One Defining Number for Every Team in the NBA’s Western Conference
There is one defining number for every team in the NBA's Western Conference. The Western teams are listed in order of their over/under win totals from FanDuel.
Phoenix Suns have the highest over/under in the Western Conference. Robert Sarver is exploring a sale of the team. Deandre Ayton didn't speak with head coach Monty Williams for months after a Game 7 loss last May. The Suns went 64-18 last season and won 59.3 games the next season. The worst teams in NBA history won 51 games after losing 51 or fewer games.
Moses Moody and Jonathan Kuminga averaged 46.8 points per game in summer league. They are expected to play more this season. The Warriors won the title last season without much help from their lottery rookies. The team's championship core is getting older. It will rely on the team’s youth contingent, which includes Jordan Poole, Otto Porter Jr. and Gary Payton II.
The Los Angeles Clippers have the highest salary cap hit of any team in the NBA's Western Conference. They are on track to pay one of the most expensive luxury taxes in NBA history. The team has a top-to-bottom roster quality. The supporting cast around Kawhi Leonard is the best in league.
Denver Nuggets lost in the first round to the Warriors last season. Jamal Murray and Michael Porter Jr. were injured. Nikola Jokic was the team's leading scorer without them. Denver's starting five could be the best in NBA at full strength. Denver could compete for its first Finals trip since it played in ABA in 1976.
Dallas Mavericks are trying to consolidate their gains from last season. They won 52 games and reached the conference finals. Jalen Brunson left in free agency and Luka Doncic is the rare superstar without a star teammate.
Luka Doncic is third in ESPN's ranking of the top 100 players entering this season. His teammate Spencer Dinwiddie is 69th. Every other player in the list has at least one teammate in top 50.
There is one defining number for every team in the NBA’s Western Conference.
Memphis Grizzlies are the no. 2 seed in the Western Conference. They have the fourth-best offensive rating in NBA. Memphis led the league in transition frequency and had a 32.7 percent offensive rebound rate last season. Desmond Bane is the only above-average 3-point shooter in their starting lineup.
Rudy Gobert is the best defender in the NBA. He improves his team's defense by 4.25 points per 100 possessions. Minnesota Timberwolves overpaid for him. Karl-Anthony Towns and Anthony Edwards should score at a top-10 rate.
Anthony Davis' 3-point percentage has plummeted to 22.7 percent over the past two seasons. He's currently ranked 208th among active players with at least 900 attempts. Lakers won the 2019-20 NBA Western Conference title. They need LeBron James and Davis to play like superstars to have a chance to compete this season.
The Pelicans were a good team last season despite the injury to Zion Williamson. New Orleans has a chance to blow past expectations this season because every important player from last year's team is still around. New York is in the Western Conference. The Pelicans have a middling over/under this year. One Defining Number for Every Team in Western conference is 9.
Portland Trail Blazers have the NBA's worst defense. Damian Lillard is a top-five offense, but he and Anfernee Simons form the worst defensive backcourt in the league. The last time Portland's defense was better than average, it reached the conference finals.
Sacramento Kings are hoping to make the playoffs for the first time since 2006. De'Aaron Fox and Domantas Sabonis played well together last season, but they were outscored by 2.7 points per 100 possessions. Neither player is a strong defender for his position. Sacramento's net rating is negative 2,7.
Utah Jazz have 13 future first-round draft picks. They acquired them in the summer. All but one of those picks are unprotected. It's unclear how many of them will land in a lottery. The future of traded picks is mostly random. Utah has more future draft equity than any other team in NBA's Western Conference.
Jalen Green's performance improved from January to February. Houston Rockets are rebuilding. The Rockets have the worst eFG% in the Western Conference. The team's overall record is 20.7. It's the lowest number for every team in NBA's Western conference.
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander averaged 34.8 drives per 100 possessions over the past two regular seasons. Only three other players were within 10 drives (per 100) of SGA: Doncic, Morant and Trae Young. Gilggeious- Alexander's team, Oklahoma City, is expected to be a contender this season.
The last time the San Antonio Spurs had a top-eight pick in the NBA draft was in 1997. They selected a college prospect named Tim Duncan.
