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