Get ready for a Wild West Show.

Since the onslaught of trades in the past month, there has been daily movement within the top eight seeded teams in the Western Conference.  Last week, the New Orleans Hornets woke up as the one-seed in the West, lost three games in a row, and boom ? fell all the way back to the fifth seed.  

Plenty of new faces have come in and made the potential playoff match-ups much more compelling than seen in recent years.  With under 25 games remaining in the regular season, we can only sit back and enjoy the final month of pre-playoff positioning and high-intensity basketball.  By keeping tabs on the top nine teams, we hope to see the following match-ups come opening tip-off of the leagues second season.  

Entering Tuesday, the top eight in the West are as follows:

1. San Antonio (41-17)
2. L.A. Lakers (42-18)
3. New Orleans (40-19)
4. Utah (39-22)
5. Houston (39-20)
6. Phoenix  (39-20)
7. Dallas  (39-22)
8. Golden State  (36-22)
9. Denver Nuggets  (35-24)

If things don?t change over the final month and a half, we can expect to see the following first round match-ups:

1. San Antonio Spurs vs. 8. Golden State Warriors
2. Los Angeles Lakers vs. 7. Dallas Mavericks
3. New Orleans Hornets vs. 6. Phoenix Suns
4. Utah Jazz vs. 5. Houston Rockets

Most of these potential match-ups don?t seem too bad. But if given the choice of the four Western Conference first round match-ups, here is what would offer the most fun and excitement to the worldwide community of drama-hungry NBA fans.

Without further adieu, the Dream Scenario Match-ups for the Western Conference First Round:

1. Spurs vs. 8. Warriors

As it currently stands, this would be the best first round match-up.  What better scenario than finding the Golden State Warriors once again staring the defending Western Conference champion in the face (this time the defending NBA Finals champion, as well), the team with the best record in the conference and having already built the regular season confidence against them.

The situation would be identical to that of last year?s improbable upset over the mightily favored Dallas Mavericks, and we all know how that turned out.  This season, the Warriors have held the Spurs in check, winning both head-to-head battles so far this season ? with the third and final meeting on April 1 in San Antonio.  

When delving deeper into the individual battles, how much fun would it be to see Tony Parker and Monta Ellis racing up and down the court?  Who would contain Baron Davis for the Spurs?  The old legs of Bruce Bowen or Michael Finley?  Would Andris Biedrins and Al Harrington be able to stop Tim Duncan and Kurt Thomas?  Would Stephen Jackson slow down Manu Ginobili?  Would Nellie-ball run Duncan off the court?  The individual battles would be incredible, and the Warriors might be the only team in the top nine that has a legitimate shot of stopping the high-powered Spurs.

And if you?re reading this and hear yourself saying, ?No way, I want to see the high-flying super-show of the Warriors vs. the Phoenix Suns,? then you need to adjust your calendar to 2008 and realize that the Shaq trade no longer makes that an ideal series.

Onto the two-seven match-up?

2. Lakers vs. 7. Nuggets

Of course, reading this means that the Denver Nuggets were able to supplant a team in the top eight, seeing as they are currently sitting in the ninth seed out West.  The team that would be ideal to drop from the playoff seedings would be the boring and uninspired Houston Rockets.  

Yes, it is hard to leave off a team that is currently sitting pretty with a fifteen-game winning streak, but they just lost Yao Ming for the season and will now be relying on Luis Scola, Chuck Hayes, Carl Landry, and Dikembe ?The Zombie? Mutombo to patrol the paint.  

That, and if you look at the point guards of the top nine teams, who would you be least likely to trust during a playoff push: Tony Parker, Derek Fisher, Chris Paul, Deron Williams, RAFER ALSTON, Steve Nash, Jason Kidd, Baron Davis, or Allen Iverson?  I gave you a hint by using capitals but seriously?Rafer Alston?  Come on.

