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Last week, bloggers from all across SB Nation and the rest of the web provided their previews of the teams in the Atlantic Division. This week, we move to the Western Conference and take a look at the Pacific Division.
Golden State Warriors: Golden State of Mind
Los Angeles Clippers: Clips Nation | Gunnerz!
Los Angeles Lakers: Silver Screen and Roll | Hardwood Hype
Phoenix Suns: Bright Side of the Sun | ValleyoftheSuns
Sacramento Kings: Sactown Royalty
On paper, the Pacific Division appears to have already been settled as the Lakers--who are coming off of a huge off-season where they added both Dwight Howard and Steve Nash--should be the front runners all season long.
Following closely behind them is the other team from Los Angeles, the Clippers. The Clips will be looking to build on a strong season last year where they not only made the playoffs, but also made it to the second round of those playoffs. The team will have a little bit of a different dynamic this season due to the loss of some key guys like Mo Williams, Kenyon Martin and Nick Young. However, the additions of Jamal Crawford, Lamar Odom and Grant Hill should more than make up for those losses.
The Golden State Warriors seem to be primed for a bounce back season. The Warriors added rookies Harrison Barnes, Draymond Green and Festus Ezeli as well as veteran point guard Jarret Jack. But, their biggest edition was made last season when they traded for Andrew Bogut. Bogut will make his debut in San Fransisco this season and should make a huge difference for a team that has lacked a significant player at that center spot for quite some time.
The Phoenix Suns are perhaps the most interesting team in not only the Pacific Division, but the entire Western Conference. The Suns have undergone the biggest overhaul in the league in the wake of Steve Nash's departure. The Suns also lost Grant Hill, Josh Childress, Hakim Warrick, Ronnie Price and Robin Lopez. In their place, Suns management added a very interesting group including Goran Dragic, Luis Scola, Michael Beasely, Kendall Marshall, Wes Johnson and Jermaine O'Neal. The Suns are now arguably more well balanced, but only time will tell if this group meshes well together on the court.
Finally, we have the Sacramento Kings. The Kings remain largely unchanged from last season with the exception of smaller pieces like Aaron Brooks, former Raptor James Johnson and Thomas Robinson. Robinson has the potential to be an impact player, but it is going to take some time for him to adjust his game to the pro level. In short, it could be another long year in Sacramento.