At this point, I think it's easier to rank the West in tiers, because there's hardly anything separating the teams at the top.
Tier 1: Championship Contenders
1. San Antonio Spurs - On paper, this is the best team in the West. Big question: As is the case with the Spurs, can their trio of Duncan, Parker, and Ginobili stay healthy?
2. Oklahoma City Thunder - If Durant returns to 2014 form, this Thunder team will be scary. In previous years their frontcourt was their downfall but with Ibaka, Adams, Kanter, and Collison they have arguably the best rotation of bigs in the NBA. Also, OKC plays in the worst division in basketball, meaning they'll be able to rack up more wins than their counterparts in the Pacific and Southwest. Big question: Can KD and Russ co-exist for an entire season?
3. Golden State Warriors - Aside from swapping Lee for Thompson, the defending champs will bring back the same cast that won 67 games and an NBA title. It feels like a little slap in the face to have them this low, but I was never fully sold on this team. Injuries to other main contenders, both in the East and West, really made life a lot easier on the dubs. If I'm a Warriors fan, I'm also a little worried about Klay Thompson who had a marvelous regular season but was a complete no-show in the playoffs. Big question: How will the Warriors respond to being the hunted every single time they step out onto the floor?
4. Los Angeles Clippers - In any other year, this team would be the clear cut favorite to make it out of the West. Pierce likely only has one more year left in the tank but his addition could be what finally helps get this team out of the second round of the playoffs. Not only is he an upgrade over Barnes, but he brings valuable championship experience. To a lesser extent, this feels like when Portland went out and added Pippen for our 99-00 run. Big question: Will this team rally together or will their knack to bicker be too much for this team to overcome?
5. Houston Rockets - Acquiring Ty Lawson snuck Houston into the top tier out West. Point guard has always been the weak spot for the Rockets and they took a chance on a talented player whose value was low due to off the court issues. Big question: Can Dwight Howard stay healthy? Howard needs to turn his game up a notch for this team to truly be a threat out West; James Harden simply can't do it all.
Tier 2: Scary, but beatable
6. Memphis Grizzlies - Re-signing Gasol gives the Grizzlies one of the best starting PF-C tandems in the NBA with he and Randolph. Swapping Brandan Wright for Kosta Koufos was a savvy move. But this team just doesn't have enough offensive firepower to win three straight series and get to the finals. They're an incredible defensive team, but the knock on Memphis for years has been their offense and they did nothing to address that this offseason. Big question: If Memphis struggles out of the game, will they pull the plug and look to move Conley, an unrestricted free agent, at the deadline?
Tier 3: The Playoff Contenders
7. Utah Jazz - It seems like the Jazz are everyone's surprise team this year and they are mine as well. I believe they have the best defensive player in the game, in Rudy Gobert, a strong home court advantage, and two, young All-Star caliber forwards in Gordon Hayward and Derrick Favors. Big question: Will Dante Exum show why he was the No. 5 pick in the 2014 draft? Utah's future as a serious contender lives on his shoulders.
8. New Orleans Pelicans - Anthony Davis is good enough to lead just about any team to the playoffs, which he showed he can do last year. Unfortunately for New Orleans, they did absolutely nothing in the offseason outside of moving on from Monty Williams and bringing in journeyman Alvin Gentry. This team just feels like the Timberwolves with Garnett - will the Pelicans ever get enough talent around AD? Big question: Can Ryan Anderson stay healthy and perform better on the road? Also, can Jrue Holiday stay healthy and return to All-Star form?
9. Dallas Mavericks - Did anyone else forget they added Deron Williams to the mix? I sure did. I'm not sure if that had more to do with other storylines surrounding Dallas or the fact that D-Will fell off the face of the earth. Either way, he's an upgrade over Harris and Felton and will keep them in the West race all season long. Adding Zaza Pachulia can't even come close to replacing what they thought they had in DeAndre Jordan but it does give Dallas a legitimate center. Big question: How will Wesley Matthews recover from his torn achilies? Can Chandler Parsons take the next step and challenge for an All-Star spot and do so coming off a knee injury?
10. Sacramento Kings - DeMarcus Cousins is the best center in the league and that alone will have the Kings fighting for their playoff lives. Management definitely isn't the most forward thinking and they made more than a few head-scratching moves this summer (drafting Cauley-Stein over Muddiay, trading picks and prospects to shed the contracts of Jason Thompson and Carl Landry), but they will be competitive all season long. If they do sneak into the playoffs, I can see the Kings being one of those teams no one wants to see in the first round. Collison, Rondo, Cousins, Gay, Belinelli, and Koufos is a lot of talent on one roster. Big question: Will this group come together to play as one or will all the other outside distractions (contracts, ego, relationship between player and couch) get in the way and this team implodes?
Tier 4 - You're Trying To Win, But You Shouldn't Be
11. Los Angeles Lakers - After swinging and missing (badly) on nearly every major free agent, the Lakers used their cap space o nRoy Hibbert, Lou Williams, and Brandon Bass. Add those three to Kobe Bryant, Jordan Clarkson, D'Angelo Russell and Julius Randle and it wouldn't be the most surprising thing in the world if the Lakers sneaked in the playoffs. Big question: Which Roy Hibbert shows up in the purple and gold? Can Kobe stay healthy, let alone paly small forward?
12. Phoenix Suns - What in the actual fuck are the Phoenix Suns doing? Remember when they were supposed to be the worst team in the west in 2014 and nearly made the playoffs and their future was as bright as their nickname? It's gone. Long gone. And to make matters worse, they tossed in their Lakers 1st Round pick when they acquired Brandon Knight. I debated putting Portland ahead of Phoenix, as I do think we have a better future and a better team, but the Suns have a little more proven talent. Big question: Will Eric Bledsoe make the next step? He looked like an All-Star during the 13-14 season but after Phoenix's point guard carousel failed in 2015, Bledsoe's game went along with it.
Tier 5 - Ping Pong Balls, Player Development, Moral Victories
13. Portland Trail Blazers - I go back and forth with this team. Some days I'm thinking playoffs, others I see lottery. Ultimately, I don't think the current group of Trail Blazers is as much a drop-off from last year's rendition as many think but it's the fact we have so many new players that it will take them a time to get adjusted and gel together. Also, Coach Stotts is going to (or he better) change up his offensive system. The collection of players is not suited to hoist 20+ treys a night. I want to see more run and gun from these Trail Blazers. Big question: Can Meyers Leonard and CJ McCollum bottle up their playoff performances against Memphis and showcase that type of product over the course of an 82 game season?
14. Minnesota Timberwolves - Wiggins, Towns, and LaVine will make Minnesota must-watch tv but they are still so young and will need more time before they are ready to win in the West. Having Garnett around the young pups is a brilliant move by the Wolves and keeping a distributor like Ricky Rubio on the roster will make life much easier on the Timberwolves. Big question: LaVine put up 21 points, 7 assists, and 6 rebounds throughout April but can he do it when the games are meaningful?
15. Denver Nuggets - Denver better hope Emmanuel Muddiay is ready to lead a team from Day One, because he's their only light at the end of a brutally bleak tunnel. Jusuf Nurkic showed good skills as a rookie and Gary Harris has potential, but let's be honest, the majority of shots will be taken by Randy Foye, Danilo Gallinari, and Kenneth Faried ... that will lead to a lot of L's this season in the Mile High City. Big question: Just how good is Muddiay?
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