To help NBA fans in the Philippines prepare for the upcoming 2021-22 season, NBA.com Philippines writers give a quick look at all 15 teams in the Western Conference. Read the Eastern Conference preview here.
Dallas Mavericks
With each passing day, the Luka Doncic MVP whispers grow louder. The wunderkind tore up preseason despite playing only a limited number of minutes. And in his fourth year, Doncic continues to stake his claim as a generational player and the next best thing. The reality is: for the Dallas Mavericks to go anywhere this season, Doncic is going to need to submit another transcendent season. If Kristaps Porzingis can bounce back after a disastrous season, the Mavericks can be a dark horse (pun intended) in the West.
Denver Nuggets
The Denver Nuggets are running it back. This season should be interesting for the Nuggets as they are a more established team with all their acquisitions from last season. The problem is, they’ll still be without their main point guard Jamal Murray, who’s expected to return in April. The team tried to fill in the gaps by acquiring rookie Bones Hyland, who was impressive in the preseason, but whether or not his performance will translate into the regular season is still up in the air. Either way, this team is still expected to be present in the playoffs, led by reigning MVP Nikola Jokic and Most Improved Player candidate Michael Porter Jr.
LA Clippers
It's easy to forget, but the LA Clippers were in the Western Conference Finals last season. Without Kawhi Leonard for most of the playoffs due to a knee injury, the Clippers knocked out the top-seeded Jazz and were a few bad breaks away from making the Finals over the Phoenix Suns. Paul George and the rest of the Clippers’ band of mismatched pieces will have to summon the same energy this season as Kawhi probably won't be back until at least before the playoffs. They have intriguing pieces and a low-key, high-octane offense that can blow teams out of the water. They should still be a playoff team, no matter how much they get out of Kawhi.
LA Lakers
Add midlife crisis to the list of possible injuries for the Lakers this year given how old the players are. This team is taking the LeBron approach of bringing in as many veterans for a playoff push to a different level. The Lakers have new old dudes in Carmelo Anthony and Kent Bazemore. The Lakers even have returning old dudes in Dwight Howard, Trevor Ariza, and Rajon Rondo. Russell Westbrook, at 32 years old, is this team’s spry addition. But this Lakers team will only go as far as LeBron James and Anthony Davis can take them. If they can avoid the injuries that hampered them last year, this Lakers season should be as fun as the first Expendables movie.
Golden State Warriors
There’s still a bit of smoke swirling from the ashes of the Golden State Warriors’ play-in stint. Steph Curry was that hot. Bad news for the rest of the league: he still is. Worse news: Splash sibling Klay Thompson is warming up for a January return. Worst news for everyone else: Jordan Poole is primed for a breakout season. Will this season be the debut of Splash Trio?
Houston Rockets
The Houston Rockets are getting to the fun part of rebuild mode. They’ve got the prized lottery pick in Jalen Green. They’ve got Kevin Porter Jr. ready to tear down the wall. They’ve got half a roster of players aged 21 years old and younger. The Rockets see the future, and they’re taking the painful, necessary steps to get there. A team this young isn't expected to go deep into the playoffs, but this is all part of the growing up process. Plus, they’ll get to enjoy all the highlights. Those never hurt anyone.
Memphis Grizzlies
The Memphis Grizzlies are set up for success. Like many young teams, the Grizzlies didn’t do much — but they really didn’t need to. They have a solid foundation, a great franchise player, and a team that has a track record of overachieving. They drafted Ziaire Williams with the 10th pick, which will only help this young team get better. The one thing they need right now is more years together. With an average age of just 24 years old, fans have only seen the beginning of what could be the glory days for Memphis.
Minnesota Timberwolves
Could this be the year that the Timberwolves rebuild would finally amount to something? There were plenty of positive signs last year as Anthony Edwards, the top pick of the 2020 Draft, picked up the pace towards the end of the season and flashed his All-Star potential. D’Angelo Russell is also returning and should be much healthier than he was last season. Karl Anthony-Towns’ down season was actually pretty good by anyone else’s standards. Minnesota has a new coach with a new front office and a lot of young talent. Someone’s bound to break out of the West and the play-in tournament should be a reasonable goal for these T’Wolves.
