The Western Conference has been perceived as the NBA’s most competitive conference for years. Of the past 12 NBA champions, all but four came from the West. Many believe that whoever comes out on top in the Western conference will be this year’s champions.
So, let’s try and figure out who that will be.
No. 6 Golden State Warriors
Golden State Warriors players embrace each other on the court. On Oct. 7, the Warriors played against the Los Angeles Lakers and won 125-108. Photo courtesy of @warriors on Instagram
The Golden State Warriors finished the regular season 23-8 after trading for Jimmy Butler last year. The strong finish marked the best record in the league following the trade deadline. They defeated the No. 2 seeded Houston Rockets to advance to the conference semifinals. But Steph Curry strained his hamstring in game one against the Minnesota Timberwolves and the team went on to lose in five games.
Now the Warriors will have a full season with the three-headed dragon of Curry, Butler and Draymond Green. Johnthan Kuminga, who the team re-signed in September, and Buddy Hield each provided double digit production in the rotation. Golden State also went out and grabbed Al Horford in free agency to provide bench support in the front court.
No. 5 Los Angeles Lakers
The Los Angeles Lakers shook the league on a chilly night in February, when they traded Anthony Davis for Luka Dončić. While the pairing of Dončić and the all-time leading scorer Lebron James seems like an unstoppable duo, shortcomings throughout the rest of the roster led to a first round exit from the playoffs in just five games against the Timberwolves.
The departure of Davis left a glaring hole in the middle for Los Angeles. They tried to remedy it midseason by going after Mark Williams at the deadline, but the deal never went through due to a failed physical. The Lakers signed Deandre Ayton over the summer to try and fill the gap. Ayton averaged 14 points and 10 rebounds per game with the Portland Trail Blazers in 40 games played last season. Marcus Smart also joined the team in the offseason to provide some much-needed perimeter defense to the Lakers squad.
No. 4 Houston Rockets
The Rockets made the trade of the summer when they unloaded a massive haul to bring in two-time NBA champion Kevin Durant. The Rockets finished with the second-best record in the West last season, but when playoff time came around, it was obvious the team was in need of a true first scoring option. So, who better to add to than arguably the best scorer the league has ever seen. To make this happen, the Rockets had to sacrifice some of their impressive depth in the likes of Jalen Green and Dillon Brooks.
The Rockets are strong at the center position, which is invaluable when having to deal with the likes of Nikola Jokić, Rudy Gobert and Anthony Davis in the western conference. Alperen Şengün headlines the front court unit with Jabari Smith, while Steven Adams and Clint Capela will both be serviceable to anchor the defense. The injury of Fred VanVleet —
who will likely miss the entire season with a torn ACL — could prove problematic for Houston, without a great backup option at point guard.
No. 3 Los Angeles Clippers
There are two words you can use to describe this year’s iteration of the Los Angeles Clippers; Experienced and Deep. The Clippers made some major moves in the offseason throughout their roster. One of the team’s biggest struggles last year was their back court offense whenever James Harden wasn’t on the floor. So, the team went out and grabbed Bradley Beal and brought Chris Paul back to Los Angeles. Having Paul come off the bench gives the Clippers the opportunity to maximize production from the second unit with Nick Batum. Bradley Beal is a dangerous third scoring option behind Harden and Kawhi Leonard and will keep the offense alive when Harden needs a rest.
The Clippers also added John Collins and Brook Lopez to the front court. Collins will be replacing Norman Powell in the starting five who departed from the team in the summer. Collins averaged 19 points per game last year with the Utah Jazz and can help clean up on the glass. Brook Lopez will serve as a backup to Ivica Zubac.
No. 2 Denver Nuggets
The Denver Nuggets have been a beacon of consistency in the Western Conference for nearly a decade. With Jokić leading the charge, they have won at least 46 games in each of the last nine seasons, and at least 50 in the last three. What’s different this year is that it will be the first full season without head coach Mike Malone, who got fired with just three games remaining in the regular season last year. David Adelman has been given the reigns of head coach after serving as the interim to end the year.
The Nuggets approached the offseason looking to get some help for their three-time MVP. Their most notable move was giving up Michael Porter Jr. for Cameron Johnson from the Brooklyn Nets. Johnson averaged nearly 19 points per game last year and shot 39% from beyond the arc. Denver used free agency to establish more depth, bringing in Bruce Brown, Jonas Valanciunas and Tim Hardaway Jr. round out the roster
Oklahoma City Thunder players pose for media day pictures. Last season, OKC Thunder finished with a league-best of 68 wins. Photo courtesy of @okcthunder on Instagram
No. 1 Oklahoma City Thunder
Who else? The Oklahoma City Thunder finished with a league-best 68 wins last season on their way to winning the first title in franchise history. The team brought back almost everybody from the championship-winning roster, just losing Dillon Jones, who played an accumulative 10 minutes in the NBA finals. The Thunder signed Jalen Williams and Chet Holmgren to rookie extensions to secure the core of their team.
And of course, they still have the reigning league MVP Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, who averaged nearly 33 points per game last season and supplanted himself among the best of the best. According to ESPN Bet, the Thunder’s over/under win total is set at 62.5 wins, the highest since the 2017-18 Warriors whose line was 67.5. Until someone is able to knock off the Thunder, they are still the league’s team to beat.