08/20/2008 - (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - There have been some significant moves in the Western Conference during the offseason which should impact the way the West will be won during the 2008-09 campaign.
Houston traded for Ron Artest, New Orleans inked swingman James Posey and Golden State has had to re-shuffle its roster. The Lakers have had a quiet summer, while the Clippers will have a new look.
Take a peek at where the squads in the Western Conference project at this time:
1. LOS ANGELES LAKERS - The Lakers are the defending Western Conference champions and get the top spot by default. They decided not to match Golden State's offer to physical big man Ronny Turiaf, but did re-sign guard Sasha Vujacic, who had a strong offseason. MVP Kobe Bryant makes the Lakers the team to beat in West.
2.SAN ANTONIO SPURS - Tim Duncan, Manu Ginobili and Tony Parker are still the nucleus of the Spurs, who were knocked out by the Lakers in five in the West finals. San Antonio did re-sign center Kurt Thomas and inked free agent guard Roger Mason, who adds athleticism. The Spurs are still one of the elite teams in the NBA.
3. NEW ORLEANS HORNETS - It would not be a surprise if Chris Paul leads the Hornets to the top of the conference during the upcoming season. All-Stars Paul and David West have arrived, while athletic center Tyson Chandler and sharp-shooting Peja Stojakovic are the right complementary players in head coach Byron Scott's system. Swingman James Posey, who played a big role in Boston's championship run, adds defense and valuable big-game experience.
4. HOUSTON ROCKETS - All-Stars Yao Ming and Tracy McGrady have yet to get the Rockets past the opening round of the playoffs, so Houston traded for Ron Artest, who averaged 20.5 points and 5.8 rebounds in 57 games for Sacramento last season. If Artest can keep his mind on basketball, the Rockets may have found the player who can get them out of round one in the postseason and actually help them compete for a championship. The last time Houston won a playoff series was 1997.
5. UTAH JAZZ - The Jazz have been almost silent this summer. Power forward Carlos Boozer and point guard Deron Williams, who signed a lucrative contract extension, are good enough to keep Utah in the top five in the West.
6. PHOENIX SUNS - New head coach Terry Porter will slow things down in Phoenix, which may bring two-time MVP point guard Steve Nash back to earth. Shaquille O'Neal is no longer the dominant force he once was, while Amare Stoudemire has shown that he is recovered from his knee injury and is once again a dominant presence down low. The window is closing fast in the Valley of the Sun.
7. PORTLAND TRAIL BLAZERS - Trading for point guard Jerryd Bayless, who was selected 11th overall by Indiana in the draft, was brilliant. Bayless will fit in perfectly with big men LaMarcus Aldridge, Greg Oden and All-Star guard Brandon Roy. Oden, who was the No. 1 pick in the 2007 draft, did not play last season because of a knee injury and should be ready to make his much- anticipated debut. This is going to be one of the fun and exciting teams to watch this season. Big things are on the horizon in Portland.
8. DALLAS MAVERICKS - Jason Kidd is not the answer. Dallas was eliminated by New Orleans in the first round of the 2008 playoffs, and has not done enough during the offseason to move it up the ladder in the West. The Mavericks did sign free agent center DeSagana Diop, but that will not have much of an impact. Former MVP Dirk Nowitzki is still a great player, but he needs some new teammates who mesh better with his game. For now, this is a team that will struggle to make the playoffs.
9. GOLDEN STATE WARRIORS - Two-time All-Star point guard Baron Davis, forward Matt Barnes and swingman Mickael Pietrus all left via free agency. The team did sign athletic Corey Maggette, who will add scoring, forward Ronny Turiaf and traded for lead guard Marcus Williams. Head coach Don Nelson will be back on the bench and will have the Warriors battling for one of the final playoff berths in the conference.
10. LOS ANGELES CLIPPERS - It's been a busy summer for LA's second team. Losing free agent forward Elton Brand to Philadelphia hurts. However, the Clippers were able to ink Baron Davis to a multi-year deal. They also traded for 2006-07 Defensive Player of the Year Marcus Camby and signed veteran swingman Ricky Davis. The Clippers may be better than expected.
11. DENVER NUGGETS - All-Stars Carmelo Anthony and Allen Iverson are in for a long and frustrating season. Denver dealt Marcus Camby to the Clippers to trim the payroll. Camby was the only Nugget who attempted to play defense. Head coach George Karl could be ready to call it quits by mid-season, and Anthony and Iverson may ask for their tickets out of town as well.
