Final Record Predictions for Every NBA Team

With the All-Star break quickly approaching and the shortened 2011-2012 NBA season nearing the halfway point for most teams, it's not too soon to be making new predictions for the end of the season. 

Some teams have emerged as elite contenders for the NBA title while others have emerged as elite contenders for the No. 1 overall pick in the 2012 NBA draft. 

Using each team's current pace as a baseline, I've made new predictions for each team's final record at the end of the 66-game regular season. 

Read on for the projected standings and descriptions of all 30 teams in the league. 

Eastern Conference No. 15: Charlotte Bobcats

Current Record: 3-26 (Fifth in Southeast Division, 15th in Eastern Conference)

Final Record Pace: 7-59

Projected Final Record: 8-58 (Fifth in Southeast Division, 15th in Eastern Conference)

The Charlotte Bobcats have been absolutely pathetic so far this season and it wouldn't really surprise me at all if an elite college team like the Kentucky Wildcats could steal a game from them if the NBA and NCAA somehow decided to let that happen. I would pay a lot of money to watch that game. 

Even though they aren't going to match up well against any of the elite teams in the league, they will be able to add on a few more wins to their resume as they look to lock up the best odds in the Anthony Davis sweepstakes. 

If you're curious about why I've spent more time talking about the Wildcats than I have the young Bobcats like Kemba Walker and Bismack Biyombo who are going to continue to grow, it's because I don't like spending time dwelling on things that are sure to let me down. 

Eastern Conference No. 14: Washington Wizards

Current Record: 7-23 (Fourth in Southeast Division, 14th in Eastern Conference)

Final Record Pace: 15-51

Projected Final Record: 14-52 (Fourth in Southeast Division, 14th in Eastern Conference)

The Washington Wizards are an absolutely dysfunctional basketball team with a ton of talent. Let's analyze some of the individual pieces of the massively incomplete puzzle: 

John Wall: An exceptional talent at the point guard position with a knack for turnovers, highlight plays and poor shooting nights. He has All-Star potential but needs to be surrounded by a better system and learn to play smarter first. 

Andray Blatche: The poster child of wasted talent, Blatche has the ability to be a nightly double-double threat, but that would involve actually playing like he gave a damn about the Wizards. 

JaVale McGee: How in the world do you sum up a guy like Pierre? This is a player who can make a highlight out of nothing, run down the court in the wrong direction on an offensive rebound by a teammate, throw an alley-oop to himself off the backboard and just tease everyone with how good he could be if he gave a damn about the Wizards. Notice a theme yet?

Nick Young: The best pure scorer on the team, Young is slowly developing into a bit of a black hole. He needs to take better shots. 

Jordan Crawford: Seriously dude, just stop shooting the ball so much. Please. 

Eastern Conference No. 13: New Jersey Nets

Current Record: 8-23 (Fifth in Atlantic Division, 13th in Eastern Conference)

Final Record Pace: 17-49

Projected Final Record: 17-49 (Fifth in Atlantic Division, 13th in Eastern Conference)

The very fact that Deron Williams has managed to carry the New Jersey Nets to eight wins this season is a true testament to the greatness of the physical point guard. 

Unfortunately, the team around him is pretty pathetic. MarShon Brooks seems to be a bright spot when he's healthy and I fully expect him to develop into Kobe Bryant lite as he continues the maturation process. 

The return of Brook Lopez will help this team, but you have to remember that he's a poor rebounder on a team that is already dead last in the league in the category. Yes, this is despite the impressive glass-crashing contributions of everyone's favorite former Kardashian family member, Kris Humphries. 

Eastern Conference No. 12: Toronto Raptors

Current Record: 9-22 (Fourth in Atlantic Division, 12th in Eastern Conference)

Final Record Pace: 19-47

Projected Final Record: 18-48 (Fourth in Atlantic Division, 12th in Eastern Conference)

I'm a bit surprised by the Toronto Raptors' early season total of nine wins as I expected them to need well over 30 games to reach that number. But so it goes when your offensively-oriented big man decides to finally validate his status as the No. 1 overall selection back in 2006. 

Unfortunately, Andrea Bargnani is out until at least the All-Star Game and maybe even a little longer after that. Without him, this team will fall even further off the playoff pace as DeMar DeRozan continues to underwhelm after the multitude of breakout projections before the season started. 

