Trade Between Hornets, Wizards and Grizzlies Helps Every Team

A 3-way trade went down between the New Orleans Hornets, Washington Wizards and Memphis Grizzlies. The trade looks like it'll benefit every team involved. It gives Chris Paul a back-up, the Wizards a replacement until Gilbert Arenas gets back and the Grizzlies another building block for the future. Here's what it looks like:

Hornets Get: Antonio Daniels
Wizards Get: Mike James, Javaris Crittenton, Waive Dee Brown
Grizzlies Get: First Round Pick back from Wizards

Daniels would be a boost for the Hornets. Devin Brown, who returned to the team after playing for the Cavs, has been backing-up Paul after Jannero Pargo left for Russia. Brown is more of a shooting guard and a lack of depth at the point probably has contributed to their slow start. Mike James was traded to the Hornets from the Rockets and was getting the least playing time this season. Daniels, 33, played well getting near 5 APG last season in place of the injured Gilbert Arenas. The Hornets also get a future 2nd round draft pick from Memphis.

James, 33, has proven that he can be a good player when starting. In the 05-06 season, James averaged 20.3 PPG and 5.8 APG in Toronto but only 10.1 PPG and 3.6 APG the year after in Minnesota. Since then he's been on the decline but now he has a chance to be the starter for the Wizards until Agent Zero comes back. It's also a chance to see how much does he have left in him. Crittenton, 20, will also come in and it'll force Dee Brown off the team.

The Grizzlies will get another potential lottery pick to continue to build their team. Their starters incluede third year player Rudy Gay, sophomore Mike Conley, and rookies Marc Gasol, O.J. Mayo and Darrell Arthur. A very young team, they'll continue to gain chemistry this season and maybe compete for a playoff spot in a few seasons.

Every team wins in this situation.

Breaking News: J-Rich traded to Suns for Bell, Diaw

Trade Possibilities for Jamaal Tinsley

The Indiana Pacers traded for T.J. Ford, sending Tinsley a clear message that he was unwelcome in Indiana. Even with back-up point guard Travis Diener out indfinitely with a foot injury, Tinsley is still chillin' at home in ATL. Progress was being made to send him to Denver but it was denied he was traded there. If the Pacers want to get Tinsley out, they need a point guard in return in case if injury-prone Ford ever gets hurt again. Tinsley isn't the easiest person to shop with his off-court problems. If any team wants him though, the Hawks, Warriors, Hornets, Thunder and Magic could all use Tinsley and give the Pacers who they want.

Atlanta Hawks: Mike Bibby for Tinsley and Rasho Nesterovic

31-year-old Bibby is on the tail end of his career. Two years ago, he was one of the premier point guards in the NBA averaging 21.1 PPG and 5.4 APG for the Kings. After being traded to the Hawks last season, he averaged 14.1 PPG and 6.5 APG and career playoff lows of 10.3 PPG and 3.1 APG.

Atlanta trading for Tinsley would be a better move for them than keeping Bibby. It also saves Tinsley the expense of moving out. Although Bibby outscores him by by 2 PPG, Tinsley is a better defender and distributor. Tinsley also turns 31 this year but is playing better than Bibby. Acie Law might not be ready to take over yet. Flip Murray signed with the Hawks and sparked a run for the playoffs for Indiana and barely missed it, but Tinsley will have a better impact. It also give them a quality point guard for 3 years. Nesterovic is just a trading piece to make the trade go through.

Indiana getting Bibby would give them cap space for next year to give Danny Granger an extension. Plus, you have Bibby backing up T.J. Ford. Bibby can play well with other point guards on the same floor. When Ford is on the floor, Bibby can play shooting guard, just like he did with Bobby Jackson and most recently, Beno Udrih. Good trade for both teams.

Golden State Warriors: Al Harrington and C.J. Watson for Tinsley and Shawne Williams

Golden State could really use a point guard right now with the injury to Monta Ellis. In the lead for the starting spot is C.J. Watson. Those competing for a spot are Marcus Williams, DeMarcus Nelson and recently signed Dan Dickau. Tinsley would be an instant upgrade over all of them. I have a feeling that the Warriors don't want Troy Murphy or Mike Dunleavy back.

