As the NBA season begins to move closer, we began to evaluate different rosters and teams. Regardless of the teams exceptions, there are key questions about each team. After analyzing the East, here is one question for every Western Conference team.
One Question for Every Western Conference Team
Dallas Mavericks: Will their Dallas’ off-season acquisitions improve their defense enough?
The Dallas Mavericks are coming off a disappointing 2022-23 campaign, a season in which Dallas had playoff hopes but failed to even make the play-in tournament. Central to the Mavericks failures last year was poor defense. The Mavericks ranked 25th in defensive rating last year, a far cry from their 6th-ranked defense in the previous season, where they reached the Western Conference Finals. Dallas addressed their need for defense this off-season by signing versatile forward Grant Williams and drafting defensive-minded prospects Dereck Lively and Olivier-Maxcene Prosper. The Mavericks have certainly improved their defense, but it’s unclear how impactful the rookies will be. Ultimately, it remains unclear if these improvements will be enough for Dallas to compete in a loaded Western Conference.
Denver Nuggets: What role player will step up?
Throughout the Denver Nuggets‘ Finals run, Bruce Brown proved to be one of the most impactful role players in the league. This off-season the Pacers rewarded him with a huge 2-year, $45 million dollar contract. Denver is looking to repeat as champions. However, to have the same success. they will need someone to step up and replicate Brown’s two-way impact. Second-year wing Christian Braun is the most likely candidate to step up. Braun played quality minutes in the finals and upside at age 22. Free agent acquisition Justin Holiday and 2nd round pick Jalen Pickett are two additional candidates to make surprising impacts.
Golden State Warriors: How will Chris Paul fit in Golden State’s system?
Chris Paul being traded to the Golden State Warriors was perhaps the most surprising move of the off-season. Paul is an all-time great point guard and playmaker. But at 38, he is entering a new stage of his career. Paul will still handle the ball and initiate offense for the Warriors. However, the Warriors system will have Paul play more off-ball than he has his entire career. Paul will no longer be the focal point of the offense, so this will certainly be an adjustment for him. Ultimately, great players and great teams tend to these things out, which will likely be the case here. Nonetheless, watching Paul adapt to playing with Steph Curry and the Warriors will be incredibly intriguing.
Houston Rockets: How will they balance being competitive with developing young players?
The Houston Rockets have a loaded young core, including Jalen Green, 4th overall pick Amen Thompson, Alperen Sengun, Jabari Smith, Cam Whitmore, Kevin Porter Jr., and Tari Eason. This core sets them up nicely for the future and has tons of upside. This year the Rockets are looking to rise from the basement of the Western Conference. As a result, the Rockets also signed two win-now players Fred VanVleet and Dillon Brooks. Houston also hired Ime Udoka, a win-now coach. On paper, none of these moves should interfere with the Rockets young core. If anything, they should elevate the core. However, it’s a lot to balance and there’s a lot of mouths to feed. It’s a strong possibility someone gets lost in the shuffle as a result.
Los Angeles Clippers: Can the stars stay healthy?
The star duo of Kawhi Leonard and Paul George has been a massive disappointment for the Los Angeles Clippers. The duo has only delivered one Western Conference Finals berth in four seasons. This is in large part due to the constant injuries the stars have battled. 2020 is the only playoff run that both stars have been healthy for. As the two stars continue to age and injuries continue to pile up, the title window begins to close. However, if the star duo can stay healthy this year they could legitimately compete for a title.
Los Angeles Lakers: Can Anthony Davis be the clear number-one option?
At 38, it is entirely possible LeBron James will decline or want a lesser role. Anthony Davis is poised to take on more responsibility and become the clear number one option. Many people already view him as the team’s best player due to his elite two-way ability. However, to become the clear-cut number option, Davis will need to be fully healthy and consistently aggressive on offense. This is the version of Davis we saw in the playoffs. If Davis is playing at an elite level, the Los Angeles Lakers‘ title chances could skyrocket.
Memphis Grizzlies: Will a lack of a wing defense hurt Memphis?
Dillon Brooks is certainly a controversial player. But there’s no denying his departure leaves Memphis with a gaping flaw in wing defense. The Grizzlies will depend on Marcus Smart and Desmond Bane to guard opposing wings. Smart is a great defender but will have a hard time guarding bigger wings, while Bane is just an average defender. The lack of wing defense will hurt the Grizzlies in a competitive Western conference, especially against elite wings or bigger teams.
Minnesota Timberwolves: Will the Towns and Gobert pairing work?
The double big pairing of Karl-Anthony Towns and Rudy Gobert is extremely divisive. However, we only got a sample size last year. Towns played 29 regular season games and returned just before the playoffs from a calf injury. Before Towns got injured the big-man duo showed signs of struggling, which led to a lot of questions about the fit. However, during the playoffs, the pairing showed a lot of good signs and looked very solid. Ultimately, a full season together will prove if this pairing will work for the Minnesota Timberwolves.
