NORTHWEST DIVISION
Denver Nuggets
Who would have thought that the 2023 NBA Champions, the Denver Nuggets, wouldn’t have even made the following Western Conference Finals? Maybe the fact that there have been six separate Larry O’Brien winners in the last half dozen seasons. I don’t know.
Never fear, Nikola Jokić and Jamal Murray are still here, as are Michael Porter Jr. and Aaron Gordon. Losing the likes of Kentavious Caldwell-Pope and Reggie Jackson stings, but adding former Laker and Clipper Hall of Famer and triple-double machine Russell Westbrook is a wild card that could be a great deal for The Joker’s pack.
Minnesota Timberwolves
Instead of the Nuggets, it was Minny who made the wild Western Finals against the Mavericks. Taking over, Anthony Edwards showed us he was that dude and the next soaring superstar in the association. Now he has an Olympic gold medal from Paris in his trophy cabinet. Surely, an NBA ring is next?
Towered by the Twins’ tandem of Rudy Gobert and new trade acquisition Julius Randle (swapped for Karl-Anthony Towns) in the post, you can see why they made it to the top of the West. For sure. The T-Wolves have added Bubble star T.J. Warren to their mix in a ship still steadied by Mike Conley. And let’s not forget Sixth Man of the Year and people’s champ, Naz Reid. The Wolves and fans’ fangs.
Oklahoma City Thunder
The Thunder are right there like clouds at the end of summer. They are our fall favorites. Canadian Shai Gilgeous-Alexander will soon only need one name, like Kobe. The return of Chet Holmgren was star-powered, and the muscle comes bound up with Luguentz Dort in the paint.
Add the J-Williams of Jalen and Jaylin (how do they distinguish between them on the team jerseys?) and the new addition of Isaiah Hartenstein from the NYK, and OKC is ready to go.
Sure, they lost Josh Giddey, along with that controversy, to Chicago, but they got defensive stalwart Alex Caruso in return. Oklahoma is following Minnesota to the Western Conference Finals.
Portland Trail Blazers
Dame Time has been clocked out for long enough. It’s the double-nickel of Scoot Henderson’s time now. Not to mention, Donovan Clingan from UConn was snagged with the seventh seal in the 2024 NBA Draft.
The Blazers are big, with players like Deandre Ayton, Jerami Grant, and Robert Williams III—similar to how Greg Oden was supposed to be. Brandon Roy. RIP City has bounced back before. It’s just going to take a few revolutions around the sun before the city is smelling of roses once again.
Utah Jazz
Play this: Lauri Markkanen is fresh off military duty, and his signature locks are back. Players like Jordan Clarkson, Collin Sexton, John Collins, and Walker Kessler are among the Jazz’s favorite picks for the record. They also just picked up Patty Mills from the free agent market.
Top ten draft choice Cody Williams could also make an immediate impact. In a crowded conference, Utah could find itself lost out in the desert. Sure, the Jazz may be a few notes behind, but don’t take for granted that it wasn’t long ago they had the best record in the association’s regular season.
PACIFIC DIVISION
Golden State Warriors
Holy Cannoli! Klay Thompson is gone. The Splash Brothers are done, and right now the Golden State Warriors would even welcome a Poole party. Well, at least Draymond Green is still providing a punch to a team that also lost legend Chris Paul from their backcourt but did add Buddy Hield and Kyle Anderson to their mix of Andrew Wiggins, Jonathan Kuminga, Kevon Looney, and Gary Payton II.
Fresh off their Olympic gold, Coach Steve Kerr and Captain Stephen Curry are ready to go from downtown San Francisco. These thrice-removed NBA champions are better than you think, but for how long? Chef Curry’s mix with King James in Paris felt like a love affair that might ring in a new dynasty matrimony. Although Steph did re-sign with the Warriors… for one year.
Los Angeles Clippers
Losing Russell Westbrook cut out their heart. Having Paul George leave for Philly clipped their chances. Yet, the Los Angeles Clippers still have Kawhi Leonard and James Harden. The closest they come to a championship won’t be an FX series starring Laurence Fishburne as Doc Rivers.
Nicolas Batum and Mo Bamba came from the Sixers in exchange for PG-13. They help set a roster with Bones Hyland, Terance Mann, Norman Powell, P.J. Tucker, and the recently re-upped Ivica Zubac. How far Ty Lue’s men will go depends on how healthy and unselfish they are. Respectfully and with all due respect, we’re looking at you, Leonard and Harden.
Los Angeles Lakers
LeBron James. Bronny James. The King James Version. HIM. The G.O.A.T. “Lakers in five,” as Shannon Sharpe would say. These Lakers can go further than the haters claim, especially when AD is healthy. Bronny is better than nepotism claims suggest, and his Ken Griffey-like team-up with his dad is perfect for this storied franchise’s Hollywood storytelling. Yet, still, they hate.
You might think that if another team had won the first In-Season Tournament or in the Bubble, these things wouldn’t be as diminished, but this is the Lakers we’re talking about. You know what they really value.
The great J.J. Redick is such a rookie coach that his roster headshot on the official team’s website still shows him in a player’s jersey. The Lake Show stole sharpshooter Dalton Knecht in the draft, but how far they let it fly depends on the young trio of D’Angelo Russell, Rui Hachimura, and Austin Reaves.
