Spurs Go to a Class by Themselves

Didn’t you used to be the Western Conference?

Once teams had to be elite class out here to get home-court advantage in the first round. In 2003, the Lakers and Trail Blazers won 50 games and opened on the road.

Now things are a little different.

ELITE CLASS

San Antonio -- The Spurs may never be as dominant as 1999, when David Robinson was 32, still in the top 10 in rebounds and blocks, Tim Duncan was 22 and they went 15-2 in the playoffs for their first title, the one Phil Jackson used to call their “asterisk title.” Now, though, they have much more firepower with two All-Stars, Duncan and Manu Ginobili, and a third, Tony Parker, averaging 21 points and shooting 56%, on the way.

“It’s a different world in here,” Miami Coach Stan Van Gundy said after losing there last week. “It’s a different world against the Spurs compared to the other teams we’ve played this year.”

NEXT BEST THINGS

Clippers -- No, really.

Given good health and stability, they’re as legit as it gets, No. 3 in shooting, No. 1 in opponents’ percentage. Sam Cassell runs things, but the eye-opener is Elton Brand, a real MVP candidate (forget the All-Star game, he’s already there), a career 20-10 guy whose new mid-range jumper takes him up another level.

This takes some getting used to. Last week, Lamar Odom, who hates being asked about the Clippers, turned down an ESPN crew. When they interviewed Kobe Bryant, who handles questions like that standing on his head, he walked out of their shot. (To see if ESPN uses the footage, tune in this week.)

Phoenix -- Well, the Suns have a shot if Amare Stoudemire returns.

Coach of the year Mike D’Antoni and MVP Steve Nash are really earning their pay without three of last season’s starters and new players like Boris Diaw, a 6-9 “point power forward.” A throw-in in the deal to get two No. 1 picks from Atlanta for Joe Johnson, Diaw had a 4.6 career average. Now he scores 10.8 off the bench, shoots better than 50%, helps run the offense and guards opponents as big as Duncan.

Dallas -- The Big Three is now Dirk Nowitzki, but the Mavericks have young Josh Howard, Devin Harris and Marquis Daniels. They have become a top 10 defensive team under Avery Johnson, but there’s a limit on how far you can go with sleepy Erick Dampier as your center.

Memphis -- The Grizzlies are expected to turn into pumpkins annually, but Jerry West, still the king, exchanged volatile Jason Williams, Bonzi Wells and James Posey for pros Eddie Jones, Damon Stoudamire and Bobby Jackson. Memphis is defense-oriented, as Coach Mike Fratello has always been. Says Shane Battier: “We’re not going to be confused with the Lakers of the 1980s.”

Minnesota -- This surprised Kevin Garnett, among others, but he’s still one of the game’s great competitors and Wally Sczerbiak and Troy Hudson are warming up after years in eclipse.

PLAYOFF CONTENDERS

Golden State -- Great start for the former wretches of the Pacific, but 13 of 20 were at home. With no inside game, the Warriors better make more three-point shots, because they’re No. 1 in attempts and No. 25 in accuracy at 32.2%.

Denver -- The Nuggets signed Earl Watson so they could trade Andre Miller and Nene for Paul Pierce, then lost Nene and chained Watson to the bench. They averaged 107 points after the All-Star game, but now make 25% of their three-pointers with Carmelo Anthony, Demarr Johnson and Miller under 20%. General Manager Kiki Vandeweghe, an up and comer, is a lame duck with an expiring contract and may be allowed to leave so Coach George Karl can run things.

Lakers -- Amazingly, with Bryant reverting to launch mode, Odom remaining Odom and Kwame Brown remaining no one, they’re still right there.

Everyone said Kwame or Lamar was the key, but the real key was Bryant. Before this trip, Andrew Bynum, Sasha Vujacic, Brian Cook, Chris Mihm and Luke Walton were the ones making progress -- or everyone but Kobe, Lamar and Kwame.

Houston -- The Rockets showed they could dig themselves out last season, but they outdid themselves this time, starting 4-12. If Jeff Van Gundy, who was the reigning prophet of doom before the Real Thing hit, can’t turn this around soon, it might be too late for this season, or him.

