of those two top tier teams battling it out, but because there are a few other teams that could make some noise.
I’ll start with the Phoenix Suns. Nobody expected this team to be this successful so far. They have a great future with young guard Eric Bledsoe and pivot man Alex Len when he progresses. I think this team will eventually fall off the radar, but who knows: if they keep playing like they are, they could make a run for the No. 8 seed in the West.
The other team I’m not going to count out are the 6-7 L.A. Lakers. I stuck by this team last year and said they’d make the playoffs. I’m a little more hesitant to do so this year, but I’ll never count out a team with Kobe Bryant on its roster. He always finds a way to get it done. Even if they do sneak into the playoffs, however, they’ll likely find themselves outmatched talent-wise and end up with another first round exit.
With Dwight Howard gone, it should open more opportunities for Pau Gasol to do what he needs to do to be successful. The most important thing with the Lakers is getting healthy and playing some defense. If Pau can back to the form that had him in the “best big man in the league” conversation, it will go a long way towards some wins for the Purple and Gold.
Lastly, there’s the Sacramento Kings. They’re without former Rookie of the Year Tyreke Evans and are still rebuilding. They’ve held on to talented, albeit controversial, post player Demarcus Cousins despite his character issues and drafted Ben McLemore in hopes of building around them. This team shouldn’t make a lot of noise this year, but for those who are actually fans of them or interested in the Kings, it should still be an exciting season seeing what that pairing can do together.
The Clippers and Golden State still have to compete with the Oklahoma City Thunder and San Antonio Spurs, but I think that both the Clippers and Warriors will at least be in the top four or five in the West by the end of the regular season.
If Phoenix keeps playing how they have been lately, they won’t be at the bottom like everyone expected. I do think they’ll plateau and eventually miss the playoffs but they’ve shocked us so far.
I’ll never count out the Lakers as long as they have Kobe, but Laker fans should be prepared for them to possibly miss the playoffs this year, which is something this franchise isn’t exactly accustomed to. And even if they do sneak in with a 7- or 8-seed, the likelihood they make a run past the opening series is a long shot.
The Kings are clearly rebuilding but look poised to be a dangerous team down the road. They’ve accumulated some young talent, and if Cousins can fix his maturity issues and become the superstar his talent says he can become, Sacramento will be relevant in the next couple of seasons. Just don’t expect them to sniff the playoffs out West this season.