I recently gave the NBA’s Eastern Conference teams grades for their 2014-15 seasons here, now here are the NBA Western Conference grades. As with the East teams, I looked at each team’s performance this season along with their preseason expected win totals from BovadaLV, and took into account how the season unfolded in terms of trades, injuries, and altered expectations. Again, this is one person’s subjective view on how each team’s season went.
Dallas Mavericks, 50-32 (o/u 49.5): B
The Mavs had yet another 50 win season and surpassed their expected win total, but ultimately it felt a bit disappointing for Dallas this season. Most of that has to do with the loaded Western Conference, where it is tough for any team to compete, and if the Mavs were in the East their season might look a lot differently today. The trade for Rajon Rondo did not work out as planned and did not turn them into the contender they hoped it would. Sadly, we may have seen the last of Dirk Nowitzki’s teams contending for championships.
Denver Nuggets, 30-52 (41.5): C-
What was projected to be a better season for the Nuggets and coach Brian Shaw turned into a mediocre campaign that saw a team that has good young players struggle to make it work. That underachieving saw the firing of Brian Shaw and saw the Nuggets end up where no team wants to end up in the NBA, just out of the playoffs and not in a position to snag a high lottery pick. The Nuggets have good young assets, but it will be tough for them to compete in the West.
Golden State Warriors, 67-15 (50.5): A+
Under new head coach Steve Kerr and presumptive MVP Steph Curry the Warriors had the best record in the NBA and were able to take advantage of all the talent that has been assembled in Oaukland. People expected the Dubs to be contenders, but they have become favorites in the West. People criticized the decision to not trade for Kevin Love, and that decision turned out to be a great one with Klay Thompson having a career season. It will be fun to watch these Warriors in the playoffs.
Houston Rockets, 56-26 (49.5): A
The only thing that could have made this Rockets season an “A+” would have been if Dwight Howard had stayed fully healthy along with some of their role players that were hurt and they could have gotten past 60 wins. Despite all that, in the rough West, they managed to come away with the two seed after the season’s final night. Most of their success is due to James Harden, who had an MVP type season. What him and the Rockets were able to do this year was one of the better stories of the season.
Los Angeles Clippers, 56-26 (54.5): A
Similarly, the Clippers had a great season that saw them end up with the three seed in the West, a feat that normally would be something a team would strive for, but unfortunately the defending champs were waiting in round one which will mean that one great team will be out of the playoffs after the first round. The Clippers lack of a bench and some injuries hurt them a bit this year, but DeAndre Jordan was a breakout player and Chris Paul and Blake Griffin are stars. Another great team that would have gotten “A+” status had they been able to win a handful more games this season.
Los Angeles Lakers, 21-61 (32.5): F
What was one of the worst seasons in history arguably the league’s top marquee franchise deserves an “F”. The only positives to take away from this Laker season were the growth of rookie Jordan Clarkson, who showed that he can produce in the NBA, and the fact that after Bryant’s injury the team was able to lose enough games to have good odds of keeping their top-five protected draft pick. Coach Byron Scott was a disaster and the Lakers rarely put out a competitive team. Their hope is that Bryant and Julius Randle can come back healthy alongside Clarkson, their top-five draft choice, and some potential free agent acquisitions. Tough to see them competing for a couple years.
Memphis Grizzlies, 55-27 (49): A-
The Grizzlies were able to improve upon last year’s record and surpass their expected win total in a tough division. They have had success in recent seasons, but have not been able to translate that into much post-season success besides a trip to the conference finals in 2013 where they were swept by San Antonio. They have a roster built for the post-season and their star players are underrated by many. This is a team that has the potential to upsets a lot of teams that people tend to forget about. They had another really good season, yet another team that, if not for the West, might be able to seriously compete for a championship.
