15. New Orleans Hornets
Eric Gordon's knee isn't healed. Ryan Anderson is getting big money from New Orleans, but he's not the kind of player to put a franchise on his back. Anthony Davis and Austin Rivers will be looking to prove that they belong in the NBA. This a young team that will see its fair share of struggles this season. It has been 538 days since the Hornets played in an NBA playoff game.14. Houston Rockets
Their franchise player is the most successful D-League player yet. Jeremy Lin earned a fat 3-year, $25 million contract off the strength of 25 starts in the NBA. Shout out to Lin's agent. However, ever since having knee surgery in early April, Lin has struggled with getting in condition to withstand the rigors of a full 82 game season. The Rockets drafted three players in the first round of the 2012 draft and the player who is arguably the most talented of the bunch (Royce White) deals with a disorder that could cause him to miss games due to his unorthodox travel arrangements. This team will struggle but if they get the top pick in the 2013 draft the organization won't mind. It has been 1249 days since the Rockets played in an NBA playoff game.13. Sacramento Kings
The new trend in Sacramento is to rename their arena every season. This year the Kings will call the Sleep Train Arena their home. In other news, it has been 2357 days since the Kings played in an NBA playoff game.12. Phoenix Suns
Steve Nash went behind enemy lies and the next time he's in Phoenix he'll be wearing the enemy's uniform. Life goes on in the Valley of the Sun. Goran Dragic returns at a more expensive price. He played well for the Rockets and the Suns will be looking for him to continue that level of play. For the first time in a long time, the Suns are without a star player. Life may not be too bright after Steve. It has been 872 days since the Suns played in an NBA playoff game.11. Portland Trailblazers
The wheels fell off completely in Portland last season. The team got younger but not better. LaMarcus Aldridge says that he wants to be the franchise player. He might change his tune by December when he finds himself facing double teams on a nightly basis. It has been 538 days since the Trailblazers played in an NBA playoff game.10. Golden State Warriors
Health has been a nemesis of the Warriors. If they stay healthy, they could snag the 8th seed in the West. Andrew Bogut and David Lee are a solid front line. Klay Thompson continues to improve. Harrison Barnes was a good draft selection and could thrive for Golden State. Hopefully, Steph Curry's ankle issues are a thing of the past. It has been 1982 days since the Warriors played in an NBA playoff game.9. Utah Jazz
Thanks in part to Houston's late season meltdown as well as an untimely injury to Ricky Rubio, the Jazz snuck into the playoffs last season only to be promptly shown the exit by the Spurs. They added a couple of guys with the last name of Williams (Mo and Marvin) and they should be able to sneak back in the playoffs again this season. Rudeness awaits them in the form of a sweep if they do get in though.8. Minnesota Timberwolves
The aforementioned injury to Rookie of the Year candidate Ricky Rubio derailed the T-Wolves chances at a taste of the postseason. The team made a few personnel moves in the right direction with the additions of Andrei Kirilenko, Brandon Roy, Alexi Shved and Dante Cunningham. Kevin Love looks to carry over his Olympic experience and should have a season filled with games worth of the #StatBeast designation. If Rubio can return to form for them this season, they could be a tough team. It has been 3061 days since the Timberwolves played in an NBA playoff game.7. Dallas Mavericks
With word coming out that Dirk is looking to avoid knee surgery at the start of this season, title hopes should be extinguished in Dallas. Without Dirk, this team can still be good, but they won't be winning championships anytime soon. Mark Cuban dismantled the team hoping to land a free agent whale and has come away empty handed. If Dirk Nowitzki goes down for an extended period of time, people in the Metroplex won't know what to do with themselves.6. Memphis Grizzlies
The Grizzlies return in year 3 of their status as "potentially dangerous playoff team." The Grizz got rid of the underachieving OJ Mayo and welcome back a healthier Z-Bo. The big man combination of Zach Randolph and Marc Gasol could mean bad news for their opposition. Josh Selby and Jeryd Bayless should compete for the scraps left by Mayo. This team ultimately disappointed last season by getting bounced in the first round by the upstart Clippers. Look for the Grizzlies to do their best to right that wrong this season.5. Denver Nuggets
The addition of Andre Iguodala could pay big dividends for George Karl and the Nuggets. Iguodala is a talented player who brings a lot of different skills to an already talented Denver team. Ty Lawson is one of the best point guards in the NBA and Andre Miller is a great veteran point guard off the bench. If JaVale McGee can continue to improve this team could be really tough. In any event, they'll be fun to watch and I didn't even mention Gallinari, Faried, Chandler or Brewer. That's a deep team right there.4. Los Angeles Clippers
The Clippers should have confidence by the boatloads after winning their first playoff series in six years. However, the enthusiasm was quickly tempered when the Spurs sent them fishing. As always, health will be a key factor in how far this team can go. Chris Paul is recovering from thumb surgery, Blake Griffin had surgery on his knee that caused him to miss the Olympics and Chauncey Billups is still trying to make his way back from the Achilles injury that he suffered last season. Jamal Crawford, Grant Hill and Lamar Odom are solid pickups to bolster the Clippers' lineup. The health of Chris Paul and the continued development of Blake Griffin will determine how far the Clippers can advance.3. San Antonio Spurs
The Spurs were an absolute juggernaut in the second half of the season and carried a 20 game win streak into Oklahoma City where they were rudely directed to the nearest pier for fishing season. The Spurs are another year older, but don't even think about counting them out. It's no accident that they've won the second most regular season games over the last two seasons.2. Los Angeles Lakers
The Lakers make roster moves that little kids make on video games. Sign Steve Nash, trade Andrew Bynum for Dwight Howard and keep Pau Gasol? Kobe probably couldn't wait to laugh in LeBron James' face in London. And then LeBron reminded Kobe that the Heat are the champs. And Kevin Durant, Russell Westbrook and James Harden reminded Kobe Bryant that the Thunder sent the Lakers fishing in the playoffs. The Lakers have to go out and prove that they can return to the top of the West. They have the tools to get it done. The old guys and some of the young guys have to stay healthy. The team also has to be able to rely on its bench throughout the season to keep their all-stars fresh for the playoffs.1. Oklahoma City Thunder
Every season, the Thunder show improvement and I see no reason they take a step back this year. They tore through the Western Conference and had an advantage in the NBA Finals. Four games later, OKC wore #doodyfaces from the top of the organization down to the bottom. They now know what it feels like to lose the ultimate prize. They know what it feels like to come up short on the biggest stage. They know what it feels like to be in the midst of someone else's championship celebration. Will they take that knowledge and apply it on a maniacal 2012-2013 revenge tour? That remains to be seen.I do expect the Oklahoma City Thunder to claw their way out of a tough, top heavy Western Conference to repeat as Western Conference Champions.
Stay tuned for the MANDOM 2012-2013 Eastern Conference Preview.
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