New Orleans Pelicans: Can Zion Williamson play for a full year?
Since entering the league in 2019, Zion Williamson has had one full season, which was the 2020-21 campaign. When Zion is healthy, he’s an unstoppable force and an elite scorer. With a healthy Zion, the New Orleans Pelicans are in the mix for top teams in the West. New Orleans sat atop the West last December before Zion went down with a season-ending hamstring injury. A healthy Zion is key to the Pelicans having success this year and for Zion to remain on the roster in the future.
Oklahoma City Thunder: Will Chet Holmgren help OKC make a playoff push?
The Oklahoma City Thunder are coming off a surprisingly successful season in which they posted a 40-42 record and were one win away from the playoffs. This happened all while last year’s number 2 overall pick, Chet Holmgren, was out with a foot injury. With Chet back in the mix and internal improvement, OKC has potential to jump up the standings. Chet projects to be a high-level two-way big with an immediate defensive impact. Holmgren also fills OKC’s void at the center spot. Additionally, their young core will only get better. 10th overall pick Cason Wallace could provide an immediate two-way perimeter impact. Will these factors allow OKC to become a legitimate playoff squad in the West?
Phoenix Suns: Will Deandre Ayton prove his worth?
Deandre Ayton is an athletically gifted big man who can put up big numbers. However, Ayton’s effort, defense, and consistency were all questioned last season. With the addition of Bradley Beal and the expectation that the Phoenix Suns will be a top-tier contender, Ayton will need to step up. During the off-season, Phoenix hired Frank Vogel, who is a notorious defensive-minded coach. Vogel could help Ayton reach his full potential. If Ayton reaches his full potential, the Suns could be a force to be reckoned with. However, if Ayton fails to answer questions surrounding his game, he could be on the way out of Phoenix.
Portland Trail Blazers: When will Damian Lillard be traded?
Damian Lillard trade rumors dominated NBA news throughout the off-season. After 11 seasons with the franchise, Damian Lillard requested a trade in July. It’s a matter of time before the star guard is traded. Where Dame will be dealt with and what the package will be remains unclear. The Portland Trail Blazers are entering a rebuilding phase, which will not officially begin until Dame is moved.
Sacramento Kings: Is last year’s success replicable?
The Sacramento Kings took the league by storm last year. The Kings had the league’s best offense and finished 3rd in the West with 48 wins, breaking their 16-year playoff drought in the process. They ultimately fell to the no. 6 seed Warriors in a thrilling 7-game series. This off-season, the Kings elected to run it back with virtually the same roster. The Kings handed out a massive extension to Domantas Sabonis and re-signed Harrison Barnes in the off-season, all while being patient in the free agent and trade market. While the offense still projects to be amazing and the roster has a ton of upside, it’s fair to wonder if Sacramento will have the same success this season in a competitive Western Conference.
San Antonio Spurs: What will Victor Wembanyama’s immediate offensive impact be?
Victor Wembanyama is an all-time great prospect and has an incredible amount of hype around him ahead of his rookie year. Wembanyama looks to continue the San Antonio Spurs‘ history of elite big men. At 7-foot-4 with an 8-foot wingspan, Wembanyama is a true unicorn. Due to this elite size and instincts, Wemby will be an elite defender and rim protector from day one. While Wemby’s immediate defensive impact is clear, his day-one offensive impact is not. Wembanyama can create his own shot and has floor spacing abilities. Although he’s a freak athlete, Wemby’s slender frame might hinder his effectiveness as an interior scorer early on. Ultimately, Wembanyama will likely have an adjustment period on the offensive end before becoming the elite two-way star he projects to be. It will be worth watching Wembanyama’s immediate offensive impact and development as a rookie.
Utah Jazz: How impactful will the rookies be?
The Utah Jazz have one of the brightest futures in the league. With tons of future assets, the Jazz are developing an elite young core. The Jazz added to this future with three first-round picks in the draft. They are 9th overall pick Taylor Hendricks, a versatile two-way forward; 16th pick Keyonte George, a dynamic scoring guard; and 28th pick Brice Sensabaugh, a gifted wing scorer. This gives the Jazz three intriguing young players with tons of upside to develop together. Hendricks has elite length and is a versatile defender with the ability to stretch the floor on offense. He checks all the boxes of a high-level modern forward. George took the Summer League by storm with his gifted scoring ability, averaging 18 points per game, leading many to declare him as the early steal of the draft. Despite being drafted 28th, Sensabaugh has a lot of upside and proved to be a high-level scorer at Ohio State. How these rookies will impact the team and who will stand out from the group are important factors for Utah’s season.