Al Harrington's already been through Indiana twice. He averaged 13.6 PPG and 5.4 RPG last year. Getting him would give them a line-up of Murphy, Harrington, Granger, Dunleavy and Ford. Not that bad of a line-up. Harrington has an option to play for one more year and will most likely take it, but they'll be in contention this year. Watson and Travis Diener will contend to back-up Ford.

Tinsley would definitely help the Warriors' point guard troubles, with Stephen Jackson, Corey Maggette, Ronny Turiaf and Andris Biedrins. The trade would give Turiaf, Brandan Wright, Anthony Randolph a chance to start for the Warriors. Williams would be tossed to the side. The loss of Baron Davis is huge, but Tinsley, if he acts right, could keep their hopes alive once Ellis comes back.

New Orleans Hornets: Mike James for Tinsley

If the Hornets have any glaring weaknesses right now, it's their depth at point gurad. They have the game's best point in Chris Paul, but no one to back him up. Jannero Pargo left for Russia and they're summer league star Bobby Brown signed with the Kings. Those minutes could take a toll on Paul at the end of the season, but Tinsley could play well as a back-up and give him time to relax. He only gets 11 minutes rest on average. Tinsley's a better player than James and they could really use his help.

Mike James was put in a position where he can't start, and he hasn't played well as a back-up to Chris Paul and played OK behind Rafer Alston before he was traded from the Houston Rockets. He's 33, but it's shown in the past that James performs better when given minutes. If Ford gets hurt again, James' performs better when he starts. He also has one year left on his contract, so it's a good trade for both parties.

Oklahoma City Thunder: Earl Watson for Tinsley

Russell Westbrook is the Thunder's point guard of the furture, but they can't really look at the playoffs until four years from now. Tinsley could speed up the process, playing next to ROY Durant and Oklahoma favorite Desmond Mason. He's one of the better defensive point guards in the league and can pass that on to Westbrook.

Watson is a very underrated point guard with 10.7 PPG and 6.8 APG with the Seattle Supersonics last season. He would be a very valuable back-up if anything happened to Ford. He's one of the more underrated distributors in the game and could help Indiana make it into the playoffs. Watson, who turns 30 next year, has three years left on his contract, but he is a valuable player to any team.

Orlando Magic: Jameer Nelson for Tinsley

If the Magic want to become championship contenders, they wait for Nelson. If they want to become contenders now, they get Tinsley. Tinsley is also a better defender and distributor than Nelson and could be the difference maker. He'd be a talent boost on a team that doesn't have to worry about anyone moving for a while, except for the fact that Hedo Turkoglu wants to opt-out next year for a pay raise.

Nelson only missed 13 games, but out of the 69 he did play he missed 7 starts. He started in all 77 games he played the year before. His numbers have gone down every season, probably because the emergence of Dwight Howard. Nelson would still be a reliable back-up to T.J. Ford. He's only 26 and averages 10.9 PPG and 5.6 APG.

Any one of these teams could use Tinsley and he could make them better. It's all about if they want to take the risk that comes with him. His stats are at an all-star caliber, and if he gets his act together, he'll be one of the league's best.

Kings-Blazers in OT Grab Vegas Spotlight Day 5

Kings (2-0) v. Blazers(1-1)

The Kings and the Blazers battled it out in OT, and in the end, Jason Thompson drive to the basket to make the game-winning 3 point play to win the game 75-74, the second game winner in summer league in 5 days of play. Thompson came off the bench for 17 points, 9 rebounds and a block, while Quincy Douby added 24 points and 6 steals. Shelden Williams posted 9 points, 11 boards and 2 blocks and Spencer Hawes had 10 points, 7 rebounds and 2 blocks.

