How would you rank the Western Conference as of today

All the talk about the Pels fighting for a playoff spot had me feeling optimistic. It's early but I was wondering how realistic it is. The landscape of the Western Conference has changed quite a bit, but if I had to rank how I think the standings will look at the end of the season I think it'd go something like this.

1. Clippers
2. Nuggets
3. Jazz
4. Rockets
5. Lakers
6. Blazers
7. Spurs
8. Warriors
9. Pelicans
10. Mavs
11. Kings
12. T'Wolves
13. Thunder
14. Grizzlies
15. Suns

It also seems like there are some natural tiers were the teams are interchangeable:
Tier 1: Clippers, Nuggets, Jazz
Tier 2: Rockets, Lakers, Blazers
Tier 3: Spurs, Warriors
Tier 4: Kings, Pels, Mavs, T'Wolves? maybe?
Tier 5: Thunder, Grizzlies, Suns

Clippers
Blazers
Jazz
Nuggets
Rockets
Warriors
Pelicans
Spurs
TWolves
Kings
Lakers
Thunder
Grizz
Suns

1. Clippers
2. Lakers
3. Nuggets
4. Jazz
5. Warriors
6. Rockets
7. Trailblazers
8. Pelicans
9. Spurs
10. Kings
11. Mavericks
12. Thunder
13. Timberwolves
14. Suns
15. Grizzlies

I get Lakers have LeBron and AD but the rest of their roster is trash

I have thought about this some over the last few days and I have found it almost impossible to make a strict 1-15 list. But using the tiers, I am fairly comfortable believing that a group of five should be locks to make the playoffs, six will battle for three remaining slots and four have no chance.

Tier 1: Rockets, Jazz, Nuggets, Blazers and Clippers
Tier2: Kings, Mavs, Spurs, Lakers, Warriors, Pelicans
Tier 3: Wolves, Grizzlies, Sun and Thunder

I keep moving the Timberwolves between the bottom two tiers, but I don’t really believe they have a realistic shot.

I get that obviously, injuries and chemistry and coaching play a huge role in these things, so these predictions could obviously change wildly as the season.

But just looking at rosters on paper, this is how I have it right now:

1) Clippers
2) Jazz
3) Nuggets
4) Trailblazers
5) Rockets
6) Kings
7) Lakers
8) Pelicans
9) Warriors
10) Spurs
11) Thunder
12) Wolves
13) Grizzlies
14) Mavericks
15) Suns

Some of this is depending. For example, I have the Mavs at 14 because I think Porzingis is going to come back rough from injury. If he comes back firing on all cylinders, then they could move up the list. I have the Thunder at 11 because I'm assuming they realise the need for a rebuild and maybe move Adams or something for assets, but if they move Westbrook they could easily fall. Lakers are 7th, but one major injury to AD or Lebron and they could fall out of the playoffs completely.

I could see the Grizz being a bad team this year but sneakily fun. Morant is going to be solid, I think JJJ takes a leap this year (although he was already excellent defensively) and I think Clarke is just an NBA ready player. They're going to be cool to watch.

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Originally Posted by Zombiewoof

I have thought about this some over the last few days and I have found it almost impossible to make a strict 1-15 list. But using the tiers, I am fairly comfortable believing that a group of five should be locks to make the playoffs, six will battle for three remaining slots and four have no chance.

Tier 1: Rockets, Jazz, Nuggets, Blazers and Clippers
Tier2: Kings, Mavs, Spurs, Lakers, Warriors, Pelicans
Tier 3: Wolves, Grizzlies, Sun and Thunder

I keep moving the Timberwolves between the bottom two tiers, but I don’t really believe they have a realistic shot.

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Mostly agree with this, with obvious caveats (I don't believe in the Mavs quite as much as you, for example). The tier system is the best way to do it, I think, because I agree that there are some teams who are guaranteed locks (Clips, Jazz, Nuggets) and then just a bunch of teams who COULD make it but maybe won't, like us, Spurs, Lakers, Kings....

I’m happy to see the downfall of the Warriors but IMO y’all rank them too low

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Originally Posted by PolishFan

I’m happy to see the downfall of the Warriors but IMO y’all rank them too low

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The rankings are for standings, not "better team". Warriors will only have Curry and Green for the majority of the season. I think they see a huge drop in wins but if Klay comes back his normal self. let's say by March to be safe, they could upset someone in the first round of playoffs.

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Originally Posted by PolishFan

I’m happy to see the downfall of the Warriors but IMO y’all rank them too low

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Same with Spurs, yes the talent has dropped off there. But coaching, infrastructure, and experience of excellence for years will count for something.

