NBA Halftime Report Card - Western Conference

1. Denver Nuggets (24-13)

The Nuggets have flattered to deceive in recent years, making four straight playoff appearances (their best run since the Melo era), but with nothing to show for it. This year though, with back-to-back MVP Nikola Jokić having another record-breaking season, Denver looks on course for another deep playoff run. The health of Jamal Murray and Michael Porter Jr. is a welcome boost after both suffering horrid injuries in recent years. The emergence of Aaron Gordon and sixth man Bones Hyland have propelled the Nuggets to the top of a stacked Western Conference as we enter 2023. They’ll be aiming to raise the franchise’s first Championship banner when the playoffs come around in the spring. Grade: A-

2. Memphis Grizzlies (24-13)

Arguably the most exciting team in the NBA, and the one with the brightest future, the Memphis Grizzlies are a genuine contender this year led by walking highlight-reel, Ja Morant. Their excellence transcends just Ja, however, with arguably the best screen-setter in the league, Steven Adams, and supreme three-point marksman Desmond Bane complimenting Morant perfectly. With other young pieces such as Jaren Jackson Jr. and Dillon Brooks, and some added playoff experience, the Grizzlies will surely be challenging deep in to the postseason. Grade: A-

3. New Orleans Pelicans (24-14)

Another young team with a bright future, led by a supreme talent, the Pels and Zion Williamson are shaping up to be the real deal. With Brandon Ingram finally fulfilling his potential and CJ McCollum proving to be reborn in his new home, the Pelicans find themselves in unfamiliar territory at the top end of the West. With news of Zion being side-lined by injury for a few weeks at least, other players will need to step up, and the rest of January could go a long way to answering questions about New Orleans’ readiness to compete for a championship. Grade: A-

4. Dallas Mavericks (22-16)

At just 23 years of age, the Dallas Mavericks have arguably the best young player in the world in Luka Dončić. The scary thing for the rest of the league is that he is still years away from his prime, yet is already in MVP conversations and a nightly triple-double threat. The onus now will lie with Mark Cuban and the rest of the Mavericks front office to build a roster around Dončić that is capable of winning an NBA Championship. The acquisition of Christian Wood has certainly helped, but Kemba Walker’s time in Dallas has so far been underwhelming. They are maybe a piece or two away from being genuine title contenders, but with Luka, anything is possible. Grade: B+

5. Sacramento Kings (20-17)

Similar to the Indiana Pacers in the East, the Kings have been the surprise story of the Western Conference this year for all the right reasons. After trading away Tyrese Haliburton to the Pacers for big man Domantas Sabonis last year, the Lithuanian has been dominant in his first full season in Cali. With star man De’Aaron Fox having another strong season and the immediate impact of rookie Keegan Murray, surrounded by elite shooters like Harrison Barnes, Malik Monk, and Kevin Huerter, the Kings are on course to end their unwanted and league-leading playoff drought of 16 years. Grade: A-

6. Los Angeles Clippers (21-18)

The Paul George and Kawhi Leonard era hasn’t really worked as planned yet in LA thanks in part to the limited availability of both, and that has carried over into this so far underwhelming season, but any team with talent of that level carries a potent threat. John Wall has been a positive addition to the second unit, but the likes of George, Leonard, Wall, Marcus Morris, and Reggie Jackson aren’t getting any younger, and the window of opportunity for the Clippers to win their first NBA Championship is shrinking. Grade: B-

7. Portland Trail Blazers (19-18)

The emergence of Anfernee Simons and resurgence of Jerami Grant have been welcomed bonuses to the Damian Lillard-led Blazers, but as with the Clippers, their window of potential success is getting smaller as Dame ages. While still one of the best Point Guards in the league, Dame needs some help and it’s on the rest of the Portland roster and front office to provide that. Grade: B

8. Phoenix Suns (20-19)

The fourth Phoenix Suns season under the stewardship of Monty Williams has been mostly disappointing. After back-to-back conference-best records and a trip to the NBA Finals in 2021, the Suns have one of the strongest rosters on paper. Unfortunately for them, the game is not played on paper. Phoenix are 5-13 across their last 18 games and have tumbled down the Western Conference standings through December, as Devin Booker, Chris Paul, DeAndre Ayton, and the rest of a largely unchanged squad have seriously underwhelmed this year. It looks like the Suns will need a lot of work to get back to the Finals. Grade: C+

9. Golden State Warriors (20-19)

The reigning Champions have had a very odd season. A league-leading 17-2 record at home is juxtaposed by a league-worst 3-16 record on the road. Injuries have taken a toll, but the main core of Stephen Curry, Klay Thompson, Draymond Green and Andrew Wiggins have largely been available. Jordan Poole has continued his rise after his breakout year last season, and other young talents like James Wiseman and Jonathan Kuminga will be hoping to take the reins once the 4-time champions hang up the sneakers. Grade: C

10. Utah Jazz (19-21)

After giving up on Donovan Mitchell and Rudy Gobert in the summer, many expected Utah to be languishing at the bottom of the league as they initiated a rebuild. A surprising 10-3 start to the season caught the attention of many, but they’ve gone 9-18 since and have dropped down the rankings as a result. Career role-players Lauri Markkanen and Jordan Clarkson are both having strong years as first options, but it’s clear the trajectory of the Jazz is to rebuild. Grade: C+

11. Minnesota Timberwolves (18-21)

‘Scary Hours’. It was all supposed to be so different in Minnesota. With arguably the most skilled offensive big man in Karl-Anthony Towns already on the roster, adding three-time Defensive Player of the Year Rudy Gobert was supposed to elevate the T’Wolves deep into the playoffs. Despite the continued growth of Anthony Edwards, the Timberwolves have never really found any consistency and find themselves in an all-too-familiar position. Grade: D+

12. Los Angeles Lakers (17-21)

Almost three years on from their NBA Championship, the LeBron James and Anthony Davis lead Lakers are a sorry excuse of what they had promised to be. Aside from LeBron and Davis, the roster is some way short of getting back to the playoffs, let alone contending for another ring. With rumours starting to surface of LeBron’s discontent at not winning, this season feels definitive for the Lakers. Make some moves and climb the rankings, or let LeBron go and start yet another rebuild. Grade: C-

13. Oklahoma City Thunder (16-22)

After four straight first-round exits, the Thunder went into full rebuild mode in 2020, hoarding just about every pick in every draft for the next ten years, and it’s starting to pay dividends. They’re doing about as well as you’d expect, and have grown a lot from the last two years. Led by the magnificent Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, the Thunder are a very young team and it has showed in the inconsistency of performances, but with Shai leading the way and Josh Giddey playing the supporting role this year, the Thunder’s future looks bright, especially once the exciting Chet Holmgren returns. Grade: C

14. San Antonio Spurs (12-26)

The Spurs are another young team with a lot of potential whose future looks bright. Unfortunately for Gregg Popovich, the present is a little bleak. Keldon Johnson and Devin Vassell have been standout players on a mostly poor team, although the performances of rookie Jeremy Sochan have given Spurs fan cause for optimism. The Spurs have a history with overseas talent and they will be praying their name gets picked first for the 2023 draft. Grade: D+

15. Houston Rockets (10-28)

Similar to the Detroit Pistons, the Rockets have been pretty reliably the worst team in the league for the last couple of years. They have stockpiled a number of exciting young players, namely Jalen Green, Jabari Smith Jr, and Alperen Şengün, but their progress hasn’t really come along as expected (just as Eric Gordon). They’ll be hoping to land Victor Wembanyama in the summer and really flip this rebuild on its head. Grade: D

Team records correct at time of writing [05.01.2023].