(By Gerry Wang)

WESTERN CONFERENCE

Midwest Division
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1.) San Antonio Spurs- The Spurs come back w/ most of their team intact, except for one glaring absence-- Sean Elliott, who had to semi-retire due to a kidney transplant. I don't think he'll be back. He will be missed. But the Spurs seem to have adequately replaced him w/ players that are better than average. Samaki Walker is a big inside presence that should nab Tim Duncan and David Robinson plenty of rest. Terry Porter is the best backup PG in the league. The Spurs didn't rebuild, they reloaded.

Players to watch:

_	-> Tim Duncan- It's scary to think that this will only be Tim Duncan's 3rd year in the NBA. He plays like a grizzled veteran. And he can only get better! That's probably the scariest part, knowing that his game could still be honed. He'll be 2nd in the MVP voting.
	-> David Robinson- The Admiral got his ring, but he's getting kinda old. The Spurs would be wise to trade him while he still has market value. Don't get me wrong. The Admiral's accomplishments more than merit the right to stay in San Antonio. But they don't need him.

Projected starting lineup:
PG- Avery Johnson
SG- Jaren Jackson
C- David Robinson
SF- Malik Rose
PF- Tim Duncan

Key bench players:
SG- Terry Porter
PF- Samaki Walker
PG- Antonio Daniels
SG- Mario Elie

2.) Houston Rockets- The Rockets are always accused of being old and slow, but damn, Hakeem and Charles can still get it on w/ the best of them. They got the PG they've lacked since Sam Cassell, and it happens to be the most electrifying rookie in the league. To top it off, Houston also signed Utah's most promising young stud. Damn Houston.

Players to watch:

_	-> Charles Barkley- Charles still has a few 20-20 games left in him, although he's way past his prime. He won't dominant games anymore, but he's still a big part of Houston's offense.
	-> Hakeem Olajuwon- When Hakeem is healthy, he's right up there will the best centers in the league. There's still no one who could stop his fakes and shakes down low.

-> Steve Francis- He should finish #2 in the Rookie of the Year voting. But he should lead all rookies in steals and assists. Watch for the highlights and hold your breath.

Projected starting lineup:
PG- Steve Francis
SG- Walt Williams
C- Hakeem Olajuwon
SF- Shandon Anderson
PF- Charles Barkley

Key bench players:
C- Kelvin Cato
SG- Cuttino Mobley

3.) Utah Jazz- You guys should know how much I Utah by now. Every year I go out and root against them. Why? Because they're dirty, they bitch on every call, and Karl Malone is the dirtiest cheap shot artist since Mike Tyson. Plus they're full of slow white boys who can't dunk, and run an unexciting half court back door system. Damn I hate the Jazz.......

Players to watch:

-> Karl Malone- Someone please tell me how the hell The Mailman got the MVP award over Tim Duncan last year. Malone didn't do shit in the playoffs and choked in clutch time.

-> John Stockton- I think we should watch him because this is his last year. It'll be a nice swan song, and yet another chapter in the book of veterans who play until they make a mockery of themselves, not knowing when to quit.

-> Bryon Russell- I got respect for Russell. It's sad how he's always the victim of MJ's clutch shots. But this year, w/o Shandon Anderson cutting into his time, Bryon Russell should have increased scoring duties.

Projected starting lineup:
PG- John Stockton
SG- Jeff Hornacek
C- Olden Polynice
SF- Bryon Russell
PF- Karl Malone

Key bench players:
C- Greg Ostertag
PG- Howard Eisley

4.) Minnesota Timberwolves- Minnesota is one big man away from being title contenders. They have a awesome nucleus of young guns, in Kevin Garnett, Wally World, and Joe Smith. They also have William Avery waiting to take over when Terrell Brandon falters. Wow. If only they could add interior muscle. A players like Anthony Mason would do wonders for Minnesota. Yah, you betcha, for Pete's sake.

Players to watch:

-> Kevin Garnett- I've never seen a 7-footer w/ KG's skills. He can post up, drive in, shoot, dribble, defend..... KG's got all the tools. Plus he dunks like a MAN. Look for him to have an increased leadership role.

-> Wally Szczerbiak- He's a six shooter w/ unbelievable range. His speed and defense may be suspect, but I don't expect that to make much of an impact, since all he's required to do here is pop the threes.

