Perhaps a better title for this article would have been “How the Western Conference is Trying to Chase Down the Spurs,” but that would have hit the 60-character limit that Google typically frowns upon.
Despite improvement by some of the Western Conference’s better teams, the San Antonio Spurs and Oklahoma City Thunder remain, easily, the best two teams.
Sure, the Minnesota Timberwolves added LaMelo Ball, but until he proves that he’s a title-caliber player, most fans will think of his antics first and foremost. The Los Angeles Lakers finally moved on from LeBron James, cementing Luka Doncic as the face of the franchise, and should take some steps forward, but they remain incredibly limited.
So, until we’re proven otherwise, San Antonio and OKC will be 1-A and 1-B. Your allegiances as a fan might make you want to swap the top two positions, but like LeBron and Michael Jordan, everyone agrees that one of them is the best.
While the Spurs are still the class of the West, their dominance might have slipped a bit. Sure, Tobias Harris shores up the frontcourt, and the Spurs can boast internal improvement, but the Wolves and Lakers did get better, and a healthy Thunder team is very formidable.
San Antonio is being chased.
Western Conference Got Shaken Up
The Lakers leaned into a new identity. The Wolves added a legitimate All-Star. Treading water, especially in the Western Conference, is never a good plan.
In the coming months, we’ll see if those moves pay off.
“The Timberwolves made a calculated gamble by abandoning their frontcourt depth and trading for LaMelo Ball,” outlined FanSided’s Eamon Cassels. “They’re desperately chasing the Oklahoma City Thunder and San Antonio Spurs. In my eyes, Ball moves them closer to this goal, but it’s not a risk-free move.”
The Wolves, for now, are largely considered the third-best team in the Western Conference, with the Lakers and Nuggets trailing. Los Angeles made a series of moves this summer, all with the Spurs and Thunder in mind, but remain stuck in that second tier.
“It’s reasonable to argue the Lakers improved this offseason,” Cassels added. “Even if you’re bullish on them, though, it’s hard to argue that they’re in the same tier as the Thunder and Spurs just yet.”
The Nuggets, meanwhile, are touted as title contenders year in and year out, but that simply isn’t the case anymore. Sure, Nikola Jokic remains a top-three player, but Denver has made the Conference Finals only twice during his prime. Their lone ring in 2023 was an accomplishment, but given the magnitude of Jokic’s stardom, a single championship is almost disappointing.
While Jokic, Jamal Murray, and Aaron Gordon are one of the best trios in the NBA, health is a factor. On top of that, Denver is the only team above the second apron, and will likely try to cut salary rather than add talent.
So, until proven otherwise, the Thunder and Spurs will remain on top, although their position atop the pyramid can’t be taken for granted. Every team gunning for the title either got better, has an all-world player leading the way, or both.
Leave a Reply