The extremely competitive Western Conference has been busy this off-season, with players finding new homes, and other players resigning with their current teams.

The biggest move thus far in the West belongs to the Los Angeles Lakers. The Lakers acquired veteran guard Steve Nash in exchange for two first-round picks, two-second round picks, and cash. The addition of Nash helps the Lakers continue to be dominant in the West. Kobe Bryant no longer needs constant control of the ball; Nash will help get whoever is on the court involved, especially young center Andrew Bynum. Bynum is coming off his best year of his career. The addition of Nash will help the powerful center improve even more. A healthy Lakers team could possibly make a run to the finals next season.

The Phoenix Suns took a significant step back with the loss of Nash. They did however rebounded with the signing of Goran Dragic.  Dragic signed a four-year $30 million deal that could increase to $34 million due to player option as well as bonus options. Dragic will have serious shoes to fill but will start for the Sun next season. The Yugoslavian-born point guard is coming off his best career season, averaging 11.7 points per game, and 5.3 assists per game while only starting 28 games for Houston. The Suns also picked up Luis Scola, which definitely improves their front court.

The Houston Rockets have welcomed back point guard Jeremy Lin to a three-year $25 million deal. Lin officially became a member of the Rockets after the Knicks did not match Houston’s offer. Lin will start in Houston and have a huge impact, especially after the departure of both Goran Dragic and Kyle Lowry

Los Angeles Clippers were able to re-sign guard Chauncey Billups. The five-time All-Star was off to a good start, until his season was cut short after tearing his left Achilles tendon. They also signed guard Jamal Crawford, who will have an impact, especially with the departure of Nick Young and Mo Williams. In a multi-team deal, the Clippers also landed Lamar Odom. Odom is coming from Dallas, off the worst season of his career.

Minnesota Timberwolves have made some moves that will help improve their young talented squad. They signed guard Brandon Roy to a two-year $10.4 million deal. Roy, who retired earlier in December due to knee problems, is attempting a comeback. Although Roy may not be explosive or effective right away, the youngster could potentially restore his career. In addition, the Wolves acquired Chase Budinger from Houston in exchange for the #18th pick of the draft.

The Sacramento Kings have added guard Aaron Brooks to a two year deal, approximately worth $6.6 million. Brooks will have to work for his playing time, especially after the great play of Isaiah Thomas. Also the addition of Brooks has guard Jimmer Fredette’s playing time up in the air. The kings have tons of options to choose from to run the court next season.

After being knocked out in the first round of the playoffs, the Dallas Mavericks have attempted to piece some players together, which  they hope will help in getting back atop the Western Conference. Dallas signed, center Chris Kaman to a one year $8 million deal. Kaman will start in Dallas and will likely improve being next to Dirk Nowitzki. Dallas also signed forward Elton Brand as a back-up for both Dirk and Kaman. Dallas was also able to replace Jason Kidd with Darren Collison,  who joined the Mavs via trade along with Dahntay Jones. The Mavs also picked up guard O.J. Mayo, who will be an important young asset after the departure of Jason Terry.

One of the more exciting young teams to watch next season in the West will be the New Orleans Hornets. The Hornets were able to re-sign young guard Eric Gordon. The Hornets matched the Suns’ four-year $58 million offer in order to retain the essential playmaker. The Hornets were also able to acquire forward Ryan Anderson from Orlando via trade, as well as center Brad Miller via trade from Minnesota. Although these signings may not make people say whoa, let’s not forget the Hornets drafted Anthony Davis, as well as Austin Rivers, and could be a team of the future.

As for the San Antonio Spurs, who finished with the first seed in the Western Conference, they were able to re-sign Boris Diaw, Tim Duncan, Danny Green, and Patrick Mills.

Although the Western Conference did not have as many moves as the East, essential changes have been made for several teams in their efforts to improve.

Click here,for more free agents deals and signings.

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With no surprise and being on the clock since winning the draft lottery, the New Orleans Hornets drafted Kentucky’s Anthony Davis. Davis was last years AP Player of the Year, leading his Kentucky Wildcats to a National Championship victory. Davis will look to help the Hornets regain some confidence after a rough 21-45 season. Although Davis is defensively NBA ready, he will need to develop his offensive game to help make a bigger impact on both ends of the court.

The second pick of the draft belonged to the Charlotte Bobcats. The Bobcats finished the 2011-2012 season with the worst winning percentage in league history. With their pick, the Bobcats drafted another Kentucky star, Michael Kidd-Gilchrist. This was the first time ever that the top two picks of the NBA draft were from the same school.

Washington was able to land Florida guard Bradley Beal with the third pick in the draft. The freshman guard has been compared to current NBA star and future Hall of Famer, Ray Allen.

Cleveland, who had their eyes on Beal, settled with Syracuse sophomore guard, Dion Waiters. This was a shock to some, considering Waiters did not start a single game for Syracuse last year, but should have an immediate impact for the Cavaliers.

Sacramento fans should be thrilled after drafting Kansas forward, Thomas Robinson. Through all the off court tragedy Robinson dealt with, he still led the nation with 27 double-doubles averaging 17.9 points per game and 11.8 rebounds.

