The Official (Way Too Long) SuiteSports 2014-2015 NBA Preview: Part III - West > East

This is the face Stan Van Gundy is going to make when Josh Smith shoots a three.

By Jeremy Conlin (@jeremy_conlin)

Last year, the Western Conference dominated the East, to a tune of 284-166. Prorated to a 82-game schedule, that's the equivalent of the West being a 51-31 team and the East being a 31-51 team. That's kind of a lot.

The trend should continue this year. As such, after outlining nothing but lottery teams in the first two sections of this preview, we've exhausted the Eastern Conference lottery teams, but have yet to hit that point with the West. This section breaks down four playoff teams, all from the East, and two lottery teams, both from the West. But in a vacuum, the two best teams in this section are both lottery teams out West. But we'll get to them later.

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Detroit Pistons
2014 Record: 29-53
Over/Under Wins: 36
Odds To Win Championship: 300-1

Of all the teams that didn’t sign LeBron James and trade for Kevin Love this summer, Detroit is the most likely to improve in a big way. And they’re doing it without the benefit of a first-round pick. The reason they’ll likely improve is that they’re going from having one of the worst coaches in the league (the Maurice Cheeks-John Loyer combination) to having one of the best in Stan Van Gundy. He’s never won a title, but he’s been to the Finals once and he’s never had a losing season. In Orlando, he turned Rafer Alston into a reliable, steady hand who started for a team that made the Finals, and took Dwight Howard and launched him into the most destructive defensive force since Kevin Garnett.

I Like This Team - A Glass Half-Full NBA Preview (Part I)

A healthy year for Anthony Davis and the Pelicans could launch New Orleans into the playoffs.

By Jeremy Conlin (@jeremy_conlin)

Earlier in the week, we ran through all thirty teams and said mean things about them. We did this because (a) I’m a pessimist by nature, and (b) as an independent sports blog, taking pot shots is just something you have to do in order to stay relevant. Also, it’s fun.

But at the same time, it’s nice to have a broad appeal. And my grandmother always taught me that you attract more flies with honey than vinegar. I think that means I’m supposed to be nice. So in an effort to be nice, I’m going to offer a positive spin on all thirty teams.

You know how Jon Gruden spends 70 percent of his Monday Night Football broadcasts explaining why he likes this guy (whoever that guy is)? That’s what I’m doing. Imagine the 30 NBA teams are undersized undrafted linebackers and I’m Jon Gruden.

If you want a refresher on last year’s series, you can find it in these three parts. Like Your Team Sucks, we’re going to start with the 10 worst teams from a year ago, but again, we’re going to save Cleveland for the end.

Milwaukee Bucks

Last year was a season from hell, but this year has many reasons for optimism. Jabari Parker might be the most NBA-ready rookie to enter the league in the last five years, and he’ll form a pairing with Giannis Antetokounmpo that has so much length on the wing that the whip-around passing that has become so commonplace in the league these days will prove nearly impossible. If defenses can somehow penetrate their long-armed defense, Larry Sanders and John Henson will be waiting in the paint to place a lid on the basket. New coach Jason Kidd made somewhat of a name for himself last year in Brooklyn by placing an emphasis on flexibility, rather than conforming to his veteran’s tendencies. Now he’ll be able to instill those values into young players.

Injury Bug Biting Western Conference Contenders

The Grizzlies have missed Marc Gasol's presence on the defensive end, but do they have other issues?

By Bennett Corcoran

Despite the horrendous performance so far this season by the Eastern Conference, the West is doing just fine, sporting ten teams above .500 and two more teams (Lakers and Timberwolves) almost there.

It will be interesting to see which teams emerge as bona fide playoff contenders and which teams plummet as the season continues. With plenty of games remaining on the schedule, anything can happen but, at least for now, it appears that injuries are playing a significant role in the Western Conference playoff race.

One surprise this season has been the inconsistent Memphis Grizzlies, who last season used their toughness and grit to get all the way to the Western Conference Finals, but now sit at just 10-12. New coach David Joerger initially attempted to implement too many new plays and concepts, straying away from the true identity of the team; playing sound defense while running the offense through Marc Gasol on the high post and Zach Randolph on the block. With Gasol sidelined four to six weeks with a knee injury, the defense has declined rapidly.