Jerryd Bayless had 26 points (13-16 FTs) including the tough jumper that sent the game to OT. Bayless also had 6 rebounds, 2 assists and a steal. Petteri Koponen continued to shine with 18 points, 3 rebounds and 3 assists and while Josh Davis had 6 points, 7 rebounds, 2 steals and a block. Nicolas Batum had 6 points, 4 rebounds and a block.

I couldn't watch the game, but it was exciting to watch the boxscore update to the end.

Warriors (3-0) v. Bobcats (1-2)

Even with Anthony Randolph taking the day off, the Warriors are the hottest team in Vegas after winning 99-93 and getting a 3-0 record. Marco Belinelli went off for 30 points with 2 rebounds and a steal. C.J. Watson had 23 points, with the help of sinking 13 free throws, while Brandan Wright had 11 points 5 boards and 2 steals for the day. Georgia Tech's Anthony Morrow had 11 points and 3 rebounds off the bench and Louis Amundson had 6 points, 4 rebounds and the team's only 2 blocks.

D.J. Augustin knows how to score it up, but hasn't shown the ability to distribute as a point guard. He scored 30 points and a steal but had no assists and 5 TOs. The bench play wasn't bad for the Bobcats. In fact, they did more work than the other 4 starters alongside Augustin as Kyle Hines finished with 14 points, 4 rebounds and a steal, Marcus Slaughter had 10 points and 3 rebounds in less than 12 minutes and James Mays put up 12 points, 4 rebounds. Orien Greene had 9 points, 2 boards and 2 steals.

Sixers (1-2) v. Lakers (1-2)

Thanks to triple 16s, the Sixers got their first summer league win, 81-73. Rookie Marreese Speights led the team with 16 points, 9 rebounds and 2 blocks. Jason Smith also finished with 16 points, along with 4 rebounds and 2 blocks, while Thaddeus Young had 16 points, 2 rebounds, 2 assists and 2 steals. Junior Harrington came off the bench for 15 points, 4 rebounds, 4 assists and 3 steals while Jamont Gordon finished with 8 points, 4 rebounds, 3 assists and 2 steals.

Coby Karl led the Lakers with 18 points, 2 assists and a steal, and got some help from Joe Crawford with 16 points 3 rebounds and a steal. Bryant Dunston had 10 points, 8 rebounds (4 off.) and 2 blocks while Cedric Bozeman finished with 4 points, 5 rebounds and 2 assists.

Bucks (1-1) v. Pistons (2-1)

The Bucks ran away with a win, outscoring the Pistons 23-9 in the 4th quarter, winning 73-59. Ramon Sessions continues to lead his team with 21 points, 6 points and 4 rebounds. Unknown Olumide Oyedeji finished with 10 points, 8 rebounds (4 off.) and a steal while second round pick Luc Mbah a Moute had 7 points, 6 boards, 2 assists and a steal. "Average" Joe Alexander had a better than his average game with 11 points, 3 rebounds, 2 assists and a block. He hasn't lived up to the expectations around him, but he still has a few more games.

Arron Affalo continues to take charge with the Pistons with 18 points, 5 rebounds and 4 assists and Will Bynum filled in with 9 points, 2 rebounds and 3 assists. Deron Washington had 7 points and 4 rebounds off the bench while Walter Sharpe had 8 points, 3 rebounds and 2 assists. Rodney Stuckey did not play.

Hornets (2-1) v. Spurs (2-1)

Bobby Brown continues to impress playing for the Hornets, leading them to a 76-68 win over the Spurs. Brown had 15 points and 8 assists, while sophomore Julian Wright added 11 points, 7 rebounds, 3 steals and 2 blocks. Hilton Armstrong had 11 points, 4 rebounds and a block and Brandon Bowman had 12 points, 3 rebounds, a steal and a block. Derrick Byars had 8 points, 2 rebounds and a steal off the bench.

The Spurs' James Gist came out with a double double off the bench with 11 points, 10 rebounds and 2 steals in the loss. Ian Mahinmi has no signs of slowing his play, finishing with 10 points, 9 rebounds, 2 steals and a block, and Anthony Tolliver finished with 14 points and 2 rebounds that night. George Hill couldn't score but 3 points, but grabbed 7 rebounds and 4 assists.

