The Western Conference Is Absolutely Stacked With Superstars
The Western Conference is looking absolutely stacked with superstars after the 2023 NBA trade deadline. Phoenix Suns acquired Kevin Durant, Dallas Mavericks landed Kyrie Irving while Los Angeles Lakers made very smart trades in the last few days.
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The NBA trade deadline is one of the most exciting times of the year and in 2023, it has already kicked off with some fireworks. Just this week, Kyrie Irving landed with the Dallas Mavericks, Russell Westbrook received his long-awaited departure from Los Angeles, and now, Kevin Durant is headed to the desert to team up with Devin Booker, Deandre Ayton, and Chris Paul with the Suns. Maybe the NBA needs to start considering the All-Star Game to be played before the deadline. Just a thought. The Western Conference now holds a significant advantage over the Eastern Conference as far as talent goes with many of the Eastern Conference's stars on the move in that direction at the deadline.
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It can now be argued that the Western Conference has seven legitimate NBA championship contenders. The Suns, Nuggets, Warriors, Mavericks, Clippers, Grizzlies, and even the Lakers have all revamped their teams to look like serious contenders to become NBA champions. There are only three teams in the East that we can point to and say they have a legitimate chance at winning it all with the Celtics, Bucks, and Sixers. No matter who is hoisting the trophy at the end of it all, the Western Conference has clearly tipped the scales in their favor.
Obviously, the teams we are including below do not include the likes of the Rockets and Spurs. Each with 14 or fewer wins on the season, both of these teams are already looking ahead to 2023-24 for the most part. The Rockets have a ton of potential and talent in young players like Jalen Green, Alperen Sengun, and Kevin Porter Jr., but a lack of experience and leadership has derailed any hopes of improvement this year. The same goes for the Spurs with Devin Vassell and Keldon Johnson. They each have a ton of potential but the rest of the roster is depleted and lack of experience has them at the bottom of the conference. These two teams are not a part of the West being stacked in 2022-23 but perhaps they will be in the future.
The Western Conference is absolutely stacked and we are here to break it all down.
Los Angeles Lakers
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For the first time in two seasons, Rob Pelinka and the Los Angeles Lakers front office are making moves that have energized the fanbase. Just a couple of weeks ago, they acquired Rui Hachimura from the Wizards and he has adapted quite well to start in the Lakers lineup. The day before the trade deadline, they finally rid themselves of the Russell Westbrook saga, trading him to Utah and involving a third team in the Timberwolves to land D’Angelo Russell, Jarred Vanderbilt, and Malik Beasley.
What do these moves mean for the Lakers? Well, LeBron James should certainly be pleased with the returns for one. D’Angelo Russell is a more than serviceable starting point guard who can get hot shooting the ball although he is prone to bad decisions and streaky nights. Vanderbilt provides a nice, young presence on defense in the paint next to Anthony Davis and Beasley is also a solid veteran shooting option on the outside. They add depth with the acquisition of Mo Bamba in exchange for Patrick Beverley as well. The Lakers are certainly better than yesterday but I do not think this leapfrogs them past the other top teams in the West just yet.
Oklahoma City Thunder
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Another young squad that has built itself the right way, as opposed to the Spurs and Rockets, is the Oklahoma City Thunder. The Thunder have a tough and gritty lineup who is willing to put their own egos aside for the greater good of the team. It all starts with superstar Shai-Gilgeous-Alexander who is in the middle of his best season as a young pro. Shai was named an All-Star for the first time this season as he is averaging 30.8 PPG and 5.6 APG for the 26-28 Thunder.
The squad rounds out with guys like Josh Guddey, a terrific playmaker who can run the offense at any point that they need him to. Also, Lu Dort is another player who can both shoot and defend for Oklahoma City and give them a boost when needed. The one thing that many have failed to mention or even ponder is how much better this team will look next season. Not only do they have a ton of draft capital to work with and make moves, but Chet Holmgren will also return presumably healthy over the summer as well. The Thunder may not be NBA champions in 2022-23, but they sure are a team on the rise.