Other than Bargnani, there really isn't anything to get excited about on this team. Jose Calderon is the only other starter with a PER of greater than the league-average mark of 15 and Linas Kleiza is the third and final player on the entire roster who can break the 15 PER barrier. 

Eastern Conference No. 11: Detroit Pistons

Current Record: 9-22 (Fifth in Central Division, 11th in Eastern Conference) 

Final Record Pace: 19-47

Projected Final Record: 18-48 (Fifth in Central Division, 11th in Eastern Conference)

How good is Greg Monroe? No, seriously. How good is Greg Monroe?

The big man is continuing the line of great Georgetown centers during his breakout second season. He's averaging 16.6 points, 9.7 rebounds and 2.4 assists per game with a PER of 23.74 thus far. At his position, only Dwight Howard can lay claim to a higher mark than Monroe in that final category. 

If he was playing on a better team, Monroe could potentially be an MVP candidate and I'm seriously disappointed that he was snubbed as an All-Star this season. 

Out of respect for the Detroit Pistons fans out there, I'm going to refrain from saying anything about this team that doesn't have to do with No. 10. 

Eastern Conference No. 10: Milwaukee Bucks

Current Record: 12-17 (Third in Central Division, Ninth in Eastern Conference)

Final Record Pace: 27-39

Projected Final Record: 25-41 (Fourth in Central Division, 10th in Eastern Conference)

Brandon Jennings has been having a breakout season, but the loss of Andrew Bogut is really hurting this team, despite the valiant efforts of Drew Gooden. 

In his third season since making the jump to the NBA, the point guard is averaging 18.4 points, 5.2 assists and 3.4 rebounds per game with a PER of 18.50. Unfortunately for those who would wish for you to Fear the Deer, he's been a rare bright spot. 

The touted offseason addition of Stephen Jackson has not come to fruition and he's just one of the many players on the team who has failed to play with maximum effort when he's on the court. This team should have been a playoff-caliber squad but a disappointing 10th-place finish looks far more likely. 

Eastern Conference No. 9: Cleveland Cavaliers

Current Record: 11-16 (Fourth in Central Division, 10th in Eastern Conference)

Final Record Pace: 27-39 

Projected Final Record: 26-40 (Third in Central Division, Ninth in Eastern Conference)

Raise your hand if you thought that Kyrie Irving would be this good as a rookie point guard for the Cleveland Cavaliers. If you aren't a family member of Irving's, a hardcore Duke fan or a member of the Cleveland scouting department, you're lying. 

Irving has been absolutely sensational and should have received serious consideration for an All-Star reserve spot in the Eastern Conference.

Anderson Varejao has been quite impressive as well and Antwan Jamison seriously stepped up his game while the rookie was out with a concussion for a few games.  

Although this team still isn't going to win a title before LeBron James does, the very fact that they're kind of in contention for a playoff spot is quite impressive. 

Eastern Conference No. 8: Boston Celtics

Current Record: 15-14 (Second in Atlantic Division, Seventh in Eastern Conference)

Final Record Pace: 34-32

Projected Final Record: 32-34 (Third in Atlantic Division, Eighth in Eastern Conference)

The Boston Celtics have dealt with numerous injuries to their core throughout the first part of the 2011-2012 season. Rajon Rondo, Paul Pierce, Ray Allen and Kevin Garnett have all missed a little bit of time due to the pesky injury imp. 

Fortunately for the team, all four of those players have been impressive when they've been on the court. They just need to stay on the court now. 

Rondo in particular has stood out to me this season and the sooner the C's realize that they need to make him the focal point of the offense, the better their final record will look. 

As you can tell from the current record and projected final record I have at the top of this slide, I think that the Celtics will drop more games than they'll win for the rest of the season. As old as their roster is, there are bound to be more injuries. And even if there aren't, the end of the brutal compressed schedule is not going to benefit them in the slightest. 

As the season progresses, Doc Rivers will be more and more content just to make the playoffs and see what his veteran squad can do in the postseason. 

Eastern Conference No. 7: New York Knicks

Current Record: 15-15 (Third in Atlantic Division, Eighth in Eastern Conference)

Final Record Pace: 33-33

Projected Final Record: 36-30 (Second in Atlantic Division, Seventh in Eastern Conference)

One word: Linning. 

What else could I possibly say about the New York Knicks right now? The team has won seven games in a row to climb back to .500 and a large part of the credit is due to Jeremy Lin, the young point guard who looks to be anything but just a flash in the pan. 