NBA Early Season Trends

Kevin Love's hot start has the Wolves looking like playoff contenders. (flickr)

By Bennett Corcoran

With most teams about ten games into the NBA season, tendencies and team styles are beginning to emerge. However, as it is still very early, it can be difficult to determine which of these trends are worth buying into, and which will fade fast. Let’s take a look at a few noticeable observations from the first few games of the season, and attempt to conclude whether these trends will continue or end abruptly.

I Like This Team - A Glass-Half-Full NBA Preview (Part I)

Kyrie Irving and John Wall are both poised to turn their franchises around.

By Jeremy Conlin (@jeremy_conlin)

Last week, we ran through all 30 teams and took the most pessimistic angle possible. We did this because we are a sports blog, and thus contractually obligated by the laws of the internet to be snarky and sarcastic.

However, like Fox News, SuiteSports is fair and balanced. If we spend nearly 5000 words saying the worst thing about every NBA team, it's only right that we spend the same amount saying nice things about every NBA team. Hopefully, reading this series makes you think of Jon Gruden's penchant for saying how much he likes "this guy." For now, I am Jon Gruden, and the 30 NBA teams are the scrappy, unheralded, or otherwise non-traditional players that Gruden gushes over during Monday Night Football broadcasts.

Orlando Magic

They used the No. 2 overall pick on a promising young player with seemingly unlimited upside. He’ll be playing out of position, but that actually might not be such a bad thing – he’ll take his lumps at point guard long before Orlando is expecting to be a playoff contender, so by the time they are expecting to be, he’ll have all the wrinkles ironed out.

Moe Harkless and Tobias Harris are each skilled forwards who have plenty of time to figure out how they complement each other. Nikola Vucevic is a 22-year old double-double machine. They don’t have the central star that can tie everything together yet, but it seems like they have several pieces that can assemble together easily if they ever do get the superstar they’re looking for.

Best-Case Scenario: Victor Oladipo is a revelation at point guard - he picks up on the intricacies of the position overnight and uses his athleticism to cover up his weaknesses. Harkless and Harris effortlessly float back and forth between the two forward spots, and Arron Afflalo returns to his 2009 form on defense, giving them a legitimate perimeter stopper. Nikola Vucevic holds down the paint and Orlando is in the mix for the 8th playoff spot all the way into April.

Taking You To School Podcast: Allen Iverson Retires, Surprises Nobody

Allen Iverson announced he would no longer play in the NBA. He has not played since 2010.

By SuiteSports Staff

On the podcast this week, the gang discusses a report that claims Dwight Howard asked for Mike D'Antoni to be fired and Kobe Bryant to be amnestied. Should the report be taken seriously, and if so, is Howard justified in his demands? Also, Joe, Jeremy, and Kels discuss teams that should improve next season and the (not so) shocking retirement of Allen Iverson.

Check Out Sports Podcasts at Blog Talk Radio with RF Sports Radio on BlogTalkRadio

Re-Building the New Orleans Pelicans

The Pelicans are re-building themselves in a very unique way

By Jeremy Conlin   @jeremy_conlin

Here are the facts:

•    The New Orleans Pelicans (formerly the Hornets) traded the rights to Nerlens Noel and a 2014 first-round pick (with top-5 protection) to Philadelphia for Jrue Holiday.

•    The New Orleans Pelicans (still formerly the Hornets) signed Tyreke Evans to a 4-year, $44 million offer sheet. In the subsequent sign-and-trade agreement with Sacramento (Evans’ former team) and Portland (a cooperating 3rd party), New Orleans surrendered Robin Lopez and Greivis Vasquez (two serviceable starters).

Good Moves; Bad Moves in NBA Free Agency

The acquisition of Doc Rivers was integral to keeping Chris Paul in Los Angeles (flickr)

By Bennett Corcoran

As the July moratorium approaches and NBA free agency officially kicks off, let’s take a quick look at some teams that have already committed to verbal agreements with prominent free agents on the market as they attempt to improve next season. Aside from the obvious good moves like Dwight Howard to the Rockets or even Andre Iguodala to the Warriors, there are plenty of other moves out there that require a little more analysis.

Eight Weird Moments from The 2013 NBA Draft

The Cavaliers surprised everyone by taking Anthony Bennett with the first overall pick (flickr)

By Jeremy Conlin

Here are eight of the weirdest moments from the weirdest NBA draft I can remember:

1. The Cavaliers select Anthony Bennett first overall

All day and in the week leading up, the Cavs had been engaging in some savvy misinformation. Various reports were getting leaked that they were either shopping the pick (to Minnesota, Portland, New Orleans, to name three) or that they were still undecided who they were going to take if they kept the pick.