The summer belonged to the San Antonio Spurs.
And as a result, the major NBA headlines were almost all stolen by the Western Conference.
San Antonio’s acquisition of free agency’s most coveted player, former Portland Trail Blazers star LaMarcus Aldridge, put the spotlight back on an already perennial powerhouse and underscored yet again why the path to the NBA Finals in the West is filled with land mines.
The top of the West is as tough as it has been in recent years. It is so good that talk of Golden State repeating as champion — or even getting back to the NBA Finals — is virtually nonexistent.
And the conference is filled with capable teams that won’t make the playoffs. Utah is a hot pick to get into the top eight and back into the postseason. Will other newcomers crash the playoffs party?
The teams
A look at the Western Conference, in predicted order of finish:
1. Golden State Warriors: The biggest question facing this team, as with many new champions, is how motivated they will be. The Warriors are basically bringing back the entire team that won the title last season. As long as Stephen Curry is healthy, they are the team to beat.
2. Oklahoma City Thunder: A tiebreaker kept the Thunder out of the playoffs last season, but with a healthy Kevin Durant, Russell Westbrook and a much better supporting cast, this team is back among the favorites to get to the Finals. First-year coach Billy Donovan injects new energy into a team eager to realize its full potential.
3. Houston Rockets: The Rockets came within shouting distance of the NBA Finals last season and will push to do it again this year. The addition of Ty Lawson takes some of the nightly pressure off star James Harden, keeping him fresher for the playoff run. A healthy Dwight Howard is a big bonus.
4. San Antonio Spurs: Just because the Spurs added LaMarcus Aldridge doesn’t mean it all comes together immediately. And while that might cost the team some wins during the regular season, the Spurs should be humming come playoff time. The acquisition of David West bolsters the Spurs bench with smarts and toughness.
5. Los Angeles Clippers: The Clippers were a solid bench away from doing more in the playoffs, so they nabbed Josh Smith and Paul Pierce in free agency and traded for Lance Stephenson. L.A. retained the services of center DeAndre Jordan and should be ready to mount its biggest challenge to the throne yet.
6. New Orleans Pelicans: New coach Alvin Gentry will push the pace, and Anthony Davis is an MVP-caliber star. Health has failed the Pelicans in years past and will again be an issue.
7. Memphis Grizzlies: Defense will always keep the Grizz in the mix, and the addition of shot blocker Brandan Wright bolsters the D, but where will the firepower come from? Aging stars must get help from younger legs.
8. Sacramento Kings: Every season contains a surprise, and this is ours. Harmony and chemistry are the biggest issues. But if coach George Karl gets along with his stars, the Kings have enough to make a playoff run.
9. Dallas Mavericks: Dallas is a popular pick to slide out of the playoffs, and we have them on the outside here, too, in a close call with the Kings.
10. Denver Nuggets: With defense as the foundation, a budding young star (Emmanuel Mudiay) and a player to lean on (Danilo Gallinari), the Nuggets are hopeful for a big turnaround after two dreadful seasons.
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11. Phoenix Suns: A fresh start would do a world of good for the Suns, who experienced player upheaval in collapsing down the stretch last season. The addition of Tyson Chandler adds much-needed leadership.
12. Utah Jazz: Utah won 18 of its final 28 games last season, carving out a hard-nosed defensive style along the way. We won’t go so far as to put the Jazz in the playoffs just yet, but it is an improved team trending upward.
13. Minnesota Timberwolves: Getting a bevy of young, talented players headed in the right direction won’t be as challenging as working through the loss of their coach and president, Flip Saunders, who died of cancer Sunday.
14. Portland Trail Blazers: Losing LaMarcus Aldridge hurts. A lot. But Portland will build around promising young players — and the Blazers still have one of the league’s best point guards in Damian Lillard.
15. L.A. Lakers: Kobe’s return won’t stop the Lakers from struggling. There is good, young talent, however in Julius Randle, D’Angelo Russell and Jordan Clarkson.
