There is no doubt that the Western Conference is the deeper and more competitive of the two in the NBA but after an interesting offseason in which the Oklahoma City Thunder got healthy while the San Antonio Spurs, Houston Rockets and Los Angeles Clippers reloaded, it appears as though there is some definite separation at the top. There could be eight 50-win teams in the Western Confrerence next season but as crowded as it is, it’s really just a five-team race.
Golden State Warriors
The Warriors are the defending NBA champions and one of the most dominant teams we have seen in recent history, so when they managed to re-sign Draymond Green as the only important piece they couldn’t afford to lose, it was more than enough to keep them at the top of this list. Golden state has three starters that are 25 years old or younger in Green, Klay Thompson and Harrison Barnes, and the second-oldest member of their starting unit happens to be the 27-year-old league MVP Stephen Curry. Andrew Bogut still have enough left in him for at least one more run and with Leandro Barbosa also back in the mix, there is no doubt the Warriors still deserve to be considered the Western Conference favorites.
San Antonio Spurs
The 2014 NBA champions reloaded after falling short of their championship goal last season and all eyes will be on the Spurs this year as they try to get back to the NBA Finals. The additions of LaMarcus Aldridge and David West should help San Antonio get back to the top of the Western Conference pyramid but it’s important not to look too far ahead with a roster loaded with veteran players. Tim Duncan, Tony Parker and Manu Ginobili are all potential injury risks. That’s something that has to be factored.
Oklahoma City Thunder
The Spurs added Aldridge and West to an already loaded roster but the Thunder will welcome back the 2014 NBA MVP Kevin Durant. On the surface, they appear to be a forgotten contender in the Western Conference. Everybody is talking about Golden State and San Antonio, but what can Oklahoma City do with Durant, Russell Westbrook, Serge Ibaka, Enes Kanter and Dion Waiters? Every indication here is that the Thunder reemerge as a championship contender.
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Los Angeles Clippers
The Clippers found a way to bring back DeAndre Jordan after it looked like he had gotten away and the fact that they were able to keep him while the Dallas Mavericks lost a veteran center should have a huge impact on both teams. Los Angeles will once again bank on Jordan, Blake Griffin and Chris Paul as its big three and they also addressed the small forward position by adding Paul Pierce and Lance Stephenson at a position that has really hurt them over the years. J.J. Redick is back and Jamal Crawford is still wearing a Clippers uniform, so Doc Rivers will have plenty of flexibility. Even backup point guard Austin Rivers has returned. Remember, this is a team that beat the San Antonio Spurs in the first round last season and probably should have beaten the Houston Rockets in Round 2 as well. They’re reloaded and their focused on a title. This will be the best version of the Clippers we’ve seen to date.
Houston Rockets
The Rockets nearly didn’t make the list. They stood pat for much of the offseason while all of the other teams made notable signings and re-signings. However, Houston swooped in last minute to acquire a big impact player by trading for point guard Ty Lawson. This is a guy who can play at an All-Star level and the point guard position was probably the weakest spot on the team.
With him, Harden and Howard, the Rockets now have a big three and they have plenty of depth – maybe more than anyone in the conference – to go along with them. They still have Trevor Ariza, Terrence Jones, Donatas Motiejunas, first-round pick Sam Dekker, Clint Capela, Marcus Thornton, Corey Brewer, Patrick Beverley and K.J. McDaniels. They were close last season. We’ll see if Lawson puts them over the top.
