The NBA regular season is about to restart with the 2023/24 season. Let’s break down the 15 Western Conference teams and our power rankings
10 days after the start of the NBA regular season 2023/24, we at Generation Sport want to give you our point of view on the 30 teams at the starting line. So here’s the power ranking della Western Conference and the prediction of how the RS will go although the market may change the balance during the current season. We will start from position 15 until we get to what we consider the best for each Conference. Tell us your prediction in the comments and on our social media!
15. Portland Trail Blazers
It’s year zero for Portland after Lillard’s departure and the end of an era. The arrival of Scoot Henderson gives some hope but the roster in the hands of Billups seems in need of another year of purgatory before it can see the light. Ayton will have the chance to mature in a low-pressure environment, Brogdon and Robert Williams are good additions but could be pawns for other young material. In between there will be the opportunity to express themselves for Sharpe, Kris Murray, Camara, Thybulle and above all Simons.
14. San Antonio Spurs
Wembanyama and little else deep in Texas. However, enthusiasm has returned to the Spurs environment and the Frenchman’s first glimpses already seem to be making the difference. However, Wemby will need to have his rookie season and Popovich knows this perfectly so the objectives for now remain only to progress. Keldon Johnson, Vassell, Tre Jones and Sochan are expected to mature to understand if they can make a difference in the roster of the future. Crucial year for San Antonio with some extra spotlight.
13. Houston Rockets
In the other part of Texas, however, the project seems a few steps ahead. The arrival of Ime Udoka has undoubtedly given some chances to draw well from the offseason. The coach wants to show all the good she had done in Boston before her dismissal for non-basketball issues. Brooks and VanVleet are the two most anticipated arrivals with rookies Amen Thompson and Cam Whitmore who will want to impress. To these must be added the maturation of Jabari Smith Jr, Jalen Green and Sengun for a roster that will be able to take some important scalps.
12. Utah Jazz
In the limbo of the Western Conference we find the Jazz. The Salt Lake City franchise demonstrated in the first part of last season that it has value with the maturation of Markkanen, Clarkson and Sexton plus the excellent addition of Kessler. John Collins is an interesting addition to stretch a team that has looked short. Rookies Hendricks, George and Sensabaugh look like they can give something and will have the peace of mind to improve. Obviously we have an eye for Simone Fontecchio who wants to try to have more space than in his first season.
11. Minnesota Timberwolves
From here starts the very close fight towards the play-ins which can represent more than a criticism of the choice. For us out of the post-season we put the Wolves despite Anthony Edwards. The former Georgia guard could represent the team’s crazy variable and a lot will depend on his and Towns’ performances. Gobert didn’t give the support hoped for last year and the summer was also bad for the Frenchman. Little or nothing has arrived from the market and Finch will have to find solutions if he doesn’t want to ruin the project already in the second year.
10. Oklahoma City Thunder
We want to be cautious with OKC but the hype we have to see the final version of this team is a lot. Shai, Giddey, the two Williams and now also Chet Holmgren can represent a problem for many teams in the West with more imminent goals. Bertans and Oladipo can represent interesting alternatives as well as watch out for Micic making his debut in America after dominating the Euroleague with Efes. The Thunder have raw material in their hands but the potential is really high.
9. New Orleans Pelicans
Here everything depends on Zion Williamson’s physical fitness. If the former Duke power forward is polished for most of the season, the Pelicans can also exceed many expectations. The absence of Trey Murphy III weighs heavily on the team’s economy and very little has arrived from the transfer market. Ingram, McCollum, Valaciunas and Herb Jones are Willie Green’s hard core but he is the number 0 who makes all the difference in the world.
8. Dallas Mavericks
The Doncic-Irving pairing clearly didn’t work last season but the Texans wanted to try an encore with the addition of some interesting pieces. The return of Seth Curry and the arrivals of Holmes and especially Grant Williams cover the flaws of the golden couple. The absence of an important big man is still felt and this makes us turn up our noses at Dallas’ chances of success. Jason Kidd is already at a crossroads for his coaching career as well as the reputation of the Slovenian with 77.
7. Los Angeles Clippers
The lawyer said: “It’s raining. The cat is dead. My girlfriend left me and I care about the Clippers.” The roster could compete at the highest levels but physical fitness is the real Achilles’ heel. Kawhi Leonard and Paul George are perhaps on their last call to LA before splitting up or perhaps dismantling themselves. Westbrook will have to propose the version seen in the season finale, the addition of Kenyon Martin Jr could be an excellent pick. We believe little in the physical strength of the team and this makes us keep our expectations of the Clippers low.
6. Memphis Grizzlies
With due proportions, just as for the Pelicans, the Grizzlies’ expectations depend on Ja Morant. The former Murray State guard must put aside all the messes he made last year and after the disqualification return to top psycho-physical condition. The arrival of Smart in place of Brooks is a big step forward just as the additions of Kennard and Derrick Rose in the rotations can be important. As usual, Memphis can count on a well-established group that has everything to make the definitive leap in quality.
5. Sacramento Kings
Repeating will be increasingly difficult and this rule also applies to the Kings who surprised last season. Holmes’ departure was largely compensated by the arrivals of Huerter, McGee and Duarte plus the surprise of Vezenkov’s inclusion in the NBA. The basic system is the same, beautiful basketball will always be offered and with more experience for Fox, Mitchell and Murray plus the evergreen Sabonis and Barnes. SacTown just needs to shake off the growing pressure it will have next season and can then become a loose cannon even for big goals.
4. Golden State Warriors
The years pass, the voices of dissent for an old roster increase in the Bay and the Dubs find more and more pleasure in proving everyone wrong. Steph Curry, Draymond Green and Klay Thompson remained together even though the latter had more than one tempting offer with the exclusion of Poole as a prize. Chris Paul seemed like a chess move but instead it became a different chance to make the second unit responsible with Garuba to monitor. Never give up the Warriors and Steph in particular but they start slightly behind the top three teams.
3. Los Angeles Lakers
The off-season made the Lakers rise a lot in the lists at the beginning of the season. Reddish, Vincent, Hayes, Prince and especially Wood are important additions to this roster with the addition of confirmations for Hachimura and Reaves. Obviously the team’s fate depends on the physical fitness of LeBron James and especially Anthony Davis who will have to demonstrate a lot before a possible change of plan. The King said he is motivated and is ready to dedicate the season to his son Bronny, AD is an unknown but in Hollywood the desire to win always remains very strong.
2. Phoenix Suns
A lot of meat has arrived in Arizona this offseason and we are not facing first position just because there is someone in front who has already won. The Suns added another star like Bradley Beal to Kevin Durant and Devin Booker and got rid of a troublemaker like Ayton. Vogel will have to try to assemble a team well with many important additions to the roster such as Eric Gordon, Nurkic, Little, Watanabe, Bol Bol and Grayson Allen above all. Phoenix is at the decisive all-in after often coming close, now it’s win or die they would say on the other side of the ocean.
1. Denver Nuggets
Whoever won and has (almost) remained the same can only be confirmed as indicated to win. Nikola Jokic, Jamal Murray, Michael Porter Jr, Aaron Gordon and Caldwell-Pope remained there always guided by coach Malone. The absences of Bruce Brown and Jeff Green in the rotations may have an impact but Justin Holiday and a few rookies can cover. In fact, the Serbian has seemed almost impregnable in recent seasons and with the step of the ring he won last year he can dominate the League even more calmly. Denver doesn’t have the pressure of having to repeat itself, they haven’t spent billions on the market and this will give their basketball the chance to express itself at its best.
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2023-10-14 18:28:26
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