Sports

Peter Vecsey’s 2010-11 NBA Western Conference Preview

Only a David Stern-stimulated, full-term lockout, Jerry Buss deciding he’s bored of winning or a dashboard-light outage can stop the Lakers from seeing paradise next season. Only Orlando and injuries can prevent them from three-peating this season.

Kobe Bryant’s game appears to be still under the influence of anesthesia following summer (right knee) surgery and Andrew Bynum (35, 50 and 65 non-playoff games the last three years) just began testing his surgically repaired right knee on the treadmill. He’s not expected back until Thanksgiving, meaning no mention in trade rumors until then.

When he’s healthy — usually from January until the All-Star break — they’re dominant. When he’s missing or at half speed, they’re merely champions.

Matt Barnes was recruited specifically to go headband-to-headband with LeBron James or restraining order-to-restraining order with Dwyane Wade should the Heat reach The Finals, the same way Ron Artest (18 pounds lighter this season) was conscripted to de-fang Paul Pierce.

Afterthought: Column contributor Phillip Marmanillo offers living proof opposites attract: “Sasha Vujacic can’t find the net and Maria Sharapova can’t miss it.”

MAVERICKS: Much improved based solely on Mark Cuban being a rich billionaire and Michael Jordan being a poor millionaire.

One man couldn’t afford to pass on Tyson Chandler (better than he was with 2007-08 Hornets); the other couldn’t afford to keep him.

Dallas now flaunts two centerfold spreads who can protect the basket and rebound. Both cover from side-to-side better than Erick Dampier. They had better, because the team lacks players who can quickly navigate the perimeter. Their best defense: “Help!”

Afterthought: Cuban decreed priests do not have to wear collars to Mavs games.

THUNDER: Are Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook as genuine as they appear?

Is it luck GM Sam Presti has assembled so many upright citizens or do his research / background checks steer him in the right direction once it’s determined their talent is legit? Aside from sharing last season’s ultra-constructive experience and gaining a year’s worth of maturity, how have they improved?

Nobody of consequence has been added. Scientific neglect, I believe that’s called.

Durant and Westbrook figure to keep expanding their games for the next five years. However, for Oklahoma City (eight players 24 and younger) to take another leap in the standings, the improvement must come from the freakishly athletic Serge Ibaka and James Harden.

Afterthought: “Some of this has been a mix of good health and the luck of the draw for the Thunder, including getting to play in front of a college crowd that hasn’t learned how to boo yet, but like they say,” underlines John Rohde, columnist for The Oklahoman. “The harder they work, the luckier they seem to get.”

SPURS: Should they decline to non-title contenders, if 34-year-old Tim Duncan can’t maintain his multi-dimensional workload, if Manu Ginobili, Tony Parker, Richard Jefferson and Antonio McDyess are unable to make up the difference, if youngsters Tiago Splitter, 6-7 starting center DeJuan Blair (reduced body fat from 15 to 7 percent), George Hill and rookie James Anderson aren’t yet ready to handle the franchise’s perennial great expectations, look for Gregg Popovich to give up coaching . . . and go directly into the Hall of Fame.

Afterthought: Splitter is going to be tough for batters to handle in the West.

NUGGETS: Pretend you are Carmelo Anthony and you have been sitting for four months on a $65 million, three-year extension offer, and Stern’s menacing message re: the NBA’s demand for $800 million in givebacks from the players and the elimination of guaranteed contracts is reverberating in your vault; what do you do?

Keep trying to force a trade by the mid-February deadline or fold up along the dotted line and then sign it? If ‘Melo’s situation isn’t settled soon, this is bound to get real bad, real fast. It still might, anyway.

Afterthought: Chris Anderson says if he could be anything, it’d be a coloring book.

JAZZ: How bad off can they be with Deron Williams, arguably the baddest stick man conducting Jerry Sloan’s symphonic system?

Al Jefferson picks up where Carlos Boozer and his gym bag left off, except he’s two inches taller and has two coats of post-up paint vs. one.

Afterthought: This is the year Paul Millsap makes everyone forget Thurl Bailey.

BLAZERS: I get the sickening feeling Brandon Roy already is breaking down after only four seasons. As much as I appreciate Andre Miller’s game, I don’t get the feeling coach Nate McMillan sees him and Roy as a cohesive backyard-swing set.

With Jerryd Bayless traded to New Orleans, look for McMillan to use Roy and Wes Matthews together in that yard a bit.

Afterthought: Team owner Paul Allen felt McMillan, a rising free agent, was outcoached in last season’s playoffs and was acutely unhappy with the team’s defense of the pick-and-roll. Assistant Dean Demopoulos took the fall. Another quick exit is sure to end Nate’s six-year stay in Portland.

n The Rockets, Grizzlies and L.A. Griffins reckon to contend for the final playoff spot.

Stunningly slender Brad Miller lends skillful support for Yao Ming, whose minutes are being greatly limited and intensely monitored for the time being (revalued in January) due to the damaged foot in ‘09 playoffs that kept him sidelined last season.

Afterthought: Rick Adelman says he’s not concerned about how deep the Rockets go in this season’s playoffs; he just wants to get Yao’s foot in the door.

The availability of Darrell Arthur from the jump (injured 50 games, but not back to normal till April), vast improvement of Sam Young and the arrival of Acie Law, Tony Allen and rookie Xavier Henry mean overused starters (averaged 38 minutes or so) won’t be dragging or damaged (Marc Gasol) down stretch.

Afterthought: With the return of all five starters, the Grizzlies are the Hasheem Thabeet in the Southwest.

If really healthy, Blake Griffin is good enough to revolutionize my Paper Clips; he has star tattooed all over him. Still, the success or failure of L.A.’s stepchild may very well begin and end with Baron Davis.

Afterthought: Davis claims to have come into camp in the best shape he’s been in as a film maker.

peter.vecsey@nypost.com