Reseeding Warriors, West after first wave of NBA free agency
The draft is done and we're through the first wave of NBA free agency. Many prominent players have changed teams, which could shift the balance of power in both conferences. Some new title contenders have emerged, while others recemented their status as such.The Western Conference is particularly stacked and has a chance to be as tough as it has ever been. Here's how we see the West shaking out as things currently stand:
The future is very bright in Oklahoma City; we just have no idea what it will look like. The Thunder have hoarded a massive arsenal of upcoming first-round picks that certainly will come in very handy as they attempt to rebuild from their current state. With Chris Paul, Danilo Gallinari, Steven Adams and Dennis Schroeder now playing elsewhere, it's a brand new era in OKC. It's just going to start out with a lot of losses.
The vast majority of the Western Conference improved over the course of the offseason, but it would be difficult to classify the Kings as such. They had a great draft and landed a stud in Tyrese Haliburton, but they’re stuck between a rock and a hard place. Sacramento can either pay up and match Bogdan Bogdanovic’s offer sheet from the Atlanta Hawks – thereby maintaining the core that finished 12th in the West last season -- or lose him for absolutely nothing. Either way, the Kings likely will end up with a very high pick in a loaded 2021 draft.
Minnesota will be improved, but not enough to move up much in the standings. Anthony Edwards has a bright future, and Ricky Rubio was a great addition. They'll provide Karl-Anthony Towns with more help than he had a season ago, but the West is just too deep. The Timberwolves should be good enough to land outside the first few picks of the draft, meaning their top-three protected 2021 first-rounder should convey to the Warriors.
The Grizzlies have made some minor additions around the edges, but they'll still go as far as Ja Morant and Jaren Jackson can take them. A year or two from now, that likely will be the postseason. Currently, though, the Grizzlies are still a couple of pieces away.
Aside from getting one of the best values of the first round in Devin Vassell, not much has changed in San Antonio. Dejounte Murray should take on a larger role, and as long as DeMar DeRozan and LaMarcus Aldridge are around, the Spurs will be a team that can't be brushed aside. They'll be in contention for the play-in tournament, but will fall just short of qualifying.
Jrue Holiday is a humongous loss, but even still, the Pelicans should be able to ascend in the standings. The best is still ahead for both Brandon Ingram and Zion Williamson, and Steven Adams was one of the better offseason additions throughout the league. If Lonzo Ball takes a step forward, they could challenge for a playoff spot.
This ranking has the potential to plummet if the Rockets decide to blow up their roster, but for now, they still have James Harden and Russell Westbrook. That talent alone should rack up plenty of victories, but with so much turbulence currently surrounding the team, it wouldn't be a surprise whatsoever to see Houston take a step back. Robert Covington and Austin Rivers are gone, and they might not be the last ones.
The Suns rode the momentum they established in the Orlando bubble into a tremendous offseason in which they significantly improved their roster. Chris Paul might be the ideal point guard next to Devin Booker and DeAndre Ayton, but don't sleep on the Jae Crowder addition, either. The upgrades should lead Phoenix to the playoffs for the first time since 2010, but in the ultra-competitive West, nothing is a given.
The Jazz will look awfully similar to the team that finished sixth in the West last season. Mike Conley opted in, Jordan Clarkson was re-signed and former Jazz center Derek Favors was signed to be Rudy Gobert's backup. Oh, and Donovan Mitchell agreed to a long-term extension. Utah has no shortage of talent, and should be a tremendous defensive team once again. The question is, how much more room for improvement do the Jazz have before reaching their ceiling?
The Warriors would be ranked much higher if not for the heartbreaking news about Klay Thompson's Achilles injury. With him, they surely would be considered a true title contender. Without him, they probably fall outside of that tier. That said, Golden State did very well to regain its balance in the wake of such a punch to the gut.
Kelly Oubre immediately steps into Thompson's vacated spot in the starting lineup, and both Brad Wanamaker and Kent Bazemore were great value additions. Andrew Wiggins will need to take a step forward in order for the Warriors to finish considerably higher in the standings, and it wouldn't hurt if James Wiseman hit the ground running. But as long as Steph Curry is healthy -- knock on every piece of wood in your house right now -- and Draymond Green is motivated -- which he most definitely is -- the Warriors should not be counted out of the title chase.
The Trail Blazers are on the shortlist of teams in contention for best offseason. They knocked it out of the park. They paid a hefty price for Robert Covington, but he's the perfect addition to Portland's starting lineup. Derrick Jones provides quality depth at the wing, and Enes Kanter is a dependable backup behind Jusuf Nurkic. Damian Lillard and C.J. McCollum should be outstanding per usual. If Zach Collins shows no ill effects upon returning from injury, this just might be the year Portland's offseason hype translates into reality.
If Kristaps Porzingis wasn't coming off meniscus surgery in October, the Mavericks probably would be one spot higher. The 7-footer is expected to miss the start of the season, but assuming no setbacks, he shouldn't miss too much time. Luka Doncic will carry even more on his shoulders in the meantime, but the MVP candidate certainly is capable of doing so. Rather than make any significant changes to the roster, Dallas made some tweaks that shored up deficiencies. The Mavericks should be really good, and Doncic gives them a chance to rise to the top.
Denver made plenty of noise in the Orlando bubble, and there's no reason to expect that to stop. Nikola Jokic and Jamal Murray should be as good as ever, and Michael Porter Jr. surely will take on a larger role. Losing Jerami Grant hurt, but the Nuggets did well to essentially replace him with JaMychal Green. They'll have a bullseye on their back, but they're deep and talented enough to handle it.
After blowing a 3-1 lead to the Nuggets in the Western Conference semifinals, the Clippers surely have been itching to get back and redeem themselves. Kawhi Leonard and Paul George are as good of a 1-2 punch in the league as there is, but for whatever reason, they fell short last season. The bet here is that their talent shines through and has them in contention for the top spot in the conference. Serge Ibaka was a key addition, particularly with Montrezl Harrell departing for the other team that calls Staples Center home.
The Lakers won the NBA championship, and then went ahead and improved their roster. They basically replaced Rajon Rondo, Danny Green and Dwight Howard with Dennis Schroder, Wesley Matthews and Marc Gasol. Kentavious Caldwell-Pope was re-signed, and Harrell gives them another useful option in the frontcourt. Oh, and they still have LeBron James and Anthony Davis. The Lakers are the clear-cut championship favorites.