-> Terrell Brandon- He just got a fat new contract solidifying him as Minnesota's PG of the future. If he can play like he did in his prime, when he was a poor man's Jason Kidd, the Minnesota got themselves a steal.

Projected starting lineup:
PG- Terrell Brandon
SG- Anthony Peeler
C- Joe Smith
SF- Wally Szczerbiak
PF- Kevin Garnett

Key bench players:
C- Dean Garrett
PG- William Avery

5.) Denver Nuggets- Denver's my little secret team that I'm gonna be keeping an eye on. They're loaded w/ speedy, combustible youth. If they all click, they'll give any traditional juggernaut fits, including Portland. Look for the addition of Ron Mercer to turn the Nuggets into a run and gun fast breaking team that scores above 100 points a game. Nick Van Exel, Ron Mercer, Antonio McDyess, and Raef Lafrentz form a core of thuggish studs that would rather look good losing than look bad winning.

Players to watch:

-> Antonio McDyess- He's a gentle giant w/ a huge game. He's been known to cry after losses. But don't let his sensitivity fool you. He's got mad game, mad hops. Antonio's capable of 40-20 games. Watch out.

-> Ron Mercer- He lost favor in Boston, but Rick Pitino desperately wanted to keep this future star. He is one of the best finishers in the league. Watch for him on ESPN.

-> Nick Van Exel- He's gonna be a Laker killer. I can understand why. Nick was pretty good, but too restrained in LA. But they sure miss his clutch shooting, especially in the playoffs. I remember I kept saying to myself, damn, if only we still had Eddie and Nick.

Projected starting lineup:
PG- Nick Van Exel
SG- Chauncey Billups
C- Raef LaFrentz
SF- Ron Mercer
PF- Antonio McDyess

Key bench players:
SF- George McCloud
PG- Chris Herren

6.) Vancouver Grizzlies- People have decried the Grizzlies for drafting Steve Francis only to trade him away. Don't worry, Vancouver, they'll eat their words, because the Grizzlies solidified their weaknesses by getting 2 up and coming youngsters in Michael Dickerson and Othella Harrington. While the trade won't get them anywhere near the playoffs, things are looking up. Besides, Francis wouldn't have fit in there anyways.

Players to watch:

_	-> Shareef Abdur-Rahim- Hmm, maybe this season people will finally start appreciating The Future. Maybe now they'll recognize that Shareef is a guaranteed 20 point, 8 rebound scorer. Maybe they'll see that he's a superstar in the making. Nah, not if he stays in Vancouver.
	-> Mike Bibby- Bibby actually had a decent year even though he was a rookie playing in no man's land. This year he's teamed w/ former Arizona backcourt mate (see next player).

-> Michael Dickerson- He's actually pretty big, around 6' 5", and damn he's a sharp shooter that will assasinate you from anywhere on the court. His selection is uncanny for a guy so young. Look for him the have one of the highest shooting % among guards.

Projected starting lineup:
PG- Mike Bibby
SG- Michael Dickerson
C- Bryant Reeves
SF- Shareef Abdur-Rahim
PF- Othella Harrington

Key bench players:
SG- Felipe Lopez

7.) Dallas Mavericks- Sigh, the Mavericks are destined once again to dwell in the the dank cellars of the NBA. But things are looking up. Literally. Dallas pulled the trigger on Wang Zhi-zhi, a 7+ foot prodigy from China. However, he needs to be freed from China's army to come play here. And we know how much the Communists love us over here.

Players to watch:

-> Michael Finley- One of the NBA's most dynamic players, he plays w/ fire in his eyes every game, only to see it culminate in a loss. Sad.

-> Cedric Ceballos- He missed most of last year w/ broken wrists, but this year he should be back scoring 15+ points a game, getting a lot of under-the-basket buckets.

-> Steve Nash- I dunno what happened last year. He was supposed to prove that he was the second coming of Bob Cousy, but he just proved he was the second coming of Horse Manure. This year he should be better, but I doubt he'll be Bob Cousy anymore.

Projected starting lineup:
PG- Steve Nash
SG- Michael Finley
C- Shawn Bradley
SF- Cedric Ceballos
PF- Gary Trent

Key bench players:
C- Dirk Nowitzski
PG- Robert Pack

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