The Western Conference has always been deep and loaded with talent. That seems to be even more prevalent in today’s NBA. Last year, there were 11 teams with a winning record, and every team had 20+ wins. That is expected to be the case again going into this next season. To go along with that, there are two teams in the West that arent getting the respect or recognition that they deserve. Those two teams are the Houston Rockets and the Memphis Grizzlies.
Going into next season, the West has a clear-cut top four teams that should be the Thunder, Nuggets, Timberwolves, and Mavericks. They also have a clear-cut bottom three teams in the Spurs, Trail Blazers, and the Jazz. That means there are eight teams trying to fight for seeds five through 10. Two of those eight teams won’t make the playoffs or even the Play-In Tournament. Of those eight teams, the Rockets and Grizzlies are among them and aren’t getting the respect they deserve. Today, we are going to give you the reasons why the Rockets and Grizzlies deserve more respect out West.
These 2 Western Conference Teams Deserve More Respect
Memphis Grizzlies
It wasn’t that long ago when the Grizzlies were supposed to be the up-and-coming young team. They took their first major leap in the 2021-22 season with Ja Morant leading the charge. They won 56 games and claimed the number two seed in the Western Conference. Then they took the Golden State Warriors to six games in the Western Conference Semifinals. Golden State would go on to win the title that year. The Grizzlies looked like they were just getting started. The following year, they took a small step back, but still finished with 51 wins. That earned them the second seed again. However, this time they lost in six to LeBron James and the Lakers in the first round. Finally, in 2023-24, they unfortunately suffered many injuries and only won 27 games.
This upcoming season, they are projected to get about 47 wins which would put them around the fifth seed in the Western Conference. Even with Memphis projected to be the fifth or sixth seed, no one is talking about them to have a chance to win the NBA title this year. Two years ago, they were supposed to be the next best young team in the Western Conference. The trio of Morant, Jaren Jackson Jr., and Desmond Bane can go toe-to-toe with any other trios in the West. In addition to that, there should be further development from G.G Jackson and Brandon Clarke. Also, they have a great point-of-attack defender with Marcus Smart and a lights-out shooter in Luke Kennard. Finally, they drafted a big center in Zach Edey. They have all the ingredients to win a title.
Can The Grizzlies Stay Healthy
With all that being said, there is only one thing that has stopped them in recent years, and that is injuries. Bane, Morant, and Jackson have all been somewhat injury-prone in their careers. However, when they are healthy, they have the ability to win 50+ games. Can the Grizzlies stay healthy will be the biggest question surrounding them going into next season. If they are able to stay healthy, they should enter the conversation with the Thunder, Mavericks, Timberwolves, and Nuggets as the top teams in the Western Conference. They could even be a team that has the ability to come out of the West next year.
Houston Rockets May Be The Most Slept-On Team In The Western Conference
The other team that deserves more recognition out West is the Houston Rockets. Since they have traded away James Harden after the bubble playoffs, they have been one of the worst teams in the NBA. However, last season they took a major step in the right direction with first year head coach Ime Udoka. They increased their win total by 19, going from 22 to 41 wins. They had a chance to sneak into the play-in tournament if it wasn’t for a late season injury from Alperen Sengun. In addition to that, during Sengun’s absence, Jalen Green took a massive leap and played very well in those games. The Rockets are hopeful that they can both play well together this year, something that hasn’t always happened.
This upcoming season, they are projected to have around 42 wins, which is just a one win increase. This will have them fighting for the 10th seed with the Warriors once again. However, that could be way too low, due to the potential this Rockets team has. Ime Udoka was able to change the narrative around the Rockets rapidly by implementing a winning culture. The Rockets players bought into that narrative real quick. Now that Udoka is entering year two of the system he has brought with him, and the same core group, a bigger jump in their win total could be on the radar for Houston.
The Rockets are Young but Ready to take a Major Leap
With the Western Conference being as deep as it is, the Rockets will have a hard time showing their growth with the amount of wins they achieve. However, they should have the ability to improve their win total by five or six, and not just one. Even with this team being very young, they are ready to take the next step forward, especially if Green and Sengun can figure out how to play well with each other. Improvements should come from Jabari Smith Jr., Cam Whitmore, and Amen Thomspon. There is the veteran leadership of Fred VanVleet and Dillon Brooks. Houston added sharpshooter Reed Sheppard into the mix. This is a team that no one will want to see in a seven-game series.
The Rockets are on a typical NBA rebuild timeline, and the next step in that timeline is to at least reach the Play-In Touenment. Out of those eight teams in the Western Conference competing for six spots, the Rockets have the ability to be in the top half of that list and not the bottom half. They just need to keep seeing the progression from their young players.
