As the Denver Nuggets continue to stabilize their season, they’ve done enough to look around at the Western Conference and see where they stack up.
Here are the current West Standings heading into Thursday:
- Oklahoma City Thunder (36-7)
- Houston Rockets (29-14)
- Memphis Grizzlies (29-15)
- Denver Nuggets (27-16)
- Los Angeles Lakers (23-18)
- Los Angeles Clippers (24-19)
- Sacramento Kings (23-20)
- Minnesota Timberwolves (23-21)
- Dallas Mavericks (23-21)
- Phoenix Suns (22-21)
- Golden State Warriors (21-22)
- San Antonio Spurs (19-22)
The San Antonio Spurs have started to drop off a bit, but there’s a gulf between them and the Portland Trail Blazers behind them. That leaves what seems like 12 teams competing for 10 playoff and play-in spots in the West playoff picture.
Here’s how I would rank them in terms of their threat level to win the Western Conference at this current moment:
Tier 1 - Top Contender
Oklahoma City
It’s clear to me that Oklahoma City is the top dog based on the numbers. The Thunder have a superstar in Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, versatile defenders around him, and a mix of rotation players for head coach Mark Daigneault to choose from. They’re still relatively untested in the playoffs which means they’re not unbeatable, but it would be a surprise if someone was a favorite over them come playoff time.
Tier 2 - Challengers
Denver, Houston, Memphis, Dallas
Here’s where the Nuggets now reside: at the top of Tier 2. OKC’s done enough to separate from them, but the Nuggets are figuring things out quickly and have the best player in the world. If there’s any foil to the Thunder defense in the Western Conference, it might be Nikola Jokic. If the Nuggets get enough defense and shooting around him, they could upset OKC.
Of course, Dallas has already defeated the Thunder. That was a weaker version, and the Mavericks have some serious injury issues to overcome to try and avoid the Play-In Tournament, but they still deserve to be here after last year’s playoff run. They need Dereck Lively II healthy to seriously compete.
After them, Houston and Memphis have been regular season winners this year. Houston is untested but has an elite defensive group. Memphis hasn’t won a playoff series since the 2022 playoffs, but they’re hungry.
Tier 3 - Maybe they surprise us
Lakers, Clippers, Minnesota, Phoenix, Sacramento
The fall-off in Minnesota remains shocking. Karl-Anthony Towns being traded for Julius Randle and Donte DiVincenzo was surprising enough. Now, Randle has struggled to fit in, and DiVincenzo is hurt. This just might not be the season for Minnesota.
The Lakers and Clippers appear solid but unspectacular. Without a surprising talent upgrade they’re likely first round exits and nothing more. Ditto for the Kings, though they’re much more feisty lately.
Phoenix, if they can turn Bradley Beal into Jimmy Butler somehow, might jump into Tier 2. They already traded for center Nick Richards for marginal improvement. If they add Butler, they’re more competitive but still not a serious threat to Oklahoma City.