Guard Damian Lillard from Webber State was drafted 6th by the Portland Trail Blazers. Lillard averaged 24.5 points per game, 2nd in the country. Lillard faces a tremendous amount of scrutiny based on the college competition he encountered. However, the 6’3 guard will look to make a quick impact for the Blazers.

Harrison Barnes, North Carolina forward, was drafted 7th by the Golden State Warriors. Barnes led the Tar Heels in scoring last season, averaging 17.4 points per game.

The second surprise of the draft was the Toronto Raptors’ 8th pick, Washington sophomore guard Terrence Ross. Ross, an excellent shooter, was not expected to be drafted so early; however, he can definitely make an impact on the Raptors 28th ranked offense.

Detroit decided to go big with their pick, drafting Connecticut center Andre Drummond. There is concern about Drummond’s youth, being only 18. Also, it was a bit of a surprise considering Detroit already has a young center, Greg Monroe.

The Hornets were back on the clock with the 10th  pick of the draft, and added Duke guard Austin Rivers. Rivers led Duke in scoring an average of 15.5 points per game. Rivers will likely play an important role off the bench behind current Hornet, Eric Gordon.

The Hornets can easily claim to be this year’s draft winners. Combining Anthony Davis and Austin Rivers with Eric Gordon gives the Hornets hope for a very bright future.

July 1st marks the 2nd day of excitement for organizations to make a push from being a good team to becoming an elite team with free agency.

Check out the rest of Round 1 and Round 2

Image Courtesy of  Anthony Davis

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Teams are making their final push for seeding in the NBA playoffs which are just weeks away, beginning April 16. Teams are preparing for the home stretch of the season, but also have an eye on where they sit in the standings, and what type of draw they will have come playoff time. The Western Conference has several intriguing matchups that should result in thrilling basketball as a carryover from March Madness.

No. 1 Spurs vs. No. 8 Grizzlies: The Spurs have been a surprising team this year, having the best record in the NBA. They still have the main components of their championship teams with Tim Duncan, Tony Parker, and Manu Ginobili. Although the eighth seed could be the Jazz, Rockets, or Suns, the Grizzlies have the berth for now. The Grizzlies have some nice pieces down low with Marc Gasol and Zach Randolph, and point guard Mike Conley is finally coming around. The Spurs are just too veteran of a team and have played so well this year that they won’t have a first round letdown. This is a team that has been there before and with Richard Jefferson making them a more athletic team, they will muscle their way into the next round, and compete to play in the Finals.

No. 2 Lakers vs. No. 7 Hornets: The defending champions, the Lakers, are one of the deepest, most complete teams in the NBA. Even if they don’t have the best record in the regular season, they are built to win in the post-season and they will be tough to beat, no matter who the opponent is. The Lakers have great big men, Pau Gasol and Andrew Bynum, a good defender, rebounder and scorer in Ron Artest, experience and smarts in Derek Fisher, and possibly the best player in the NBA, Kobe Bryant. That’s not even mentioning the type of talent they bring off their bench, guys who would start for many other teams. The Hornets have put together a nice season this year, and have good forwards, David West and Trevor Ariza. Chris Paul runs the show, and will give Fisher all that he can handle, but the depth of the Lakers, along with the experience and ‘it’ factor of Kobe Bryant, will place this team in position to go much deeper than the first round. They will most likely represent the West once again this season.

No. 3 Mavericks vs. No. 6 Trailblazers: The Mavericks have had a solid year this season, and have a little different look to their team. Dirk Nowitzki leads the team, but a solid supporting cast with future Hall-of-Famer Jason Kidd, and shooter Peja Stojakovic, the Mavs are a bit more complete, balancing experience with youth and athleticism. Jason Terry, Tyson Chandler, and Shawn Marion round out a great bench, and help to add a different dynamic to the floor with their presence. The Trailblazers have had an up-and-down season, and star guard Brandon Roy’s numbers were down as he struggled to stay healthy. Marcus Camby and Andre Miller bring some experience, and Gerald Wallace provides a nice compliment to LaMarcus Aldridge at the forward position. The Mavericks just have too much offense for the Blazers though, and should slide past Portland, although the series should be tough and could go six or seven games.

No. 4 Thunder vs. No. 5 Nuggets: These teams will face off twice before the regular season concludes, April 5, and 8, and will be very familiar with each other’s tendencies. The Nuggets look so different with the gaping hole left by Carmelo Anthony’s departure, but they have continued to play good basketball. The team has good guards and forwards, and Ty Lawson adds a burst off the bench. If Kenyon Martin can step his game up, and Danilo Gallinari continues to have a good year, the Nuggets could pose a threat to an overly talented young Thunder squad. The addition of Kendrick Perkins was huge for the Thunder, adding size and playoff experience to a young, hungry team who gave the Lakers all they could handle in the first round last year. Russell Westbrook and Kevin Durant are the two stars that everybody talks about. Without Carmelo, the Nuggets will have trouble keeping up with Thunder, and Perkins will pose serious problems for Denver down low. This will be a battle, as the 4 vs. 5 matchup usually is, but the young stars of the Thunder will carry them on, becoming a nightmare for a top seed in the next round.

This should be a year of great matchups in the West, as every team brings a winning record to the playoff table. The Western Conference boasts the defending champion Lakers, and the best record in the NBA, the Spurs. The team that makes it out of the conference will pose a serious threat to the East, and most likely be the favorite to win it all in the end.

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