Phoenix Suns
Scorched earth. Kevin Durant, Devin Booker, and Bradley Beal can outscore anybody, but it’s time for this Holy Trinity to reach the promised land. Picking up Tyus Jones, Thaddeus Young, Mason Plumlee, and the slow grind heart of Isaiah Thomas, alongside regulars Grayson Allen, Damion Lee, Bol Bol, and Jusuf Nurkic, gives the cactus more spike.
Chris Paul and Deandre Ayton. Every time a big name is reduced to ashes, Phoenix still finds a way to rise. Now, the Arizona super-team needs to be developed the right way. The road is always bright and filled with talent, like their WNBA affiliate. But like mercury, they need to rise to the right temperature.
Sacramento Kings
Crown them. They’ve already lit the beam, and now, like the tallest of towers these illuminations represent, Sacramento is set to scrape the sky. Kings don’t just reside on the Hollywood side of California. There are enough stars showcased down Sacramento’s tunnel walk of fame to bring the fever of the cowbells back.
Welcome, rookie Devin Carter. Your locker is next to the likes of Domantas Sabonis, De’Aaron Fox, and Malik Monk, not to mention the sharpshooter Kevin Huerter and newcomers like Jordan McLaughlin. Yet, the biggest acquisition for Mike Brown’s team has to be DeMar DeRozan.
Compton’s own, who has disappointed the Lakers like he did Drake by choosing another part of California, much like he did with Kendrick Lamar. These Kings are not like us.
SOUTHWEST DIVISION
Dallas Mavericks
Let’s not forget that the same Dallas Mavericks everyone wrote off are the reigning Western Conference Champions and NBA finalists. Just when they thought the Luka Dončić and Kyrie Irving connection wouldn’t work, we were as surprised as Luka’s face when he heard those two getting down in the locker room during a press conference.
Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown, beware: the Mavs have now added Klay Thompson. You’re going to dislike this more than the Olympics. But forget Paris, like Billy Crystal’s NBA referee.
The top of the Texan triangle has also brought Spencer Dinwiddie back, adding a familiar face to a regular rotation that extends longer than Dirk Nowitzki’s legendary shorts did. His jersey and the banner he raised are about to have some company.
Houston Rockets
Fly me to the moon like Sinatra, because the Rockets’ roster has more stars to play among. With the third pick, Jay-Z’s old franchise, the Brooklyn Nets, shipped Reed Sheppard to Texas. Shepherding in a new era alongside Jalen Green, Cam Whitmore, and Canada’s own villain from the golden era of the ’90s that could only dream of Dillon Brooks.
Joined by evergreen veteran Jeff Green, downtown player Reggie Bullock Jr., everyone’s mate Steven Adams, and of course, former Raptor Fred VanVleet in reserve, the Rockets have more fuel and firepower than NASA. No more problems—Cosmic City is ready to go interstellar like McConaughey. It’s alright, alright, alright.
Memphis Grizzlies
Grit. Grind. Growth. The Grizzlies, along with a redeemed and rejuvenated Ja Morant, are ready. They’re backed by Desmond Bane, Marcus Smart, and former Defensive Player of the Year Jaren Jackson Jr., not to mention veterans like Luke Kennard and the future talents related to Scottie Pippen Jr. The Pack is back. But let’s take this moment to say, happy retirement to Derrick Rose.
If you think that’s big, look north. Canadian rookie Zach Edey was one of the best college players last year for Purdue. He’s the future we were just talking about. From your home to mine, Yuta ‘The Shooter’ Watanabe may have returned to Japan after finishing his NBA career where it all started, but in his stead, fellow countryman Yuki Kawamura is the real deal.
The former Yokohama B-Corsair is hitting more than 25 points, five rebounds, and five assists in the Olympics, like only Kevin Durant and Luol Deng before him.
New Orleans Pelicans
When it comes to the rest of the West, forget the Pelicans at your peril. These birds are still top billing. From Mount Zion to the Mardi Gras, that’s gunner Brandon Ingram out on the open floor. Now joining the upgraded CJ McCollum on the wing is Dejounte Murray, the soaring former Hawk, giving the Pels what Trae Young will miss as much as Dame Lillard misses his former best backcourt mate.
Heated up by Jose Alvarado’s microwavable ‘Sixth Man’ fan-favorite spark plug, it’s a yes from me for N.O. Willie Green’s day will come. To think, this was once a franchise that thought it was all over when Anthony Davis left for Lakerland. That was not all, folks!
San Antonio Spurs
It’s official: the Rookie of the Year certification was practically guaranteed on draft night. The Wemby era is here. Witness his tears after losing gold to Team USA’s Avengers in the Olympic basketball final in Paris with his fellow Frenchmen to see how much the game means to him. It’s his now.
Drafting Stephon Castle fourth, after a couple of more players from France, and Rob Dillingham eighth, you can see that Pop is building something reminiscent of the Navy days with The Admiral, or the era of Tim Duncan, Manu Ginobili, and France’s finest, Tony Parker.
Don’t forget about the Rodman hair colors of Great Britain’s Jeremy Sochan too. Even greats like Chris Paul and Harrison Barnes have been spurred on by all this. To the victor go the spoils.
