Grading Every Team In The Western Conference
After about 30 or so games of NBA action we all have an idea of who is good and who is not. Some teams have been overperforming and others underperforming for a multitude of reasons. Today I will be giving my first-half grades for each NBA team.
(Sympathy may or may not be handed out).
Western Conference
The Western Conference is loaded as usual as it seems every team has talent. There so many good teams and it’s so competitive. The same cannot be said for the Eastern Conference. Here are the grades for all the Western Conference teams so far this season.
#1 – Utah Jazz (27-9)
Grade: A+
Despite losing some games down the stretch the Jazz were very good to start this year. They shot more 3’s and their offense became the best in the league. The Jazz are the #4 offense in the league, ranking #3 in points, #1 in 3-PT makes and attempts, and #3 in 3-pt%. The first half of the year was good to Utah.
They have so many guys who can shoot. Conley, Clarkson, Mitchell, Ingles, Bogdanovic, Niang, O’Neale. A lot of guys can shoot and their offense has been so good. But their defense was also very good led by defensive anchor Rudy Gobert who is probably the frontrunner for Defensive Player Of The Year right now.
The Jazz ranked #4 in defensive rating and #4 in opponent points per game. They were good at defending the 3-pt line and they were solid all-around. Rudy Gobert is a nightmare down low as you can’t score on him. Only Jokic and Embiid have been able to control Gobert, and those two guys are generational talents. While the Jazz defense struggled there to end the first-half of the year, they are still good defensively.
I was wrong about the Jazz as their new life-style of 3-pt shooting has been great for them. They play solid on both ends and have a deep team. Now I don’t know if team basketball can take them deep into the postseason. Donovan Mitchell is an All-Star but he’s not a certified bucket getter as he’s not incredibly efficient. Not having that go-to guy can hurt in the postseason.
The Jazz do play so well together I doubt this will be as major of a problem as it might be for other teams, however the problem still exists. But through these first 36 games the Jazz have shocked everybody and are playing great, sitting atop the Western Conference.
#2 – Phoenix Suns (24-11)
Grade: A+
With the addition of CP-3 in the offseason I expected the Suns to be good, but not this good as they have become one of the best teams in the league. Offensively they have a lot of weapons. Booker and Paul are both mid-range assassins’ with Booker being a real killer. If Deandre Ayton was aggressive he would be great, but he’s good. A solid bench makes the Suns the 8th ranked offense in the league.
With Chris Paul the Suns play a slower pace and that helps them be the 6th most efficient offense in the league. They don’t waste possessions and they are very deep. I love their rotation and they are also very good defensively.
On defense guys like Mikal Bridges and Deandre Ayton lead the way. Ayton is a solid defender and Mikal Bridges locks down wings. Crowder is another good wing defender and Chris Paul still has flashes of great defense. The Suns are the 3rd best defense in the league. They are a team that is great at defending the 3-pt line and they are just solid on both ends of the floor.
I love the makeup of this team. They have a go-to scorer in Booker, a post presence (when he wants to be) in Ayton, and Chris Paul is a master floor general. The bench is strong with talent as they are deep. They have all the makings of a team that can make the deep run in the postseason as it’s looking like that 10 year postseason drought will be coming to an end.
#3 – LA Lakers (24-13)
Grade: A
The Lakers were good but hit hard with injuries late and it caused them to slip a bit in the standings. While healthy I believe they are the best team in the league but I do have concerns. On offense they obviously have Lebron who is pretty good at basketball as you all know. But other than that things haven’t been great.
AD was having a down year offensively as he dealt with injuries. I will give him the benefit of the doubt and say he was hindered by injuries but he has to stay healthy and be aggressive for this Lakers team to be great. Schroder has been good as well. But the bench is also a problem.
The bench has talent with the likes of Harrell, THT, and Kuzma but they struggle with consistency. The whole Lakers team lacks consistency with shooting. They are bottom 10 in 3-PT% and 3-PT makes per game. They struggled with shooting last year and with teams like the Jazz and Clippers in your conference, making 3’s is vital. If you rely so much on making two’s, the other team can just make some 3’s and win. Because 3>2.
Defensively the Lakers are good as always. Lebron has moments on dominance and while AD hasn’t been great this year he is still a very good defender. Schroder and KCP are good on the perimeter. Harrell is a very bad defender but if he scores he can hide that. Defense isn’t a worry for me.
