Through a week in the NBA season, a team can only develop so many identities. But there are five playoff teams in the West that fit identifies that rank that rank on a tier scale. Teams are sorted 1-5, regarding expectations. A 1 being the best and 5 being disappointing.
1. San Antonio Spurs
An undefeated team has to take the top spot, and who better than the Spurs? They have won the West regular season two years in a row and look primed to do it again. Tim Duncan continues to tell off Father Time and Tony Parker looks just as good as last year, hitting a game-winner against rival OKC. Kawhi Leonard looks great and the Spurs have done this without Ginobli being fully healthy. No team is more experienced or more disciplined and the Spurs have made a statement to begin the season.
2. Dallas Mavericks
Without Dirk, Mavs fans had to have been worried to start the season. But after beating the Lakers on opening night, Dallas has surged to an impressive 3-1 record. All three wins have been blowouts too. Maybe this is just some Ewing Theory (see: Simmons, Bill) early on, but Rick Carlisle's Mavs team can beat anybody at full strength. O.J. Mayo is very talented and looks to be blossoming on a new team. Darren Collison has been aggressive this season, averaging a career-best 17 points per game. They took another blow today as Shawn Marion will miss a week, but for a team missing its star in Dirk and playing with so many new pieces, 3-1 is a great start.
3. Oklahoma City Thunder
If offseason decisions were criteria, OKC would be lower. But their play this season gets them a 3. Yes, they have the talent with Durant and Westbrook, but where's the Thunder magic? Durant's scoring is down to only 23 per-game so far, but his rebounds have been up to 14 a game. The problem has been more Westbrook's fault. He has been Westrbricking more often, only shooting 38% so far. He is taking more shots than Durant, something no Thunder fan wants to see. The brightest spot has been Kevin Martin. He has thrived in Harden's old role, averaging 20 points and shooting over 51%. Once they limit turnovers, the Thunder will be fine. No panic necessary.
4. Los Angeles Lakers
The most talked about team this year is still figuring it out. The Lake Show's only win came against the cellar-dwelling Pistons and no Laker fan will be happy until they reel off consecutive victories. Howard has looked good, but not fully healthy. Kobe and Gasol don't appear to be that much older. The problem has been the misuse of Steve Nash by coach Mike Brown. Nash is injured, so coaches will have time to figure out his role. More concerning had been the bench and Metta World Peace. Hill, Blake and Jamison need to fulfill their given minutes. World Peace looks lost at times and the Lakers may start looking for alternatives. We all know the talent is here, but the offense and defense both need to improve. Mike Brown needs to get answers fast or he may be jobless by Christmas.
5. Denver Nuggets
The low team on the totem pole is the surprisingly winless Nuggets. A tough loss vs. Miami is forgivable, but bad showings in Philly and Orlando are not. Denver was a sleeper pick in the West this year, but they have looked sluggish. McGee has given them nothing and Lawson has not started like he finished last season. They need to win their home-opener tonight vs. Detroit. The Nuggets are traditionally dominant at home and they need to hold court as they have a difficult schedule early on. Those who picked the Nuggets as a 2 or 3 seed may have exaggerated but this is still a playoff team that is much better than 0-3.
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