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Originally Posted by RaisingTheBar

The rankings are for standings, not "better team". Warriors will only have Curry and Green for the majority of the season. I think they see a huge drop in wins but if Klay comes back his normal self. let's say by March to be safe, they could upset someone in the first round of playoffs.

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Russell is no scrub. He was voted to the all star game right? I am not a fan of pairing him with Curry but he is a very good player. I realize it could all fall apart for them but they deserve a bit more credit even if I dont like them

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Originally Posted by Conroy

Same with Spurs, yes the talent has dropped off there. But coaching, infrastructure, and experience of excellence for years will count for something.

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I agree and they added decent veteran players who should play well under Pop

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Originally Posted by Zombiewoof

I have thought about this some over the last few days and I have found it almost impossible to make a strict 1-15 list. But using the tiers, I am fairly comfortable believing that a group of five should be locks to make the playoffs, six will battle for three remaining slots and four have no chance.

Tier 1: Rockets, Jazz, Nuggets, Blazers and Clippers
Tier2: Kings, Mavs, Spurs, Lakers, Warriors, Pelicans
Tier 3: Wolves, Grizzlies, Sun and Thunder

I keep moving the Timberwolves between the bottom two tiers, but I don’t really believe they have a realistic shot.

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This is pretty close to my take the only thing I'd probably do is move the Blazers down to Tier 2. I think the top 4 in the Western conference is pretty clear cut.

Tier 2 is where it gets super tricky. Did the Blazers make enough changes to keep up in the West? How does Porzingis come back from injury will determine Dallas' fate next season. Kings added some nice complimentary pieces but will it be enough to get them over the hump? Spurs had a pretty average offseason and are a year older but they have Pop. Does Lebron or AD miss significant time - if so they are in trouble. How will Dlo and Curry fit together while they wait for Klay to return - how will Klay be after his injury - Where will the Warriors depth come from? How much influence will Zion have on the Pels - How does Ball and Ingram do returning from injury and in a new system - is Favors and JJ enough added veteran leadership and firepower to make the playoffs?

Tier 2 is so, so fascinating to think about.

If I had to guess about the top 8 right now today I'd say I could probably name 6 of the 8 teams to make the playoffs in the West (not in seeding order).

Rockets, Jazz, Nuggets, Clippers, Warriors, Blazers

But those last 2 spots, man are they tough. It'd be easy to say Spurs and Lakers but I don't think it's as clear cut as those top 6 seeds. There's a chance a team like the Kings, Dallas, or Pels just click and do what the Clippers did last season.

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Originally Posted by Conroy

Same with Spurs, yes the talent has dropped off there. But coaching, infrastructure, and experience of excellence for years will count for something.

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That's what has them ranked so highly. I had them in that second tier of teams which could potentially be a playoff team depending on how the chips fall.

Give that roster to a terrible coach and it's bottom 5 in the conference. The coaching, infrastructure, and experience DOES count for something: it's what's stopping them from being the T-Wolves.

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Originally Posted by PolishFan

Russell is no scrub. He was voted to the all star game right? I am not a fan of pairing him with Curry but he is a very good player. I realize it could all fall apart for them but they deserve a bit more credit even if I dont like them

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Curry and D-Lo might be the worst defensive guard duo in the NBA.

They will put up points on offense, no question, but they will have a 40 piece dropped on them by damn near every team's lead guard.

1) Clippers
2) Jazz
3) Nuggets
4) Trailblazers
5) Rockets
6) Lakers
7) Warriors
8) Pelicans
9) Spurs
10) Mavs
11) Kings
12) Wolves
13) Thunder
14) Suns
15) Grizzlies

Quote:

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Originally Posted by PolishFan

Russell is no scrub. He was voted to the all star game right? I am not a fan of pairing him with Curry but he is a very good player. I realize it could all fall apart for them but they deserve a bit more credit even if I dont like them

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He made a single all star game, so what? Korver made an all star game a year he averaged 12.9ppg. I'm not sold on Dlo moving forward and not sure how he fits with Curry. The core of that team is Curry and Green but anyway, even those 3 I don't see winning more games than a lot of the mentioned teams above them.

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Originally Posted by Pelicanidae

Curry and D-Lo might be the worst defensive guard duo in the NBA.

They will put up points on offense, no question, but they will have a 40 piece dropped on them by damn near every team's lead guard.

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It feels weird for me to defend the Warriors but I think Green is a really great player and he will have a huge impact on that team

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Originally Posted by PolishFan

It feels weird for me to defend the Warriors but I think Green is a really great player and he will have a huge impact on that team

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Green is a fantastic player, for sure. He gets a lot of hate and he deserves a lot of it because he's a really annoying idiot, but he's a fantastic basketball player. Great defender, very high level passer.