Most of my problems for LA lie within the offense. To keep up with the scoring juggernauts like Utah they need AD to stay healthy. He always has nagging injuries and he’s going to be out for a few more weeks nursing that achilles injury. They need AD healthy and they don’t have the 4-month layoff they had last year. The bench and shooting needs improvement as well.
With all that said I think LA will figure things out. Just give Lebron a healthy and motivated AD and he will be fine. The Lakers can beat most teams in the West but they haven’t played their best basketball yet.
#4 – LA Clippers (24-14)
Grade: A-
The Clippers roster might have gotten worse in terms of pure talent, but the roster fits better. Their new additions have made them a better team but they still have some problems from last year. The offense is good as expected. Kawhi is having one of the best years of his career and PG is showing us the bubble was a fluke. The bench is good and there are a lot of shooters.
The Clippers are the 3rd best offense in the league, specializing in the 3-pt shot. They make the 6th most 3’s in the league and shoot it better than everybody in the league. There is only one concern I have and that’s reverting back to old habits. To close the year the Clippers had two bad losses because of late-game failures. Failures that were eerily similar to how they fell apart last year.
Just because they can shoot the ball well they fall in love with it. They just give it to Kawhi or PG with no player or ball movement and count on them to make a shot. While they can probably do it better than most people can, that’s not a recipe for success. Isolation ball is not the solution. They have to use Ty Lue’s system featuring more drive and kicks and much more movement. If not then the same thing that happened last year will happen this year.
On defense the Clippers have very talented defenders. Kawhi and PG are some of the best wing defenders in the league. Patrick Beverley is a pest. Serge Ibaka and Ivica Zubac are great down low and Marcus Morris isn’t half bad either. The Clippers are 15th in defensive rating as they aren’t great defensively. But they have a lot of positive defenders and some elite defenders. So I don’t defense is a huge concern.
But like I said earlier it comes down to the Clippers offensive system. They can’t just play in isolation and hope shots go down. That’s now how you win. This Clippers team is good, they just have to play the way that they should be playing. As a team not as a bunch of individuals. If they do that the skies the limit for this team.
#5 – Portland Trail Blazers (21-14)
Grade: A+++++++
I expected my Blazers to be around this mark but with the cards dealt to Portland this year I am very surprised. Not having CJ who was having an All-Star year and Nurkic along with Zach Collins really could have tanked Portland. And yet they remain in the playoff race thanks to an explosive offense led by one man; Damian Lillard. I know he won’t win MVP but he’s certainly top 5.
The Blazers offense has remained very good even without CJ on the floor. They are the 7th best offense in the league specializing with the 3-pt shot. They rank 2nd in 3-pt makes per game and attempts as well as #8 in percentage. This team lives and dies by the 3-pt shot. So far they have lived.
Defense is a problem as Portland ranks 28th in defense. Portland is decent at defending the 3 but without Nurkic down low they struggle. I however they they can be decent. Robert Covington is a very good defender as is Derrick Jones Jr. Those two on the wings are very good. Nurkic is solid down low, a big upgrade over Kanter. Gary Trent Jr. is a pest and guys like Hood, Dame, and CJ are average. If Zach Collins plays this year he’s a very good shot-blocker. The only liabilities are Kanter and Carmelo Anthony. So I definitely think Portland is better than their 28th rank suggests.
Imagine this Portland team when healthy. The bench would get better with guys like Trent and Kanter going back there. Nurkic and CJ fit well with MVP Dame and two dynamic wings make Portland scary. Just for the love of god stay healthy and Portland could do something, for once.
#6 – Denver Nuggets (21-15)
Grade: B
Denver started this season off very slow as they felt the affects of losing key guys like Grant and Plumlee in free agency. They’ve dealt with injuries but they hit their stride and when healthy they could be very good.
Offensively they have things covered. Nikola Jokic is having a historic season for a center. He is one of the best passers in the league and probably the best passing big guy of all-time. Jamal Murray played a great month of February and has been looking like his bubble form. MPJ is raw but talented. Denver has a very good team offense that ranks 5th in the league. Their offense isn’t the problem, it’s the other side of the ball.
Defensively Denver can struggle. Losing Jerami Grant and Torrey Craig meant they lost all their wing defenders. They don’t have a lot on the perimeter, mainly just Harris and Dozier. Inside they aren’t great either. Denver ranks 14th in defensive rating although it’s not hard to imagine teams scoring on them. That might be a problem in the West where everybody can score.
