Sleepers are trendy this time of year

Alright boys and girls. There are four teams in the West this year that are going to be damn good. Not just good, but scary good. The West will come down to who is healthy at the right times. Surviving injuries will and playing well down the stretch means that one of the following four teams will win the title: Spurs, Rockets, Suns, and Mavs(they won't win but I am obliged to include a team that won 67 games last year). So who could thwart these teams that have championship caliber pedigrees. I will give you one from the West and one from the East, though any team from the East is a darkhorse or sleeper since the East sucks.

Denver

This is an easy pick in the West. The AI and Melo combo was damn good last April as every analyst on ESPN will tell you they were 10-1. That is a dman good mark at any pint in the season, but especially that late in the season. They really could not be expected to keep up with the Spurs at the end of last season given the limited amount of time that the team had to coalesce. This year they have Kenyon Martin back. This is my X-factor (and everyone else's) for this team. The Bad Ass Yellow Boy, as he has tattooed himself, is a player that only a few years ago had several teams dying to give him a max contract. The Nuggets paid a high price for the Cinci bruiser who has undergone microfracture surgery on both knees over the last two seasons. If your a Denver fan this really sucks, but Martin and AI are really the only two guys that have been primary cogs on successful playoffs teams on the Denver roster. If Martin's health holds this is the deepest front court in the league with Anthony, Nene, Martin, and Camby as the top four front line guys. All of these guys were top ten picks and have justified those positions in the draft to varying degrees based on their health.
There is a component to this team that could be like the NCAA UAB team from a few years ago or any succesful U of Cincinatti team given the roster. These are some rough fellows, which they can play to their advantage against almost any team. The Martin and AI tandem is sure to account for at least fifteen technical fouls over the course of the season. Not Steve Francis techs, but techs that mean the ref is literally intimidated by the man spurting profanities at them like Old Faithful. These two guys are mean and that is part of their game. Melo is a superstar now which helps this if he doesn't sucker punch anyone to the tune of fifteen games this year. Plus they have this generation's version of Ricky Davis in J.R. Smith, who has actually been charged with shit that Ricky never has been. However, the striking similarities in headcase shooting guards is uncanny. Smith was stolen by the Nuggets much as Davis has been passed off multiple times in his career. He could be the actual X factor. If Martin is even 75% we know what he is. If Smith can concentrate long enough not to fly into the perverbial bug zapper of dipshit decisions a la J.R. Rider we are looking at a steal of a deal at the shooting guard. Smith could be the guy that makes defenses really shake when it comes to matching up with the Nuggets. Without him the Nuggets have to make a trade to get someone that can actually shoot the three, which means they likely have to give up one of their coveted front court assets. Otherwise they are praying that the Rockets cut Steve Novak who they can play as a 6'10" SF and it won't matter if he can't play defense because the Nuggets have no conscience anyway.

Note: We really are remisce for not covering NBA cuts because one man's garbage is anothe man's gold. Look at JVG cutting Chuck Hayes last year only to have the Rocket's extend him for four years this off-season. Numerous other examples, this is part of your homework... make it step 12b.

Have another beer.

As I said, in the East everyone is a sleeper to win it all. Even the Celts will not win it all unless the tides shift in Day After Tomorrow proportions. The Cavs have effectively treated Lebron James worse than the Eagles have treated Donovan McNabb. James has never had the NBA equivalent sidekicks of Westbrook and TO for a season. So that really leave the team that I think should win the East if they can play through the season without making an ignorant trade due to outside pressure. The Chicago Bulls.

This team is like New Jersey a few years ago. If we think about this there are have been few teams of late with so many college standouts playing together. Deng, Heinrich, Gordon, and Thomas with the European standout. in Chi-town are impressive. With a relatively adjusted Ben Wallace alloweed to wear headbands without any impediments we are looking at the teams that should be a beast in the East. The combo of Kittles, Van Horn, and the afforementioned Martin the Nets were great for the East, granted Chicago's vet in Wallace is not Jason Kidd we are looking at one of the better teams on paper that the East has had in years. Thabo and Noccioni should make strides this year. I am sure of this.
The Bulls have been rumored in many trade scenarios. If they can actually get Kobe then all bets are off because a motivated Kobe in a new place with a marginal cast in the East is scary. I don't see this happening though. Pau Gasol could not win this team a championship any more than Dirk has won a championship in Dallas. If you are counting that is two shots at the Mavs in this post so far. I might be done (twitching uncontrollably). The Bulls should lock up all of their young pieces at bargain rates if possible and throw in a vet at the trade deadline who can make a difference. I bet the Clips will be looking to trade Cassell at the deadline, which would be an addition at the end that could put a young team over the brink the East. Sam I am is admittedly slow at this point, but the Bulls need a cocky old guy to put them over the edge. Anyone of the like could prove the point I am trying to make here.

The Captain's sleepers. Signing off says I.