12. MINNESOTA TIMBERWOLVES - The Timberwolves look like they actually may have a plan. They selected O.J. Mayo with the third overall pick in the draft and then dealt him to Memphis in a deal that yielded them Kevin Love, who was the fifth overall pick by the Grizzlies, and sharp-shooting forward Mike Miller. Big man Al Jefferson, who averaged 21.0 points and 11.1 rebounds, is on the verge of becoming an All-Star and is the cornerstone of the franchise. It won't happen overnight, but the Timberwolves have a roster full of young player who are getting better.
13. MEMPHIS GRIZZLIES - Rookie O.J. Mayo, high-flying Rudy Gay and point guard Mike Conley Jr. give head coach Marc Iavaroni a nucleus that can grow into his up-tempo style of play. Memphis wants to be young and athletic. Like Minnesota, this project will take some time.
14. SACRAMENTO KINGS - Playoffs are not in the vocabulary of this franchise right now. The Kings are looking to go young and build around sharp-shooting guard Kevin Martin. Ron Artest was traded to Houston, and center Brad Miller may have a new home as well before the new season tips off. This team is in rebuilding mode.
15. OKLAHOMA CITY - Another team that is rebuilding. The former Seattle SuperSonics have a new home and are trying to put together a talented team built around Rookie of the Year Kevin Durant. Forward Jeff Green will have a bigger role, while UCLA's Russell Westbrook was drafted with the fourth overall pick in the draft and will be given a chance to have an immediate impact.
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Reds place Hairston on DL >>
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Panthers release veteran DT Scott >>
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tack
Many fans thought it was the best side in the nation by the end of last season. This year, the polls have built on Georgia's momentum and granted it the No. 1 preseason ranking, followed by Ohio State and USC. (The Associated Press has the Buckeyes at No. 2; USA Today took the Trojans.)
"To have people believing we have one of the best teams in the nation going into this thing, it's exciting for us," Bulldogs coach Mark Richt told the AP. "I don't think anything is guaranteed, but we certainly have put ourselves in position where at least the college football world thinks we're pretty good."
Georgia Bulldogs - 9.5 wins
There's no question they're good, but the Bulldogs have one of the toughest 12-game schedules in the nation, mostly because they play in the powerhouse Southeastern Conference. Away games at No. 15 Arizona State, No. 7 LSU and No. 10 Auburn loom large, with contests between the hedges versus No. 24 Alabama and No. 18 Tennessee as well as the World's Largest Cocktail Party in Jacksonville versus No.5 Florida.
Ohio State Buckeyes - 10 wins
Like the Bulldogs, the Buckeyes also have a number of tough road contests in 2008. After two scrimmages dressed up as real games versus Youngstown State and Ohio, it's off to face USC. Other tough away games include No.13 Wisconsin in October and No. 20 Illinois in November. Granted, it should be pretty easy sledding at the Horseshoe. In fact, the only ranked team that travels to Columbus is No. 22 Penn State, in October.
USC Trojans - 10.5 wins
A similarly light schedule awaits the Trojans of Southern California, which is why the oddsmakers' total is one win more and the over is currently commanding -150 odds. Pete Carroll's troops only play three ranked teams in 2008, and all of those games are at home. After what should be an easy trip to Virginia to start things off on Aug. 30, the Trojans get two weeks to prepare for Ohio State in Los Angeles. Their two other ranked opponents, No. 21 Oregon and No. 15 Arizona State, visit in consecutive weeks to start the month of October. After that, the competition eases up. Of course, this is the same highly-touted school that lost to Stanford in 2007 and Oregon State in 2006. And don't discount the fact that USC plays its biggest rivals, Notre Dame and UCLA, back-to-back to close out the regular season. On paper, the Trojans are far superior, but motivation will be high for the Irish and Bruins, especially if their historic foes are in national-title contention.
Odds to Win the Heisman Trophy
Tim Tebow, Florida - 7/2
He won it last year, so it's no surprise he's the favorite to do it again, making him just the second player to go back-to-back. Ohio State's Archie Griffin turned the trick in 1974 and 1975, and Tebow's coach, Urban Meyer, is pretty sure his star quarterback can match the Buckeyes legend.
"There has never been anyone quite like him," Meyer told the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. "I am very lucky to be his coach."
Chris Wells, Ohio State - 5/1
The man they call "Beanie" was a star recruit out of high school, so it's not like nobody knew who the star tailback was before he rushed for 576 yards as a freshman in 2006 and 1,609 as a sophomore. But perhaps his finest moment came last year versus Michigan when he rumbled for 222 yards and two touchdowns in the Buckeyes' 14-3 victory over the hated Wolverines.
Knowshon Moreno, Georgia - 8/1
If the Bulldogs are to live up to expectations, they'll need a huge effort from their sophomore running back. This might be the last year of college ball for Moreno, who rushed for 1,334 yards and for 14 touchdowns as a freshman, while adding 253 receiving yards on 20 receptions, so expect big things for the man from Belford, N.J.
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