NBA: 2 sentence summaries for each West team’s season thus far
By Weston Titus
Pacific Division
Golden State Warriors (22-22, 7th in West)
The defending champions have had a rollercoaster season of trying to balance playing their youth and veterans to piece together a viable lineup when Stephen Curry is off of the floor. However, his injury allowed the team to galvanize and find more stability, although their staggering home and away splits (17-5 at home, 4-17 away) will need to be corrected to make up any ground in the standings.
Los Angeles Clippers (23-22, 6th in West)
The Clippers remain as hard to understand as ever, as their continued inability to keep players healthy and on the court at the same time continues to worry. Stars Kawhi Leonard and Paul George are finally playing consistently, by their standards, but still have a ways to go before they and the team look like the contenders they expect themselves to be.
Los Angeles Lakers (20-24, 13th in West)
The Lakers continue to trudge through an incredibly thin roster, trade rumors, and continued injuries to their star players. They continue to remain in striking distance for playoff position, but it is clear that Lebron James’ patience is waning, and the front office remains hesitant to make a move to change the trajectory.
Phoenix Suns (21-24, 12th in West)
With Chris Paul finally showing signs of serious aging at age 37 and Devin Booker missing extended time, the Suns have plummeted from first in the west to 11th in just a few weeks. Even with their healthy roster, they aren’t the 60-win Suns of last year, and pressure is rising for what should be an active trade deadline for Phoenix.
Sacramento Kings (24-18, 4th in West)
Finally, the Kings have serious momentum toward their 16-year playoff drought being ended, as they continue to win behind the third-best offense in the league. Sacramento seems unlikely to buy in more than they already have, and risk ruining the chemistry of one of the most fun teams in basketball, but they have Sacramento rocking, and the fans finally have something to cheer about.