Who Will Be the Team to Beat in the NBA This Season? Part II

This article is also posted at hoops4life.com, an NBA fan site. Well, now that the Eastern Conference is finished, we move on to the more skilled conference—the wild West. The injury-depleted Lakers took the West last year, as they made it all the way to the Finals before losing to the Celtics. Here is a list of who I think will be the three best teams in the West next season:   1. New Orleans Hornets The Hornets finished second in the West last year and show no signs of slowing down. They acquired lockdown defender and three-point specialist James Posey, and they have an emerging star post in David West, who had a breakout season last year, going to his first All-Star game. They have a fantastic starting point guard in Chris Paul, who some say is the best point guard since Magic and Stockton. Last year, in his third NBA season, Paul led the league in steals and assists. He's a great scorer and he can also get his teammates involved, as they have a great chemistry. ... [link]