NBA Trade Deadline: Power Ranking the Teams In the Western Conference
Today is the day that all rosters are at risk of upheaval. Today is the day that players on the hot sit are waiting anxiously to see whether they will be wearing the same jersey tomorrow. Today is the NBA Trade Deadline, with ended at 3 P.M. today.
Many moves have already been done. some of them were huge, such as the Carmelo Anthony deal, while others were more under-the-radar, such as the Carl Landry deal. Either way, these deal change the playoff picture for the Western Conference big time.
Which teams have risen to the top, and which teams have fallen back? Has there been a lot of movement, or have teams changed little in the ranks despite the trades? Here are the post-NBA Trade Deadline power rankings for the West.
15. Minnesota Timberwolves
1 of 15
The Timberwolves have a star in Kevin Love, but with the moves they have made so far, it's not really a surprise that they are last in the West right now. Beyond Michael Beasley and Kevin Love they don't have much, they traded Corey Brewer for junk, and Jonny Flynn, who should be producing, was not even before his current injury.
The only good thing you can say is that this team is very young, and has nowhere to go but up, especially with the ball magnet that is Kevin Love.
14. Sacramento Kings
2 of 15
The move that the Kings made almost made me want to move them out of the basement. Alas, the key word is almost. I was expecting DeMarcus Cousins to be moved, but it looks like he's staying, which could help.
Their big move was trading Carl Landry to the New Orleans Hornets for Marcus Thornton. Thornton has great upside and is productive when given minutes, but the Kings have Tyreke Evans and Beno Udrih as their guards. In the short term this was a net loss, though Landry was not going to be a King for long anyway.
Keeping Cousins keeps them slightly above the Timberwolves for last place.
13. Los Angeles Clippers
3 of 15
If the Timberwolves and Kings are the basement of the Western conference, then the Clippers are the stairs leading up to the main floor. They are on their way up, but they still have a ways to go.
Trading away Baron Davis and acquiring Mo Williams is not exactly that move. They have a scoring guard in Eric Gordon already, and hopefully he'll be back soon for them. What they need is a guy who can get the ball to Griffin, and I'm not sure Williams is that type of guard.
Luckily, Baron Davis and his attitude are gone, and Blake Griffin makes the team exciting anyway.
12. Golden State Warriors
4 of 15
The Warriors have a solid backcourt in Monta Ellis and Stephen Curry, but have needed size to help make the team better. So what do they do during the trade deadline? They get rid of Dan Gadzuric and Brandan Wright. Yes, they had not produced much, but now the Warriors have almost no size on their roster past David Lee and Andris Biedrins.
While they acquired Troy Murphy, who is actually a good fit, it seems like he could be bought out. That's a mistake if that's the case, and I cannot put them higher than here if that's the plan, since they don't have the size to be competitive in the West right now.
11. Houston Rockets
5 of 15
The Houston Rockets were one of the most active teams at the trade deadline. Having said that, I'm not exactly sure what they did to help their team. The Rockets either needed to make moves to contend or moves to look to the future, and I think they did the latter.
They traded Shane Battier for Hasheem Thabeet and a first-round pick, obviously a step backwards there. They also traded Aaron Brooks for Goran Dragic and a pick, who can turn into a solid pure point guard with work.
This could be good for the Rockets in the future, but it's clear they are not reaching the playoffs this year.
10. Denver Nuggets
6 of 15
For a team that just lost their two major stars, 10th place is certainly not a bad place to be. They got a lot of stuff for the future, but they also gained pieces that can help them now in Danilo Gallinari, Wilson Chandler, and Raymond Felton.
Those guys combined with the rest is a good foundation to work with. They will likely fall out of the playoff race due to other teams improving, but they could squeeze into the eighth spot if all the remaining players rally, and it would be a great thing to see.
9. Utah Jazz
7 of 15
The Utah Jazz lost their head coach and their star player. Normally that would cripple a team; all Cleveland fans would tell you that. Nonetheless, the Jazz actually got some solid pieces in the trade for Deron Williams.
Devin Harris is not an elite point guard, but he's a very good one that can be a solid contributor for any team. Derrick Favors is also a player that can turn into something great in a couple years. They still have a lot of scoring talent, especially in the middle with Paul Millsap and Al Jefferson.
I don't think they're in that bad of shape. Then again, I said that about the Cavs, so it's a wait-and-see game for them.