I think for Denver to succeed they need to get healthy and keep doing what they have been doing. Like I’ve said before, Nikola Jokic scoring 40 points isn’t impactful. He’s better as a pass first kind of guy with scoring not being as important. That means Jamal Murray becomes the focal point on the perimeter. He has to be aggressive and then he’ll be fine. Sometimes he just doesn’t shoot the ball or takes a bad shot. If he’s aggressive he can get where he wants to go and make it more often than not.
If Denver’s defense can be decent against very good Western Conference teams they have the chance to make another run. They aren’t as deep as they have been in the past couple of seasons and it means they’ll rely more on their heavy hitters. But I definitely can see Denver making another strong run in the West with their potent offense.
#7 – San Antonio Spurs (18-14)
Grade: A+++++
Why won’t this team just rebuild. After missing the playoff last season I was ready to accept that the Spurs were an average team. I like many were wrong as they have been one of the better teams in the league with their unusual amounts of talent.
The Spurs have quietly made one of the deepest teams in the league. While their offense is 20th mostly due to lack of shooting they are a very good team. They have very talented guards like DeMar DeRozan, Dejounte Murray, and Keldon Johnson. Veterans forwards like Rudy Gay and LaMarcus Aldridge and Jakob Poeltl down low. One of the best benches in the league the Spurs are quite good top to bottom roster wise.
Oh and they are the best in the league at not committing turnovers as they maximize possessions, making sure not to give opponents a free advantage.
Defensively they are one of the best in the league. Jakob Poeltl is solid down low and guys like Dejounte Murray are very good on the perimeter, except against SGA, but be don’t talk about that. The Spurs aren’t great at defending the 3 and that can hurt them at times. They are solid defensively.
The Spurs have a mix of veterans and young guys, meaning that their rebuild could start at any minute. However they are just 1 1/2 games out of the 5th seed. They are right in the mix in the West with one of the deepest teams in the league. This Spurs team is so fascinating and it’ll be interesting to see how they do if they make the playoffs.
#8 – Dallas Mavericks (18-16)
Grade: B-
The Mavs came into this season with hopes but things didn’t start well. Luka himself has said he wasn’t in shape and guys weren’t making shots. They had a very tough time dealing with Covid but they started to figure things out and I think they still can be a good team in the West.
The offense is fine. Luka is a generational talent and when he’s hitting 3’s like he was in February (44%) it’s so hard for defenses to stop him. The supporting cast is solid but can be inconsistent. Porzingis can’t stay healthy but he can be good. Bench scorers like Hardaway and Brunson along with Josh Richardson have been getting better. Dallas is the 13th ranked offense but they can play a lot better than that.
Defensively the Mavs started off being a top-5 defense but now they’re back where they’re supposed to be. They don’t have a lot of good defenders. Josh Richardson and Dorian Finney-Smith are the only good defenders on this team. Everybody else is average or below average. Dallas is a bottom-10 defensive team so it’s almost like the same team from last year – all offense no defense.
I think Dallas can be very good if their guys are playing well. Playing a guy like Luka helps that a lot. Luka is playing a lot better than he did last year just based on efficiency and he is so good. Porzingis has to return to something like his bubble form, otherwise this team is no more than a wild-card in the playoffs. The Mavs have to score like they were doing last year to succeed.
#9 – Golden State Warriors (19-18)
Grade: B
Not to brag or anything but I was right about the Warriors. I had them in the play-in situation and most people had them as a 5 seed. While they do have talented guys they just aren’t deep. The loss of Klay Thompson really hurt them. They can still be good just not as good as some people thought (not me, I predicted this).
Offensively the Warriors have guys. Obviously Curry is great and he sets everybody up just because of his gravity. Draymond Green directs traffic but there’s a reason Golden State is 22nd in offense. The supporting cast is shaky. Kelly Oubre had a good month of February but he was awful to start this season. Andrew Wiggins has slowed down a bit scoring wise. The bench isn’t great as this team isn’t very explosive.
Defensively has been a pleasant surprise. Despite not being incredibly deep the Warriors are very good defensively. Wiggins has turned into a very good wing defender and Oubre hounds people. Draymond Green is the quarterback on this end as well as he directs traffic. The Warriors are currently the 6th best defense in the league and they’ll have to keep that up if they want to be good.
It’s really on the offense for the Warriors. Their defense has been good and it will remain good. But offensively guys have to step up. Oubre has been playing good and he’ll have to keep that up. Wiggins has to continue to be solid. Eric Paschall hasn’t been good off the bench and Wiseman gets in foul trouble. Guys like Damion Lee, Mychal Mulder, and Brad Wanamaker have to be better.
