Last night I wrote about the Eastern conference and how the teams that made big trades jump to the top of the list. While others have fallen down on their expectations from last year. Now is turn to the West, where a lot of things has already happened this season that could affect teams from around the league.
One of the biggest changes this year was the move from Ja Morant to the Portland Trailblazers as well as the return of Dame. The exit of LeBron from the Lakers is also a big shake up to one of the most talked about franchises in the league. And also a gruesome injury from Thunders Jalen Williams will put him out of the season and probably any Thunder expectation. But let see what are the top of the west as it looks right now.
San Antonio Spurs
Wemby still wemby and his 7 foot 4 inches are still relevant to having the big man score and protect the rim. His speed and mid range shot still have a hard to defend move for any team. The spurs didn't had to give up much this season so the core still there and the advantages are still there over the other teams.
Minnesota Timberwolves
Minnesota really change it's pieces this summer and they are back with a dynamic duo of LaMelo and Antman on the frontcourt which makes them super special on the offensive end. This could be the piece they were looking forward. Although they lost a lot of the backcourt with the exit of Julius Randal and Nas Reid have weaken the post but they still have Gobert which can make up for the lost of height and muscle. Let see if they get that piece later in the season.
Oklahoma City Thunder
Just like I said in the beginning of the article, this team just faced a hard injury that put their future in a balance. The injury is going to cost their offense a lot as some might say that Jalen was the heart of the team, and the player who really bring the grit of this team.
Houston Rockets
After last year early exit by the Lakers, the Rockets are now back with the core of Durant, Segun and Thompson. Thompson already created some great plays against the Spurs by blocking Wemby game winning layup at the last second of their first game. The Rockets have also made their bench stronger and could potentially get better experience from some veterans.
Conclusion
We could se a rerun of last year western conference seeds. However, nothing is clear on the West as we have seen champions rise one time and be gone the next season. This goes out to the Nuggets, Thunders, Warriors, etc.