8. Phoenix Suns
8 of 15
I'm admittedly not sure where the Suns are going. On the one hand, their veteran cast makes it look like they want to win now, and their trading of Goran Dragic confirms this. On the other hand, they're a .500 team that I'm not even sure will make the playoffs yet.
At least the Rockets chose a way to go; the Suns seem stuck. Bringing in Aaron Brooks gives them someone who can take over immediately for Steve Nash, but it remains to be seen whether he's a great point guard like during the 09-10 season or merely a decent one like he is this year.
Either way, this could be good for the Suns, but it's a risk. Their win-loss record since the Vince Carter trade is actually a lot better than originally, so we'll see what happens moving forward.
7. New Orleans Hornets
9 of 15
For a team owned by the NBA, the Hornets were looking at a lot of different trade possibilities. In the end, they did make one trade, acquiring Carl Landry, and Chris Paul and the core of the Hornets are intact for now.
This should help slightly since Marcus Thornton regressed this past season after a great rookie year. Carl Landry provides some solid interior help, and playing on a playoff squad should help out his production. The move won't give them a title, but a better record would make them more marketable to those wanting ownership of the team.
6. Portland Trail Blazers
10 of 15
It's a shame that Portland is the most injury-riddled team west of the Mississippi River, because if all their parts were healthy they would have a great team. Lamarcus Aldridge is probably the most underrated big man, Brandon Roy's a great scorer, and Wesley Matthews have been surprisingly good.
A good defense in Portland is made even better now with the acquisition of Gerald Wallace, who the Blazers brought in for Joel Przybilla and Dante Cunningham. This is a big move that will make the team that much better, as Wallace is a great piece for this lineup, and can provide some more offense as well.
As long as everyone stays healthy from here on out, Portland could be a team to watch.
5. Memphis Grizzlies
11 of 15
The Grizzlies fifth in the conference? Yes, this looks ridiculous on the surface; only once in franchise history have they been that high in the conference, and that was five years ago when they were led by Gasol and Shane Battier.
Now, the Grizzlies have gotten Battier back from the Rockets in exchange for dead weight Hasheem Thabeet, and with Marc Casol and Zach Randolph in the middle, they should be a force when Rudy Gay returns.
The only trade that didn't work player-wise, the O.J. Mayo trade (Josh McRoberts? really?) fell through, so they actually have perhaps the most complete team they've had in their history. The gap between five and four is pretty sizable here though, and I don't know if they can get to that level yet.
4. Los Angeles Lakers
12 of 15
The Lakers can easily bounce back to second or third in these rankings, but they are still shaking off a bad few games heading into the All-Star break, and as of right now, they are the fourth-best team.
Ron Artest has not been clicking much this year, and it seems like things are slowing down on their end. Was a trade necessary? Perhaps not. Would the right trade have revitalized the team? Absolutely. since no trade happened, Artest and Derek Fisher in particular need to step it up down the stretch.
3. Dallas Mavericks
13 of 15
The Mavericks did not pull any strings at the trade deadline, and they didn't really need to. It would have been nice to have been rid of Caron Butler's contract since he's out for the year, but that was not in the cards.
Not getting anything for him is what keeps the Mavericks out of the top two teams. They still have Dirk Nowitzki, Jason Terry, Shawn Marion, and others. They are getting old though with those three 32 or older, and it remains to be seen if they can remain good down the stretch.
2. Oklahoma City Thunder
14 of 15
The winners of this year's trade deadline? That's easy, it's the Oklahoma City Thunder. Their weakness moving forward was size and a veteran presence. They got both in their two trades.
They acquired Kendrick Perkins from the Boston Celtics for Jeff Green, with an extra player on each side added in. They have that center who can play well and has title experience. Beyond that, they acquired Nazr Mohammed from the Bobcats for further veteran depth.
Am I overstating Perkins value or understating Green's? No, I am fully aware that they lost a solid scorer, but James Harden and others can make up the difference since they'll be getting more playing time now. Great move by the Thunder, and they will be a force in the West for a long time.
1. San Antonio Spurs
15 of 15
Trade or no trade, the Spurs are the best team in the West, no question about that. Tony Parker is playing great and is scoring with great efficiency, Richard Jefferson is shooting the three incredibly well, Manu Ginobili is having a great all-around year, and despite fewer minutes and points, Tim Duncan can still contribute.
Factor in Gregg Popovich and the role players and the it's no surprise the Spurs are back on top in the NBA.