Brown, Affalo, Belinelli Highlight Vegas Day 3

Hornets (1-1) v. Bobcats (1-1)

The Hornets' Bobby Brown continues to impress in the summer league. He had 20 points, including the go-ahead with 30 seconds left to edge the Bobcats 77-75. Brown also had 5 rebounds, 5 assists and a steal. Julian Wright had an all-around game with 11 points, 4 rebounds, 4 assists, 5 steals and 2 blocks, while Hilton Armstrong posted 14 points and 5 rebounds. He also had an dunked on an alley-oop to tie the game at 75.

Bobcats' point guard D.J. Augustin has shown the ability to score, but hasn't distributed much his first 2 games. He finished with 15 points, 3 rebounds, 2 assists and 5 turnovers. Jamereo Davidson played well again putting up 12 points, 9 rebounds, 2 assists and a block and Orien Greene had 10 points off the bench.

Pistons (2-0) v. Cippers (1-2)

Arron Affalo starred in the Pistons 75-66 win against the Clippers, hitting 8-10 field goals and all nine free throws for 25 points to go with 4 rebounds. Will Bynum came off the bench for 10 points and center Cheikh Samb had 8 points, 4 rebounds and 2 blocks. Rodney Stuckey, who was a major role in their first win, posted 8 points, 4 rebounds and a steal. Amir Johnson had 9 points, 5 rebounds and 2 steals. Although they were outrebounded 33-31, 6 Pistions grabbed 4+ rebounds.

The Clippers lost Eric Gordon to a hamstring strain for the rest of summer league and did not play against the Pistons. With him out of the way, DeAndre Jordan took control with 15 points, 10 rebounds and a block. Al Thornton had 14 points, 5 rebounds, 3 assists and a steal and Mike Taylor had 13 points, 6 rebounds, a block and 7 turnovers. Fatigue could be a factor working against the Clippers because they played back-to-back-to-back days, playing for 3 straight days.

Warriors (2-0) v. Mavericks (0-2)

This time Marco Belinelli was the star, leading his team with 25 points, 3 rebounds, 3 assists and a steal en route to a 95-86 win over the Mavs. Anthony Randolph, who scored 30 points in his debut, only had 11 points to go along with 5 boards, 2 assists, a block and a steal. Brandan Wright had 15 points, 7 rebounds, 2 blocks and a steal while C.J. Watson picked up 14 points, 3 rebounds and 4 steals.

James Singleton starred for the Mavs' in their losing effort, putting up 17 points and 8 rebounds. Teammate Charles Rhodes had 12 points on 4-5 shooting, 6 rebounds, 2 assists and a block off the bench and highflyer Gerald Green had 15 points, 3 rebounds and a steal.

Lakers (1-1) v. Grizzlies (2-1)

Coby Karl, out of all people, outdueled O.J. Mayo to give the Lakers a 85-76 win. Karl had a game high 16 points to go with 4 boards, 3 assists, a steal and a block. Sharrod Ford had 11 points and 4 rebounds and a block while Cedric Bozeman had 12 points and 4 rebounds. Nik Caner-Medley had 7 points and a game high 8 rebounds, along with a technical foul. Every Laker on the team who played scored.

Ebi Ere had the best game of any of the Grizzlies with 14 points, 3 rebounds and 3 assists off the bench. Mayo had 15 points and 2 rebounds but struggled with 6 turnovers while Mike Conley had 11 points and 3 rebounds. Javaris Crittenton had 9 points 4 rebounds and 3 assists and Steve Burtt Jr. scored 8 points in 8 minutes. Every Grizzlies' player on the team who played also scored.

Some players, including Danillo Gallinari, Robin Lopez and Nicolas Batum will make their debut on day 4, stay tuned.

