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Ranking the West's contenders after a wild NBA trade deadline

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The NBA's 2023 trade deadline has come and gone, with the balance of power in an already condensed Western Conference upended over the last week. In the past five days, Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving moved from Brooklyn to separate West contenders, D'Angelo Russell replaced Russell Westbrook in Laker Land, the Warriors reacquired Gary Payton II, and almost every team in the postseason mix got something done before Thursday's deadline.

With the dust settled, let's examine how the new-look West's contenders stack up.

1. Phoenix Suns

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Whether the Suns realize their outrageous potential or not, it's undeniable that Phoenix now has the highest ceiling of any team in the Association, let alone the Western Conference.

There are obvious risks, especially given how all-in the Suns find themselves. But adding Durant to a team already featuring Devin Booker and Chris Paul is almost unfair on the offensive end. The star trio brings an unfathomable combination of shotmaking, shot-creation, and playmaking, with no team better equipped for crunch time. The thought of Durant running pick-and-rolls with either Booker or Paul - whether Durant's the screener or the ball-handler in inverted variations of the action - should have every potential playoff opponent quivering.

However, there are still holes for opponents to exploit, even if Durant, Booker, and Paul all stay healthy. Phoenix is vulnerable in the paint, and the Suns' defense should take a step back with Mikal Bridges now plying his trade elsewhere. Depth is also an issue. But no team is without warts in this unprecedented season of parity. One of the league's flawed contenders has to win, and you could do a lot worse than betting on the one with Durant, Booker, and Paul. - Joseph Casciaro

2. Denver Nuggets

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It's hard to feel great about Denver's deadline. Their competitors improved, and the Nuggets' comparatively insignificant dealings amounted to swapping Bones Hyland and Davon Reed for backup center Thomas Bryant. But it's still easy to feel great about where Denver is as a team heading into the stretch run.

The Nuggets have the best player in the conference, the NBA's most efficient offense, a vastly improved defense, and the most continuity and synergy of any team vying for West supremacy. They've gone 24-7 over the last two months, ranking first and sixth on the offensive and defensive ends, respectively. Denver has also outscored opponents by 14.7 points per 100 possessions with Nikola Jokic on the floor. And Jamal Murray, who predictably started slow after returning from an ACL tear, has regained every ounce of his mojo in recent weeks, averaging 25.9 points and 7.5 assists on 50/41/91 shooting over his last 10 games.

Murray's ascendance and ability to carry bench groups ultimately rendered Hyland dispensable. And Bryant could help galvanize a second unit that has struggled to score in Jokic's absence. Bryant's defense isn't any better than Hyland's, but he's been one of the most productive per-minute offensive players in the league this season. He's averaging 20.4 points and 11.5 rebounds per 36 minutes while shooting 69.7% from 2-point range and 44% from deep (good for a league-best 71.2% true-shooting mark).

The Nuggets still have defensive questions to answer against the best teams in the playoffs, and the Suns, in particular, seem well-equipped to exploit them. But those opponents are going to have to stop Denver, too. Right now, there's no reason to think any of them can. - Joe Wolfond

3. Memphis Grizzlies

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The Grizzlies have been in a funk for weeks. They lost their last six games against Western Conference competition, and franchise star Ja Morant has been in the news for the company he keeps off the court. On the court, Memphis still has the goods to make a run in the West, and the team improved Thursday by turning Danny Green and three second-round picks into Luke Kennard.

Kennard's role dwindled with the Clippers this season. However, the 26-year-old remains one of the league's best shooters, and he's a clear upgrade over Green, who only recently made his season debut following knee surgery. If the Grizzlies' second-ranked defense can insulate him, Kennard's shooting should provide Memphis' 17th-ranked offense with a nice boost off the bench.

But if the Grizzlies wanted to keep pace with teams like Phoenix and Denver in hopes of truly contending for a Finals berth, they probably needed to do more (O.G. Anunoby, anyone?). As it stands, Memphis will ask Jaren Jackson Jr., Dillon Brooks, and the currently injured Steven Adams to cover for a lot of the defensively challenged players elsewhere in the rotation. Can you win at least three playoff rounds like that? - Casciaro

4. Los Angeles Clippers

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The Clippers didn't land their most logical target at the deadline - i.e., a steady-handed point guard in the Mike Conley or Fred VanVleet mold. But they still addressed some needs and managed to upgrade on the margins.

