Friday came, and it became a bloodbath all afternoon, seemingly foreshadowing what should be a scintillating regular and postseason in the Western Conference. Barring injuries—though that was a problem last year—the top five teams, in no order, include the Oklahoma City Thunder, San Antonio Spurs, Los Angeles Clippers, Houston Rockets, and the Golden State Warriors.

With Dwight Howard choosing the Houston Rockets, according to Sam Amick, and seemingly on their way to finalizing a super team with Josh Smith, the gap between the elite teams and lesser contenders considerably closed.

Though Kevin Durant's Thunder and Tim Duncan's Spurs are the favorites, it shouldn't surprise anyone that the additions of J.J. Redick and Jared Dudley in Los Angeles; Andre Iguodala and a healthy Andrew Bogut in Golden State; and Dwight Howard in Houston, it appears to be a five-way race to the top.

Most specifically, let's look at how the two big pickups affect their respective teams.

Depending on what Houston does with or without Josh Smith, it shouldn't matter in the long-term. I preface this next part assuming that Dwight is fully healthy after a season fighting through a back injury and shoulder tear. Dwight would allow the Rockets to run up and down and play fast without worrying about a back line defense. Though Omer Asik was an elite defender down low, Dwight renders him like an AAU player because of his ability to move so quickly and sheer size and athleticism to affect shots.

With James Harden's ability to draw contact and those deadly high spead pick-and-rolls, most teams will be in foul trouble with half a quarter left. Without delving too much into other trade speculations, if the Rockets can set up shooters around Dwight and Harden, like Chandler Parsons, Carlos Delfino and even Francisco Garcia from last year, this would become a devastating inside-out combo that would play at an efficient rate. Sounds like a Daryl Morey team, right?

Meanwhile, the Warriors have assembled a much more athletic and healthy team, in theory and ability, by shipping out first-round picks in 2014 and 2017, Brandon Rush, Andris Biedrins and Richard Jefferson. They get more athletic by simply adding Andre Iguodala in place of an injured Brandon Rush and presumably will play Friday came, and it became a bloodbath all afternoon, seemingly foreshadowing what should be a scintillating regular and postseason in the Western Conference. Barring injuries—though that was a problem last year—the top five teams, in no order, include the Oklahoma City Thunder, San Antonio Spurs, Los Angeles Clippers, Houston Rockets, and the Golden State Warriors.

All this is to say that the Warriors should play as a top contender, always with the if healthy caveat, with a team that's versatile enough to play big and small. In today's NBA, if you cannot adjust to both styles of play, it's tough to contend with teams like the Indiana Pacers, ready to play big, or the Miami Heat, small but devastating. The Warriors can garner minutes to Barnes everywhere, while lessening the minutes to Curry, Thompson and Lee, who all played an enormous amount of time last season. The Warriors will still need backup guards and forwards but the core is set and they are built to play both styles of basketball.

They are essentially constructed in the way the Denver Nuggets were in the past few seasons: with interchangeable wing with specific capabilities like one-on-one post moves or shooting (Thompson and Barnes), but hold two trump cards in that the Nuggets didn't have Curry's playmaking or shooting and Bogut's interior defense. On that token, Mark Jackson should find the flexibility to form lineups that will force the opposing teams to adjust, whether it be fast or slow.

As currently constructed, all five teams, along with the Memphis Grizzles and a healthy Minnesota team, should make the Western Conference as fun to watch as the 2013 NBA Finals.

The landscape of the NBA is taking a turn this season, as the Lakers look headed for a downfall while the likes of the Clipper, Warriors and Rockets will contend for a Conference Finals appearance. Though we associate free agency and level of play to that of the players and coaches, we forget how integral a team's present and future is tied to the General Manager. With Daryl Morey and Bob Myers at the helm of the Rockets and the Warriors, respectively, they've risen from mediocrity or outright failure and now field two of the most talent, and dangerous teams in the Western Conference.