New Orleans Pelicans
The New Orleans Pelicans are borderline insane. They have no Lonzo Ball, no Eric Bledsoe, and no Kyle Lowry. Basically, the only important name in the roster now is Zion Williamson. You can’t help but feel bad for this team who was at the cusp of getting into the play-in, but now that everyone’s gone, fans aren’t so optimistic about a rerun. It doesn’t help that Williamson could be a free agent by 2023. Sorry, Pelicans fans.
Oklahoma City Thunder
Are the OKC Thunder ready to compete this season? Who knows. The rebuild continues for the Thunder. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander falls under the category of “Players to watch out for any given day.” When SGA is on, he’s on. He’s a one-man points barrage, wheeling and dealing his way into the defenses and somehow manages to make scoring look incredibly easy. To watch the Thunder is to appreciate the weird and nitty-gritty. Aleksej Pokusevski is a 7-foot wonder who will amaze you with his scoring and passing, while making you worry if he would get squished in the paint. Lu Dort is a gift for defensive nerds and kids who want to learn how to guard. The Thunder have the pieces; they’re just all over the place. Maybe this year, they’ll start to turn a corner.
Phoenix Suns
There was a brief period in early July when the words “Phoenix Suns” and “NBA champions” put together didn’t at all sound outrageous. It didn’t happen, but if the Suns play on with a bigger chip on their shoulders for blowing a 2-0 Finals lead, then watch out. They’ll have another crack at it with the same weapons plus JaVale McGee and Landry Shamet. The Suns’ biggest improvement from last season? The Finals scar that they carry in their hearts.
Portland Trail Blazers
With each passing season, the Trail Blazers are the team that everyone pegs to have a disappointing outing and flame out in the playoffs. That hasn’t changed this season, especially since the Blazers barely changed anything in their lineup. The whispers of Dame Lillard wanting out have been snuffed out, and it looks like one of the most loyal soldiers in the NBA is ready to roll. But does he have enough help to finally change the narrative around Portland?
Sacramento Kings
The Sacramento Kings are teetering as a League Pass team. Sure, they’re kinda fun to watch, but you kinda have to enjoy a little bit of chaos too. They’re not as exhilarating as the Hornets and they’re also not as good. What they do have is human bullet De’Aaron Fox. He will puncture defenses with lightning speed and even hammer out a thunderous jam every now and then. Tyrese Haliburton is crafty as hell. Buddy Hield isn’t gun-shy. Richaun Holmes throws down dunks. Harrison Barnes is still an effective scorer. All that being said, the Kings can wow you and make you scratch your head in one sweeping sequence. More often than not, they expose themselves as a young team still learning the ropes of consistently winning. They say there is beauty in the struggle, and the Kings embody that.
San Antonio Spurs
After 22 winning seasons, including five championships, the San Antonio Spurs have missed the playoffs for two straight years. Where do they go from here? With DeMar DeRozan and LaMarcus Aldridge gone, it truly is a whole new ball game for the Spurs. For the first time in a long time, the franchise doesn’t have a star. However, all is not lost in the Alamo. The roster has tantalizing potential. Dejounte Murray, Derrick White, Keldon Johnson, Jakob Poetl, and the rest of the crew aren’t nobodies. The good thing about the core of this team is that they’ve been together for quite some time now. The Spurs kind of leaned into a different style after Aldridge left and they really have a solid identity on the defensive end. They swarm offenses, get into the passing lanes, while Poetl cleans up at the rim. There are still a lot of questions (are they going to shoot more 3s this season?), but at the end of it all, it’s still a Gregg Popovich-coached team.
Utah Jazz
This might sound like hyperbole, but this upcoming season could be one of the most important ones in Jazz history. After all, the Jazz are fresh from a disappointing second-round playoff exit after dominating the regular season and finishing as the top seed. The fact that the Jazz couldn’t defeat a Clippers team without Kawhi Leonard was very telling. Can the duo of Donovan Mitchell and Rudy Gobert take the team to a higher level? It will be fascinating to watch them try again this season.