Minnesota Timberwolves, 16-66 (26.5): F
In what can only be described as an “F” season for Minnesota, their lone bright spot was star rookie Andrew Wiggins, who looks like he will develop into an All-Star player sooner rather than later. The Wolves were involved in some mid-season trade action, that brought Kevin Garnett back to the team, but it was mostly a forgettable year for a team that has to land a big prospect through this year’s draft to have any chance of competing sometime soon.
New Orleans Pelicans, 45-37 (43): B+
It is hard not to give the Pelicans an “A” for what they accomplished this season, sneaking into the playoffs in the loaded West, but if not for Oklahoma City being decimated by injuries, the Pelicans would not have sniffed the playoffs. Anthony Davis deserves an “A+” for his season individually, having put together an MVP type campaign, but the rest of the Pelicans did not perform up to their previous standards. They had about the season that everyone expected them to this year, with a surprise playoff berth, but this is the team of the future as long as Davis is in New Orleans.
Oklahoma City Thunder, 45-37 (57.5): C
Speaking of OKC, they were a team that was projected to win over 57 games this season and be fighting for the top seed in the West. Due to injuries to their star players, they missed out on the playoffs despite historical numbers put up by Russell Westbrook. It is difficult to give a fair grade here, as the Thunder likely would have been title contenders with a healthy Kevin Duran and Serge Ibaka. But those injuries happen, and this season will be seen as a failure in the eyes of many, and one that could eventually lead to the departures of Durant and Westbrook from OKC.
Phoenix Suns, 39-43 (44): C
After being the surprise team of last season, the Suns weren’t flying under anyone’s radar this season. They acquired Isiah Thomas in the offseason, but their three guard system did not work out as they had hoped. They eventually shipped Thomas and Goran Dragic away and ended up coming up short of the playoffs again this season. A near .500 record in the west is not terrible, but this team had the potential to build upon last year’s success and breakout season by Dragic. They fell short of their expectations this season.
Portland Trailblazers, 51-31 (49): B+
Anther really good team that unfortunately has to deal with everyone in their conference and it makes them seem as though they are not a great team. Damian Lillard and LaMarcus Aldridge are great, and they were able to once again win 50 games. The Blazers lost Wes Matthews for the season, a huge blow to their chances of advancing in the playoffs again this year. Overall, winning 50 games has to be considered a successful regular season. The problem for this team is their injuries and having to go through an incredibly difficult playoff which probably won’t see them get past the first round.
Sacramento Kings, 29-53 (29.5): C
It was tough to grade the Kings’ season after they got out to such a strong start and were the surprise of the early NBA season, but then struggled the rest of the way to a poor 29 wins. The firing of head coach Mike Malone seemed a bit premature after starting the season at about a .500 pace for a team that no one expected to win many games. The hiring of George Karl did not get more out of the players in Sacramento. Their lone bright spot was DeMarcus Cousins, who has proven to be one of the best big men in the NBA on one of the worst rosters. He had a standout season and will be one of the best players in the NBA for years to come.
San Antonio Spurs, 55-27 (57): B-
A bit of an unfair grade perhaps here, but the defending champs have set such a high standard for themselves that their season was left something to be desired. The lacklustre performance from the Spurs for the first few weeks of the season meant they had to climb out of a hole to get a good seed in the playoffs and ultimately lost the two seed on the final night of the regular season. There is no doubt in people’s minds that the Spurs can win the title, but they let a clear advantage slip away from them. All in all, they were still able to win 55 games and were the best team in the NBA after the All-Star break, but we’ll see if their slow start and loss of home court advantage will cost them in the playoffs.
Utah Jazz, 38-44 (24): B+
It is tough to give a team that finished below .500 an “A” grade, but the Jazz came about as close as a team can this season. A team that was expected to go nowhere and be fighting for a high lottery selection was able to grind out 38 wins which was well above their expected total. They had three players with a PER over 20 in Gordon Hayward, Derrick Favors, and Rudy Gobert, and Gobert broke out as one of the better defensive players in the NBA. Their young players are starting to play to their potential and it paid off this season with their best season since they had both Paul Millsap and Al Jefferson.
