Trav’s Top 5 Western Conference Teams After Free Agency
We have established the top 5 Eastern Conference teams after free agency and now we head out west. The Dallas Mavericks represented the Western Conference in the NBA Finals this season. Unfortunately, they fell to the Boston Celtics who took home their 18th NBA championship. The Mavericks were the 5th seed who pulled off upsets and were able to reach the NBA Finals. Will they have enough to repeat that feat? With other teams in the Western Conference, who has the potential to reach the NBA Finals? Will Oklahoma City have another great season, be the #1 seed and this time play for a championship? Can Denver get back to the NBA Finals after winning it a season ago? Can the Minnesota Timberwolves get over the hump and get to the NBA Finals? Check out my top 5 Western Conference teams after free agency below.
Oklahoma City Thunder
Oklahoma City finished atop of the Western Conference last season in a tight race. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander finished runner-up to league MVP. They lost a key player in the offseason in Josh Giddey. Giddey was traded to the Chicago Bulls for Alex Caruso. The addition of Caruso will help the Thunder on the defensive side. Oklahoma City is in position to be one of the best teams in the league for the foreseeable future. They have a great, young core to go along with their future draft picks. The addition of Isaiah Hartenstein is a great pickup and gives the Thunder another defensive presence on the interior. Despite them losing in the Western Conference semifinal round, the experience gained will help them. Don’t be surprised if Oklahoma City finishes atop of the Western Conference again this upcoming season.
Minnesota Timberwolves
The Minnesota Timberwolves advanced to the Western Conference Finals last season. Unfortunately, they fell to the Dallas Mavericks and the franchise is still looking for their first NBA Finals appearance. Anthony Edwards became the superstar they believed he could be. Edwards had some up and down performances in the playoffs, but he’ll grow from them. Karl Anthony-Towns is still one of the more skilled big men in the league. The Wolves drafting Rob Dillingham and Terrance Shannon Jr. are the biggest takeaways from their offseason. Dillingham will be the eventual successor at point guard in a year or two from Mike Conley. Shannon Jr. can provide a much needed spark off the bench. They added shooting in the form of Joe Ingles as he can stretch the defense. If Towns didn’t get hurt last season this team would have finished atop of the Western Conference.
Dallas Mavericks
The Dallas Mavericks are coming off their first NBA Finals appearance in over 10 years. They fell in five games to the Boston Celtics, and it showed they needed a consistent third scorer. Luka Doncic and Kyrie Irving can only do so much as they commanded so much attention. They signed Klay Thompson to a 3-year deal, and he should have an immediate impact. Thompson can create space on the floor, and he will benefit from seeing Luka love to get everyone involved. The loss of Derrick Jones Jr. is huge in my opinion after showing his value during their playoff run. Jones Jr. signed a 3-year deal with the Los Angeles Clippers. Dallas also lost Tim Hardaway Jr. and Josh Green. They were replaced by Quentin Grimes and Naji Marshall. Dallas should be in the mix for the top spot next season and Luka Doncic winning MVP.
Denver Nuggets
The 2023 NBA Champion Denver Nuggets are looking to rebound from their conference semifinal defeat. Minnesota took them down en route to reaching the Western Conference Finals. The Nuggets still have their core of Nikola Jokic, Jamal Murray, Aaron Gordon, and Michael Porter Jr. Last season, the Nuggets showed how much they missed having Bruce Brown Jr. Kentavious Caldwell-Pope played great for Denver, but they lost him also. Caldwell-Pope signed a huge deal to go to the Orlando Magic. Denver is hoping that Peyton Watson and Christian Braun will step up in Caldwell-Pope shoes. They are hoping one of or both guys can knock down open threes and help with floor spacing. With the core they have, Denver should be good again next season. Can they challenge for the top spot in the Western Conference?
Memphis Grizzlies
The Memphis Grizzlies was awful last season which landed them in the NBA Lottery. They drafted the big man, Zach Edey out of Purdue to pair him with Jaren Jackson Jr. So much went wrong with the Grizzlies last season. First off, they lost Steven Adams for the season before it started. The franchise star only appeared in nine games after serving his suspension and shoulder surgery. Desmond Bane and Marcus Smart missed a nice chunk of the season also. If Morant can return to form and Memphis can stay healthy. The Grizzlies haven’t made one move during the free agency period. They are looking to run it back with the team they had and it’s smart on them. The final spot will be between them, Sacramento, and New Orleans.
What do you think about my top 5 Western Conference teams? Who would be your top 5 in the West? Leave some feedback below about anything related to my top 5 Western Conference teams after free agency.