Honestly though, I don't need to talk about Lin anymore. If you're unfamiliar with his story, you're probably not a basketball fan and I have no idea why you're reading this article unless you're my apartment-mate and you're reading this just because.

And even she has heard of Lin. 

Its impossible to predict where this team will finish because we have no idea what the return of Carmelo Anthony will do to the team. I'm of the school of thought that the All-Star will be able to slightly alter his game and make the team an even more dangerous contender for a top seed in the Eastern Conference. 

Eastern Conference No. 6: Indiana Pacers

Current Record: 18-12 (Second in Central Division, Sixth in Eastern Conference)

Final Record Pace: 40-26

Projected Final Record: 37-29 (Second in Central Division, Sixth in Eastern Conference)

The Indiana Pacers started the season off on a torrid pace, despite the unspectacular contributions of Danny Granger. Now Granger has been playing better but the Pacers have lost six of their lost eight games. 

If that makes any sense to you, please explain it to me. 

The Pacers are still a solid basketball team but their hot start to the season seems to be a bit fluky. This could be the sleeper team in the playoffs that no one wants to play because of their tough, physical mentality and the impressive across-the-board depth of the roster.  

Eastern Conference No. 5: Orlando Magic

Current Record: 19-11 (Third in Southeast Division, Fifth in Eastern Conference)

Final Record Pace: 42-24

Projected Final Record: 40-26 (Third in Southeast Division, Fifth in Eastern Conference)

This prediction is very much contingent on Otis Smith being stubborn and keeping Dwight Howard in an Orlando Magic uniform through the end of the season. If not, everything goes haywire and the Magic's record will plummet. 

Howard has been incredible, as always, even though he's been rather disinterested in the success of the team and hasn't bitten his tongue at all when he has any negative thoughts. 

Without the big man, there really isn't much to write home about on this squad. 

Eastern Conference No. 4: Atlanta Hawks

Current Record: 19-11 (Second in Southeast Division, Fourth in Eastern Conference)

Final Record Pace: 42-24

Projected Final Record: 43-23 (Second in Southeast Division, Fourth in Eastern Conference)

The Atlanta Hawks were supposed to fall back a little bit in the standings once Al Horford went down with a pectoral injury. Fortunately for the Hawks, not everything that's supposed to happen actually ends up happening. 

Joe Johnson and Josh Smith have both stepped up their games rather significantly and Jeff Teague has continued to emerge as a viable starting point guard. Once Horford returns, this could be a team that is finally ready to be considered among the league's elite teams.

And they have Ivan Johnson on the roster, a player who has one of the coolest stories of anyone not named Jeremy Lin.  

Eastern Conference No. 3: Philadelphia 76ers

Current Record: 20-10 (First in Atlantic Division, Third in Eastern Conference)

Final Record Pace: 44-22

Projected Final Record: 45-21 (First in Atlantic Division, Third in Eastern Conference)

The Philadelphia 76ers are a true testament to the concept of team basketball and how well it works in the NBA. Andre Iguodala is the closest thing that the team has to a superstar, but he's by no means the team's only good player. 

Let's do a quick roster breakdown:

Jrue Holiday: The young veteran has been a serviceable point guard even if he hasn't broken out quite as much as I expected him to. Yet. 

Lou Williams: Coming off the bench at the guard position, Williams has been sensational as a scorer. His 23.0 PER leads the team, as do his 16.1 points per contest. 

Thaddeus Young: Another great bench player, Young makes tremendous contributions across the board and plays quite efficiently. 

Spencer Hawes: Hawes was having a breakout season before an injury sidelined him for an extensive period of time. His success was a bit of a mirage but he is an upper-tier big man. 

Elton Brand: The starting power forward for the team hasn't let his age show too much and is a double-double threat on most nights. 

That's not even mentioning Nikola Vucevic, Jodie Meeks and Evan Turner. The depth and overall skill of this team is going to make them dangerous when the postseason rolls around. 

Eastern Conference No. 2: Miami Heat

Current Record: 23-7 (First in Southeast Division, Second in Eastern Conference)

Final Record Pace: 51-15

Projected Final Record: 52-14 (First in Southeast Division, Second in Eastern Conference)

The Miami Heat have been an elite team thus far and they'll continue to be an elite team for the rest of the season. 