Summer League Recap: Day 1

The big game, Warriors v. Sixers. Warriors' rookie Anthony Randolph went off for 30 points and 8 rebounds in his summer league debut against the Sixers, winning 96-89. Sixers' sophomore forward Thaddeus Young had 27 points and 6 rebounds while rookie teammate Marreese Speights finished with 22 points and 13 rebounds (7 offensive).

Blowout of the night goes to the Clippers ousting the Mavericks 86-69. Clippers' sophomore Al Thornton had 20 points to go with 7 rebounds, while their rookie, Eric Gordon had 21 points on 5-13 shooting. I guess hitting 10-11 free throws would help and 5 of his 7 rebounds were offensive. James Singleton, former Clipper playing for the Mavs, had team highs of 13 points and 7 rebounds. Undrafted Charles Rhodes went for 10 points and 6 rebounds while Gerald Green added 12 points.

O.J. Mayo and Darrell Arthur made their Grizzlies debut in an 88-75 victory over the Hornets. The real star of the game, however, was their teammate P.J. Tucker with 17 points, 8 rebounds, 3 assists, and 4 steals. Arthur had 18 points on 9-12 shooting and 2 steals, while O.J. Mayo had 15 points, 3 rebounds, 5 assists and 8 turnovers. Let's not forget Mike Conley with 14 points and 6 assists. Hornets' center Hilton Armstrong had 13 points and 9 rebounds while Julian Wright 12 points, 5 boards and 11 turnovers. Bobby Brown out of Oregon also did well with 11 points and 5 assists.

Finally, Rodney Stuckey led the Pistons over the Lakers 84-73. Stuckey, who starred in the playoffs, had 21 points, 5 rebounds and 4 assists, while Cheikh Samb had a near double double with 9 points and 9 rebounds. The Lakers' Coby Karl had 14 points, 4 rebounds and 3 assists while Sharrod Ford out of Clemson had 10 points and 5 rebounds.

Pretty good day for day 1 in Vegas. More debuts to happen today.

Kings Take Edge Hornets 94-91

Former King turned King Killer Peja Stojakovic almost did it again. I was at the pre-season game in 2006 when he sank 2 free throws to seal the game in his return to Sactown. This time, the man we traded for would be the savior of the game from long range as Ron Artest would be clutch. And with John Salmons getting the start in place of the injured Kevin Martin, only quality play could come from him.

1ST QUARTER

Although the Hornets stuck first, the Kings took a 10-3 lead before the Hornets tied it at 12 points. Spencer Hawes and Salmons were carrying the team for the first quarter, combining for 15 points, but All-Star David West would be a consistent problem for the team. More than Chris Paul. West had 10 points to start, but the Kings trailed 26-27.

2ND QUARTER

Bonzi Wells came back to Sacramento with the Hornets for the first time since being traded from Houston. Although West continued to dominate the Kings with 18 points in the half, the Kings reserve power forward and 5th pick in the 2006 draft Shelden Williams would give a big push with 7 points in the quarter. Francisco Garcia would also score 7 points off of the bench to pitch in. The Hornets weren't far behind with Chris Paul dishing out 6 assists in the half and Stojakovic finishing with 10 points at halftime. The Kings regained the lead and had a 52-49 lead.

3RD QUARTER

Up to now, Paul only made 3 free throws, but he got his first field goal in the second half. West would continue to power the Hornets to a 56-64 lead on a 13-2 run. By then, Artest had enough and decided to take over. Late in the quarter, Artest drove in the lane for a huge dunk. Salmons hit a jump shot after that. It would bring the Kings close with the score 68-73.

4TH QUARTER

The Kings sparked at the very beginning with a 12-2 run to take the lead. Artest, who'd been cold from long range, hit 2 straight 3 pointers. Garcia hit an off-balance 3 pointer in front of the Hornets' bench. After that, Paul started to score, getting 6-14 points in the quarter. After Paul's last shot, Artest hit one final 3 pointer and ran down the baseline, even hitting Xzibit with a high five.

