The MOST IMPORTANT THINGS β For All 30 NBA Teams [Part 2]
Substack writers on what to know right now, and what to anticipate, as the Western Conference playoff races heat up
See Part 1: Eastern Conference
What are the most important things β short-term and long-term β for each team in the Western Conference?
We asked 15 NBA Substack writers for their answers.
Check out their team-by-team responses and subscribe!
Short-term: You could say this about a handful of teams in the West, but Goal No. 1 at this point for Dallas has to be securing a top-six seed. The Mavericks are good enough to get out of the Play-In Round, but who wants to chance it in the brutal West? This team is as healthy now as it's been all season. So the time is now to try to secure the No. 5 or No. 6 spot and, in doing so, try to get to 50 wins to help Luka DonΔiΔ's MVP case.Β
Long-term: The Mavericks have traded away their first-round picks in 2027 and 2029 and have likewise surrendered control of their 2028 and 2030 first-rounders through pick swaps. So they have no choice: They will have to become a title contender largely relying on the team they already have around DonΔiΔ ... which also requires them to lean heavily on Kyrie Irving.Β
Looking at the Nuggets from a betting perspective β¦
Short-term: Once again, Nikola JokiΔ is the odds-on favorite to win his third MVP award. Joel Embiid was briefly favored to win MVP before his injury, but Jokic (-155) has taken back the mantle. With 21.7% of bets and 29.2% of total dollars wagered, heβs the No. 1 liability at BetMGM to win the award.
Long-term: The Nuggets (40-19) are third in the West, but they wonβt care about seeding come playoff time. They are the slight favorite to win the Western Conference at sportsbooks, just ahead of the Clippers, and have the second-best odds (+450) to win the title (behind Boston) at most sportsbooks. The Nuggets (14.7% of bets, 22.7% of handle) are the biggest liability to win the title at BetMGM sportsbooks. Public bettors are banking on a Denver repeat.
Short-term:
Solidify the new bench squad of Sixth Man Klay, Chris Paul, and Gary Payton II.
Counter the new defenses on Jonathan Kuminga.
Get Steph Curry some rest.
Hold on to enough big leads to get into the playoffs.
Long-term:
Get out of the tax.
Decide if Klay is too expensive to re-sign.
Decide whether young guns Kuminga, Brandin Podziemski, Moses Moody, Trayce Jackson-Davis, Lester Quinones, and Gui Santos can help a contending team β¦ or trade them for a star to pair with Steph for one last run.
Short-term: One big question remains for Houston this season β will Jalen Green remain a starter? Itβs evident that Green isn't one of the best five players on the Rockets. But does Ime Udoka have the stomach the bench the former No. 2-overall pick?
Long-term: If youβve followed the Rockets closely, their star-hunting hasnβt come as much of a surprise. They had telegraphed their ambitions for over a year. The question now is: Which stars could they realistically acquire in the next 12 months?
Short-term: LA needs to keep everyone intact and playing at a high level. Paul Georgeβs recent absence (knee) is concerning for a squad that had been uncharacteristically healthy this year. Behind Kawhi Leonard, he is the second-best player by WAR on a Clippers roster that might have the best championship potential of any team in this snakebit franchiseβs history.
Long-term: This summer will be pivotal, as George can opt out of his contract and James Harden is an unrestricted free agent. Capped out as they are, keeping this core together will be a priority for the Clippers, especially as they move into the new Intuit Dome wearing their fancy new uniforms.
Short-term: Darvin Ham needs to find an identity that optimizes Anthony Davis and LeBron James and stick with it. The Lakers are 60-plus games into their season and some guys feel they still donβt know what roles theyβre going to play night in, night out.
Long-term: Theyβll need to find a new head coach this summer and likely reshape the roster to either bring in a third star or acquire more two-way players, a description that fits only James and Davis. Even bigger picture, James, Klutch, and the Lakers front office need to get back on the same page, and ditch this whole βstay together for the kidsβ shtick thatβs worn down everyone from team personnel to fans.
Short-term: The Grizzliesβ postseason hopes were derailed due to tons of injuries β on top of Ja Morantβs 25-game suspension. Meanwhile, Vince Williams and 19-year-old GG Jackson have stepped up as real pieces to bolster its wing depth going forward.
Long-term: The Grizzlies have a championship Big 3 with Morant, Trip J, and Desmond Bane. Health first and foremost is key, but their young wings, Marcus Smart, and their 2024 lottery pick will add depth next to the core to allow Memphis to rejoin the contender circle.