Los Angeles shipped out Reggie Jackson - an actively harmful player this season - for Mason Plumlee, who finally gives the Clippers a legitimate backup center behind Ivica Zubac. They'll still likely play small a lot of the time, but having that type of interior insurance for certain matchups is a big deal. On top of being a strong finisher, it also helps that Plumlee can really pass. L.A.'s siloed offense could certainly benefit from a side-to-side connector, which Zubac, for all his strengths, is not.

The Jackson trade was part of a total backcourt overhaul for the Clippers, who also moved out Kennard and John Wall while bringing in Eric Gordon and Hyland. L.A. will miss Kennard's shooting, but Gordon and Hyland should collectively make up for it. Gordon isn't the defender he once was, but he's strong as a bull and can switch across three positions. He's still a bowling-ball driver, and he and Hyland should help amp up the downhill pressure for a team that ranks 23rd in rim frequency and 22nd in drives. Gordon and Hyland combine to average 14.8 drives per 48 minutes, while Jackson and Kennard combine for 9.3 per 48. Wall drives a lot but rarely finishes, and he's injured anyway.

It still leaves the Clippers a bit wanting. Their offense will probably remain a slog, and it's a shame they couldn't nab someone like Conley or VanVleet. Either player could've been a legitimate game-changer. But L.A. is going to defend and hit shots, and Kawhi Leonard and Paul George will give the club a chance to go tete-a-tete with anyone on any given night. The Clippers are underwhelming but still extremely dangerous. - Wolfond

5. Dallas Mavericks

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After losing seven games this season with Luka Doncic out of the lineup, the Mavs reeled off two straight victories without their MVP, including an impressive road win over the Clippers in Irving's debut.

There isn't enough space on your screen to write about how this experiment could go wrong with Irving in the mix. But if we're strictly talking basketball, a lot of teams will find it impossible to stop a squad led by Doncic and Irving. They're both offensive supernovas who require a ton of defensive attention. Having the pair on the court will present a myriad of challenges for opponents, especially when Irving is off the ball and hovering around Doncic's gravitational pull. Meanwhile, Christian Wood's combination of shooting, low-post play, and pick-and-roll effectiveness make him the type of offensive big man ideally suited to leverage Doncic's and Irving's powers.

The on-court questions all come from the other end of the floor. Dallas' best lineups will feature three defensive liabilities in Doncic, Irving, and Wood, with the club sending its best defensive player (Dorian Finney-Smith) packing in the blockbuster deal for Irving. More playing time for third-year wing Josh Green and the eventual return of injured big man Maxi Kleber will help, but the Mavs' 22nd-ranked defense is unlikely to surge.

The hope is that Dallas' offense will be so preposterously good that a likely porous defense can't undo the Mavs' best-laid plans. But remember, only two teams in NBA history have ever won a championship with even a below-average defense (2001 Lakers, 1956 Warriors). - Casciaro

6. Golden State Warriors

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The Warriors are treading water at 28-27 and barely hanging onto a play-in spot. If the season ended today, they'd have to win two do-or-die games just to get into the playoffs proper. Steph Curry is injured again. For as electric as he's been when healthy, Golden State has barely played better than .500 ball when he's suited up. It ranks 13th in offense and 18th in defense, with a plus-0.2 net rating - the definition of average. And yet, it's still impossible to fully quit the defending champs.

Maybe that's because when they're at full strength, the Warriors still have extended stretches when their whirring, continuity-based offense turns opposing defenses inside out. Perhaps it's because Curry still resembles peak Curry on offense, Draymond Green still looks close to peak Draymond on defense, Klay Thompson's still shooting over 40% from deep on a preposterous 10.6 attempts per game, and Andrew Wiggins was playing the best two-way ball of his career before an injury set him back. Additionally, Golden State's most-used lineup (Curry, Thompson, Wiggins, Green, and Kevon Looney) has routed teams by 21.9 points per 100 possessions - the best of any five-man group that's played at least 200 minutes this season.

However, those encouraging signs don't override the red flags. It's troubling this Warriors team still hasn't gotten it together this deep into the season and that the defense continues to spring leaks. But it still feels like they have a run in them. Golden State will be a tough out come spring, provided it can stay afloat (again) until Curry gets back.

The Warriors' one big deadline move will help in that regard. As much as it surely stung to trade James Wiseman (the No. 2 overall pick in 2020) for Payton, the deal undeniably made them a better team in the present. Payton narrowly won Golden State's 15th roster spot on the final day of training camp last season and then left as a free agent this past summer.

The Warriors have missed Payton's sticky-handed point-of-attack defense and elite top-line help. They also could have used his cutting and short-roll scoring/playmaking at the other end of the floor, even if Donte DiVincenzo has replicated a lot of that. Golden State was 3.4 points per 100 possessions better with Payton on the floor last campaign. Meanwhile, Wiseman barely played and struggled badly almost any time he got on the court. The Warriors got smoked by 19.8 points per 100 in the 223 non-garbage-time minutes he played this season.

