2009-10 Outlook
After the surge that saw Golden State win its first playoff series in 13 years in '07, followed up by a regular season of 48 wins in '08-09, things returned to the woeful ways of the early part of the decade last season. The Warriors won just 29 games, their fewest since '01-02. It can be argued that the success disappeared as fast as Baron Davis, who left for L.A. prior to last season. Things don't figure to turn around quickly, as the Devean George for Marco Belinelli trade was highly questionable. It looks as if HC Don Nelson is going to need to win like the old days, scoring 120 points. This could be his final season with the Warriors.

Sportsbook.com odds to win NBA Title: +10000
Sportsbook.com Regular Season Win Prop: Over/Under 34
StatFox Steve's Take: If the Warriors win 34 games, it means they would have improved by 5-wins. Just looking at the lineup and changes made, I can't see that happening. UNDER.

LOS ANGELES CLIPPERS
Head Coach: Mike Dunleavy
Conference: Western
Division: Pacific (2008-09: 4th)
2008-09 Regular Season Record: 19-63 SU (-28.4 ML Units), 32-50 ATS

StatFox Outplay Factor Rating: -8.7 (#29 of 30)
StatFox Power Rating: 84 (#30 of 30)

2008-09 Reg. Season Stats & Ranks
Category: Team (Off) (Rank), Opp (Def) (Rank)
Scoring: 95.1 (27), 103.9 (25)
Scoring Margin: -8.8 (30)
Points Per Possession: 1.224 (30), 1.336 (26)
Field Goal Pct.: 44.1% (30), 47.3% (24)
3PT Field Goal Pct.: 35.4% (23), 37.5% (18)
Free Throw Pct.: 73.6% (29), 76.0% (8)
Rebound Differential: -4.12 (27)
Assists/Game: 21.0 (14), 23.8 (28)
Turnovers/Game: 14.2 (21), 12.8 (21)

2008-09 Situational Records: W-L (Pct)
Overall ATS: 32-50 (39%)
at Home ATS: 16-25 (39%)
on Road ATS: 16-25 (39%)
vs. West ATS: 19-33 (37%)
vs. East ATS: 13-17 (43%)
vs. Division ATS: 7-9 (44%)
as Favorite ATS: 5-8 (38%)
as Underdog ATS: 27-41 (40%)
in Playoffs ATS: 0-0 (0%)
Over-Under: 46-35 (57%)

Offseason Player Movement
Additions: SG Rasual Butler, PF Blake Griffin, PF Craig Smith, PG Sebastian Telfair
Subtractions: PF Zach Randolph
Projected Starting Lineup: • F Blake Griffin • F Al Thornton • C Marcus Camby • G Eric Gordon • G Baron Davis 

Top StatFox Team Power Trends

2009-10 Outlook
After reworking the roster prior to the '08-09 season, there was actually optimism in L.A. for it's other NBA team, the Clippers. Additions Al Thornton, Marcus Camby, and Baron Davis didn't make anywhere near the impact expected though, and the Clips plummeted to a 3-16 start on their way to a 19-63 season, their worst record since the '99-00 season. It seems so long ago now that Los Angeles actually made a splash in the playoffs back in '06. Helps arrives this year in the form of the #1 overall draft pick, Blake Griffin from Oklahoma, who combines with Thornton & Camby to form what should by all rights be a formidable front line.

Sportsbook.com odds to win NBA Title: +10000
Sportsbook.com Regular Season Win Prop: Over/Under 34.5
StatFox Steve's Take: What's strange about oddsmakers expecting the Clippers to improve by 15 games is that the roster is actually capable of it, barring injury problems. I'll PASS though.

