NBA Preview 2017-18: Western Conference Predictions, Projected Finish

The NBA’s Western Conference once again looks to be the class of the NBA.

The Houston Rockets added Chris Paul, while the Oklahoma City Thunder went and grabbed two stars in Paul George and Carmelo Anthony to pair with 2017 NBA MVP Russell Westbrook.

And let’s not forget about the NBA’s version of the Death Star, known as the Golden State Warriors.

Oh, and we don’t know if you’ve heard, but the Los Angeles Lakers drafted one of the most hyped rookies in recent memory — Lonzo Ball.

There’s no doubt the West will be must-see TV every night, but how will it shake out?

We broke it down in our Western Conference preview, which includes a projected finish for each team and their outlook going forward.

1. Golden State Warriors. This one is fairly obvious. The defending NBA champions return their core four and added Nick Young and rookie Jordan Bell to improve an already dynamic bench. If Kevin Durant and Stephen Curry remain healthy, there’s no reason the Warriors won’t win 70 games.

2. Houston Rockets. How will James Harden and Paul, two ball-dominant guards co-exist? That’s the main question Houston has to answer to be a championship contender. The additions of P.J. Tucker and Luc Richard Mbah A Moute should give the Rockets two gritty defenders to offset Harden’s lack of effort on that end. The Rockets have all the pieces to win the title, but unfortunately, the Warriors stand in their way.

3. Oklahoma City Thunder. Westbrook, George and Anthony, what could go wrong? On paper, the Thunder are vastly improved from a year ago when Westbrook took the Thunder to the NBA playoffs. Oklahoma City still needs to figure out what to do with Andre Roberson, as they won’t be able to beat the Warriors or Rockets playing four-on-five on the offensive end. If the three stars gel, the Thunder should find themselves in the conference finals opposite Golden State.

4. San Antonio Spurs. It’s hard to doubt Gregg Popovich’s ability to craft an upper-echelon team, but questions surrounding Kawhi Leonard’s ankle, Tony Parker’s quadriceps and LaMarcus Aldridge’s happiness could make this season bumpier than normal for the Spurs. Still, expect San Antonio to grab a top-four seed in the West.

5. Utah Jazz. No Gordon Hayward, no problem. Sure Utah lost its star player, but the Jazz return more than enough to make the playoffs even in a loaded conference. We wouldn’t discount the possibility of Hayward being a prime Ewing Theory candidate, as the team could outperform its talent to spite their former star. The Jazz will be a hard-nosed team on the defensive end that should give opponents fits.

6. Minnesota Timberwolves. Everyone’s preseason darling should have enough to snap their 13-year postseason drought. The addition of Jimmy Butler and Jeff Teague to a team that already includes Karl-Anthony Towns and Andrew Wiggins should give teams fits night in and night out. The ‘Wolves likely will have some growing pains to start the season, but we expect Tom Thibodeau to iron out the kinks and get Minnesota to the postseason.

7. Portland Trail Blazers. Portland will lean on its star-studded backcourt of Damian Lillard and C.J. McCollum, but the Blazers will go as far as Jusuf Nurkic’s health will allow. Continuity and head coach Terry Stotts will be two of the Portland’s biggest assets this season.

8. Denver Nuggets. Nikola Jokic, Paul Millsap and Gary Harris should be enough to end Denver’s four-year playoff drought. The Nuggets’ do have a glaring hole at point guard though, and if it isn’t addressed by the trade deadline, they could find themselves on the outside looking in.

9. Los Angeles Clippers. The loss of Paul will either be a huge issue or a giant blessing. Doc Rivers now can turn the team over to star forward Blake Griffin, but the Clippers are relying on a laundry list of guys with injury problems to stay healthy. If Griffin, Danilo Gallinari and Patrick Beverley can stay healthy, L.A. can avoid its inevitable downslide for another season. But that’s a huge if.

10. New Orleans Pelicans. The first full season of the Anthony Davis-DeMarcus Cousins pairing is sure to draw eyes to the TV, but it’s unlikely to bring them to the playoffs. Point guard Jrue Holliday has struggled to play an injury-free season, and New Orleans’ bench might be the worst in the league, which is a massive issue.

11. Memphis Grizzlies. The Grit and Grind era officially ended with the exits of Tony Allen and Zach Randolph. Chandler Parsons can’t play more than 30 games and Marc Gasol and Mike Conley are another year older. Things could get ugly in Memphis.

12. Los Angeles Lakers. Ball, Brandon Ingram, Julius Randle and Kyle Kuzma (yes, he’s for real) lead a young Lakers team that should be a blast to watch. The additions of veterans Brook Lopez and Kentavious Caldwell-Pope should fit well with the young nucleus, and head coach Luke Walton undoubtedly will get the most out of his squad. We have no idea who’s going to play defense on this team, but … Lonzo!

13. Sacramento Kings. Sacramento hit a home run during the 2017 NBA Draft by drafting De’Aaron Fox, Justin Jackson and Harry Giles. The Kings are playing it safe with Giles by holding him out until January, which is the smart move. The additions of Vince Carter and Randolph were a little perplexing but that’s the Kings.

14. Dallas Mavericks. The Mavs drafted Dennis Smith Jr., who looks to be the first piece of a rebuild once Dirk Nowitzki retires. Dallas has a roster full of average veteran players, and we wouldn’t be shocked to see guys like Wesley Matthews shipped out by February.

15. Phoenix Suns. In the last year of tanking, the Suns are a prime candidate. Devin Booker and Josh Jackson are two talented young players on a roster filled with face-palm inducing mistakes. Yes, we’re looking at you Tyson Chandler, Brandon Knight, Alex Len and Dragan Bender. Phoenix might pack it in early and try to secure the top pick in a loaded 2018 class.