The defending NBA champions reside in the West and have Tim Duncan coming back for one more year.  Another team in the West houses the reigning NBA MVP in Kevin Durant.  Granted, both the previous statements described LeBron James the past two seasons.  Maybe the fact LeBron is neither champion nor MVP is part of the reason why he is currently evaluating his options.

The Denver Nuggets finished 11th overall in the Western Conference last season, 13 games out of a playoff spot.  Carmelo Anthony’s New York Knicks finished with one (1) more victory than our Denver Nuggets but missed the playoffs by only one (1) game.

I am not knocking the Eastern Conference.  I am simply hoping the Western Conference does not become that much more packed with talent.  Love or loathe either Carmelo or LeBron, one cannot deny adding them to any Western Conference team would be a blow to the Denver Nuggets.  I’m sorry, try as the Nuggets might, I have zero belief either prized free agent picks Denver.

The Los Angeles Clippers and Houston Rockets have been linked to Carmelo and/or LeBron.  Both the Clippers and Rockets already had over 50 wins last season.  The Los Angeles Lakers were terrible last year but give Kobe Bryant a “sidekick” like Carmelo and/or LeBron, and one has to believe a return to prominence would be immediate.

Mix in rumors that the Sacramento Kings are looking to potentially add Josh Smith and the West keeps getting deeper and deeper.  For all the Kevin Love rumors, even if the T’Wolves do trade him before the season, I still see him staying in the Western Conference (Golden State).

For argument sake, if one of Carmelo or LeBron goes to the Lakers, that would lock down the top six or seven playoff seeds in the West.  Life is already tough enough being a Denver Nugget fan,  please stay out east Carmelo and LeBron.