The game wasn't over yet when Garcia fouled Morris Peterson in 3 point range. Peterson made all of his free throws. Then the kings got called for a 5 second violation. Then Peja made a desperation 3 pointer. After the Salmons made a 2 free throws, Peja was given the ball and shot it with 4 seconds. Halfway down, but rimmed out. The ball bounced out of bounds towards the Kings bench as time expired and the Kings got the win, 94-91.

HIGHLIGHTS

* = Team High
** = Game High

(R) = Rookie

KINGS

Artest: 22 pts*, 8 reb, 4 ast*, 3 stl*, blk

Salmons: 18 pts, 11 reb*, 3 ast

Garcia: 16 pts, 5 reb, 3 blk**, 3 stl*, 2 ast (bench)
Hawes (R): 11 pts, 5 reb (2 off.) 3 ast, blk

Williams: 9 pts, 4 reb, 3 ast (bench)

Beno Udrih: 9 pts, 3 reb, 3 ast

Mikki Moore: 4 pts, 6 reb, ast

Quincy Douby: 5 pts, 2 ast, stl, reb (bench)

HORNETS

West: 30 pts, 15 reb, 3 ast, stl

Paul: 14 pts, 12 ast, 6 reb, 6 stl

Tyson Chandler: 13 pts, 13 reb, blk, stl, ast

Stojakovic: 18 pts. 4 reb (2 off.), stl, ast

Peterson: 8 pts, 3 reb (2 off.)

Wells: 2 pts, 2 reb (bench)

Julian Wright (R): 2 pts, reb (bench)

Jannero Pargo: 4 pts

Hilton Armstrong: 0 pts, reb, ast

Mike James: 0 pts, reb

What a great win for the Kings, especially playing without Kevin Martin and having Brad Miller out for the season. Since beating the Spurs back in November 26, the Kings are .500 (33-33). They've been through so much adversity this year that it's amazing that they're 38-42. People thought that they would land around 33 wins again, and the injuries were to assusre it. Beating the Hornets twice while in the #1 seed, that's impressive. They've really taken their role as spoiler and rearranged the Western Conference. First Houston, then Denver, and now New Orleans. They're doing their part.

The Hornets lost the #1 seed to the Lakers after they beat the Spurs today, but it looks like they can still keep homecourt adavantage if they win 1 more game. They really tried to win, but Sacramento was the better team.

Now the Kings have to face their last of their many back-to backs with a home-road series to play the Spurs for their final home game, then play the Lakers for one last time this season in L.A.

Look Ahead for the Western Conference

Ever since the Pau Gasol trade, the West has been loading up with talent. Shaq goes to PHX, Damon Stoudemire to the Spurs, and before all the trades, Kyle Korver to Utah. It's going to be a fight to the finish for any position in the West. There are 10 teams that are contenders for a playoff spot, but 2 teams are going to be pushed out.

1. New Orleans Hornets have been an incredible team this especially when you consider that they're in the Southwest division. What makes it even more incredible is that it's in a conference loaded with a bunch talent. Chris Paul has been incredible, maximizing the frontline in Tyson Chandler, David West and Peja Stojakovic. Need to go inside? TC or D-West. Can't get a lay-up driving inside? Kick it out to Peja for three. No wonder he averages 10.9 APG. Paul's also had an MVP caliber season to go along with the Hornets' amazing season so far. If they keep up the pace that they're on, they're definitely title contenders for this year.


2. Phoenix Suns (37-16) Even though they still have one of the best records in the NBA, a lot of people think that the Suns are worse than before. Maybe that's why they made the move to get Shaq in exchange for Shawn Marion and Marcus Banks. The trade gave them the much needed size that they needed since they lost Kurt Thomas, but it's still in question if Shaq can hang with the run-n-gun style of the Suns. Word is that they're not done trading yet. The Suns have missed opportunities to get to the Finals for the past 3 years and time is running out for them. Still, 2 time MVP Steve Nash still has the drive to lead the new look Suns to a championship.