Portland Trail Blazers
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The Portland Trail Blazers have been developing a solid squad of their own around the trio of Damian Lillard, Anfernee Simons, and Jermai Grant, who they acquired via trade this past offseason. Currently, Lillard is leading the way for Portland as they sit at 27-28 on the season, just three games back of the fourth seed in the West. Lillard has been on a tear for them averaging 37.3 PPG on 51.0% shooting overall from the field in his last 15 games. The Blazers have gone 8-7 in those contests but are coming off a big win over the Golden State Warriors Wednesday evening.
The Trail Blazers made a small move of their own at the deadline exchanging Josh Hart for draft capital and Cam Reddish who seeks to finally be given the chance to break out in the right situation. He will get that shot in Portland who also boasts a solid 2-3 punch after Lillard already. They also acquired 76ers defensive specialist Matisse Thybulle, who looks for a fresh start after a disappointing start to his 2022-23 campaign. Anfernee Simons is in his fifth season and is averaging a career-high 21.8 PPG with Lillard back in the lineup. Jerami Grant is in his first full season with Portland and has added a third 20.0 PPG scorer to their lineup. If they can solve their frontcourt and depth issues, look for Portland to be a tough matchup come playoff time.
Golden State Warriors
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We come to speak about the struggling defending champion Golden State Warriors. Reeling from yet another injury to Stephen Curry, and one that looks like it will cost him weeks of the season, the Warriors find themselves in yet another play-in situation through 55 games. The Warriors sit at ninth in the West, just one game over .500 yet just 1.5 games back of the fourth seed in the conference seeding. The core of Klay Thompson, Jordan Poole, and Draymond Green are tasked with keeping them afloat as they seek to defend their 2022 NBA championship.
What will be interesting to watch as the trade deadline approaches is how they handle their young guys off the bench. Jonathan Kuminga and Moses Moody have been linked to some trade chatter at one moment or another and could be used to lure a team into a deal. The Warriors traded James Wiseman as the deadline approached to the Pistons in a three-team deal that landed the Warriors five second-round picks and Kevin Knox as they sent Saddiq Bey to Atlanta. The Warriors then turned around and sent Knox to Portland in order to bring Gary Payton II back to Golden State for defensive reinforcement.
As for Thompson and Poole, they have stepped it up in the two games since Curry went down as the Warriors went 1-1 in those games. Thompson had 42 points in a win over the Thunder and 31 points in a close loss to Portland. Poole had 21 in the win and 38 points in a close loss to the Trail Blazers. Struggling with a lack of depth and struggles on the road this season, the Warriors need to capture some past magic if they have any hope of going back-to-back.
Minnesota Timberwolves
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The Minnesota Timberwolves were at the center of the Russell Westbrook trade to Utah as they ended up sending D’Angelo Russell back to the Lakers. They also acquired Jazz guard Mike Conley in the deal giving them a better veteran playmaker at the point guard position. The Timberwolves now have a “Big 4” essentially with Conley, Anthony Edwards, Rudy Gobert, and Karl-Anthony Towns when he returns from injury. With a strong case to push for a Top Three seed, the Timberwolves made a move to put them in a position to do just that.
Conley comes in averaging just 10.7 PPG through 43 games played but he is dishing out 7.7 APG as well. He provides a solid defensive effort also, much better than the one they had with Russell in that spot. Gobert has been a slight disappointment in Minnesota but is still an elite rim protector who is still figuring out his new surroundings without Towns. Edwards is a budding superstar averaging 24.7 PPG on 46.4% shooting, both career-highs in his third season. The Timberwolves have a chance to gain a ton of momentum and ground in the tight Western Conference race.
