{"id":2137307,"date":"2026-09-10T10:00:28","date_gmt":"2026-09-10T07:00:28","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/?p=2137307"},"modified":"2026-09-10T10:00:28","modified_gmt":"2026-09-10T07:00:28","slug":"which-western-conference-teams-are-closest-to-dethroning-the-spurs-and-thunder","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/?p=2137307","title":{"rendered":"Which Western Conference teams are closest to dethroning the Spurs and Thunder?"},"content":{"rendered":"
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By the start of the 2026 NBA playoffs, it was a foregone conclusion to many the road to Western Conference supremacy would go through San Antonio and Oklahoma City.<\/p>\n

Once the Spurs and Thunder completed their epic, seven-game battle in the Western Conference finals, which ended with the Spurs upsetting the defending NBA champs on the road, it felt like that series was just the beginning of these teams\u2019 collective reign atop the West for the foreseeable future.<\/p>\n

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Not only are San Antonio and Oklahoma City flush with young talent, but they both have young, accomplished head coaches they believe in. Both teams also have a ton of draft assets that will allow them to make other moves when they deem necessary.<\/p>\n

Beyond those top two, there are four other teams in the Western Conference with superstar talent, formidable playoff resumes and a clear commitment to immediately competing at the highest level: the Los Angeles Lakers, Minnesota Timberwolves, Denver Nuggets and Houston Rockets. On paper, those four have the skill set to compete for a title \u2014 but it also feels to some like they all have a long way to go to catch the top dogs in the West.<\/p>\n

What can be done among these four teams to change that dynamic? To provide insight on where each team stands heading into the regular season, we turn to the following NBA writers: Will Guillory on the Rockets, Law Murray on the Lakers, Christian Clark on the Nuggets and Jon Krawczynski on the Timberwolves.<\/p>\n

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What\u2019s the biggest reason your team should be considered a serious threat to break into the Spurs\/Thunder tier?<\/h2>\n

Murray (Lakers):<\/strong> Luka Don\u010di\u0107, the reigning, defending scoring champion. He\u2019s not getting traded like two seasons ago, and the Lakers are hoping the injuries that torpedoed his spring can be left behind. Three seasons ago, Don\u010di\u0107 led the Dallas Mavericks, a five-seed, through the hot coals of the Western Conference.<\/p>\n

This Lakers team is further formed in Don\u010di\u0107\u2019s image, with new money paid out to his chosen sidekick (Austin Reaves) and an optimal bodyguard (Walker Kessler) and without having to account for LeBron James anymore. It also doesn\u2019t hurt that the Lakers have only three games each against the Thunder and Spurs this season, not including the two matchups that will appear on the schedule after NBA Cup group play concludes.<\/p>\n

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Clark (Nuggets):<\/strong> When healthy, the Nuggets have one of the best starting fives in the NBA. Last season, the unit of Jamal Murray, Christian Braun, Cameron Johnson, Aaron Gordon and Nikola Joki\u0107 steamrolled opponents, outscoring other teams by 13.5 points per 100 possessions.<\/p>\n

The problem was that we didn\u2019t get to see it much because of health. This Nuggets quintet collectively played 360 minutes together across 23 games. Gordon missed more than half the season, mostly because of persistent right hamstring issues, and Braun was limited to 44 games due to a badly sprained left ankle. The Nuggets need bounce-back seasons from both players. I\u2019m not that worried about Braun. He\u2019s been very durable in the past and, at only 25 years old, doesn\u2019t have much mileage on him. I hold more concern for Gordon, who\u2019s 30 and has played only 87 games over the past two years.<\/p>\n

Guillory (Rockets):<\/strong> When fully healthy, the Rockets have the size, strength and versatility to bully just about anyone in the league. Last season, Houston was No. 6 in defensive rating and No. 1 in rebounding percentage, despite getting only 32 games from Steven Adams. With Adams back, the Rockets can return to featuring double-big lineups with him and Alperen \u015eeng\u00fcn that crushed opponents in short stints the last two seasons.<\/p>\n

Houston also has one of the deepest stables of wings in the league with Kevin Durant, Jabari Smith Jr., Amen Thompson, Tari Eason and their newest addition: Marcus Smart. Rockets coach Ime Udoka will be able to keep at least two All-Defensive-caliber perimeter players on the floor for all 48 minutes. Add Fred VanVleet to the mix after returning from a torn ACL and Reed Sheppard entering Year 3, and Houston\u2019s top-nine rotation players will be as talented and defensively sound as any other top nine around the NBA.<\/p>\n

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Amen Thompson grabs the high lob and finishes <\/div>\n<\/div>\n
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