As has been the case for a little while now in the NBA, while there are certainly contenders to be found in the Eastern Conference, when it comes to the sheer depth of overall quality, the West is still the best.
There’s a decent case to be made for just about every team in the Western Conference to at least make the post-season, with about 5-10 clubs in the conference that likely fashion themselves as legitimate championship contenders.
Obviously, not every team is going to be able to meet the kind of early-season optimism, but there’s no denying that the West is loaded — again.
Here’s one burning question for each Western Conference team:
Northwest Division
NUGGETS: Is Jamal Murray still who we think he is?
What started as an uncharacteristically tepid post-season performance turned into, perhaps, the biggest hot-button topic of the Olympics as Murray struggled for Team Canada in Paris.
Murray averaged only six points per game, shooting 29 per cent from the field and an even more dismal 14.3 per cent from three-point range over Canada’s short-lived four-game Olympic experience, leading to questions of whether the Kitchener, Ont., native is just a product of three-time MVP Nikola Jokic’s brilliance or if he was playing injured and/or severely fatigued.
Nuggets ended up locking up Murray to a reported four-year, $208-million maximum extension, so perhaps his spring and summer issues were overblown, but until we see him back looking like the borderline All-Star and All-NBA performer he used to be, skepticism will remain.
TIMBERWOLVES: Is Anthony Edwards ready to shoulder the fate of a franchise on his own?
In the wake of the stunning blockbuster trade that sent Timberwolves franchise stalwart Karl-Anthony Towns to the New York Knicks for Julius Randle, Donte DiVincenzo and a future first-round pick, the 23-year-old budding superstar is going to be counted on to carry his new team.
Minnesota has a good-looking supporting cast, but the 1-2 punch of Edwards and Towns is what made the team dangerous offensively. Randle will do similar things to Towns, and DiVincenzo will certainly help with some of the spacing issues the Timberwolves have had, but they won’t replace what Towns can do as an overall talent.
Edwards has been compared to the likes of Michael Jordan quite often during his young career. Now, we’ll see just right those comparisons really are.
THUNDER: Is a young team ready for the weight of expectation?
After a somewhat surprising run to the top of the Western Conference standings last season, there will be no surprises with the Thunder this season as they enter as the favourites in the West and as a legitimate title contender.
The additions of Alex Caruso and Isaiah Hartenstein only reinforce what is a loaded roster headlined by Canadian superstar Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, is well-coached with clearly defined roles and a chemistry that can only be grown internally the way Oklahoma City has gone about its reconstruction.
Now, it’s time to win, something this young core has never actually dealt with before.
TRAIL BLAZERS: Does Scoot Henderson have the goods?
There are many questions regarding the Trail Blazers coming into what almost assuredly will be another grim season, but the most important one that they need to have an answer for is whether Henderson, whom they took third overall in the 2023 draft, truly is their franchise point guard of the future.
Henderson is only 20 years old, but after one of the most inefficient and offensively inept seasons of any player in the league during his rookie campaign, he is going to have to show a lot more growth in his sophomore year.
JAZZ: Which veteran will be traded?
Utah is still in the midst of a rebuild and needs to find more playing time for some of the youngsters it selected over the past two drafts. However, with veterans Jordan Clarkson, Collin Sexton and John Collins still on the roster, that could be difficult, unless those three are willing to give up playing time.
Therefore, the Jazz are going to have to look into trading one or all of them at some point this season. Even star forward Lauri Markkanen, who just signed a five-year, $238-million extension, should probably still look to be moved.
Pacific Division
WARRIORS: How much do the Dubs have left in the tank?
With Klay Thompson departing for Dallas in the summer as part of a gigantic six-team sign-and-trade, the Warriors’ Splash Bros. era is officially over.
However, franchise cornerstones Steph Curry and Draymond Green remain, and still with talented players on the roster such as Andrew Wiggins, Jonathan Kuminga and newcomers Buddy Hield, Kyle Anderson and De’Anthony Melton, Golden State could still be dangerous.
More than anything, it depends how much Curry, 36, and, to a lesser extent, Green, 34, have left.
CLIPPERS: Can James Harden still be a system?
With Paul George gone and Kawhi Leonard in perpetual medical purgatory, Harden, who initially arrived last season as a third option, will now be cast back into the spotlight looking to carry a roster that has solid pieces but was built to rely on star wings, such as Leonard and George, to carry the load.
Now, it’ll be up to Harden, who has carried a team on his back before. However, that was five years ago with a Houston team that was built from the ground up to take advantage of his unique talents.
LAKERS: Is JJ Redick really the solution to what ails them?
With all due respect to the LeBron-Bronny father-son storyline that will be dominating the Lakers’ news cycle over the next little bit, the biggest story heading into camp with the team is its new head coach, former player-turned-podcaster JJ Redick.
