Roundtable Finale

I am now presenting you with the final installment of our Pacific Division roundtable discussion. As I mentioned previously we have collected insight from the other bloggers in the division on the upcoming season. The crew consists of Tom from Sactown Royalty, Kevin from Clipperblog, Justin from Golden State of Mind, Kurt from Forum Blue and Gold and myself. You can check the other sections here: Part 1, Part 2, and Part 3. We may just have the most stacked division of bloggers. What do you think?


Tom: Let's get down to the grit: How do things shake out in the Pacific division this season? How many teams get into the playoffs? Any surprises in the season results? Any award-winners coming out of these teams?

Kurt: I'll say this for every team in the division outside Phoenix — staying healthy is key. After the big three in the West, the difference between the five seed and the 11 spot (comfortably in the lottery) may be who keeps their key players healthy and on the court. Same goes for Utah, Houston and other teams. The West is deep and fairly even.

Kevin: I think the division shapes up as:

(1) PHX

(2) Clippers

(3) Sacramento

(4) Lakers

(5) Oh boy.

Why are the Lakers behind the Kings? Because it takes a certain brand of arrogance to think you can win in this league without a point guard or a competent post threat. I'm not a Laker-hater (and I think Kurt will attest to such), but I just can't imagine going into an offseason knowing, full well, what your deficiencies are and addressing them by adding...Vlad Radmanovic, Jordan Farmar and Maurice Evans???

Playoff berths: PHX, Clippers and Sacramento

Divisional MVP: Elton Brand

Divisional Most Improved: Kevin Martin, Mickael Pietrus

Divisional Defensive MVP: Ron Artest

Divisional Disappoitment: Mike Dunleavy, starting power forward for
your Golden State Warriors

Divisional COY: Eric Musselman

Divisional Guys Who Absolutely Must Produce: Chris Kaman, Lamar Odom,
Baron Davis

Lucas: I always thought Sacramento was a great team who was underachieving. Even after Artest I thought they underachieved. I don't understand why they can't play to their potential. Maybe this season they will. I would love to take Brad Miller off Sactown's hands, even at 30. The Clippers are scary this year with Brand's play leaking over from last season he is going to be one of the most dominant players in the league. I also agree with your division
breakdown.

The Lakers are not going to all that much better than last season unless Kobe really works to get more people involved like in the playoffs. I have this feeling that Kobe is going to sit much of the season out like the 04-05 season because he is a poor sport. Either that or he's going to drop 101 points against the Suns. I really don't know what Kobe does.

Tom: My mind on the 2007 Pacific has evolved all summer. I think Phoenix is a lock for the division crown, and I think a legit choice to win the title. After that, it's really fuzzy.

Ultimately, I think the Kings' talent level surpasses that of the Lakers and Clippers, but there's something about the Kobe-Phil-Odom triumverate that I can't discount. The Lakers will be an improved team - maybe a 50-win team. The Clippers, I think, could regress. Scream about "one game away from the conference finals" all you want, but what I saw was the Nuggets and the less-than-full-powered Suns. The Warriors are a novelty act in my mind. And the Kings, as I said, have a great talent base and a fresh coach. I'd pencil the Kings and Lakers battling for second, with the Clippers getting the eighth seed and the Warriors at about 32 wins. I think Kobe wins the MVP of the league (if LeBron doesn't invoke eminent domain), I think the Suns win the title, and I think the Kings start looking for a new point guard in May. I'd love to be wrong and see that happen in June, however.