Even if Brand comes off the bench, he will be better than Odom was last year. That's not saying much, but it is an improvement.

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I never really gave either of these teams much thought. But if I had to say with what the rosters are right now, I would go with GS.

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Could be. With FA, it's hard to keep up with the rosters. I just know Phoenix was hot at the end and I wasn't too impressed with what I saw at GS. There could be a big drop off at Phoenix with the loss of Nash. Likewise, GS could elevate it's game.

I think in the end both will end up missing the playoffs though.

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Even if Brand comes off the bench, he will be better than Odom was last year. That's not saying much, but it is an improvement.

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No kidding.

Change the front-line rotation of Dirk/Haywood/Odom/Wright with Dirk/Kaman/Brand/Wright, and you see a HUGE difference in production.

Brand may be coming off the bench but he will get a lot of minutes. And it's his defense more than anything that will come in handy, although he can still score in double digits.

Bernard James looked good in the summer league (averaged 10 pts and 9 rebs). He may be our 3rd center. Wright is just too light.

James is a lot like Haywood, although I think he'll be more active and less timid. Similar style though - pure defense, subpar hands, no offensive game. He's good for rebounding, defense, and the occasional put back or wide open dunk.

Golden State has the potential to be scary good. We'll see what Klay Thompson's really got this year - he filled it up when everyone else on the team was hurt and got most of the looks. All about injuries for them - Bogut seems to be the target of some completely bizarre injuries and Steph Curry has bad ankles. Their front line can be very good if they stay healthy. They have a much higher ceiling than the Suns.

Yeah, I guess Ryan kind of views the Warriors like I view the Clippers. They both have a pretty high ceiling. Teams like that are hard to gauge. Personally, I think the Spurs over-achieved due to the lockout. Suns may have too. Both looked good at the end of the season though. We'll have to see how much of the slack Dragic picks up.

As to James, he kind of reminds me more like a smaller version of Chandler. Not much offensive game but he seems to do well around the rim. A high energy player. Haywood had potential but he often played like Damp and seemed like he was just going through the motions at times.

I really like Crowder. Kind of reminds me of Ron Artest, I mean Metta World Peace, but without all the craziness.

I'm still interested in seeing Cunningham. Do Jo looked good this summer. I like our young players.

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Yeah, I guess Ryan kind of views the Warriors like I view the Clippers. They both have a pretty high ceiling.

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Exactly. Klay Thompson has been impressive every time I've seen him. He can light it up. Steph Curry can obviously score. Bogut is one of the best big men in the game when he's healthy, especially defensively. Richard Jefferson and Harrison Barnes can both knock down 3s. David Lee is a quality PF. I think GS can be a good team and maybe sneak into the 8 spot late.

I think there are 7 teams that will definitely make the playoffs, barring injuries: Clippers, Lakers, San Antonio, OKC, Memphis, Dallas, and Utah. I give Denver the edge for the 8 spot, but like I said I think GS could challenge for it. I don't think Minnesota is there yet, even with Kirilenko.

Jae Crowder is the guy I'm most excited about. He doesn't blow you away on measureables but he's just a player. He can be a very good role player for a long time in this league.

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I think there are 7 teams that will definitely make the playoffs, barring injuries: Clippers, Lakers, San Antonio, OKC, Memphis, Dallas, and Utah. I give Denver the edge for the 8 spot, but like I said I think GS could challenge for it. I don't think Minnesota is there yet, even with Kirilenko.

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I agree 100%.

That Phoenix run could have due Nash willing them to win.

Carlisle said flat out that Crowder would make the team. There was no hesitation in his voice.

I also like the fact his dad played some ball in the NBA and can steer him away from some of the mess young players can get into.