LOS ANGELES LAKERS
Head Coach: Phil Jackson
Conference: Western
Division: Pacific (2008-09: 1st)
2008-09 Regular Season Record: 65-17 SU (+3.3 ML Units), 42-39 ATS

StatFox Outplay Factor Rating: +7.7 (#2 of 30)
StatFox Power Rating: 111 (#1 of 30)

2008-09 Reg. Season Stats & Ranks
Category: Team (Off) (Rank), Opp (Def) (Rank)
Scoring: 106.9 (3), 99.3 (13)
Scoring Margin: +7.7 (2)
Points Per Possession: 1.345 (4), 1.253 (6)
Field Goal Pct.: 47.4% (4), 44.7% (6)
3PT Field Goal Pct.: 36.1% (19), 34.5% (3)
Free Throw Pct.: 77.0% (14), 75.3% (2)
Rebound Differential: +2.72 (5)
Assists/Game: 23.3 (2), 22.6 (26)
Turnovers/Game: 13.1 (11), 14.8 (4)

2008-09 Situational Records: W-L (Pct)
Overall ATS: 55-49 (53%)
at Home ATS: 26-27 (49%)
on Road ATS: 29-22 (57%)
vs. West ATS: 38-32 (54%)
vs. East ATS: 17-17 (50%)
vs. Division ATS: 7-9 (44%)
as Favorite ATS: 43-46 (48%)
as Underdog ATS: 12-2 (86%)
in Playoffs ATS: 13-10 (57%)
Over-Under: 48-56 (46%)

Offseason Player Movement
Additions: SF Ron Artest
Subtractions: SF Trevor Ariza
Projected Starting Lineup: • F Pau Gasol • F Ron Artest • C Andrew Bynum • G Kobe Bryant • G Derek Fisher  

Top StatFox Team Power Trends

2009-10 Outlook
Championships are always sweet, but it's hard to deny how especially cathartic the 2009 title proved to be for the Lakers. Kobe Bryant exorcised the demons and finally won a Shaq-free crown, with Pao Gasol proving to be the key missing ingredient since Shaq left. Coach Phil Jackson won his 10th title, tops on the all-time list, and veterans Derek Fisher and Lamar Odom came up big with clutch plays when needed. For a shot at repeating, the Lakers will need to blend the volatile Ron Artest into the mix, as he steps in for Trevor Ariza. L.A. should be tougher physically, and seems worthy on an encore performance at the outset.

Sportsbook.com odds to win NBA Title: +180
Sportsbook.com Regular Season Win Prop: Over/Under 61.5
StatFox Steve's Take: The Lakers won 65 games a year ago and seem poised to be even better with Bynum healthy and Artest in the mix. I'll go OVER, and project 64-18.

PHOENIX SUNS
Head Coach: Alvin Gentry
Conference: Western
Division: Pacific (2008-09: 2nd)
2008-09 Regular Season Record: 46-36 SU (-12.5 ML Units), 36-45 ATS

StatFox Outplay Factor Rating: +1.4 (#11 of 30)
StatFox Power Rating: 96 (#12 of 30)

2008-09 Reg. Season Stats & Ranks
Category: Team (Off) (Rank), Opp (Def) (Rank)
Scoring: 109.4 (1), 107.5 (27)
Scoring Margin: +1.9 (11)
Points Per Possession: 1.361 (2), 1.334 (25)
Field Goal Pct.: 50.4% (1), 46.7% (22)
3PT Field Goal Pct.: 38.3% (5), 38.3% (26)
Free Throw Pct.: 74.4% (26), 77.5% (21)
Rebound Differential: +0.95 (14)
Assists/Game: 23.2 (3), 21.2 (18)
Turnovers/Game: 15.4 (29), 13.5 (15)

2008-09 Situational Records: W-L (Pct)
Overall ATS: 36-45 (44%)
at Home ATS: 20-21 (49%)
on Road ATS: 16-24 (40%)
vs. West ATS: 24-28 (46%)
vs. East ATS: 12-17 (41%)
vs. Division ATS: 8-8 (50%)
as Favorite ATS: 28-29 (49%)
as Underdog ATS: 18-16 (53%)
in Playoffs ATS: 0-0 (0%)
Over-Under: 48-34 (59%)