New Orleans Pelicans
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The Pelicans have been up and down for most of the season mainly due to one word, injury. Zion Williamson was selected as an All-Star starter but has missed the last 19 games and will be out through the All-Star break for New Orleans. When he was in the lineup, he was elite averaging 26.0 PPG and 7.0 RPG on 60.8% shooting. Another star that has been in and out of the lineup is Brandon Ingram. He returned after missing 29 games with an injury and has averaged 23.7 PPG, 5.3 RPG, and 6.2 APG since coming back. Although the Pelicans have gone 2-4 in those games, they look ready to get back to their winning ways from earlier in the season.
Of course, who could forget CJ McCollum who has been a tremendous addition to them since the trade deadline in 2022? In 50 starts this season, McCollum has averaged 21.3 PPG and 5.9 APG for New Orleans and adds a significant punch to their Big 3. With a supporting cast that includes Jonas Valanciunas, Jose Alvarado, and Herb Jones, The Pelicans could be a true championship contender once Zion returns to full strength. The team sits just three games back of the Kings for the third-place spot in the West.
Los Angeles Clippers
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The Los Angeles Clippers are in a curious position in the midst of their attempt to build a championship squad in 2022-23. Kawhi Leonard missed most of the beginning of the season with a lingering knee issue but has come on as of late and seems to be returning to form. Paul George has stayed relatively healthy in 2022-23, making 41 starts and averaging 23.4 PPG on 46.3% shooting. The duo is poised to help the team make a run but the cast around them remains where the questions lie.
Offseason signing John Wall was shipped out of town at the deadline, back to Houston who previously bought him out this last summer. Luke Kennard was also dismissed at the deadline and in return, the Clippers welcome back Eric Gordon as well as three second-round picks. Terrance Mann and Ivica Zubac have become great complimentary pieces for the 31-27 Clippers seeking to get back to the Conference Finals after an injury-filled 2022 campaign. The Clippers made a small splash at the deadline with the acquisition of Nuggets point guard Bones Hyland who gives the Clippers energy and big scoring bursts at times. The Clippers made another solid move by moving on from Reggie Jackson and sending him to Charlotte for some frontcourt help in Mason Plumlee, who will undoubtedly serve as a backup to Ivica Zubac.
Phoenix Suns
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The Phoenix Suns may have just traded themselves straight into the NBA Finals. In a Wednesday Night/Thursday morning blockbuster. The Suns acquired Kevin Durant from the Brooklyn Nets in exchange for Mikal Bridges, Jae Crowder, Cam Johnson, and four first-round draft picks. It is a massive haul for Brooklyn but for the Suns, it is the first of what is sure to be many massive deals in the Mat Ishiba era. Durant, who is out with injury thru the All-Star Break, brings massive firepower to a core that already includes Devin Booker, Chris Paul, and Deandre Ayton.
The Suns, who are just getting Booker back from injury, looked poised to make a serious pushback to the NBA Finals after an epic playoff meltdown in 2022. Paul will take care of leadership and management on the court as a lesser scorer than in recent years but still one of the game's top playmakers. The duo of Booker and Durant on the wings will be lethal with their abilities feeding perfectly off of each other. Deandre Ayton is not to get lost in this because he is no dud. He will be a great balance on the frontcourt for a team that boasts the most firepower in the NBA at this moment.
Dallas Mavericks
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The Dallas Mavericks made the first big splash earlier this week when they acquired Brooklyn Nets guard Kyrie Irving in a blockbuster deal. The Mavericks sent Spencer Dinwiddie, Dorian Finney-Smith, and pics to Brooklyn in exchange for Irving and Markieff Morris. The deal forms the best duo in the NBA in Irving and Luka Doncic as the duo is two of the most skilled players in the NBA right now. Added to their supporting cast of Tim Hardaway Jr., Dwight Powell, and Christian Wood, the Mavericks could turn some heads once again in the NBA playoffs.
