NBA Previews: Phoenix Suns 3rd Place: Pacific Division

by James Finneral

The Phoenix Suns proved to be a legitimate team last year as they were the first team to miss the playoffs. This young Phoenix roster is full of talent and athleticism and they have to be fired up for the upcoming season.

The main reason why the Suns were successful last year was because of their strong back-court. The Phoenix back-court was lead by Goran Dragic and Eric Bledsoe. Neither of these guys were well known players in the league until they came together on the Suns. Dragic and Bledsoe are great compliments to each other because they can both score, but they both prefer to make the extra pass for the team to get a better shot. Bledsoe is the X factor for the Suns this year. After being Chris Paul's backup in Los Angeles for a while Bledsoe stepped up big time starting for the Suns and averaging 17 points, 5 assists and 5 rebounds per game. It is obvious that Dragic is going to perform well this year, but Bledsoe needs to keep up his production and stay healthy for the Suns to improve this year. Luckily, to put insurance on their back-court the Suns signed former Kings point guard, Isaiah Thomas. Thomas is an electric point guard who can provide points and assists. Thomas will be a nice replacement if Bledsoe goes down and he will probably see time anyways no matter what.  The Sun's guards will be great this year especially if everyone stays healthy.

The Suns have also been able to develop great big men that lock down on the defensive end. Both Miles Plumlee and Markieff Morris have made huge strides in the past year to help the Suns on defense as well as offense. After coming out of Duke, Miles Plumlee spent plenty of time on the court as well as in the weight room. Over his first few years in the NBA, Plumlee has turned into an absolute beast, leading the Suns in rebounds with nearly 8 a night. As for Morris he spent his college career overshadowed by his brother Marcus, who is also on the Suns. Through his hard work and determination Morris was able to surpass his brother and will most likely have the starting power forward spot on this Suns team. Morris is steadily becoming a multi dimensional forward. Morris is a beast on the glass, but he can also step out and knock down jumpers from outside the paint. Morris was one of the top candidates for the Sixth Man of the Year Award and his statistics will improve this year because he will get more time. Both of the Sun's big men have unreal potential and they will need to live up to it for the Suns to succeed.

All the pieces are there, the Suns just need to stay healthy and they will have a very successful season. They are a well balanced team who can compete with nearly any team in the league. My prediction is that the Suns will lock up the final playoff spot in the Western Conference and they're only going to get better from there.

Potential Starting Lineup:

PG: Goran Dragic 

SG: Eric Bledsoe 

SF: P.J. Tucker

PF: Markieff Morris

C: Miles Plumlee

NBA Previews: Oklahoma City Thunder 1st Place: Northwest Division

by James Finneral

The Oklahoma City Thunder have transformed from a brand new franchise to a consistent top five team in the NBA. Although they have been great for the past five years, the Thunder have yet to take home that coveted title. This team easily has the power to win it all, but their star players need to remain healthy to do so.

When I say their star players need to stay healthy, I am essentially talking about Russell Westbrook. Westbrook is an electrifying point guard out of UCLA. He is probably the most athletic point guard in the game and that definitely shows on the court. He goes by defenders with ease and can even finish over big men. In the past Westbrook has received a lot of criticism revolving around his passing. He proved all the critics wrong by averaging 7 assists a game last year. If Westbrook can stay healthy he will have another all star caliber season. If Westbrook cannot stay healthy they always have Reggie Jackson as a back up. Jackson is heading into his fourth year in the league out of Boston College and last year he proved that he is capable of starting when Westbrook is absent. Jackson finished last year averaging 13 points and 4 assists per game. He was a great point guard whenever Westbrook was out and he is always going to be ready to jump in when he is needed. The Thunder will have a solid point guard no matter what happens this year.

Of course when talking about the Oklahoma City Thunder one can't help, but talk about the league's reigning MVP, Kevin Durant. Durant had virtually no flaws in his offensive game. He is among a special group of guys that average 30 points and 5 assists. At 6'9" with a huge wingspan, Durant is pretty efficient on the glass as well. It's not just the stats that make Durant an amazing player, it is also his leadership and his ability to make plays down the stretch. Occasionally you will find Westbrook taking the last shot, but that's pretty much only if Durant is double teamed. He has ice in his veins and is the soul reason that the Thunder are as good as they are today. Unfortunately Durant has a foot injury and will miss a chunk of time at the beginning of the season. the Thunder will need to find someone to step up and fill his shoes. Jeremy Lamb is one player that has learned from Durant and is developing into a solid player. Lamb is a little smaller than Durant, but they have pretty similar playing styles. Lamb is a great shooter and is actually finding ways to score off the drive as well. He will probably start at the shooting guard for Oklahoma City this year and be just another quality player for this team. Lamb is going to have to step up in the early portion of the season and they will become a much stronger team when Durant is back.

Power forward Serge Ibaka has been an X factor for the Thunder for many years now. His ability to block shots and protect the rim along with being able to provide on the offensive end is a dangerous combination. Ibaka can shut down the best big men in the business and he will certainly need to do that this year for the Thunder to be successful. Another big guy who could play a great role in the Thunder's success this year is Steven Adams. Adams is from New Zealand and is heading into his second year in the league after showing glimpses of greatness in his rookie season. The 7 footer snagged 4 rebounds per game in limited time. He currently plays behind Kendrick Perkins, but do not be surprised if you see Adams get more time this upcoming season and possibly start a few games. The Thunder front-court will need to be excellent when Durant is gone for them to be able to stay in games.

The Thunder are definitely a championship caliber team, but it will be interesting to see how they fair without Durant. He is their centerpiece and everything they do revolves around him. Everyone on their team will need to play better in order to compensate for the huge loss. They might be off to a slow start, but the Thunder will be contenders to win it all.

Potential Starting Lineup (With Durant in):

PG: Russell Westbrook

SG: Jeremy Lamb

SF: Kevin Durant

PF: Serge Ibaka

C: Kendrick Perkins