3. Los Angeles Lakers (35-17) Six months ago, many people thought Kobe Bryant was on his way out of L.A. With the rise of Andrew Bynum they've been labled as contenders. Then they go get Pau Gasol and get rid of Kwame Brown. Now they're labled as the best in the west. Bynum's got a few weeks to go until he gets back on the court since injuring his knee, and Kobe just injured his pinky finger and said no to surgery. If Kobe can't perform the way he usualy does while he's injured, as tough as the West is, a bad run can drop the Lakers to a 7 or 8 seed, or even drop out of the race. If Kobe doesn't perform as well, Gasol and Lamar Odom will have to step up their game to stay in the race for at least homecourt advantage. But we've all seen Kobe.


4. Utah Jazz (34-19) The Jazz are back on track to repeating where they finished last year. Deron Williams and Carlos Boozer have proven to be one of the toughest duos to match up against in the league, averaging 40.8 PPG. Williams has become an excellent playmaker with 9.7 APG while Boozer has been a 20-10 machine. AK-47's been a stat stuffer, Ronnie Brewer's stepped up his game and with the addition of Kyle Korver, the Jazz get a much needed shooter that could help them still be contenders.
   
5. San Antonio Spurs (34-17) The NBA Champions are still in the mix. Tim Duncan has led the Spurs to 4 championships in 9 years but it looked like they were taking a tumble after losing point guard Tony Parker. Many thought that age would finally catch up to the oldest team in the NBA. When Jacque Vaughn didn't look like enough, they turned to newly signed Damon Stoudmire, where they gained control during their annual rodeo trip. Now they look to do what the Spurs haven't done before, win back-to-back championships.
   
6. Dallas Mavericks (35-18) The Mavs have had what has been the best 2 year run in the franchise's history, but at the same time the most disappointing run. They went up 2-0 to the 2005 Finals only to lose 4 straight. They clinched the first seed in the West last year and Dirk Nowitzki got the MVP, only to get booted out the first round by the Golden State Warriors. Now they look to even up with the top teams by trying to acquire Jason Kidd, only to be blocked by Deavean George. They're still working on the trade but if the Mavs don't get the trade through, it could cause problems with the team's chemistry and emotionally hurt them in the second half of the season. It can hurt the players involved with that trade the most.


7. Golden State Warriors (32-20) The Warriors barely made it in last year. This year, they've been in the playoff picture since they hit the .500 mark after starting 1-6. The Yard's own Baron Davis has helped lead this team to where they are dishing out 8.1 APG, Al Harrington and Stephen Jackson are lighting it up from 3 point land, Monta Ellis' stepping up his game. One bad run for this team can cost them the playoffs, but since getting back Captain Jack, that doesn't seem likely. Hopefully Chris Webber will help give the Warriors the size they were looking for.
   
8. Denver Nuggets (32-30) They're right in the mix for leading the Northwest division, fighting with Utah and Portland. As competitive as the West is, they could get knocked out. With a strong line-up Carmelo Anthony, Allen Iverson, Marcus Camby and Kenyon Martin, they're too strong not to make the playoffs. Melo has made it public that he would like to add to the team by trading for the Kings' forward Ron Artest, which will be a major boost in defensive. Seemingly the organization is willing to part with Eduardo Najera, not the up and coming Linas Kleiza. The Kings aren't interested in acquiring just Eduardo Najera with a draft pick or recent cancer survivor Nene. Either the Artest for Kleiza-Najera, Artest for Kleiza-draft pick or Artest for Nene goes through, or they'll go with what they have, which is still pretty good.
   
9. Houston Rockets (32-20) The Rockets were struggling in the first half of the season with Tracy McGrady injuring himself early, Yao Ming had to help carry the Rockets. During a good run that they had earlier, some were starting to think that the Rockets were better without T-Mac. This was during the time that he wanted to be traded from the team. Luther Head stepped in and had some good games to fill in for T-Mac. But now that McGrady is back, they've won 10 of 11 games to be tied for 7th place and they look better than ever. With Head injured, the team is still doing great and is looking to get even better keeping everyone healthy.
   
