Best of the 2012-2013 NBA Season, Western Conference

Best of the 2012-2013 NBA Season, Western Conference

Now that we have caught our breath from the crazy, boo-David Stern-infused NBA draft (which has been extensively covered by my colleague Charlie Buck), we can turn our attention away from the business of the NBA and reflect on what we witnessed this past season on the court.

Sooooo... how was the West won? Basically to oversimplify things, Westbrook's injury changed a lot, and no other team was good enough to really challenge the Spurs.

1. Pop's System

Pop's system was 6 six seconds away from hanging its fifth banner for himself and his BFF Timmy. Energizer bunny clichés aside, the Spurs just keep on going and going, and they keep on quietly winning and winning. They acquire ordinary roster players and enable them to do extraordinary things. Danny Green and Kawhi Leonard are prime examples. Green was a pretty good college player that made huge contributions in the finals and was a major part of the Spurs' 3-2 lead going back to Miami. As an NC State alum, I was thankful that game 6 and 7 pushed the former Tar Heel Green out of the Finals MVP conversation. But you can't deny Pop's system and the beneficiaries of it, namely, any (role) player to play for him, the NBA as a whole, Pop's legacy, the city of San Antonio, etc. Gotta think the window is closing out in San Antonio.

2. Grit and Grind...

... And the brief reemergence of the NBA big man. It's down, but not out. The Grizzlies' starting five were heroic, playing at a high level despite a very limited bench. I remember during the playoffs where Memphis was so exhausted that Gasol and Z-Bo were walking up the court and they didn't start their offense until about 9 seconds left on the shot clock. That may be attributed to the fact that Z-Bo's likely has about 15% body fat and 3 inch vertical jump. Jerryd Bayless should never play on a serious playoff team and Quincy Pondexter, though decent, cannot be relied upon every game. But Z-Bo and Gasol gave Blake Griffin and company an old-school lesson in how less athletic big men work the post and rebound. The subsequent sweep from the hands of the Spurs reminded us of the limitations of big man-dominated teams, or teams without a bench, who knows. When grit and grind was good, it was really good. But big-man-centric teams flounder down the stretch in key possessions, and having guys who can create their own shot is a necessity in the playoffs. On a side note, RIP Lionel Hollins.

3. Denver Nuggets Regular Season

Key word: regular season. The Nuggets won a franchise record 57 games, finished third in the West, and posted a 38-3 home record at the mile high Pepsi Center. Yes, that beats Miami's record and their gold chain-laden fans' best efforts. Not bad for a team without a real star (sorry Andre Iguodala). The Nuggets rewarded arguably the best team in history by promptly firing the mastermind NBA GM of the Year, Masai Ujiri, and revered NBA Coach of the Year George Karl. To be fair, Karl is unbelievably inept in the postseason, and was without a doubt Curry'd this postseason. Who knows what the future holds for this team, but let's not allow the postseason shenanigans to give us amnesia about what happened out in Denver this year. Who won the Melo-drama deal between the Knicks and Nuggets? Both teams did but the Nugs just keep on rising, only to collapse in the playoffs again and again.

4. Kobe

The Mamba is the closest thing the league has had to a player-coach since... an actual player-coach? Yes, the NBA had one of those as recently as 1979, and legendary Bill Russell won two championships as a player-coach.... but I digress. Kobe basically willed the Lakers to a late 7th spot in the West, until his Achilles heel became his Achilles heel. Injuries are just the worst, man. He's about to turn 35 and can still ball. He will be back and will show us how young he is again, because he is Kobe Bryant and that's what he does. Just when we think he is obsolete, he drops 40 again (he has the third most 40-point games behind Michael and Wilt.) He finally enlightened the nation to Dwight Howard's immaturity, apathy, and the fact that he is a tremendous liability for a team, and now on his way out. (Phenomenal article on that by Grantland on the pseudo-Superman... Oh or how about "Pseuperman" as a nickname for Dwight. We'll keep working on that.)

5. Russell Westbrick

I mean, Westbrook. Myself included, many have criticized him for shooting too much when he has a scoring champ drifting along the wing. But we saw how important Westbrook is to this team that looked lost without him, missing his ability to break down a defense and get into the lane. If anyone was the winner from OKC's postseason demise, it was their enigmatic point guard. I mean I've never liked Westbrook, I've always thought he is too much of a punk, but he is a freakish athlete. Even Coach K loved his slap-the-floor defensive intensity. Injuries are a part of the game, but we can't help but wonder what could have been had Westbrook and Kobe not gone down.

Honorable Mention

Lob City: Too much flash, not enough substance. Doc will bring much needed culture of toughness and defense to this team. The addition of sharpshooter Scott Wood could change everything.

Golden State's Offense: Steph Curry, David Lee, and this group of gunslingers is on the rise. They also have as rowdy of a crowd as you get in the NBA.