Going back to the match-up at hand, this series could potentially set up some of the greatest individual battles in the playoffs.  Allen Iverson and Kobe Bryant trading hoops.  Carmelo Anthony and Lamar Odom orchestrating offense from the wing.  Andrew Bynum and Marcus Camby swatting shots all over the middle.  Pau Gasol trying to take it to Kenyon Martin.  Super-subs Linas Kleiza and Ronny Turiaf sparking the crowds, and DJ Mbenga?s body slamming into Nene Hilario?s.  It would be awesome.  

Each game could end with a 122-117 score.  Each game could be pushed to overtime by either Kobe or Melo.  I?m excited just thinking about the intensity with George Karl and Phil Jackson lurking on the sidelines.

And perhaps an even better match-up would be this ideal three-six series?

3. Suns vs. 6. Mavericks

With all of the potential storylines, how can you not begin with these famous quotes from Shaquille O?Neal?

?I?m playing like Erick Dampier.?  (Referring to playing awful with a thigh injury.)

?Who? Erica Dampier??  (Responding to a question about Erick Dampier.)  

?He could be dominant -- if he played in the WNBA.?  (Referring to Erick Dampier.)

How funny would it be for another round of Shaq vs. Erick Dampier?  And oh yeah, Jason Kidd vs. Steve Nash.  Perhaps the two best point guards on Earth, matched up, back with their original teams.  What a storyline.

Not to mention the Grant Hill vs. Josh Howard battle at the small forward, Jason Terry running away from Raja Bell, and the complete mismatch on both sides of the court that will exist between Amare Stoudemire and Dirk Nowitzki.  That right there could be the game within the game.    

This would also pair the two teams who both instantly jumped right out of their seats into panic trades once the Lakers went out and stole Pau Gasol for a loaf of bread and a half-stick of butter.  What would be better than to put their new panic-additions (Shaq and Jason Kidd) to the challenge for the right to face the Lake Show in the second round ? that is, of course, assuming the Lakers get past the Nuggets in the first round of the RealGM Dream First Round.  And did somebody say Shaq and the Suns vs. Kobe and the Lakers in the second round?  Wow.

And onto the final series?

4. Jazz vs. 5. Hornets

This series would obviously be centered on the shoulders of Deron Williams vs. Chris Paul.  The number three vs. number four overall picks in the 2005 NBA Draft.  The two reasons why the Milwaukee Bucks and Atlanta Hawks are currently sitting on the outside of the pitiful Eastern conference playoff seedings looking in (for stupidly taking Andrew Bogut and Marvin Williams instead).

Deron Williams.  Chris Paul.  Both are third-year point guards with the tenacity, toughness, leadership qualities, and swagger that could net them multiple championships in the next decade and beyond.  Each player is capable of dropping 40 points by attacking the basket or can play the floor general and dish out 20 assists.  They both have all the tools and the guts necessary to carry their team deep into the playoffs as Deron Williams demonstrated taking the Jazz to the Western Conference Finals last year.  

But enough about the two young point guards, these teams would also match up well with Carlos Boozer against David West on the block, Tyson Chandler swatting Mehmet Okur?s rain-making threes, and don?t forget about Peja Stojakovic and Kyle Korver hoisting up shots like it's last call at the bar.  

And not only would this first round battle be great but so would the resulting match-up with the winner of the Spurs vs. Warriors series.

This would be an epic first round for the ages, with a slate of eight of the league?s most talented point guards, with the two best of today matching up in Dallas and Phoenix, along with the two best of tomorrow staring each other down from across the court in Utah and New Orleans.  We?d have the drama of another Shaq vs. Dampier match-up, possibly another Shaq vs. Kobe match-up, and another opportunity for Don Nelson to cement his lore as the Master Of The Upset.

However the final month of the season shakes down, NBA fans across the globe have to be thankful for the recent trades that took place prior to the deadline.  They have jolted The League with life and added an unparalleled height for drama with all of the new super teams in the Western Conference.  But when the second season gets set to begin, David Stern and the TV sponsors will be crossing their fingers hoping that the final standings match the slate that RealGM has set out for its Dream Scenario.

Do you prefer these match-ups?  What would you rather see?  Feel free to contact Jason M. Williams with your thoughts.  He can be reached at Jason.Williams@RealGM.com for comments or questions.