2008 Woodie Awards
Timberwolves a sleeper; Nuggets, Suns top teams
Jordan Freemyer
Issue date: 10/31/07 Section: Sports
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Since Michael Jordan retired from the Bulls, seven of the nine NBA champions have come out of the Western Conference.
There are again many strong teams in the West in the 2007-08 season.
As long as Tim Duncan is effective, San Antonio will be a team to be reckoned with. The defending champion Spurs have all of their core players back and have added Ime Udoka, a defensive specialist on the wing that will provide the aging Bruce Bowen with much needed support.
After their epic battle with the Spurs in last season's playoffs, the Phoenix Suns are as determined as ever to take the Western Conference title. They have added former all-star Grant Hill to go along with Amare Stoudemire and Shawn Marion in their explosive offense that is led by the league's best point guard, Steve Nash.
Perhaps the most intriguing team in the NBA is the Denver Nuggets. Power forward Kenyon Martin returns from a knee injury that cost him all but two games of the 2006-07 season. This will also be the first full season with Carmelo Anthony and Allen Iverson together. If Martin can stay healthy, and he, Anthony and Iverson can keep a positive attitude, this team will not only contend for the Western title, but also an NBA title.
Anyone looking for a sleeper should look north to the Minnesota Timberwolves. Sure, the T-Wolves traded away Kevin Garnett, but got quite the haul in return. Al Jefferson is perhaps the best young big man in the league, Ryan Gomes is very underrated and versatile and Gerald Green has the skill set of a future star. Minnesota adds that trio to emerging point guard Randy Foye, who may turn out to be the best player from the 2006 draft, and rookie Corey Brewer, who may already be an elite defensive player.
A team that will falter this season is the Dallas Mavericks. Dirk Nowitzki just does not seem like the kind of guy that can take that next step in the playoffs. After being taken down by the lowly Golden State Warriors in last year's postseason, this team has shown no signs of any extra motivation. I see the Mavs finishing third in the Southwest Division behind their Texas brethren, Houston and San Antonio.
When all is said and done, I see the Phoenix Suns winning a fast paced Western Conference Finals against the Denver Nuggets and going on to win it all.
-Jordan Freemyer is a sophomore journalism major and a Mirror sports writer.
There are again many strong teams in the West in the 2007-08 season.
As long as Tim Duncan is effective, San Antonio will be a team to be reckoned with. The defending champion Spurs have all of their core players back and have added Ime Udoka, a defensive specialist on the wing that will provide the aging Bruce Bowen with much needed support.
After their epic battle with the Spurs in last season's playoffs, the Phoenix Suns are as determined as ever to take the Western Conference title. They have added former all-star Grant Hill to go along with Amare Stoudemire and Shawn Marion in their explosive offense that is led by the league's best point guard, Steve Nash.
Perhaps the most intriguing team in the NBA is the Denver Nuggets. Power forward Kenyon Martin returns from a knee injury that cost him all but two games of the 2006-07 season. This will also be the first full season with Carmelo Anthony and Allen Iverson together. If Martin can stay healthy, and he, Anthony and Iverson can keep a positive attitude, this team will not only contend for the Western title, but also an NBA title.
Anyone looking for a sleeper should look north to the Minnesota Timberwolves. Sure, the T-Wolves traded away Kevin Garnett, but got quite the haul in return. Al Jefferson is perhaps the best young big man in the league, Ryan Gomes is very underrated and versatile and Gerald Green has the skill set of a future star. Minnesota adds that trio to emerging point guard Randy Foye, who may turn out to be the best player from the 2006 draft, and rookie Corey Brewer, who may already be an elite defensive player.
A team that will falter this season is the Dallas Mavericks. Dirk Nowitzki just does not seem like the kind of guy that can take that next step in the playoffs. After being taken down by the lowly Golden State Warriors in last year's postseason, this team has shown no signs of any extra motivation. I see the Mavs finishing third in the Southwest Division behind their Texas brethren, Houston and San Antonio.
When all is said and done, I see the Phoenix Suns winning a fast paced Western Conference Finals against the Denver Nuggets and going on to win it all.
-Jordan Freemyer is a sophomore journalism major and a Mirror sports writer.
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