Much has been made about the dominance of the Western Conference over the last few years. I have written about it in the past, and the consistent quality of play is higher than that of the teams in the Eastern Conference. Top to bottom, the west is simply better. While that argument is fairly agreed upon, the real points of contention surround the list of the truly elite teams out west. Recently, San Antonio Spurs’ head coach Gregg Popovich said that the current hierarchy in the west is the Golden State Warriors and then everyone else. While Pop certainly knows his stuff, I’m not sure I entirely agree with his assessment. With that said, here are the teams in the west who can make a legitimate claim to that elite status.
Golden State Warriors
Pop wasn’t too far off in his statement that the Warriors are atop the conference. They have the best record in the league and play excellent offense and defense. Led by Stephen Curry and Klay Thompson, the splash brothers, Golden State has played at an elite level all season. Though they won’t challenge the 72 win Bulls, they are playing the best basketball in the league. With a deep bench and improvements from players like Draymond Green and Marreese Speights, GSW is primed for a deep run. Their flaws run as deep as how well Curry and Thompson shoot, and that means they won’t be having too many off nights. First year head coach Steve Kerr has done a masterful job of putting everyone in positions to excel, and is the frontrunner for coach of the year.
Memphis Grizzlies
Somehow, the Memphis Grizzlies seem to slip out of every conversation of the best teams in basketball. With the third best record in the league, it’s amazing how often the Grizzlies fly under the radar. While many teams might feel slighted, it seems that Memphis is perfectly fine with going about their business, true to their “grit ‘n grind” mantra. Led by All-Star Marc Gasol and Zach Randolph, the Grizz have stuck to old school basketball while the rest of the league migrates out to the three-point line. The midseason acquisition of Jeff Green was a masterful move that solidified their only weak spot in the starting rotation. Mike Conley is as clutch as they come in the fourth quarter, and their defense is stellar as always. The rest of the league may sleep on the Grizzlies, but they truly are one of the few elite teams in the west, just waiting to make their mark in the playoffs.
Portland Trail Blazers
Plagued by injuries all season, the Portland Trail Blazers continue to grind out wins, and are starting to round into form as the season winds down. Damian Lillard is the engine behind this team, but that is not to say he does it all. With LaMarcus Aldridge manning the post and Wesley Matthews, Nicolas Batum, and newly acquired Arron Afflalo surrounding him, Portland’s offense is lethal. The keys going forward will be Batum’s recently improved play and if that is sustainable, and if Aldridge can continue to play through his thumb injury. Aldridge put off surgery on his left thumb to keep playing, and his role cannot be understated for this team. If the bench continues to play at a high level, Portland is balanced enough offensively, and has the star power in Lillard and Aldridge, to take out anyone in the west.
Oklahoma City Thunder
This might come as a surprise to many, given the Thunder’s struggles all year and their current position in the eight seed, but a fully healthy OKC team is truly among the elite. With Kevin Durant sidelined at various points throughout the season, Russell Westbrook has stepped up in a big way. Westbrook has excelled and thrown his name into the ring for MVP consideration. The trade deadline removed the only locker room problem from a team that truly enjoys playing for each other, and brought in guys who can make a difference down the stretch. Westbrook will have his off nights, but when he is operating as he has shown he’s capable of, OKC is hard to stop. Oh, and when that Durant guy returns, they get back the reigning MVP as well. It’s just a matter of health, but a fully loaded OKC squad is more than capable of getting back to the finals. They’ve shown they can do it before, and this year might be no different.
Agree? Disagree? Who should have made the list? Let us know in the comments below!