If the Warriors don’t aide Curry the Warriors will continue to stay around 0.500. If they want to assure themselves a playoff spot they’ll have to give Curry support or they’ll be a slightly above average team at best.
#10 – Memphis Grizzlies (16-16)
Grade: A
This team shouldn’t be in the playoff hunt, again. Their roster isn’t as good as others in the West and yet here they are, currently in position to make the playoffs with the play-in tournament. How do they do it?
Offensively the Grizzlies are ok. They are 19th offensively but they lack explosive scorers. Ja Morant has been disappointing this year. His jumpshot has taken a step back and his numbers are identical to what he was putting up last year. Guys like Valanciunas, Brooks, Anderson, and Clarke are solid but the offense is nothing crazy.
The defense is once again where the Grizzlies make a name for themselves. They are the 8th best defense in the league as they remain solid on that end. They are great at forcing turnovers. They lead in the league in steals my a mile as they are the only team to average 10+ steals per game. While they are a young team they are fundamentally sound on that end. Everybody except Morant and sometimes Valanciunas are solid defenders. Rookies Xavier Tillman and Desmond Bane have been much better defensively than most rookies. When they get the versatile Jaren Jackson Jr. back they will be even better. This Grizzlies team is very good defensively.
Memphis might get a bit better as Jaren Jackson Jr. returns. He offers shooting and some versatility. The Grizzlies are a solid team. They are good defensively and well coached. They have unknown players at spots and they are playing well. I think that they are a few pieces and a few developing years from being a sure-fire playoff team, but if they play well in the 2nd half they can definitely make the playoffs.
#11 – New Orleans Pelicans (15-21)
Grade: D-
This team has too much talent to be this low. But their roster just doesn’t fit with Zion and Brandon Ingram. They brought in a defensive coach and their defense is poor. They can’t shoot as this team just has so many flaws.
On offense the Pelicans are deep, maybe too deep. Zion is a generational talent with his paint scoring as New Orleans goes from a 119.1 offensive rating with him on the floor to a 113.2 rating with him off the floor. Ingram is a very good mid-range scorer. Lonzo Ball is shooting 39% from 3 on 8 attempts per game. But other than it’s just decent guys. Perhaps too many.
Eric Bledsoe hasn’t been good, JJ Redick is declining. Rookie Kira Lewis has been ok, Nickeil Alexander-Walker has looked good in spurts, Josh Hart is inconsistent. Jaxson Hayes is a horrible defender. This team doesn’t shoot well at all. They have so many decent guys but they just can’t shoot. The Pelicans are in the bottom-10 in the league in terms of 3-pt makes per game. They just can’t space the floor. It hinders Zion and Ingram.
The defense is also bad. It’s good in spurts but it only seems to happen when the Pelicans are down 20 and trying to comeback in games. They have good defenders. Bledsoe and Lonzo are good. Ingram in lengthy and Steven Adams is a brick wall. Zion is getting better and is average for right now.
But they allow teams to shoot very well from 3. Right now New Orleans ranks #30 in the league in opponent 3-pt makes per game. Teams shot nearly 40% from 3 against New Orleans as they just can’t guard teams on the perimeter.
The Pelicans have a lot of talent but their roster isn’t great. They need a center to space the floor and they have Steven Adams. What’s bad about that is they are paying Adams $27.5 million year. What’s worse? They extended him for two years. Eric Bledose has been a bust and the bench isn’t great. New Orleans has about 20 days until the deadline and I would strongly suggest looking for a move. Because on their current path it’s looking like another year with no playoffs.
#12 – OKC Thunder (15-21)
Grade: A
Considering the Thunder overhauled the roster and they are mostly young guys, them having the same record as the Pelicans is quite the accomplishment. I still don’t know how they are doing this.
On offense the Thunder are bad. They are 30th in the league and that was to be expected. SGA has been so good this year but nobody else has been consistently great. But with OKC’s 1,000,000 first round picks over the next few years the offense should be getting better.
Defensively the Thunder are good, the 10th best in the league. Lu Dort is one of the best perimeter defenders in the league. Al Horford is solid, SGA is ok and some of their young guys are solid. It’s surprising the defense is this good but OKC is just fundamentally sound.