Seattle -- Sheer firepower keeps the SuperSonics this high. After bristling under Nate McMillan, who booted them to 52 wins, they’re unleashing their attitudes under nice guy Bob Weiss. It’s not a good sign when the coach, who’s part of management, mentions contract problems.

THE LOTTERY BECKONS

New Orleans/Oklahoma City --Massive overachievement by Coach Byron Scott’s crew, but the Hornets are over their heads against more talented and experienced teams -- or almost everyone in the West. With Chris Paul and J.R. Smith, this gypsy franchise may have a future.

Sacramento -- Farewell to the Kings. Scoring less (No. 2 last season, No. 10 now), defending no better (No. 26 last season, No. 24 now.) After going 135-22 at home the last four seasons, they’re 6-7. Coach Rick Adelman will soon take the fall.

Utah--Can’t catch a break. Mehmet Okur and Deron Williams are building blocks, but injuries set Andrei Kirilenko back. Carlos Boozer, who has missed the last 50 games dating back to March, is really unlucky or wants out.

Portland -- The kindergarten of the West. Ruben Patterson, Zach Randolph and Darius Miles, who represent their future, don’t like McMillan’s hard-nosed program.

Faces and Figures

Et tu, Bron? For the first time LeBron James said point-blank he’ll sign an extension with Cleveland when he’s eligible Aug. 1. “I can’t wait until I re-up next year,” he said. “Then I can get the max.” ... On the other hand, Phil Jackson’s new favorite ’07 restricted free agent, Toronto’s Chris Bosh, can also sign an extension then but isn’t making any commitments. “I don’t think anything can be viewed as definitive right now,” agent Henry Thomas told the Toronto Star. Asked if Bosh might leave to get more endorsements, Thomas noted, “He’s extremely popular up there. But it’s not L.A., it’s not Chicago, it’s not New York.” ... Is Chicago’s Scott Skiles one of the game’s brightest young coaches or a taskmaster who’s bound to wear out his players? (cont.): The young Bulls are still throwing themselves around like college players while he lashes them onward. Asked about his apparent lack of sympathy for Tyson Chandler, who was found to have a hiatal hernia that made it difficult to breathe, Skiles said: “I don’t know if my sympathy adds anything to the situation. Take care of it and move forward. Whoever suits up to play, I play. And I assume they’re ready to play. I just thought it was because he didn’t do anything all summer.” ... There’s always a silver lining, I just don’t know what it is right now: Adelman, whose future became a longshot when the Sacramento owners pursued Jackson, asked if their upcoming trip might give the Kings a chance to bond: “Not when you’ve got to play Minnesota, Detroit and San Antonio. I don’t think that’s a bonding experience I want, unless you want to go through depression and adversity. I think we can bond at home just as well as we can on the road.”

Just asking: What did the NBA gain from going to a six-division alignment? The standings are harder to read, obliging fans to count the eight best records from the three divisions in each conference to see who holds a playoff slot. It also increases the chances some undeserving division -- New Jersey led the Atlantic at 8-9 going into the weekend -- will get a representative and make the league look silly.... The future isn’t quite yet: Duncan, after outscoring Orlando’s just-turned-20-year old Dwight Howard, 26-13: “I was looking before the game and I’m like 9 1/2 years older than him. That’s just crazy. He’s just so talented, so developed. He doesn’t look like a 19-year-old. He has so much promise and I’m just glad that I’ll be out of the league when he’s peaking.” ... Nash, labeled “the NBA’s answer to Napoleon Dynamite” for his casual approach to fashion by the Mesa Tribune’s Mike Tulumello, is featured in layouts in Esquire and Gentleman’s Quarterly this month. “It was nice to be recognized by them so when I went for the shoot,” Nash said. “They were thankful when I said, ‘You guys can do whatever you want.’ A lot of the guys usually say ‘I’m not wearing that,’ or ‘I’m not doing this.’ ” ... At least they stuck together: Houston’s Van Gundy, now determined to be positive, after his players no-showed in a home loss to Memphis, which led, 34-13, after one quarter: “I’m not here to bash the group, other than I can’t remember a worse collective effort.”