The Spurs are perfectly average this season. LaMarcus Aldridge and DeMar DeRozan are mid-range assassins, which isn’t always conducive to winning basketball in 2018, but Gregg Popovich makes it work. The lack of firepower and depth hurts in some matchups, though.
The Clippers, for a brief moment in time, sat atop the West standings. Now they’ve lost six of seven, hitting a serious bump in the proverbial road. With Tobias Harris, Lou Williams and a strong assortment of perimeter pieces, though, expect L.A. to find a happy medium at some point.
Ranking dead last in pace, the Grizzlies continue to grit-n-grind their way to wins. Marc Gasol has a Defensive Player of the Year argument and Mike Conley might — might — make his first All-Star game, although this isn’t the first time we’ve said that. Jaren Jackson Jr. looks special.
HALLELUKA! The Mavs are losers of two straight and are just 2-10 on the road this season, but recent success still dictates a solid spot in these rankings. Luka Doncic, to nobody’s surprise, is the Rookie of the Year frontrunner. Dallas is a legit playoff contender in the loaded West.
The Rockets are beginning to show progress, with James Harden once again putting together an MVP-esque season. He won’t earn frontrunner status until Houston’s record improves, but the Rockets have enough firepower to make up some ground in the standings.