A preview of the Western Conference in the NBA
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00:00 [MUSIC PLAYING]
00:03 Chris Mannix for SI.com here with Rohan Dekarni and Howard
00:08 Beck as part of our NBA preview.
00:10 We're looking at the Western Conference and maybe a team
00:13 that could surprise in that conference.
00:15 Rohan, who is your surprise team in the West?
00:19 I'm going with the Phoenix Suns.
00:20 The Suns were undefeated in Orlando
00:22 during the seeding games.
00:24 And now they've added Chris Paul, Jay Crowder,
00:27 to a team that already included Devin Booker and DeAndre Ayton.
00:30 The big thing here is obviously Chris Paul.
00:32 Everywhere he's gone, he's built a winner.
00:34 In a franchise in New Orleans that maybe wasn't necessarily
00:37 known for winning, he built a winner there.
00:39 Same thing with the Clippers.
00:40 We take for granted that the Clippers are a good team now.
00:43 That all started because of Chris Paul.
00:44 I really think Chris Paul is going
00:46 to do wonderful things for DeAndre Ayton, the former number
00:48 one pick.
00:49 That's a natural pick and roll partnership right there.
00:52 Jay Crowder, a guy who was a valuable contributor
00:54 to a heat team that made the finals.
00:56 The Suns just make a lot more sense now.
00:58 Devin Booker, we all know, has been
00:59 one of the more explosive scoring players
01:01 in the league for a long time.
01:03 I think the Suns are going to make the playoffs.
01:04 And I think they're going to give somebody a very tough
01:07 battle in the first round.
01:09 Yeah, the Western Conference, you
01:11 could say that probably seven spots may be already locked up,
01:14 maybe six, depending on what happens in Houston.
01:17 So it's the intrigue over those last couple spots.
01:20 And Phoenix is a team that I think we can all agree
01:22 is primed to do it.
01:23 But there's another team, I think,
01:24 that's ready to crash the party.
01:26 And that is the New Orleans Pelicans.
01:28 Yeah, they're still pretty young,
01:30 especially when you consider that Zion Williamson's rookie
01:32 year was truncated.
01:34 He needs to get a little bit more seasoned.
01:37 But Lonzo Ball had a kind of a breakthrough year for them.
01:40 Brandon Ingram absolutely did, making the all-star team.
01:43 You've still got some nice vets around in JJ Redick.
01:46 They bring in Steven Adams.
01:48 I like the balance of youth and experience here.
01:51 And I like just the overall talent.
01:53 Like, yeah, they had to ship out Drew Holiday,
01:57 but they bring in Eric Bledsoe.
01:59 So they've got almost too deep at every position.
02:02 And I just think that this team, with Stan Van Gundy now
02:05 in charge, has the right tools.
02:07 They're going to need a little bit of time to get acclimated.
02:10 But I think the Pelicans absolutely
02:12 have a chance to break through and make the playoffs.
02:15 Hey, I'm from Boston, Howard.
02:16 I saw Drew Bledsoe get tossed out, so don't worry about that.
02:18 I know that happens with Drew Bledsoe.
02:21 The team that I'm looking at-- you guys
02:23 mentioned the party crashers, the Warlins and Phoenix.
02:26 The Houston Rockets are trying to hang on to that playoff spot.
02:30 And I think they've got more firepower than people think.
02:33 And I think they are going to hang on that playoff spot,
02:36 at least as long as James Harden is on the roster.
02:38 I've got a lot of faith in John Wall's ability to recovery.
02:42 We have seen that Kevin Durant doesn't
02:45 look like he's that affected from an Achilles injury.
02:47 I think John Wall is going to have the same type of bounce
02:50 back season.
02:50 He hasn't played NBA basketball in almost two years.
02:54 But he has been healthy since March.
02:56 He has been scrimmaging with some top guys.
02:58 And he is going to be excellent for that team.
03:02 He is a pass-first playmaker.
03:04 I think he's going to fit in well with that group.
03:06 The wild card is Christian Wood.
03:08 He put up a lot of numbers on a bad team last year.
03:11 But if he can put up those type of numbers
03:13 this year with this group, the Rockets
03:16 have a chance to be a really solid playoff team, Howard.
03:20 Yeah, and listen, there's a scenario out there--
03:23 and I'm not saying it's the most likely one--
03:25 but where James Harden doesn't get traded this season.
03:27 If the Rockets don't find the right deal,
03:29 and they just decide we're going to hang on
03:30 until after the season, let things settle down,
03:33 then they're not going anywhere.
03:34 They're absolutely in the playoffs.
03:35 And I agree with you.
03:36 Christian Wood's a nice addition.
03:38 John Wall has the opportunity here to make a nice bounce
03:41 back.
03:42 And if they do trade Harden, if they
03:43 get the right pieces in return, and Wall
03:46 is now leading that group, yeah, I agree.
03:49 We have not heard the last of the Houston Rockets.
03:52 Don't count out the Rockets just yet,
03:54 even though there are several teams trying
03:56 to claim that playoff spot.
03:58 For more, check us out over at SI.com.
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