The trio of Chris Bosh, LeBron James and Dwyane Wade is only developing more chemistry and that's a scary thought for the rest of the league. Especially because the role players are healthy and Norris Cole appears to be a future stud. 

I would be remiss to leave out any discussion of just how good James has been this season. Thanks to his improved post play (he's actually shooting a higher percentage in back-to-the-basket situations than any other player in the NBA), James is the clear frontrunner for MVP and his ridiculous PER of 32.49 would be the best mark of all time if the season ended today. 

Eastern Conference No. 1: Chicago Bulls

Current Record: 25-7 (First in Central Division, First in Eastern Conference)

Final Record Pace: 52-14

Projected Final Record: 54-12 (First in Central Division, First in Eastern Conference)

The Chicago Bulls have the best record in the NBA so far and they could very well claim the same thing at the end of the season. 

Amazingly enough, this team has played so well with Luol Deng, Richard Hamilton and Derrick Rose all injured for extended periods of time. Joakim Noah was ineffective enough to start the year that he may as well have been injured.

Seeing as the trio of Deng, Hamilton and Rose have missed a combined 35 games so far, the Bulls haven't come close to hitting their top stride quite yet. 

Even more amazing is the fact that Carlos Boozer has played in every single game so far. 

Western Conference No. 15: New Orleans Hornets

Current Record: 6-23 (Fifth in Southwest Division, 15th in Western Conference)

Final Record Pace: 14-52

Projected Final Record: 16-50 (Fifth in Southwest Division, 15th in Western Conference)

The New Orleans Hornets traded away Chris Paul to start the season and their prized return, Eric Gordon, only got to play in a few games before a knee injury sidelined him. Now that the young shooting guard has finally had surgery, he's still going to miss six more weeks of action. 

When he returns, the Hornets will actually be a competent basketball team, which is why I have them exceeding their final record pace in my projection. 

One of the few good stories coming out of southern Louisiana this season has been the emergence of Gustavo Ayon, an undrafted rookie from Mexico. He's posted a 19.93 PER in limited action this season and has averaged 7.4 points and 8.0 rebounds per game in his five starts at power forward.  

Western Conference No. 14: Phoenix Suns

Current Record: 12-18 (Fourth in Pacific Division, 13th in Western Conference)

Final Record Pace: 26-40

Projected Final Record: 23-43 (Fifth in Pacific Division, 15th in Western Conference)

If you don't think that Steve Nash deserved to be an All-Star this season, please reconsider your ability to understand basketball statistics and situations. 

Nash is surrounded with arguably the worst roster in the NBA and is still managing to lead the league in assists per game and assist percentage at the ripe old age of 38. Over half of the shots that the Phoenix Suns have made this season with Nash on the court have resulted from his passes. That's insane. 

Unfortunately, Father Time has to catch up to the veteran floor general at some point. He's going to become a little less effective as the season progresses and the games with little rest in between start to pile up. When that happens, the Suns' record will decline slightly. 

Western Conference No. 13: Sacramento Kings

Current Record: 10-19 (Fifth in Pacific Division, 14th in Western Conference) 

Final Record Pace: 23-43

Projected Final Record: 24-42 (Fourth in Pacific Division, 13th in Western Conference)

In space, we have no idea what happens when multiple black holes are put into the same area. Or at least I have no idea. 

But the Sacramento Kings are an example of what happens when that astrological situation happens on the basketball court. Tyreke Evans, DeMarcus Cousins, Marcus Thornton and Jimmer Fredette to an extent all need to have the ball in their hands. 

As we've seen this season, it doesn't work out so well. 

The Kings are a perfect representation of what happens when there's a lot of talent on a roster and it just doesn't mesh together all that well. 

Western Conference No. 12: Golden State Warriors

Current Record: 11-15 (Third in Pacific Division, 12th in Western Conference)

Final Record Pace: 28-38

Projected Final Record: 32-34 (Third in Pacific Division, 12th in Western Conference)

I'd like to take this space to dispel the common myth that Monta Ellis should have been an All-Star. 

His PER of 18.8 isn't All-Star material and his status as a star is affected by his elite scoring abilities. But Ellis scores such a large number of points because he shoots a lot of times per game, often times inefficiently. He can win games for you, but he also loses for you. 

In fact, Ellis' offensive rating of 101 is actually down six points from his mark last season and he's playing the same porous defense that he always has. Ellis gets a lot of steals but he gambles too much and is a detriment to the team on that end of the court. 