The problem is that Golden State has NO two way top players anymore.

Curry is offense only: poor defender.
D-Lo is offense only: poor defender
Looney is defense only: poor offensive player
Green can defend at a very high level, and facilitate, but he can't score or make his own shot whatsoever.

The reason Klay was so important to them is that he was a guy who could do both. He could catch and shoot from anyway, put up points quickly, and still play very good defense. Durant was a similar type of figure, and while Iguodala couldn't shoot, he could defend, facilitate, and still get his own shot inside and in transition. Now they have no Klay, no Durant, and no Iguodala. Curry and D-Lo can't score an entire NBA team's worth of points on their own, and Green can't defend all 5 opposing players at once. They have no glue.

Warriors will be bad for most of the year.

1. Lakers
2. Clippers
3. Rockets
4. Warriors
5. Jazz
6. Nuggets
7. 4 way tie between Blazers, Mavericks, Pelicans and Thunder
11. Spurs
12. Kings
13. Timberwolves
14. Grizzlies
15. Suns

1. Clippers
2. Lakers
3. Trailblazers
4. Warriors
5. Jazz
6. Nuggets
7. Rockets
8. Pelicans

Not listing the others...

Only if we stay healthy do we have a chance...


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I am not prepared to rank the teams 1-15. For a lot of these teams, health and how they come together will determine their success this season. Obviously, teams like the Jazz and Nuggets are well-built and will be competitive. For teams like the Kings and our Pelicans, the progress of the younger players will be critical. If Ball, Ingram, and Zion play to their potential, when you add them with Jrue, JJ, and Favors, this team can be just as competitive and deep as the aforementioned Jazz and Nuggets. I have the utmost confidence in the Pels' trajectory because they have a solid combination of young, athletic players and savvy veterans. I think more so than ever, the team concept will be critical for those teams that will be most effective this coming season.

Now, the Clippers are probably the top team. Their team was very similar to the Jazz and Nuggets last year in terms of how they won with a solid team concept. Now you add the star power and defensive prowess of Kawhi and PG and this team catapults to the top. I think they are a sure-bet. I think the Spurs have long proven that they will be in the conversation; it is difficult to see that changing even if they are not one of the top 5 teams in the West. I think there is a temptation to place the Warriors into that same kind of mix--as the Spurs--as a team that should be in the conversation. But they have lost a lot of their depth, which made them really tough to beat. I also think they will struggle defending in their back court and I am not sure how well Russell fits into their offense. Of course, there will be adjustments but I am not sure how this group will pan out. There might be some growing pains. Trailblazers will be in the mix but I am not sure they will have as much success as they did last season.

I think there are two polarizing teams: the Lakers and the Rockets. The Rockets have not improved and Harden and Paul have significant issues to work through. I am not sure it happens and I could see this team taking a step backward. I think the Lakers are an even bigger time-bomb waiting to happen. They have a lot of colorful personalities on the team and either those guys will come together quickly and gel or they will implode. I could see the latter happening, especially when you start to consider James' age and the injury history of many of the players on the team. Can Davis stay healthy? Can Cousins prove he has recovered fully from the achilles' injury he suffered in 2018? How will Kuzma feel if all of a sudden he's asked to come off the bench after rumors that he would be traded? How will LeBron look now in his 17th season? His defense has fallen off tremendously over the past three or four seasons. Beyond this, load management will be critical for him. I think the Lakers should be a playoff team but I could see them topping out at about 50-54 wins. Sure, they have two of the top 10 players in the world. But this is an aging roster with arguably the highest boom/bust rate.

As for the rest of the conference, we shall see. I think the Thunder will be interesting and a lot will depend on what happens with Westbrook. They added some a solid young talent in SG and Adams is still tough on the offensive end. But there could be discord especially if they are unable to move Westbrook. Chances are, he'll get send to Miami in exchange for some players who I am not sure will move the needle. Timberwolves are stuck in neutral and I think it'll be wait and see with the Mavs and Suns.

1) Clippers
2) Jazz
3) Nuggets
4) Portland
5) Lakers
6) Warriors
7)Houston
8) New Orleans

in the west i dont believe a team who will load manage its best player will be a top seed....

i had my pelicans in the playoffs before the clippers deal but now i dont see it unless we are healthy and a team above us get hit with the injury bug to get us in...

utah
denver
clippers
portland
houston
lakers
kings
spurs

1-Clippers
2-Jazz
3-Nuggets
4-Houston
5-Lakers
6-Warriors
7-Blazers
8-Spurs

The team that intrigues me is the Mavs. First time in a while I'm excited about the entire season, not just the Pels.

