NFL
By: Mark T. Wilson
Let’s get ready to play some basketball. The 2024 NBA season is here and today we will take a look at the top 5 teams in the Western Conference. This list was not as easy as what we did with the top teams in the Eastern Conference. The West is loaded and it’s up for grabs. On this list alone, teams could easily be reshuffled and deleted. The Minnesota Timberwolves are ready to take that leap. The Dallas Mavericks are hoping the addition of a future Hall of Farmer is what’s missing. The Thunder are ready to put their shortcomings behind them while teams like the New Orleans Pelicans and Phoenix Suns are hoping they can stay healthy to make a run.
Oklahoma City Thunder
It’s hard to ignore what the Oklahoma City Thunder accomplished last season where they finished tied with the Nuggets for the best record in the Western Conference. However, they’re taking a step back in this rankings due to not being able to add any real help for SGA. Last season, he averaged 30.1 points and the next closest person was Jalen Williams with 19.5. While the team leaned on Jalen and SGA and his MVP-caliber output last season, can they do it again?
The Thunder are young and this offseason they added Isaiah Hartenstein and Alex Caruso but other teams in the conference also improved. One player doing all the heavy lifting may let you catch lighting in a bottle once but it’s hard catching it back-to-back seasons. They did finish the 2023-24 NBA campaign ranked 3rd in Points Scored and 11th in Points Against. The Thunder didn’t do enough this offseason to improve as others did. Still a good team but not worthy of a No. 1 ranking regardless of where they finished last season.
Phoenix Suns
The Phoenix Suns have firepower with their big 3 of Kevin Durant, Bradley Beal, and Devin Booker. What they were missing was a floor general. And this offseason they hope they grabbed him with the addiction of Tyus Jones. Last season, Jones averaged 12.0 points and 7.3 assists for the Washington Wizards. Jones, now paired with three great perimeter players should see his assists increase.
I understand that many will question the Suns’ commitment on the defensive end of the floor. Durant is not a lockdown defender and when Beal wants to be dialed in, he can create havoc. But their job will be to simply outscore you. Jusuf Nurkic is back to be a rim protector and rebound. Their glaring weakness will be the second unit and of course health. The Suns, despite their similar issues last season, still managed to hit 49 wins.
Dallas Mavericks
The Dallas Mavericks upgraded their roster with one high signing. With the addition of Klay Thompson, the Mavs solidified themselves as one of the best teams in the NBA. No, Thompson is not the same player he was during the remarkable Warriors Dynasty run but what he brings to the Mavs is exactly what they were missing last season.
The Mavs managed to keep their core intact, most notably, those bigs. If Daniel Gafford can develop a post-game, the sky is the limit for the Mavs. Losing Derrick Jones Jr on the defense end will hurt but with their three-headed attack on the offensive end, the Timberwolves are ready to make another run to the Finals. With Kyrie Irving, Luka Doncic, and now Thompson it will be hard for any opposing team to keep up with them in a seven-game series.
New Orleans Pelicans
Keeping Brandon Ingram is the goal here. Without him, the New Orleans Pelicans will not make this list. With the addition of Dejounte Murray, the Pels now have a reliable ball handler and facilitator plus someone who can hit the open perimeter shot. But can this team mesh? Sounds weird to ask that but with so many injuries over the last two seasons, that has to be a a valid question heading into the new campaign.
Season success will come down to Zion Williamson. If he can stay on the floor, while paired with Ingram, Murray, and CJ McCollum, New Orleans will be a tough out for any team come playoff time. While the Center position is still an area of concern, they have assets they can use in a plug-and-play system. This is the year where they have to make that leap to the elite status in the NBA Western Conference, or else.
Minnesota Timberwolves
The Minnesota Timberwolves pulled off a late offseason trade that put them in first place in the Western Conference. Karl-Anthony Towns was a huge reason for their success last season but the addition of Julius Randle and Donte DiVincenzo will make them better. What the Wolves were lacking before that trade was a third-scoring option. They now have that with the Villanova product. Randle’s production will easily offset what they lost with KAT’s departure. But the key to this deal was DiVincenzo. He’s the scorer they need and can be a good defender, rebounder, and facilitator.
The defense will be tops in the NBA again and Anthony Edwards is ready to take the mantle as the face of the league especially following his performance at the Olympics. What the Wolves must figure out is what to do with their PG situation. Can Conley run this team even in his 17th season or will the Wolves look to give the keys to the offense to rookie Rob Dillingham?