It's not a huge addition by any means. But for such a top-heavy team, adding another reliable player to a potential playoff rotation could go a long way. - Wolfond

7. New Orleans Pelicans

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At full strength, the Pelicans have the goods to win the West. But expecting a team led by Zion Williamson to be at full strength is, unfortunately, a fool's errand. Even with Williamson in the mix, New Orleans could've used a rim-protector and a 3-and-D boost; the latter is why the Pels were tied to Anunoby. Instead, the front office turned Devonte' Graham and four second-round picks into Josh Richardson.

In a vacuum, it's a fine piece of business for New Orleans. Graham might've been out of the playoff rotation anyway, and the Pelicans managed to shed his contract to pick up a smart, veteran shooter with some playmaking chops on an expiring deal. But Richardson's defensive effort doesn't translate to defensive impact, and he's a much lesser consolation prize for a team that reportedly dreamed of an Anunoby-like upgrade.

Sophomore Herb Jones gives New Orleans a puncher's chance when the Pelicans are tasked with guarding the league's best forwards. However, the team still needs interior defense and rim protection, despite the size advantage that makes the Pels so dominant on the offensive interior. You're not getting to the Finals, let alone winning a championship, with Jonas Valanciunas beside Williamson or asking Larry Nance to anchor the defense as a small-ball center when Valanciunas is played off the court.

It feels like the Pelicans struck out, not just at the deadline but on the season as a whole. Then again, perhaps Williamson's durability issues would've rendered it all moot, anyway. - Casciaro

8. Los Angeles Lakers

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We've been waiting since the start of the offseason for the Lakers to cut their losses with Westbrook and spin his expiring contract and their remaining draft assets into an upgrade. The front office was justifiably wary of a half measure. However, LeBron James performing like a top-10 player in his age-38 season and Anthony Davis recapturing his All-NBA and All-Defensive form when healthy prompted Rob Pelinka and Co. to act.

The upshot was a pretty dramatic makeover of Los Angeles' supporting cast. Out went Westbrook, Bryant, Patrick Beverley, Juan Toscano-Anderson, Kendrick Nunn, a lightly protected 2027 first-rounder, and a few second-rounders. In came a slew of superior replacements (Russell, Malik Beasley, Jarred Vanderbilt, Mo Bamba, Rui Hachimura) who fit much more snugly around James and Davis. Russell and Beasley bring a huge injection of shooting. Vanderbilt and Bamba bolster the team's interior defense. Hachimura adds a pinch of self-creation on the wing. It was all pretty elegantly done.

So, why are the Lakers still down here in eighth? In short, they're facing an uphill climb just to get into the play-in (never mind the playoffs), have one of the West's most challenging remaining schedules, and still haven't proven fully worthy of our trust. Davis is liable to wind up back on the shelf at a moment's notice. The perimeter defense still figures to be a problem. And there are still a few too many one-way players here (on either end of the floor) to feel good about how the team's best lineups will perform against those of its competitors.

Still, these upgrades are significant. If nothing else, the Lakers have given James and Davis a worthy supporting cast. It's the most tired of tired cliches, but truly, no team will relish the possibility of seeing these dudes in the playoffs. - Wolfond

9. Sacramento Kings

It feels wrong, and a little heartbreaking, to have a feel-good squad that currently sits third in the West so low in the conference's pecking order. You could make a strong case that the Kings are better than a handful of these teams. They've had one of the best offenses in the league all season, an unstoppable vortex of handoffs and cuts and drives and ornate off-ball screening actions. Domantas Sabonis is a deserving All-Star, and De'Aaron Fox was right on the doorstep. This team is fun as hell and legitimately good.

But if we're talking upside, it's hard to justify slotting Sacramento ahead of anyone in front of it, especially after the club let the deadline pass with nary a deal completed. The Kings' 24th-ranked defense remains a significant concern, particularly when it comes to rim protection. It's still fair to wonder how their offense will translate to a switchier, more physical postseason setting. They really could've used a big wing defender and secondary rim-protector. It didn't even need to be a starting-caliber contributor; they could really use a wing to round out their bench.

As things stand, Sacramento doesn't quite have the top-end talent or defensive versatility to count itself among the West's true-blue contenders. However, the club is well on its way to ending its eons-long playoff drought. If the basketball gods are good, the Kings will provide plenty of fireworks once they get there. - Wolfond

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