Don't get me wrong, Ellis is still a fantastic player. He just isn't as good as a lot of people seem to think he is. 

Western Conference No. 11: Minneosta Timberwolves

Current Record: 14-16 (Fifth in Northwest Division, 11th in Western Conference)

Final Record Pace: 31-35

Projected Final Record: 33-33 (Fifth in Northwest Division, 11th in Western Conference)

Ricky Rubio has been sensational as a rookie point guard for the Minnesota Timberwolves and Kevin Love has been predictably fantastic both at putting the ball in the basket and pulling it down off the glass and rim. 

While that duo has thrived and made the T'Wolves almost must-watch television, the rest of the team is lagging a little bit behind. Nikola Pekovic has really been the only other bright spot, with the possible exception of the couple highlights that Derrick Williams has produced. 

On the whole though, Williams has been disappointing as a rookie. 

Minnesota is on pace to remain in playoff contention in the Western Conference and I think they have a shot to finish at .500 this season. With a number of young members in the rotation who will have fresh-ish legs at the end of the year, they may steal a few games that they really shouldn't win. 

Western Conference No. 10: Houston Rockets

Current Record: 17-13 (Third in Southwest Division, Sixth in Western Conference)

Final Record Pace: 37-29

Projected Final Record: 34-32 (Fourth in Southwest Division, 10th in Western Conference)

Kevin Martin has predictably been a great scorer for the Houston Rockets, but the biggest story for this team has been the emergence of Kyle Lowry as one of the elite point guards in the NBA. 

The young floor general has posted a PER of 19.7 while averaging 14.8 points, 5.4 rebounds and 7.7 assists per game. If he could raise his field goal percentage from its current 40.4 percent, he'd be a truly great player at the position. 

As for the rest of the Rockets, they're solid but unspectacular. In a very difficult Western Conference, they're going to be hard-pressed to keep their current pace. 

Western Conference No. 9: Utah Jazz

Current Record: 14-14 (Fourth in Northwest Division, 10th in Western Conference)

Final Record Pace: 33-33

Projected Final Record: 35-31 (Fourth in Northwest Division, Ninth in Western Conference)

Any team with a frontcourt as solid as the Utah Jazz have is going to be able to at least hover around a .500 record. Paul Millsap and Al Jefferson have both been having incredible seasons and it's really a shame that they don't receive more recognition for their efforts. 

Unfortunately, the team has one of the worst backcourts in the NBA and that's what will keep them from sneaking into the playoffs in its first complete season without the services of Deron Williams. 

Raja Bell has been arguably the worst full-time starter in the NBA and Devin Harris really hasn't been too much better. 

Western Conference No. 8: Portland Trail Blazers

Current Record: 16-15 (Third in Northwest Division, Eighth in Western Conference)

Final Record Pace: 34-32

Projected Final Record: 36-30 (Third in Northwest Division, Eighth in Western Conference)

The Portland Trail Blazers are a very solid basketball team. That, more than anything else, speaks to just how strong and filled with good basketball teams the Western Conference is during the 2011-2012 season. 

LaMarcus Aldridge finally got the recognition he deserves when he was named an All-Star and he's joined by a barrage of solid players on the team. 

Jamal Crawford is still the same old sixth man supreme and Gerald Wallace and Nicolas Batum have both been fantastic thus far. With Marcus Camby defying his age and continuing to dominate the boards, this team is a breakout from either Wesley Matthews of Raymond Felton away from earning an even better seed in the playoffs. 

Western Conference No. 7: Memphis Grizzlies

Current Record: 16-14 (Fourth in Southwest Division, Ninth in Western Conference)

Final Record Pace: 35-31

Projected Final Record: 37-29 (Third in Southwest Division, Seventh in Western Conference)

Marc Gasol is a legitimately great big man and he's only going to look even better once Zach Randolph returns from his partial MCL tear in the beginning of March. 

Rudy Gay has continued to play terrifically, as has Tony Allen on the defensive side of the ball. Those two and Mike Conley have joined Gasol in stepping up their respective games to make up for the absence of Z-Bo. 

This team could be scary good once Randolph recovers fully and gets back into game shape. 

