Today, I'll pick up where I left off yesterday and preview the Western Conference. Here are the picks:

Western Conference

1. Los Angeles Lakers: Until someone else unseats them, you have to go with the defending conference champs. Kobe will still be determined to win, and if Andrew Bynum is healthy and playing like he did last year, the Lakers could win between 56-62 games this year.
2. New Orleans Hornets: Chris Paul and Co. are another year older, and the addition of James Posey will work wonders with the D, not to mention his winning pedigree. Expect about 54-58 wins, and maybe more, as they pose the single biggest threat to the Lakers.
3. Houston Rockets: Ron Artest's mood will be the biggest key; my gut feeling is that he'll be a quiet guy and play like a man possessed. Yao should be healthy, and McGrady (and everyone else) will be more comfortable in Adelman's O. I think they can win up to 56 games. And they should end their 0-fer and win at least one playoff round.
4. Utah Jazz: The Jazz really needed to find someone who could take some scoring pressure off of Carlos Boozer, Deron Williams and Co., but they (like many other teams) didn't find anybody. So, the same things that stalled them against L.A. last year will still be prevelant. They should win about 52 games, but Portland could give them fits.
5. San Antonio Spurs: This team needed an injection of young blood... and all it did was resign Michael Finley. Then, Manu Ginobili reinjures his ankle and could be out early in the season. The Spurs' window could close shut this year unless Parker has a career year and Duncan plays more assertively. Expect a drop to about 48-50 wins.
6. Portland Trail Blazers: The team with the current longest postseason drought should end that this year. Greg Oden will debut, and while he won't be dominant, he should be a defensive force almost from the start. Plus, Brandon Roy and Co. can carry the O. I think they will flirt with the division for awhile before finishing with 47-49 wins.
7. Phoenix Suns: The spots after #6 are tricky, but Phoenix should have just enough to squeeze one more playoff berth out of this aging and thin cast. Shaquille O'Neal undoubtedly will get hurt, and the Suns will play great without him. Then he'll come back, and they will struggle. Expect about 44-46 wins at most.
8. Golden State Warriors: The Warriors win out here because, even with Monta Ellis out, Don Nelson can get the most out of this cast. The Warriors will still be high scoring, and with Baron Davis gone, they should be more harmonious. 43 wins should be enough for 8th this year.

The Best of the Worst:

9. Dallas Mavericks: Talk about fitting square pegs into round holes; Rick Carlisle's grind-it-out defensive oriented attacks are the antithesis of what Dallas is used to. While that could benefit Jason Kidd, it won't mesh with Dirk Nowitzki. Expect plenty of Mark Cuban fretting, and a slip out of the playoffs with about 42 wins.
10. Sacramento Kings: Reggie Theus did a decent job last year without much to work with, but now he won't have Ron Artest to lean on. Kevin Martin is a solid scorer, but he's not the guy your team can build around. If the Kings match their 2008 win total, that should suffice.
11. Los Angeles Clippers: Good news: Baron Davis give the Clips their best PG play in years (not counting the brief Sam Cassell run). Bad news: Elton Brand bolted shortly thereafter. This franchise always finds ways to turn gold into ####, and even with Davis, they won't be that much better. Expect about 35-37 wins and for Mike Dunleavy to be ousted after the season.
12. Denver Nuggets: Remember the 1990-91 Nuggets? That team led the NBA in scoring with about 118 PPG... and were still outscored by 12 per game! This Denver team is a clone of that one; Carmelo Anthony and Allen Iverson should light up the board, and unfortunately, so should the opposition. They will be lucky to win 32 games, and George Karl could be the first coach to quit/be fired this year.
13. Minnesota Timberwolves: Welcome to the NBA, Kevin Love! Now, try to get this team back to the playoffs for the first time since 2004. Although Love and Al Jefferson could remind GM Kevin McHale of himself and Robert Parish in the future, there's not much else around them. The Wolves should feel lucky to reach 27 wins this year.
14. Memphis Grizzlies: Speaking of rookies with bad teams; welcome, O.J. Mayo! Mayo does have potential, but it wouldn't surprise me if he dogs it when the Grizz start to lose regularly. Mayo will still get his stats, but there even less here than in Minnesota. The Grizzlies should win about 20-22 games, and Mark Iavaroni will be canned afterwards.
15. Oklahoma City 'Thunder': Assuming that this is indeed their name, the Thunder won't make much noise this year record wise. Although they should experience high turnout simply because of the novelty factor, other than Kevin Durant, what do they have to build on? Plus, they'll see what karma is like. The Thunder will finish with the NBA's worst record, and that should be no better than 13-17 wins max.

That's it for the West. When I actually get the updated rosters, I'll do a more in depth preview of the 2008-09 season. Until then, just be lucky you're not Love, Mayo or Durant!