The Association's experts take a closer look at the West standings as the season winds down.
From time to time, NBA.com’s writers will share their takes on the biggest storylines and trends around the league.
Who will be the top six teams in the Western Conference and why?
Steve Aschburner
- Oklahoma City Thunder
- San Antonio Spurs
- Denver Nuggets
- Houston Rockets
- Los Angeles Lakers
- Minnesota Timberwolves
The two-team tier at the top of this conference is likely to neither flip nor face an outside challenge over what’s left of the schedule. And woe to whichever foes climb out of the SoFi Play-In Tournament bracket to face the Thunder or the Spurs. My next four were clumped within a game or less of each other entering Friday and are essentially are interchangeable. I’m going with the Nuggets’ experience and three-time Kia MVP Nikola Jokić to snag third, while the Timberwolves’ erratic performances keep them in sixth.
Brian Martin
- Oklahoma City Thunder
- San Antonio Spurs
- Denver Nuggets
- Houston Rockets
- Los Angeles Lakers
- Minnesota Timberwolves
After the Thunder and Spurs, sorting out the rest of the top six is difficult, with the Rockets, Lakers, Nuggets and Timberwolves separated by just one game or less entering Friday. I give the edge for the No. 3 seed to Denver, which already owns the head-to-head tiebreaker over Houston, Minnesota and Phoenix. The Nuggets can clinch the head-to-head tiebreaker against the Lakers with a win Saturday. Los Angeles and Minnesota face the most pressure from the Suns, who hold tiebreakers over both.
Shaun Powell
- Oklahoma City Thunder
- San Antonio Spurs
- Houston Rockets
- Minnesota Timberwolves
- Denver Nuggets
- Los Angeles Lakers
This is clearly the best six in the West. Perhaps the Clippers would’ve cracked the code had they kept James Harden and Ivica Zubac, two of their three best players. The same might be true for the Warriors if not for injuries to Stephen Curry and Jimmy Butler. The Suns are a nice story, but they’re also overachievers.
John Schuhmann
- Oklahoma City Thunder
- San Antonio Spurs
- Houston Rockets
- Denver Nuggets
- Minnesota Timberwolves
- Los Angeles Lakers
With the Suns missing Dillon Brooks and having a road-heavy remaining schedule, there shouldn’t be much drama in regard to which six teams don’t have to fight through the Play-In. The Spurs have the head-to-head tie-breaker and an easier remaining schedule than the Thunder, so the champs haven’t sewn up the top seed just yet. The Rockets have the easiest and most home-heavy remaining schedule (as well as the best point differential) of the teams in the 3-6 tier, so they should be the favorite to finish third. The Lakers will be under the spotlight in the next several days, hosting the Nuggets on Saturday and then starting a six-game trip with two games in Houston.