Jazz
Clippers
Nuggets
Blazers
Lakers
Rockets
Pelicans
Warriors


Jazz, Clippers, Nuggets are locks even with this whole new phenomenon of load management. They are deep and can sustain winning even if a star misses games. The only thing would be their seeding.

Blazers maintain their positioning bc the additions of Bazemore and Whiteside. They are good additions and will add flexibility to their roster when they had none last year. Losing Harkless will be inconsequential bc Hood will be even better this year now that he knows he has a home. I see Whiteside having a resurgence to his game at the start of the year bc he will have the paint to operate more.

Lakers and Rockets are in the same boat. They are the key to whether these young teams sneak in. Both teams cannot afford one of their stars to miss significant time. I dont anticipate Harden carrying the Rockets against a significantly better West and NBA for that matter. If Bron or AD goes out for a while, their done. Margin of error is slimmer with both teams than we think.

Pelicans, Warriors and Spurs will battle for the last 3-4 spots if Lakers/Rockets falter. Pelicans have enough depth to endure the grind of a season and the only players to maybe give time off are Jrue/Redick, but the other will play in his stead. The most important players this year are Ingram and Lonzo. If they take another step in the maturation of their games, I can see this team as a 5th seed. Similar to the Nuggets last year.

Now, the Warriors are interesting bc they could end up anywhere from 4-9 seeding. I think they struggle early with scheme and integrating Dlo, but figure it out at some point. Just depends on how long it takes them. Also, if they are firmly in the race and believe Klay can come back to a comparable version of his old self quickly, i see them moving Dlo for frontcourt/wing help. They could turn Dlo into a couple of good pieces and then make a more legitimate run in the playoffs.

Kings are on the cusp but Im not sold on them yet and Mavs need more to compete. Doncic/Porzingas is not enough to carry a team.

I agree the Pels are 9th currently

ZION, I don’t think I can use lowercase letters for his name, is truly the x favor for how far we will go this season. There are many variable but if he adjusts and plays at the pace we play at and he stays healthy and focuses on scoring in the post and dunking the hell out of the ball I will love it.

I can’t express just how thrilled I am to have ZION on our team. Now, if Ball stays healthy and we play really tough defense and play with passion I think we could win a ton of games.

We have a lot of decisions to make still. What do we do with Moore? I think we have too many shooting guards. We will need to re-sign Favors. I have a feeling he’s going to be an all star level player this season. We might need to move Ingram or do a sign and trade next offseason. I don’t think he’s a poor man’s Durant. He’s got too many holes in his game. The key for me is that we play team ball and have a truly balanced attack and we don’t overplay any players and keep guys healthy.


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The true x-factor will be Brandon Ingram. If he can continue reaching his potential this team can go extremely far (top 4 seed). He has every tool you need to be a top 10 player in this league outside of his slight frame.

The other x-factor is how much will the Laker imports buy in to playing in New Orleans. Hart seems like he's all in, but you never know about Ingram and especially Ball.

This team will be on tv a ton, but it's still not the same as playing in Los Angeles. It's an entirely different setting here. It's not only the south but it's new orleans, which is basically an island to itself culturally.

Ingram is kinda from the south already so I think he'll adjust, but Ball is from L.A. and L.A. dudes can be a little wierd.

I think I'm in the minority that thinks the jazz aren't going to be as great as people think they are.

1.Denver
2. Houston
3. Clippers
4. Portland
5. Lakers
6. Utah
7. Pelicans
8. Warriors

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Originally Posted by BigChris504

I think I'm in the minority that thinks the jazz aren't going to be as great as people think they are.

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Any particular reason, or do you just not feel it?

1. Utah
2. Clippers
3. Blazers
4. Lakers
5. Rockets
6. Spurs
7. Warriors
8. Mavericks

Pelicans will replace one of those teams but too difficult to say which.

1. Clippers
2. Lakers
3. Denver
4. Jazz
5. Rockets
6. Portland
7. Warriors
8. Spurs
9. Pels

In an attempt to not be completely biased I my rankings are the following at the end of the season:

1. Utah
2. Clippers
3.Denver
4. Lakers
5. Rockets
6. Portland
7. Pelicans
8. Warriors

I can see the Pelicans landing the 6th spot over Portland as well. Mostly because of our dept. the drain is long and although teams like the Lakers are going to be very good. Their goal will be to make the playoffs and then turn it up a notch or
Playoff time.

I can see teams like the Pelicans, Denver, and Utah playing hard all season to get the best possible playoff position.

I love the Pelicans squad and assuming things go positively and we limit injuries... I really think this team can surprise some people!

Time will tell. Also, it will be interesting to see if the FO will make any lies if it looks like we can make the playoffs come trade deadline time.