Honestly, if you took a nap during the 2024 offseason and just woke up, the current state of teams in the western conference nba would probably make your head spin. You remember Luka Doncic as the face of Dallas, right? Well, he’s wearing a Lakers jersey now. Kevin Durant? He’s in Houston. And the San Antonio Spurs, who looked like they were years away from being serious, are currently sitting at third in the conference as of mid-January 2026.
The West has always been a meat grinder. But this year? It feels different. It’s not just that the talent is concentrated; it’s that the hierarchy we’ve relied on for a decade has basically evaporated. The "old guard" isn't just aging—it’s been dismantled and redistributed.
👉 See also: Ranking of NCAA Football Teams: What Most Fans Actually Get Wrong
The Oklahoma City Thunder are basically a cheat code
Let’s start at the top because what Mark Daigneault is doing in OKC is bordering on unfair. They are 35-7. That isn't a typo. They aren't just winning; they are systematically dismantling teams with a Net Rating of +13.2.
Most people look at Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and see the MVP frontrunner, which he is, averaging 31.6 points on absurd 54% shooting. But the real reason this team is terrifying is the defense. They are ranked 1st in the league defensively. When you have Chet Holmgren (averaging nearly 3 blocks) and Alex Caruso roaming the perimeter, there are simply no easy buckets.
I was watching their game against Houston on January 15, and it was a masterclass. They held a high-powered Rockets offense to 91 points. In 2026, that’s basically like holding a team to 70 in the nineties.
The Victor Wembanyama problem is officially here
We all knew it was coming, but the speed of the Spurs' ascent has caught everyone off guard. They are 27-13.
Victor Wembanyama is currently the betting favorite for Defensive Player of the Year, and honestly, the gap between him and second place is a canyon. Even with a recent knee bone bruise that had him coming off the bench in limited minutes, he dropped 30 points and 5 rebounds against Memphis in just 21 minutes.
That’s not normal.
The Spurs have been incredibly cautious with his workload, which is the only thing keeping the rest of the teams in the western conference nba in the race. If Wemby plays 35 minutes a night, San Antonio probably challenges OKC for the top seed. They’ve surrounded him with guys like Stephon Castle and Julian Champagnie who actually know how to play winning basketball now. The "tanking" era in San Antonio is dead and buried.
The Denver Nuggets and the Jokic injury hurdle
Denver is currently second in the West (28-13), but they are white-knuckling it right now. Nikola Jokic has been out since late December with a left knee hyperextension.
💡 You might also like: Why Your Current Portable Table Tennis Set Probably Sucks (and How to Fix It)
Before he went down, he was averaging a triple-double:
- 29.6 PPG
- 12.2 RPG
- 11.0 APG
The good news for Nuggets fans is that Shams Charania recently reported Jokic is "ahead of schedule" and should be back by late January. They’ve managed a 5-3 record without him, thanks to Jamal Murray finding his 2023 playoff form and Aaron Gordon returning to the lineup. But let’s be real: without the big Serbian, Denver is a middle-of-the-pack team. With him, they are the only squad that truly scares the Thunder.
Why the Lakers and Rockets are the wildcard "chaos" teams
If you want to talk about drama, look no further than Los Angeles and Houston.
The Lakers pulled off the heist of the century by landing Luka Doncic to pair with a 41-year-old LeBron James. On paper, it’s a dream. In reality, it’s been clunky. They are 24-14, which is good for 5th, but the fit between Luka and LeBron—two guys who need the ball to breathe—has been a work in progress.
Then you have the Houston Rockets at 23-14. They traded for Kevin Durant to pair with Alperen Sengun and Amen Thompson. It’s an "all-in" move that has them 6th in the West, but they’ve been streaky. They recently went through a miserable 0-6 stretch against the spread and couldn't hit a three-pointer to save their lives. When Durant is on, they look like contenders. When the young guys struggle with consistency, they look like a play-in team.
The Dallas Mavericks: A lesson in "what happened?"
Perhaps the most depressing story among teams in the western conference nba this season is Dallas. After the Luka trade, they were left with Anthony Davis and Kyrie Irving.
✨ Don't miss: Notre Dame News Today: Why Marcus Freeman and the Transfer Portal are Flipping the Script
It hasn't worked.
They are sitting at 12th in the West with a 15-26 record. Kyrie has dealt with injuries (including a torn ACL last season that slowed his start), and Anthony Davis has been a monster individually, but the depth is non-existent. They are currently 19 games back from first place. For a team that was in the Finals not that long ago, it’s a staggering fall from grace.
Survival of the fittest: The Play-In race
The bottom half of the playoff bracket is a literal cage match.
- Phoenix Suns (24-16): They are in a weird rebuild-ish phase after moving KD and Beal, yet Devin Booker is playing so well they keep winning anyway.
- Golden State Warriors (22-19): Steph Curry is still Steph Curry, but they are hanging onto the 8th seed by a thread.
- Portland Trail Blazers (19-22): They’ve actually been a pleasant surprise with Shaedon Sharpe taking a massive leap.
It’s a bizarre mix of legendary superstars trying to hold back the tide and 22-year-old freaks of nature like Wembanyama and Holmgren ready to take the throne.
What you should watch for next
If you're betting on the West or just trying to stay ahead of your local sports bar debates, keep your eyes on these specific developments over the next three weeks:
- The February 5 Trade Deadline: Watch the Milwaukee Bucks and Dallas Mavericks. There are rumors that Giannis Antetokounmpo or Anthony Davis could be on the move if their respective teams don't show life. A Western Conference team landing Giannis would end the season before the playoffs even start.
- Jokic’s Return Game: Denver’s first game back with Nikola will tell us if they can actually catch OKC. If he’s even 90% of himself, the Nuggets are the "value" pick for the title.
- The 65-Game Rule: Both Jokic and Wembanyama are flirting with the eligibility limit for end-of-season awards. If they miss many more games, the MVP and DPOY races will be blown wide open for guys like Shai and Chet.
The Western Conference isn't just about who has the best player anymore; it's about which front office was smart enough to build a defense that can actually stop a 7-foot-4 guy who handles the ball like a point guard. Right now, that’s Oklahoma City’s world, and everyone else is just living in it.
To keep up with the shifting landscape, monitor the injury reports for the Nuggets and Spurs specifically, as their seedings will dictate the entire playoff bracket. If the Spurs stay at #3, we are looking at a potential Wembanyama vs. Luka first-round matchup that would likely break the internet.