The news isn’t fresh but it’s still bizarre that Redick is the Lakers head coach, considering how critical he was of the roster’s overall age when he was a television analyst.
The Lakers aren’t any younger than they were before, and no matter how great LeBron James and Anthony Davis are, neither are getting any younger, so the same problems will persist. A problem that Redick, no matter how adept he may be in the locker room or with X’s and O’s, will be unable to resolve.
SUNS: Can they stay healthy enough to fulfill potential?
There’s no denying the talent the Phoenix Suns boast. A roster that includes Kevin Durant, Devin Booker and Bradley Beal is going to win games.
Throw in Tyus Jones, Jusuf Nurkic and Grayson Allen, and although this isn’t the deepest team, it’s still, overall, a talented one.
The age of the roster is an obvious concern, particularly with Durant, 35, but more than that is whether this team can stay on the floor together.
Last season, the core trio of Durant, Booker and Beal managed to play only 41 games together and 862 total minutes in the regular season. That wasn’t nearly enough time for them to feel each other out and get it right.
Phoenix has to hope those three will be able to play with each other a whole lot more this season.
KINGS: Is DeMar DeRozan the right fit?
The Kings averaged the third-most three-point attempts last season, hoisting up 39.3 per game from distance. The three-point shot is an integral part of Sacramento’s identity and is a significant reason the Kings have returned to relevance these past two seasons.
DeRozan, although a pillar of consistency over the last six seasons as an efficient scorer and playmaker, is not a great three-point shooter, knows he isn’t one, and, therefore, doesn’t look to take very many.
As great as DeRozan is, he appears to directly conflict with Sacramento’s offensive philosophy. How he fits into the Kings’ offence is a big question mark.
Southwest Division
MAVERICKS: Does Luka Doncic have the emotional maturity to deliver a championship?
Doncic is among the two or three best players in the world, he was rookie of the year in 2019, has been an All-Star and All-NBA First Team member in every season since his first, and it feels as if it’s only a matter of time before he wins a league MVP.
In just six seasons, he’s pretty much done it all, with the exception of winning a championship.
He had his opportunity in June, and while the Boston Celtics were clearly the superior team, Doncic and his petulant, childlike behaviour during the Finals wasn’t a good look and showed that he still has some maturing to do to reach his ultimate goal.
Emotion will always be part of the game – particularly Doncic’s – but it can’t come at the expense of the team.
ROCKETS: Can they take the next step?
With the addition of Fred VanVleet last season and the emergence of Alperen Sengun as a legitimate budding star, the Rockets enjoyed a fun 41-41 season that saw them just on the outside looking in for the play-in tournament.
Now, it’s time for them to take that next step and get a taste of what meaningful basketball looks like.
GRIZZLIES: Is Ja Morant still the man?
It’s been a tumultuous past two seasons for Morant, who was looking like he was becoming the next face of the league with his daredevil, uber-marketable style of play before two suspensions and then season-ending shoulder surgery after just nine games last season.
Coming into this season, Morant should be fully healthy and, Grizzlies fans have to be hoping, without off-court baggage.
Still only 25, his signature explosive athleticism should still be there, and with a Memphis roster that still boasts Desmond Bane, Jaren Jackson Jr., Marcus Smart and intriguing first-round pick Zach Edey, the Grizzlies figure to make noise again in the West.
That is, if Morant is still that guy.
PELICANS: Will Brandon Ingram be traded?
With the acquisition of Dejounte Murray this summer, the Pelicans have some interesting financial decisions to make with possible extensions heading into camp.
Both Ingram and Trey Murphy III are extension-eligible, and to do both of them would likely put small-market New Orleans close to the first apron.
Getting Murphy done seems like a no-brainer because he’s young and has continued to develop at a good pace, but Ingram is more interesting as his talent determines that he’s a max-level player, but his fit alongside Zion Williamson still isn’t the best, and his recent disappointing post-season is a cause for concern.
Locking up Ingram isn’t a guarantee, and if that doesn’t happen, then the logical outcome will be to look to trade him.
SPURS: Does Chris Paul’s arrival accelerate the timeline?
Victory Wembanyama is a true phenom whose size, instincts and just overall ability look great enough to virtually assure the Spurs become a contender in the West again.
It’s just a matter of time.
With Paul signing a one-year deal to join San Antonio, however, that timeline may have moved up.
Even at 39 years of age and entering his 20th NBA season, if there’s one thing the Point God can do, it’s mentor a fledgling team and unlock the abilities of a young, talented big man.
And no disrespect to Blake Griffin, Clint Capela and DeAndre Ayton, but Paul’s never played with a big like Wembanyama before.