Short-term: Get that offense right. It's unusual for a (current) 1-seed to sit bottom-half in offensive rating, and it's even more unusual for a team like that to make or win the Finals. Points awarded for weathering the Gobert criticismΒ and building the league's leading defense, but history suggests that's not enough if you want to hoist the trophy.
Long-term:Β It's all about Ant. There's room to grow in a couple of key areas β free-throw attempts and assist-to-turnover ratio stand out β but he has the potential to be the best player on a title team, and we're about to find out where he stands on that journey.
Short-term: The Pelicans have begun leaning into βPoint Zionβ as their organizing identity. The success of this configuration will determine not only their ceiling for the season but a long-term team-building vision as well.
Long-term: In its five years, the Zion Williamson-Brandon Ingram pairing has shown limited success. Ingram is eligible for a 30% maximum extension this summer, and the Pelicans need to decide if the pairing is worth continuing.
Short-term: The Thunder areΒ slight favoritesΒ to capture the top seed according to Basketball Reference, and they shouldΒ be doing everything in their power to secure it. Home-court advantage in the first three rounds would be one way for OKC to overcome the lack of experience for a young team thatβs yet to make the playoffs with its current core.
Long-term: Who are the best complementary players with which to surround Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Chet Holmgren, and Jalen Williams, and how can Sam Presti acquire them? The Thunder have the core of a future title contender with young stars years away from their respective primes. Figuring out the best mix of skill sets to maximize each player's strengths and minimize their weaknesses so that they can have a title window that is open as wide as possible, for as long as possible, is Presti's most important task.Β
Short-term: This is an easy one. Bradley Beal needs to stay on the floor β heβs played in only 52% of the Sunsβ games. According to PBPStats, the KD/Booker/Beal trio is +12 in net rating when all three are on the court. Take Beal out of that equation, and they drop to +3.5. To win a chip, Phoenix needs the former Wizard to work his magic.Β
Long-term: Boy, the Suns really donβt have any of their own picks, do they? Because Suns owner Mat Ishbia is the anti-Presti, Brooklyn and Washington control Phoenixβs first-round picks the next seven drafts. If the Suns canβt overcome the OKCs and Denvers, then KD β who turns 36 in September β might look for greener pastures and make those picks extremely valuable.
Short-term: The Blazers need to get healthy. This was always going to be a developmental year, but that doesn't do much good if their most important building blocks aren't on the floor. Their two most important young players, Scoot Henderson and Shaedon Sharpe, are out with injuries, and Deandre Ayton, playing his best basketball of the season in the last month, suffered a hand injury Tuesday.
Long term: Every rebuild hinges on finding "the guy." The Wolves have Anthony Edwards; the Magic have Paolo Banchero. For Portland, maybe Henderson or Sharpe develops or whoever they get in the June draft is the right guy. Maybe it's someone they trade for, like the Thunder with Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and the Pacers with Tyrese Haliburton. However the Blazers get that guy, they need to find him.
Short-term: Sacramento can finish the season on a high note if it finds consistent defensive intensity and execution. The Kings have standout games on that end, and then they give up 133 to Detroit. You can't bring it against only the best teams.
Long-term: Who fills the two non-Keegan Murray wing spots will determine the Kings' path to contention. Harrison Barnes and Kevin Huerter were vital for Sacramento to become competent. A similar leap is needed to make the Kings excellent.
Short-term: San Antonioβs goal now is identifying which current players will be penciled into the Wembanyama blueprint. This season was always going to be a tryout for the βothersβ while the Spurs figured out what Victor was, and with 23 games remaining that proving ground is shrinking.
Long-term: Choices loom for the front office. Now that San Antonio has the primary puzzle piece in place, will it take a big swing in a trade this summer, or will it remain methodical? Either way, that mountain of draft assets should come in handy.
Short-term: Theyβre in 11th place in a competitive Western Conference, four games out of the play-in. That plus their trade deadline deals imply that theyβre in soft-tank mode. They have to learn more about their young guys, and figure out which of them can play with their vets.
Long-term: When youβre building around someone at Lauri Markkanenβs level, itβs tough. Heβs a perennial All-Star candidate, but not a perennial All-Star. They have to determine 1) whether he can get better and 2) whether the other veterans have upside.
π² the Lakers will "need to find a new head coach this summer"?!?
The Blazers *may* have βthat guyβ in Shaedon Sharpe IMO, but yes, he has to play to get there