Will the Suns’ new trio propel them to the top of the NBA standings in the West?
Periodically, NBA.com editors will offer their thoughts on key storylines or hot topics around the league.
Make your first predictions on how you see the Western Conference standings at the end of the season.
Steve Aschburner
1. Denver Nuggets
2. Phoenix Suns
3. Los Angeles Lakers
4. Kings of Sacramento
5. Warriors of the Golden State
6. Oklahoma City Thunder
7. Los Angeles Clippers
8. Minnesota Timberwolves
Is it possible that no one finishes first in the West? We have three veteran-laden teams that are heavily focused on the playoffs, content to clinch a top-four finish before getting down to business.
Denver gets No. 1 here as a nod to being the defending champions, while the Suns and Lakers prepare for the spring.
Sacramento has a tough act to follow – itself from last season – while the Thunder are the team on the rise for me because, well, it’s time.
Brian Martin
1. Denver Nuggets
2. Phoenix Suns
3. the Los Angeles Lakers
4. Warriors of the Golden State
5. Kings of Sacramento
6. Memphis Grizzlies
7. Los Angeles Clippers
8. Oklahoma City Thunder
Despite some loss of depth, Denver once again holds first place and the field in the West playoffs. The supercharged Suns have enough firepower to outperform just about anyone on any night. The Lakers added depth to the roster they remade (throughout 2022-23) that fueled their run to the Western Conference Finals.
It is difficult to project beyond the first three, because the West is both deep and clustered. Health could be a determining factor, given the injury history with the Clippers and Pelicans. The Wolves faced it last season and the Warriors have an aging team.
The AT&T Play-In Tournament field in the West looks stacked, with a talented young OKC team poised for a jump after Shai Gilgeous-Alexander’s jump last season. The Luka Doncic-Kyrie Irving combo needs to improve to keep Dallas in the mix.
(L-R:) Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, forward Jalen Williams and Josh Giddey could propel OKC to a playoff spot in 2023-24.
Shaun Powell
1. Phoenix Suns
2. Denver Nuggets
3. Memphis Grizzlies
4. Los Angeles Clippers
5. the Los Angeles Lakers
6. Warriors of the Golden State
7. Kings of Sacramento
8. Oklahoma City Thunder
Whoa, that was a tough nut to crack…so many quality teams and so many quality players elevating those teams. And then there are a few other teams — the Minnesota Timberwolves, New Orleans Pelicans and Dallas Mavericks — that would be top five in the East but won’t sniff the top eight in the West.
The risky pick here is the Clippers, because it’s all about good health (obviously) with them, but the same could be said for the other Los Angeles team (and really all 30 teams). Memphis will suffer first with Ja Morant out for 25 games but, overall, it should end on a high note.
The Suns aren’t going to beat anyone on defense, but when you’re scoring 135 or 140 points a night, who cares in the regular season? The Kings won’t surprise anyone this season and will therefore experience a slight drop. Watch out for OKC: these young boys are ready to step up and will be tough in the playoffs.
John Schumann
1. Phoenix Suns
2. Denver Nuggets
3. the Los Angeles Lakers
4. Warriors of the Golden State
5. Los Angeles Clippers
6. Kings of Sacramento
7. New Orleans Pelicans
8. Memphis Grizzlies
There are too many good teams in the West. In a vacuum, Dallas, Minnesota and Oklahoma City certainly look like top eight teams, and it’s surprising that at least one of those 11 teams won’t make the AT&T Play-In tournament. (The Jazz and Rockets should also be competitive.)
Denver should be the slight favorite to return to the NBA Finals. But it might be difficult for them to finish first in the regular season after a long playoff run with less depth. The Suns also have depth issues, but they have three starswhich means they will still have two if one of them is eliminated.
There is no injury forecast, although health will obviously be a big factor up and down and the Kings can’t be that. as healthy as them last season. And with Zion Williamson out for nearly a full season, the Pelicans should be improved and capable of moving into the top eight.
Michael C. Wright
1. Denver Nuggets
2. Memphis Grizzlies
3. Phoenix Suns
4. Warriors of the Golden State
5. Kings of Sacramento
6. Minnesota Timberwolves
7. the Los Angeles Lakers
8. New Orleans Pelicans
The defending champions lost key depth pieces Bruce Brown and Jeff Green, leaving question marks on the second unit. But the roster has enough talent to fill those holes. Moreover, Jamal Murray and Michael Porter Jr. should be even healthier this season, another year away from their injuries.
In Memphis, don’t worry about Ja Morant’s 25-game suspension. Over the past few seasons, Memphis has shown a penchant for winning without its star point guard. The addition of Marcus Smart will help there.
Chris Paul looked impressive in his Warriors’ debut, but it will likely take the team some time to figure out all the moving parts. It will probably be the same in Phoenix with Devin Booker, Kevin Durant and Bradley Beal. Minnesota may be a little low here, especially since Karl-Anthony Towns only played in 29 games last season, not to mention Anthony Edwards is rising.
