Welcome Back: Catching football fans up on the NBA season
1. The Western Conference standings are an absolute mess
If the Eastern Conference is clearly stratified, the Western Conference is a slag of metamorphic rock, with everyone fused together into one piece. The Denver Nuggets lead the way at 36-16, with the Memphis Grizzlies looking like the co-favorites in second place despite a multitude of injuries.
From there, it’s a mess. The Sacramento Kings are in third place and look poised to end their two decades of not making the playoffs. Behind them, just three games separate the fourth-place Dallas Mavericks from the 13th-place Oklahoma City Thunder. The defending champion Golden State Warriors are 26-26, planted right in the middle. The Los Angeles Lakers are in 12th place, just three games out of fourth.
Next. A trade that can make the Grizzlies title favorites. dark
The NBA is one week away from the trade deadline and two weeks away from the All-Star break. From there, it will be a sprint to the finish and then the NBA Playoffs, where a number of aging contenders will vie with rising young teams to find out who is the best team in the league. This year, it’s anyone’s guess.
Welcome back, and enjoy the ride.