Western Conference
Overview
The West is top heavy and deep. Of course, the old reliable San Antonio Spurs are still at the top of the conference. The other contenders coming into the season, Oklahoma City Thunder and Los Angeles Clippers, are also right there with the Spurs. The surprising Portland Trailblazers and the Houston Rockets, with new center Dwight Howard, have also worked themselves into the mix. As for the rest of the Conference, all but the two bottom teams would easily make the playoffs in the East.
True Contenders
1. San Antonio Spurs (14-3)
The Spurs should have won the Championship last year. However, there has been no hangover from the loss as they continue to just win. Similar to recent seasons, Tony Parker is now their best player as the torch has long been passed from Tim Duncan. Parker is having another superb season. Kawhi Leonard really distinguished himself in the NBA Finals last year. While he has been playing well, his development into a star will extend the Spurs’ championship window. As the Spurs like to spread the ball around, Leonard has yet to establish himself as a primary offensive option. However, the season is young. If he can work on his offensive game, he has the athleticism and talent to be a star.
2. Oklahoma City Thunder (11-3)
The Thunder do not have the depth they have had in past seasons. They made difficult personnel decisions as they are a small market team. However, Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook make any team a true contender. While they have had slow starts for their standards, they are still playing very well and will pick it up. In addition, Serge Ibaka is a very good third best player. While they are definitely contenders that can win it all, I believe their lack of depth will catch up to them at some point in the playoffs.
3. Los Angeles Clippers (12-5)
Chris Paul has upped his game under the tutelage of new coach, Doc Rivers. Paul is an early season MVP candidate averaging 19 points, 5 rebounds, 12.2 assists, and 2.4 steals. He is clearly the best point guard in the game. Blake Griffin is having another All-Star caliber season. J.J. Reddick has been a great offseason acquisition but is hurt and will be out a bit. Nevertheless, I expect Doc Rivers to work his magic and continue to make this team incrementally better as the season progresses. Their defense needs more improvement but it is an area that Rivers knows and can teach. Another key to the season is Griffin’s progression in his half court game. He is a human highlight film but he needs some go to post moves when the game slows down to the half court in the playoffs. The Clippers will go as far as their defense and Griffin’s development allows them. I expect Chris Paul to be as spectacular as ever throughout.
Up and Coming Contenders
1. Portland Trailblazers (13-3)
The Trailblazers are the surprise team this season. They have a ton of young talent and are off to a fast start. Last year’s rookie of the year point guard, Damian Lillard, and one of the best big men in the NBA, Lamarcus Aldridge, lead the team. Nicloas Batum is one of the most versatile small forwards and Wesley Matthews is a great outside shooter. They are young, athletic, and fit well together. They are off to a great start this season but their inexperience will eventually cap their success this season. The young Trailblazers will also have to learn to play better defense before they step forward as a title contender. Nevertheless, the future is bright again in Portland.
2. Houston Rockets (13-5)
The signing of Dwight Howard allowed the Rockets to form the best low post/ perimeter combos in the league with Howard and James Harden. Chandler Parsons is also one of the best young small forwards in the league. Jeremy Lin was also playing very well before he got hurt. Their role players have played very well. However, their strong play is on the offensive side of the ball. Their defense is terrible and they need to work on it a lot before they can legitimately contend for a championship. In my opinion, they are a team that wants to have fun first with winning as a result of fun. As such, they are very entertaining to watch. However, they do not yet have the killer instinct to win a title. They will have this core together for a few years so they will have time to grow.
Disappointing Starts
1. Golden State Warriors (9-8)
After their exciting postseason in which they showcased the best shooting backcourt in the NBA with Stephen Curry and Klay Thompson, big things were expected this season. However, I think the Warriors are what they are. They are a jump shooting team without a back to the basket, low post scorer. As such, they live and die by the jump shot. It is tough to shoot lights out all the time to win enough games to challenge for one of the best records in the West against stiff competition. They are not title contenders. Nevertheless, they are a team that you do not want to face in the playoffs if you can avoid it.
2. Memphis Grizzlies (8-8)
The Grizzlies made a surprise run to the Western Conference Finals with a physical, bruising, and defensive style of play. Their defense has not been as good to start the season. It has resulted in an average start. However, they will be a force to be reckoned with this season. The further progression of Mike Conley as the go to option will determine how far they advance this season.
Teams to Watch
1. Minnesota Timberwolves (9-9)
They have a ton of talent. Kevin Love is a superstar big man with a great overall game averaging 24.1 points, 13.7 rebounds, and 4.2 assists. Kevin Martin has been a great offseason acquisition adding an excellent perimeter scorer at 23.1 points per game. Ricky Rubio is an exciting magician with the ball but still needs to work on his shooting. I also really like Nikola Pekovic as one of the better centers in the league. They definitely have a team that can make the playoffs and are an exciting team to watch. They were off to a good start but tapered off. They will need to show significant progress the next two seasons to convince Kevin Love to stay.
2. New Orleans Pelicans (7-8)
Anthony Davis has taken a major step forward this season and looks like a franchise big man. He is averaging 19.6 points, 10.6 rebounds, 1.7 steals, and 3.9 blocks. He is a force on both sides of the ball. They have a young core with Jrue Holiday and Eric Gordon. Ryan Anderson has been great off the bench averaging 19 points. On the other hand, Tyreke Evans has been disappointing so far as an offseason acquisition. They are a young team trying to figure out how to play with each other as they have just been put together. As such, they are a definitely a team to keep your eyes on with a great, young player with talent around him.
About Pat Wong
Patrick is a contributor for Rookerville. He is an avid sports fan. Before joining Rookerville, he was part of a defunct New York Yankees message board, NYYankeefans, where he was its top poster and was inducted in its Hall of Fame for his contributions. Patrick is also a passionate fan of movies. He has enjoyed reading movie reviews over the years and is excited about the opportunity to review movies.