Offseason Player Movement
Additions: SF Earl Clark, PF Channing Frye
Subtractions: SF Matt Barnes, C Shaquille O'Neal
Projected Starting Lineup: • F Amare Stoudemire • F Grant Hill • C Robin Lopez • G Jason Richardson • G Steve Nash  

Top StatFox Team Power Trends

2009-10 Outlook
Terry Porter replacing Mike D'Antoni as Head Coach prior to last season was a shock to the Phoenix system. Replacing the up-tempo, score 130 points style of play with a more defensive mindset was a gamble by GM Steve Kerr, and it came up "snake eyes". Not only did Porter get replaced by Alvin Gentry at mid-season, but the Suns fell short of the playoffs for the first time since 2004. No more Shaq and no more Porter will allow Gentry to give the keys back to Steve Nash, which will again create aesthetically pleasing results.. just don't expect the Suns to seriously sniff the second round of the Western Conference playoffs.

Sportsbook.com odds to win NBA Title: +5000
Sportsbook.com Regular Season Win Prop: Over/Under 40.5
StatFox Steve's Take: The Suns won 46 games a year ago, including 18-13 under Gentry. That's about a 47 win pace and I don't believe losing Shaq means a lot here. OVER.

SACRAMENTO KINGS
Head Coach: Paul Westphal
Conference: Western
Division: Pacific (2008-09: 5th)
2008-09 Regular Season Record: 17-65 SU (-27.6 ML Units), 38-44 ATS

StatFox Outplay Factor Rating: -8.8 (#30 of 30)
StatFox Power Rating: 86 (#29 of 30)

2008-09 Reg. Season Stats & Ranks
Category: Team (Off) (Rank), Opp (Def) (Rank)
Scoring: 100.6 (12), 109.3 (29)
Scoring Margin: -8.8 (29)
Points Per Possession: 1.261 (25), 1.376 (30)
Field Goal Pct.: 44.7% (25), 48.3% (30)
3PT Field Goal Pct.: 36.8% (14), 40.6% (30)
Free Throw Pct.: 79.8% (6), 75.6% (5)
Rebound Differential: -5.29 (29)
Assists/Game: 19.7 (27), 21.9 (24)
Turnovers/Game: 14.8 (25), 13.7 (13)

2008-09 Situational Records: W-L (Pct)
Overall ATS: 38-44 (46%)
at Home ATS: 16-25 (39%)
on Road ATS: 22-19 (54%)
vs. West ATS: 29-23 (56%)
vs. East ATS: 9-21 (30%)
vs. Division ATS: 10-6 (63%)
as Favorite ATS: 6-8 (43%)
as Underdog ATS: 32-35 (48%)
in Playoffs ATS: 0-0 (0%)
Over-Under: 41-41 (50%)

Offseason Player Movement
Additions: SF Omri Casspi, SG Tyreke Evans, G-F Desmond Mason, PF Sean May
Subtractions: PF Ike Diogu, PG Sergio Rodriguez
Projected Starting Lineup: • F Jason Thompson • F Andres Nocioni • C Spencer Hawes • G Kevin Martin • G Tyreke Evans  

Top StatFox Team Power Trends

2009-10 Outlook
When Kenny Natt took over as Interim Head Coach for Reggie Theus, the Kings were 6-18. Natt led them to an 11-47 finish, thus the tag "interim". Paul Westphal now takes over for this mess of a franchise that up until three or four years ago was one of the NBA's best. There is little to get excited about either, unless rookie PG Tyreke Evans can have a Derrick Rose-like breakout season. Who knows? Both went to Memphis, right? Perhaps Westphal will turn the tempo up so high, like the old Loyola-Marymount days, that no other team, even Phoenix can keep up. In any case, don't expect much, but watch for this team to be a big underdog night-in and night-out.

Sportsbook.com odds to win NBA Title: +10000
Sportsbook.com Regular Season Win Prop: Over/Under 24
StatFox Steve's Take: Last year was thought to be rock bottom for Sacramento. Wait till this year. Now they are mixing a new scheme, likely radical, in with a talent shortage. UNDER.