The motto from the beginning of this season for Dallas has been to get Luka some help. They finally went out and did that by acquiring Irving. Of course, there are questions about Irving’s character and if he will stay on the court but that is all secondary to basketball at the moment and conjuncture. In their first game with Irving, and without Luka still, the Mavericks took down the Clippers behind a great game from Kyrie. Reggie Bullock found his shot and youngster Josh Green has made significant improvement this year as well. The Mavericks may have found something special in the Doncic/Kyrie duo but time will tell us if it results in an NBA title run.
Sacramento Kings
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Isn’t the NBA just a better place league when the Kings are competitive? I cannot explain it, it just is what it is. The Kings have had a great season through 54 games, sitting in third place in the West at 31-23. They hold a two-game advantage over the Mavericks at the moment thanks mostly in part to the dynamic duo of Domantas Sabonis and De’Aaron Fox. Sabonis is a legitimate Top 10 MVP candidate while Fox just missed out on his first All-Star Game but will most likely replace one of the West’s injured guards.
The Kings have also done a fantastic job of building around their star duo. Harrison Barnes has brought a solid 15.1 PPG to the lineup as well as rookie Keegan Murray who has been impressive on both ends of the floor. Malik Monk has been a great pickup for them off the bench as well as Kevin Huerter who was shooting the ball as well as anyone at one point this season. Led by Fox and Sabonis, the Kings have a real shot to make some serious noise in the NBA playoffs.
Memphis Grizzlies
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So far, the Grizzlies have stood pat at the trade deadline, comfortable with their 33-21, second-place spot in the West at this point. Ja Morant has been a superstar over the last two seasons for Memphis and is once again taking that role in 2022-23. They have been on a bit of a slide as of late and now have to contend with an even more loaded conference than it was just a week ago. I have no donut that Memphis can keep its spot toward the top of the standings as long as Morant’s supporting cast is up to the task.
Jaren Jackson Jr. has been a huge boost for them after missing a good chunk of the beginning of the season. He is currently in the race for Defensive Player of the Year, averaging 3.3 BPG. Desmond Bane is having a great follow-up to his breakout 2022 season with 21.6 PPG, 4.8 RPG, and 4.1 APG. Dillon Brooks has helped Memphis’ reputation as the bad boys of the NBA in the current day. After going 2-6 in their last eight games, the Grizzlies can easily turn things around in an instant, but can they do it in an even tougher West?
Denver Nuggets
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The Denver Nuggets currently hold a 4.5-game lead over the Grizzlies in the Western Conference showing no signs of slowing down either. Currently, Nikola Jokic is leading the MVP race averaging a triple-double as a center. He is quite easily the best playmaker in basketball at the moment and the Nuggets, now fully healthy, look ready to steamroll the competition. That is, up until the last few days unfolded. The Nuggets now have some real adversity to overcome in the West but are led by much more than solely Jokic.
After missing all of 2022 with a knee injury, Jamal Murray finds himself playing a big role on a team with championship aspirations. He is currently averaging 20.2 PPG and 5.8 APG on the season, playing much better than earlier this year already. Michael Porter Jr. has missed a bit of time again but has been a solid third option when healthy with 16.9 PPG. Aaron Gordon and Kentavious Caldwell-Pope have also been huge assets for Denver as they seek the first NBA championship in franchise history.
The Western Conference Is Wide Open
Even before all of these massive deals went down, the general consensus was that the West was wide open. The fourth and 12th seeds are separated by just three games while three teams are tied for the fourth seed anyway. With the trade deadline becoming a blockbuster hotbed, the West has shifted even further in some teams’ favor who are currently down the standing. The Phoenix Suns are the biggest example of this, acquiring Kevin Durant and forming a potentially deadly superteam.
We have all seen how these superteams sometimes work out as we just saw two disasters occur in both Brooklyn and Los Angeles with the Lakers over the last two seasons. This means the teams already up top like the Nuggets and Memphis have a serious chance to stay right where they are. Teams like Dallas and the Lakers have a chance to position themselves nicely for a big run at a berth in the NBA Finals. There has not been a more competitive Western Conference in who knows how long but the madness is just beginning to take shape so stay tuned.
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