Last time on The New Millennium, lower teams in the Western Conference added talent, as the Pelicans drafted Andre Igoudala and the Spurs got a steal in Dwight Howard. With the likes of Dwayne Wade and Carmelo Anthony already in the conference, will anyone be able to challenge the Lakers?
Western Conference
1. Denver Nuggets(47-35)
2. Houston Rockets(46-36)
3. Golden State Warriors(44-38)
4. Phoenix Suns(43-39)
5. Portland Trail Blazers(43-39)
6. Los Angeles Lakers(43-39)
7. Minnesota Timberwolves(41-41)
8. Utah Jazz(41-41)
9. Dallas Mavericks(40-42)
10. San Antonio Spurs(37-45)
11. New Orleans Pelicans(36-46)
12. Vancouver Grizzlies(35-47)
13. Seattle SuperSonics(33-49)
14. Los Angeles Clippers(29-53)
15. Sacramento Kings(27-55)
The West was wide open this year, with the top six teams only separated by four games. This lead to Denver claiming the top spot, and the Lakers and their struggling bench had their worst year thus far. One of the biggest stories of the year was the incredible performance of Carmelo Anthony(26.7 ppg, 8 rpg, 4.1 apg), who led the Warriors to the playoffs and became the youngest MVP in NBA history. The Timberwolves just snuck into the playoffs, mainly thanks to new addition Darius Miles, whilst the eight-seeded Jazz were led by another new star, Brett Moran(23 ppg, 1st time All-Star). The Spurs improved slightly with new rookie Dwight Howard, and the Pelicans continued their ascent up the standings. The Clippers disappointed big time, only winning eight games on the road, and the Kings somehow lost fourteen in a row to end the season as the worst team in basketball.
Eastern Conference
1. Chicago Bulls(62-20)
2. Milwaukee Bucks(52-30)
3. New Jersey Nets(49-33)
4. Toronto Raptors(49-33)
5. Atlanta Hawks(47-35)
6. Indiana Pacers(46-36)
7. Philadelphia 76ers(44-38)
8. Detroit Pistons(42-40)
9. New York Knicks(41-41)
10. Orlando Magic(39-43)
11. Washington Wizards(39-43)
12. Boston Celtics(38-44)
13. Cleveland Cavaliers(35-47)
14. Charlotte Hornets(33-49)
15. Miami Heat(29-53)
The Bulls dominated this year, shutting teams down with their aggressive and tenacious defense. The Bucks massively improved with new rookie Luol Deng, and LeBron was able to lead his Hawks to the playoffs for the first time in this alternate reality. The 76ers struggled after their Finals loss, slipping to seventh, whilst the Pistons just snuck into the playoffs, narrowly edging out the Knicks and their quality young guard Colin Braun(22.8 ppg, 5.7 apg). The Magic missed out on the playoffs, as Grant Hill has massively regressed the past few years, and the Cavaliers were the victim of the tough Central division. Rounding out the East are the Heat, who do have a good young star in Julio McDaniels(18.3 ppg), but lack quality at most positions.
Awards
MVP: Carmelo Anthony, Golden State Warriors
Rookie of the Year: Anton Kozlov, Toronto Raptors
Sixth Man: Jamal Mashburn, Charlotte Hornets
Defensive Player: LeBron James, Atlanta Hawks
Most Improved: Ulf Nojowitz, Philadelphia 76ers
Coach of the Year: Scott Skiles, Chicago Bulls
With the Lakers no longer a heavy favorite, can a new power emerge in the West? Do the Bulls, lacking any true star, have what it takes to win their first championship since 1998? Find out next time on The New Millennium!
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