Written By: Sonal Puri
Edited By: Damien Cheung
In the past, the Western Conference has been known for having many of the elite teams of the NBA. However, this has taken a turn this season, as teams are not performing the way we expected them to.
The biggest shock this year is the struggling Lakers. Many assumed that last season’s disappointing first round exit (thanks to the Phoenix Suns) would have motivated this team to make a comeback this season, but that has not been the story so far. There are always high expectations of teams led by LeBron James, but we all forget that he is not invincible, and he is getting older. So far this season, LeBron has suffered abdominal and ankle injuries causing him to miss several games, hindering the team’s performance. The Lakers brought in Russell Westbrook in the offseason in hopes to ease the heavy burden that Lebron and Anthony Davis carry. Unfortunately, Westbrook has not been the savior that the Lakers had hoped for – even with LeBron missing games due to injury, Westbrook has yet to be the star that the Lakers need. Considering he is currently one of the league’s top paid players in the NBA, this is very disappointing. He has been inconsistent, turnover-heavy, and has one of the worst volume three-point percentages in the NBA. At this point, Westbrook’s fit with the Lakers just feels forced and awkward. This makes me wonder – what is Westbrook’s role on the Lakers if he cannot lead them without LeBron? Clearly, the Lakers have been dysfunctional with poor roster construction and disputes among players (AD and Dwight Howard got into a heated physical altercation earlier this season). The most frustrating thing this season for Lakers fans is watching them consistently miss shots from the charity line. The Lakers are 15th in the NBA in free throws attempted but hold the 27th best percentage. With everything else that the Lakers are currently struggling with, improving their free throw shooting can be the easiest fix to help them win some more games.
The Portland Trailblazers have been able to make some noise in the Western Conference in past seasons and give teams a hard time during the playoffs. However, the Trailblazers have been quiet this season. They seem to have reached that awkward stage where they are not good enough to be title contenders but still are not pursuing a rebuild. So, what exactly are the Trailblazers trying to accomplish? Overall, they are a bad defensive team with decent shooting which ultimately is not enough to win. Without any impactful offseason additions, the prime years of their top players CJ McCollum and Damian Lillard are slowly going to waste. While the Blazers should be taking advantage of this backcourt duo and trying to build a championship caliber team, it is unclear what team’s motives are. There is no question that Lillard is a star, however, he has been in drought this season. Lillard has especially struggled with his three-point shot, shooting only 23% from behind the arc. Dame said in an interview, “My job is to score points and make shots,” he said, “But my job is also to continue to lead the team, to be a voice for the team, to defend, to make plays.” It seems like Lillard is doing his best to keep his head up.
The Denver Nuggets have been the injury-riddled team of this season, the most notable ones being Jamal Murray’s torn ACL and Michael Porter Jr. with a lumbar spine surgery. Due to these injuries, the Nuggets have lost depth in their bench as their backup point guard has also suffered an ACL tear. The Nuggets are a talented young team led by the reigning MVP in Nikola Jokic. They have shown that they can compete with the top teams of the West, which is why they have high expectations. Unfortunately, injuries are going to prevent them reaching their full potential this season.
Although there have been many underwhelming teams so far, some teams have still managed to pull their weight, like the consistently dominant Utah Jazz and exciting Ja Morant led Memphis Grizzlies. Another notable team is the Phoenix Suns, who had an impressive playoff run last season, winning the Western Conference. The Suns are back this season better than ever, putting up an 18-game win streak! They have a battle-tested main core with veteran Chris Paul, big man Deandre Ayton, and Devin Booker, who is looking to take the next step to superstardom. Now, with the addition of an athletic big in JaVale McGee and sharpshooter Landry Shamet, they are really starting to create depth on their bench. With the way the Suns have been playing so far makes me wonder whether they can make another run at the championship this season.
The Golden State Warriors have been the topic of discussion for all NBA fans, as they are dominating the league right now. Their effective roster construction of Steph Curry’s top tier offense and Draymond Green’s elite defensive abilities has been the perfect formula for this team. The additions of Gary Payton II and Jordan Poole have been amazing - Poole is shooting 45% from the field this year. Andrew Wiggins has been playing very efficient this year which has also been a key factor for the Warriors success. Klay Thompson is scheduled to return some time this season and if he can play to his pre-injury all-star level, this team will somehow improve immensely. The Warriors have quite a few young assets and having veterans like Steph and Draymond with championship DNA to lead their young stars and teach them what it takes to win is invaluable.
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