Western Conference No. 6: Denver Nuggets

Current Record: 17-13 (Second in Northwest Division, Seventh in Western Conference)

Final Record Pace: 37-29

Projected Final Record: 38-28 (Second in Northwest Division, Sixth in Western Conference)

The Denver Nuggets are going to continue winning games throughout the season, despite their lack of a true star player. 

Danilo Gallinari may be injured right now, but he was having one hell of a season and may be making the New York Knicks faithful regret ever trading him away. 

Now, just as an explanation of how ridiculously deep this team is, let's take a look at the number of players who are averaging more than 14 minutes per game: Gallinari, Ty Lawson, Al Harrington, Nene Hilario, Arron Afflalo, Andre Miller, Rudy Fernandez, Corey Brewer, Kenneth Faried, Timofey Mozgov, Chris Andersen and Kosta Koufos. 

Amazingly enough, all of those players, with the exception of Afflalo, Fernandez and Mozgov, are playing quite well for the Nuggets. 

Western Conference No. 5: Los Angeles Lakers

Current Record: 17-12 (Second in Pacific Division, Fifth in Western Conference)

Final Record Pace: 39-27

Projected Final Record: 39-27 (Second in Pacific Division, Fifth in Western Conference)

Kobe Bryant is really good. 

That is all.  

Western Conference No. 4: Dallas Mavericks

Current Record: 19-11 (Second in Southwest Division, Fourth in Western Conference)

Final Record Pace: 42-24

Projected Final Record: 40-26 (Second in Southwest Division, Fourth in Western Conference)

The Dallas Mavericks are still an elite team. They will be as long as Dirk Nowitzki is still healthy and on the roster. 

But the Mavs are an aging team made up of a number of veterans. Almost every contributor on their team is over 30 years old and starting to show some signs of wear and tear. 

Dallas won't be able to keep up its current pace just because there's no way that the legs of all their key players hold up for the duration of the compressed 66-game season. 

As the playoffs get closer and closer and the Mavs are guaranteed to have a good seed in the postseason, expect the star players to start sitting out a little bit more and the record to start looking a little bit less impressive. 

Western Conference No. 3: San Antonio Spurs

Current Record: 21-9 (First in Southwest Division, Second in Western Conference)

Final Record Pace: 46-20

Projected Final Record: 45-21 (First in Southwest Division, Third in Western Conference)

How good has Tony Parker been this season? The 29-year-old point guard has averaged 19.0 points, 7.8 assists and 2.8 rebounds per game this year with a PER of 22.04. 

He's been the biggest reason for the San Antonio Spurs success in 2011-2012. The return of Manu Ginobili is only going to help this team get even better though, although the other returning stars in the Western Conference on other teams are going to make it harder and harder to keep winning games. 

Tim Duncan has been predictably awesome despite a decline in minutes and Tiago Splitter is starting to emerge as a viable option in the paint. 

Don't worry about the Spurs not being an elite team. They still are. 

Western Conference No. 2: Los Angeles Clippers

Current Record: 19-9 (First in Pacific Division, Third in Western Conference)

Final Record Pace: 45-21

Projected Final Record: 48-18 (First in Pacific Division, Second in Western Conference)

As Chris Paul, Blake Griffin and the rest of the new-look Los Angeles Clippers continue to get used to playing together, they're only going to get better and better. Just imagine what will happen if Vinny del Negro actually learns how to maximize the talents of this squad. 

Both Griffin and Paul have been incredible this season and are deserving of spots on the All-Star team.

The loss of Chauncey Billups is going to hurt, but there is enough talent that they'll overcome the injury to the veteran guard. A combination of young legs and developing chemistry is going to push this team towards the very top of the Western Conference. 

These are the Los Angeles Clippers we're talking about right now. What is going on? How is this possible? 

Western Conference No. 1: Oklahoma City Thunder

Current Record: 22-7 (First in Northwest Division, First in Western Conference)

Final Record Pace: 50-16

Projected Final Record: 49-17 (First in Northwest Division, First in Western Conference)

Kevin Durant is a top-notch MVP candidate and Russell Westbrook has to at least be mentioned by voters when they're deciding who should finish second behind LeBron James this season. 

The Oklahoma City Thunder are a young team. They're a team with multiple superstars who play together. They're a deep team. They're everything you want from a team during a shortened, compressed season. 

James Harden and Serge Ibaka need to at least be mentioned on this slide, even if Westbrook and Durant are clearly the stars. 

So far, they've been the best team in the Western Conference and I see absolutely no reason why this is going to change.