The Western Conference is, as always, going to be a brutal proposition for teams vying for June glory. And while the Portland Trail Blazers seem to have no trouble making the NBA playoffs with Damian Lillard in tow, the superstar’s emphasized urgency to win at the highest level has reduced any wiggle room this team might have previously had.
Based on trades, the draft and free agent moves already in the books, the West hierarchy appears to have become pretty clear — unless another big deal is still to be executed.
As a result, I’ve divided the 15 teams into five distinct tiers, highlighting how the Western Conference hierarchy might look this season.