1. Los Angeles Lakers - The Lakers were the odds on favorite to win it all heading into The Finals last month.  Since that time, they've lost Ronny Turiaf.  That might sound like a little bit of a problem for LA until you remember he will be replaced on the active roster by some kid named Andrew Bynum.  Simply put, if Bynum is healthy the Lakers will be the favorites again in the West next year barring a major by one of the other top teams in the conference.

2. San Antonio Spurs - The Spurs were still the second best team in the West last season, although it was clear they had become a little long in the tooth.  With over the hill veterans such as Horry and Michael Finley likely not coming back and a very underrated Roger Mason Jr. being introduced into the fold, the Spurs will be very tough next year.  And at the end of the day, as long as Tony Parker, Manu Ginobili and Tim Duncan are playing at their customary All-Star levels, the Spurs will be contenders each and every season.

3. New Orleans Hornets - The Hornets needed some added punch off their bench and arguably overpaid to get James Posey.  That's not to say Posey won't help, but now there's a lot of pressure on him to deliver the likes of which he didn't experience in Boston.  In New Orleans, the Hornets are counting on him to be their version of Robert Horry.  Ultimately, though, the Hornets will go as far as Chris Paul takes them.  If Tyson Chandler and Peja Stojakovic play at an All-Star level, too, the Hornets will have the ability to knock off anyone come playoff time.

4. Utah Jazz - The boys from Salt Lake City were nearly unbeatable last season after acquiring Kyle Korver.  This summer, the team re-upped Deron Williams and also acquired a veteran back-up in Brevin Knight to spell him during the 82-game grind.  Utah is probably just one piece away from being the class of the West.  If the Jazz can find a way to move Andrei Kirilenko and acquire a piece like Luol Deng, Utah could be a major threat to win it all next season.

5. Houston Rockets - Stop me if you've heard this one before: if Tracy McGrady and Yao Ming stay healthy, the Rockets could make some noise in 2008-09.  Unfortunately, it just never seems to materialize.  As it stands now, the Rockets are a playoff team but probably not a true contender.  Anyone else think Houston should strongly consider moving McGrady to Detroit for Chauncey Billups and Tayshaun Prince?

6. Dallas Mavericks - How much does future Hall of Famer Jason Kidd have left in the tank?  Maverick fans had better hope quite a bit because he's going to have to be at his absolute best for Dallas to have any chance of rising into one of the top-four spots in the West.  There's no doubt Dirk Nowitzki is still a stud, but the West is just far too tough for Dallas to be considered an elite team.  The big question for Dallas is whether or not Josh Howard will return next season, and how much of an impact will new coach Rick Carlisle have on a team that was in disarray at the end of last season.

7. Phoenix Suns - Kobe, tell me how my ___ tastes?  Unfortunately, people will likely be talking much more about this comment than they will about the Suns' chances of competing for a title next season.  While Phoenix looks like a sexy choice on paper, the reality is Steve Nash is a year older and will no longer be playing for the head coach whose wide-open system helped him win two MVP trophies.  In addition, while Shaq can still talk a good game, his ability to produce between the lines has decreased substantially over the last two years.  The bottom-line is the Suns are a team in transition masquerading as a contender.

8. Denver Nuggets - People are sleeping on the Nuggets.  Yes, losing Marcus Camby and Eduardo Najera will hurt.  However, Chris Anderson and Dahntay Jones are two cheap pieces that have the potential to contribute defensively, which is an area the Nuggets are in desperate need of help.  All told, the Nuggets will still have a starting lineup that features Carmelo Anthony, Allen Iverson, Nene and Kenyon Martin with a young stud like J.R. Smith likely first off the bench.  Does that group make Denver a true title contender?  Probably not.  But it's also a group that will likely be better than most people seem to think they will be.

9. Portland Trail Blazers - Portland was right there knocking on the door of the playoffs last season and will be there again in 2008-09.  The real x-factor will be how quickly Greg Oden comes along.  If he exceeds expectations, the Blazers could easily jump into the playoff fray come April of 2009.  In some ways, Portland almost has too much young talent thanks to the great job Kevin Pritchard and his staff have done over the course of the last few offseasons.  One has to wonder whether or not the Blazers might consider trading some of that young talent for a veteran piece to help them move up the Western Conference ranks.

10. Los Angeles Clippers - As much as Clipper fans don't want to hear it, Camby is just not a replacement for Elton Brand.  A lineup of Brand, Baron Davis and Kaman would have given the Clips a great shot at making the playoffs.  As currently constituted, though, a lot of things are going to have to go right for LA just to get in.  The injury history of Davis, Camby and Kaman has to be downright scary for Mike Dunleavy & Co.  In a normal year, the Clippers would likely be a playoff team.  Unfortunately, the West is currently an extraordinary conference.

11. Golden State Warriors - This team will still be fun to watch next year, as any team Don Nelson coaches always is.  That said, losing Davis to the Clippers was not something the Warriors were expecting no matter how they try to spin it after the fact.  For the long-term future of the franchise, losing Davis might not be that bad of a thing.  However, for next season it's going to hurt.  Expect the new look Warriors to put up a ton of points, but also expect them to fall well short of the playoffs next season.

12. Sacramento Kings - It wouldn't be surprising to see Ron Artest in another uniform come November, and that's just as well because the Kings won't make the playoffs with him on the roster, anyway.  It's time for Sacramento to cut their losses and look to rebuild around Kevin Martin.  If the Kings can move Artest and Brad Miller for some combination of salary cap space, draft picks and young talent, this team could be relevant again by 2010.

13. Memphis Grizzlies - O.J. Mayo is as NBA ready as any rookie will be.  In the long-term, a combination of Mayo and Rudy Gay has the potential to turn Memphis into real players in the West.  Unfortunately for Grizzly fans, though, 2008-09 will likely be another year that features far too many checks in the loss column.

14. Minnesota Timberwolves - The Timberwolves will be better than they were a season ago.  Of course, the truth is it would be hard to be much worse.  The team took a risk by giving up Mayo for Kevin Love, but Love looked very good in summer league.  That said, Love is not a go to guy and the Wolves will need to acquire complimentary pieces around him as the years go by.  Al Jefferson is a stud and will be a very good player in the NBA for a long, long time.  The guy who really needs to stay healthy and step up next season is Randy Foye.

15. Oklahoma City TBA's - Kevin Durant is going to be a heck of a player.  Unfortunately, he's going to be a heck of a player on a bad team for at least the next couple of seasons.  GM Sam Presti is trying to rebuild this team from the ground up, which is probably the smart way to go.  That said, selecting Russell Westbrook over Jerryd Bayless could haunt the team formerly known as the Sonics for many years to come, especially considering Bayless ended up in Portland with the division rival Blazers.