OKC’s roster features some really good players. SGA has been great as the #1 option, and guys like Bazley, Dort, Roby, and Maledon look promising. It’s impressive that OKC is rebuilding a new era while also being competitive. The fact that they have a chance to make the postseason is crazy, but it speaks to how well the organization is run.
#13 – Sacramento Kings (14-22)
Grade: F
This team is beyond disappointing. Coming into this season I was seriously considering the Kings making the postseason. Their roster was that good. So far this season they have fallen flat on their faces. They have some great young talent, just rotting under Luke Walton who should be fired.
On offense the Kings are good, and they’d better be. De’Aaron Fox has been getting a consistent jumper to his explosive athleticism and he’s one of the best young guards in the league. Marvin Bagley’s dad might be a jerk but Bagley is a very good player who just need to stay healthy. Buddy Hield is one of the best shooters in the league. Harrison Barnes and Richuan Holmes are great glue guys.
The Kings also got the steal of the draft with Tyrese Haliburton at pick 12. Haliburton is very efficient and a good scorer. He’s a team player and a great passer. He will be good for a while. With all those weapons the Kings play at a fast pace and they are the 9th best offense in the league. Offense isn’t the problem and it won’t be the problem for a while.
The defense is just bad. They are by far the worst defense in the league. They have a defensive rating of 119 (really bad), teams shot 49% from the field when they play the Kings, teams shot 40% from 3 when they play the Kings, and the Kings allow 120.4 points per game. It’s really bad on that end of the floor.
This team has talent but with that excuse for defense this team will never succeed. The Kings haven’t made the playoff since 2006 and I definitely don’t think Luke Walton will be taking them there (hire Kenny Atkinson).
#14 – Houston Rockets
Grade: D
After the James Harden trade I thought this team had potential. Sure they weren’t the best team based on talent but it’s not like they were taking. John Wall looked like himself and Christian Wood was breaking out. The defense was the best it had been in years and things looked good for Houston. Then they lost the last 13 games of the year and have now fallen out of the playoff race.
The offense doesn’t have depth. When Christian Wood went down the offense struggled. Eric Gordon is 32. John Wall is good but can’t carry a team this weak. Victor Oladipo has been terrible with Houston. His defense isn’t the same and he’s been terribly inefficient. There isn’t much of a future outside of Christian Wood on this team.
The Rockets defense was very good for a period of time but they are now 11th which is decent. But it’s not as good as it was before they lost 13 straight games.
A friendly reminder to Rockets fans. Victor Oladipo is a free agent this summer. You offered him a deal and he turned it down. Personally I think Oladipo won’t be the same play he was when he was an All-Star in 2018 and 2019. He’s not worth a max contract. But the worst thing here is that Houston could have had Caris Levert. Levert is young, talented, and is under contract for 3 years making less then $20 million.
Instead of Levert now they have a struggling Oladipo who’s likely to be out the door at season’s end. The Rockets have a few weeks to trade him but I don’t know if there’s a market for him. Houston has some draft picks but this rebuild might be longer than expected. Turns out James Harden was pretty important after all.
#15 – Minnesota T-Wolves (7-29)
Grade: F
The T-Wolves are probably the worst franchise in the league. They just can’t do anything right. This year their roster looked decent. The playoffs were a longshot but they had talent. After 30 or so games they are easily the worst team in the West.
Offensively they have weapons. Malik Beasley has been a great pickup but he has off the court issues. Karl Anthony-Towns has been through a lot with Covid and family however he is a generational talent scoring wise. Not to the T-Wolves. Towns doesn’t get as many shots as guys like Anthony Edwards. No offense to Edwards, but he’s an inconsistent rookie and Towns is All-NBA material. Maybe give him the ball more.
D’Angelo Russell just hasn’t been good this year and now he’s rehabbing from knee surgery. The duo of Towns and Russell has only played 5 games since being together for about a 1 year and a half now.
The T-Wolves will continue to struggle with new coach Chris Finch. Finch might be a good coach but this situation isn’t exactly easy. Minnesota continues their never-ending rebuild.
So that’s every team in the West. Some teams like the Jazz and Suns have surprised us all and jumped out to great starts. Others like the Kings and T-Wolves leave a lot to be desired. The West is a mess of very good teams always battling for position. The last 30 or so games will be very fun to watch as we get to see which 10 teams make the playoffs.
What Are Your Grades For The Western Conference Teams? Leave A Comment Down Below!
Follow My Instagram To Never Miss A Post: @hoopnotions
Check Out My Patreon For Extra Content!
