Durant and Irving both switched from the East to the West, Morant said that there were no opponents in the West, and Durant and Irving came to the West to give Morant a look. No rivals in the West? Morant said this too soon. There are many strong teams in the west, which is more intimidating than the east.
The Big Three are no longer well served in the West, as there are 3 teams in the Big Four. After Wei Shao confirmed to join the Clippers, the West had 7 teams of Big Three, 2 teams of Big Four, and 1 team of Big Five.
The Lakers' Big Three: James + Thick Eyebrows + Russell. Without the giant Wei Shao, there is also the giant Russell. Russell is undoubtedly a better fit for the Lakers than Wei Shao. Russell can play off the ball, is more accurate on three-pointers, and doesn't go up in key moments. The Lakers have improved more than just replacing Wilson with Russell. After getting new signings such as Van der Biao, Beasley and Bamba, the Lakers roster has become more in-depth. With the Big Three and depth of the squad, Pelinka has done a great job. However, the hole dug in front of the Lakers is too big, and they may miss the playoffs this season.
Kings Big Three: Fox + Barnes + Sabonis Jr. The Kings formed the Big Three last season, but because they are still running, they missed the playoffs. This season, the Kings began to shine. On the leaderboard, the Kings ranked third in the West, becoming the biggest dark horse of the season. It's too early to talk about a championship, but getting a playoff ticket won't be too difficult for the Kings.
Grizzlies Big Three: Morant + Bane + Jaren Jackson Jr. Morant said that the West has no rivals, and there is a bit of no one in sight. However, grizzly bears are indeed very powerful, and newborn calves are not afraid of tigers. On the leaderboard, the Grizzlies rank second in the West. The Grizzlies have no problem making the playoffs, the question is how far they can go in the playoffs. The Grizzlies' Big Three are all young players, it's good to play tailwinds, once the wind is headwind, can someone step up and lead them to turn over? Last season, they were shut out of the Western Conference Finals by the spicy Warriors.
The Lone Ranger's Big Three: Irving + Doncic + Wood. Get Owen and raise the upper limit for the Lone Ranger. Irving has been doing well since joining the Mavericks, but he and Doncic need to continue to grind. Irving led the team alone and won two straight games. After Doncic's comeback, the Lone Ranger suffered three consecutive losses.
Pelicans Big Three: CJ McCollum + Ingram + Zion. The Pelicans are talented, but their biggest problem is health. Zion is lying down again due to injury and does not know when he will return. And after Zion's comeback, how long he can play healthy is also questionable.
The Clippers Big Three: Wilson + Paul George + Leonard. Wei Shao joined, and the Clippers were upgraded from dual-core to Big Three. The Clippers' lineup is more suitable for Wei Shao to play, and the Clippers do not need Wei Shao to be the savior, Wei Shao's mission in the Clippers is to disrupt the situation.
The Timberwolves Big Three: Edwards + Towns + Gobert. Tearing down the Big Four and turning it into the Big Three, the Timberwolves reversed this operation in order to activate Gobert. Veteran Conley isn't as good as Russell's personally, but he knows how to make Gobert more comfortable. But in any case, the Timberwolves brought in Gobert, it was a mistake.
Nuggets Big Four: Murray + Porter Jr. + Gordon + Jokic. Murray and Porter Jr. are back, Jokic is no longer alone, and the effect is immediate. The Nuggets ranked first in the West, and Jokic dominated the MVP list.
The Big Four: Paul + Booker + Durant + Ayton. With the introduction of Durant, the Suns upgraded from the Big Three to the Big Four. The Suns were already one of the strongest teams in the league, and Bridges switched to Durant, which was a bit of a bully.
There is also a Big Five team in the West, and that is the Warriors: Jordan Poole + Curry + Thompson + Wiggins + Dream Green The only Big Five team may miss the playoffs. The Nuggets, Grizzlies and Kings, the three teams, basically locked up three spots that went straight to the playoffs. The two championship teams, the Clippers and Suns, are super on the rise. There is only one spot left in the Western Conference Playoffs. If the Warriors can't make it straight to the playoffs, can they make it through the playoffs? Payton Jr., who was traded by the Warriors, may be reimbursed for the regular season. In the buyout market, the Warriors failed to sign Love. There are many strong teams in the west, but the warriors make up for the loneliness.