10. Portland Trailblazers (28-24) The Blazers were the feel good story of the NBA. Once the hottest team in the league, they won 13 straight games after losing 9 out of 10. Brandon Roy emerged as their leader, LaMarcus Aldridge became a threat, the whole team just performed well with their unbelievable chemistry on and off the court. Since their miracle run, the youngest team in the league cooled back down, losing 4 straght games, going to 4 games over .500 and 4 games out of the playoffs. They're not counted out of the playoffs and definitely not counted out as title contenders in the future, espcially with Greg Oden coming in.
    
11. Sacramento Kings (23-28) Looks like it's time to call it a season, because Mike Bibby just got traded to the Atlanta Hawks for Anthony Johnson, Tyronn Lue, Lorenzen Wright and Shelden Williams (all but Williams have expiring contracts). It seemed like a bad season from the start for them. Bibby was hurt for over 35 games, Ron Artest was suspended the first 7 games and injured later, and leading scorer Kevin Martin (23.9 PPG) was injured, it all seemed hopeless. Throw in John Salmons and Beno Udrih's breakout year, 3 Francisco Garcia game winning 3 pointers, and throw in beating divisional leaders 7 times, and they have hope for next year. Looking to finish over .500 for the year under new coach Reggie Theus and having over $1 million in cap space for a big free agent, they look to start fresh. And Artest wanting a trade, he's backed off of it.
    
12. Los Angeles Clippers (17-33) After surprisingly starting out a red hot 4-0, they went on to win only 13 more games. Everyone knew that it was going to be a horrible season without Elton Brand and Shaun Livingston. That gave Chris Kaman the opportunity to become a great center in the NBA. With Brand and Livingston due back, the Clippers look to get back on track for next year, hopefully getting back on track to becoming playoff contenders, shaping back into the form they were 2 years ago. Hopefully, both players will play the same way did before their injuries.
    
13. Memphis Grizzlies (14-38) There's not much to say about the Grizzlies now. After letting Pau Gasol and a 2010 2nd round draft pick go to the Lakers for Kwame Brown, Javaris Crittenton, Aaron McKie, brother Marc Gasol and 1st round picks in 2008 and 2010, Memphis is looking to rebuild for the future. Mike Miller may be on his way out too and they bought out Damon Stoudemire. Rudy Gay and Mike Conley are the 2 essential pieces for their future. Gay could be a potential superstar with the way he's performing. He's one of the league's best dunkers and has a great jump shot. To think he's still developing. Who know's, Darko Milicic might be a defensive key with the way he's blocking shots.
    
14. Seattle Supersonics (13-38) The Sonics are right around where they're expected to be. Kevin Durant has been one of the leading canidates for Rookie of the Year. The line-up has shaken up a little bit. Luke Ridnour lost his starting point guard job to Earl Watson, Damien Wilkins earned the small forward spot then lost it to rookie Jeff Green and Robert Swift was marred by injuries again after expecting to start this season (I know, he told me). Add this bad season with a franchise record 14-game losing streak with the controversy of moving out of Seattle, it's a year to forget, except for the fact they got the number one rookie in the draft. It's a rebuilding year, and they look to develop all the young players that they have, and players like Swift and Delonte West might not come back next year.


15. Minnesota Timberwolves (10-41) It was a dead on predicition that Minnesota would be one of the top lottery teams this year. Seven players have expiring contracts, including point guard Sesbastian Telfair, one of their best players. Obviously after trading Kevin Garnett away, this team was in rebuilding mode. Signing star power forward Al Jefferson to an extension gave the team a centerpiece to work with for the next few years. Rashad McCants has put up good numbers. They brought in some experience too by trading for Antoine Walker, while getting rid of Mark Blount and his big contract. In 10 wins so far they've beaten the Suns twice. Before going on their current 5 game losing streak, the team showed signs of development by getting two 2-game winning streaks, winning 5 out of 7 games. They've got a lot of work ahead of them, but under Jefferson, this team has a future to look ahead too.

It's going to be a wild finish for the Western Conference. Many teams have performed well throughout the season but only 8 can make it to the playoffs. There might even be an upset.