The Nuggets Have The Best Win Of The Year And The Thunder Are In A Funk

Mitchell Leff. Getty Images.

Here's your latest notes from all 15 Western Conference teams. 

Catch up on the Eastern Conference here

1) Oklahoma City Thunder (30-7, 1st in the West) via Nick C

• OKC is 6-6 in its last 12 games including a 27 point loss to the Charlotte Hornets last night. They are struggling to re-integrate Jalen Williams into the rotation since coming back from injury while also dealing with several other injuries.

• The Thunder has been out-rebounded 101-63 in the last 24 hours. Isaiah Hartenstein being out has hurt, but rebounding is often an effort stat, and the edge hasn’t been there

• Shai Gilgeous-Alexander has been off his game lately relative to his standards, shooting 25-of-63 (under 40%) from the floor, which is uncharacteristic for one of the most efficient scoring guards of this era

• Even then, Gilgeous-Alexander is the runaway MVP favorite now that Nikola Jokic is projected to miss the 65-game requirement for the award, though don’t be surprised if Luka Doncic chips away at the conversation in the coming weeks, especially if OKC continues to struggle

• The trade deadline is officially less than a month away. OKC isn’t expected to make a big splash, but expect the team to consider packaging Ousmane Dieng and draft capital to upgrade the roster on the margins

2) San Antonio Spurs (25-10, 2nd in the West) via Rob G

• Can we please get Harrison Barnes his confidence back?  He shot 20% from downtown the past 4 games and only took 1 attempt from beyond the arc against the Knicks.   At this point the Spurs have to be looking around for help, Julian Champagnie stepped up vs the Knicks and hit a team record 11 threes, but again, he has been inconsistent.
• Victor Wembanyama and Devin Vassell are both out at this point, coach Mitch Johnson said Wemby will make the trip to Memphis Tuesday and says his rehab is going well.  So hopefully he returns because Zac Edey put up 19pts and 15reb vs the Spurs the last time they played without Wembanyama.  As for Devin, its unknown how much time he will miss, Mitch says it'll be more than a few games.  So whatever that means.  
• Stephon Castle has averaged 8 assists over the past week, while still looking to put pressure on opposing defenses. He's still shooting poorly from three, just 1-10 over the past week.  One of his favorite teammates to pass the ball to has to be Luke Kornet, maybe the sneaky best offseason pickup in the league. Hes stepped up while Victor is out and a main reason why the Spurs were able to stay at the 2nd seed with wemby missing so much time. 
• San Antonio plays 4 of the next 5 games on the road where they have been 13-5

3) LA Lakers (22-11, 3rd in the West) via Andrew K

• The Lakers end the week going 2-1, closing out the regular season series with the Grizzlies off the heels of a gut-wrenching loss to the Pistons. The Pistons had a 32-18 4th quarter against the Lakers (nothing new) but rebounded well off the loss.
• This week, the Lakers will be matching against the Pelicans, Spurs and Bucks. With these teams on the slate, the Lakers must remember that teams circle the games against them. Especially with the lack of paint presence defensively, these three teams will key-in on that weakness.
• With recent posts from “Basketball University,” the Lakers fan base has found that; Luka/Reaves/Smart/Rui/Ayton is one of the top 7 defensive lineups in the NBA. This lineup has played 80 minutes, is +30 (P/M) and forcing 33 turnovers.
• The Lakers are expecting to get back some of their depth this week. Gabe Vincent is on pace to play against the Pelicans, with Rui preparing to come back against the Spurs. I expect both players to sit against the Pelicans and play against the Spurs.
• Deandre Ayton noted the lack of touches in his recent presser, “Bigs can’t feed themselves.” There has been a lack of effort and hustle out of Ayton with his touches not being consistent. This is a slight thing for the Lakers to keep an eye on, but DA has been open a lot, just seen his teammates taking shots over passing.

4) Denver Nuggets (24-12, 4th in the West) via Grant M

• Monday night was one of the gutsiest Nuggets victories in recent memory. Down SEVEN rotation players (including Nikola Jokic), on the second night of a back-to-back, in the midst of a seven-game roadtrip, the Nuggets beat the full-strength 76ers in overtime. Jalen Pickett (29pts 7 3PM), Zeke Nnaji (21pts, 8reb), and Peyton Watson (24pts, 7reb) lead the way for the short-handed squad, with Bruce Brown finishing clutch buckets down the stretch. Monday night showcased the Nuggets depth and grit amidst some difficult circumstances. Remember when Joel Embiid vs Nikola Jokic was a rivalry? Gotta get past Zeke Nnaji first. 
• Obviously, the story for the Nuggets right now is injuries. Of the seven players who missed Monday’s game, two seemed to be rest-related in Jamal Murray and Tim Hardaway Jr. Aaron Gordon and Christian Braun both played limited minutes Sunday in Brooklyn and seem to be very close to returning to the starting lineup. The trio of Nikola Jokic, Cam Johnson, and Jonas Valanciunas all remain out for at least the next three weeks.
• This stretch could be a blessing in disguise for Jamal Murray’s all-star campaign. Many know Jamal has never been named to an all-star team but his hot start this year has him on track for his first selection, averaging 25.4PPG on 48/45/90 splits. He will be expected to continue to lead the team in Jokic’s stead, which could lead to some big scoring explosions. 
• All things considered, a solid week for the Nuggets as they go 2-2 with losses to the Cavs and Nets and wins over the Raptors and 76ers. They wrap up their 7-game east coast swing Wednesday in Boston, before returning home for games against the Hawks and Bucks. The name of the game for the Nuggets right now is treading water until Jokic returns in 3-4 weeks. Based on what we saw Monday night, along with the returns of Aaron Gordon and Christian Braun, this group is capable of that (and maybe even more).

5) Houston Rockets (22-11, 5th in the West) via Freddy V

• After suffering an embarrassing loss to the Mavericks, the Rockets bounced back and won a close game (100-97) against the Suns on Monday night. Kevin Durant nailed a game winning three-pointer with just 1.1 seconds left on the clock, after the game Durant had some choice words for the Suns saying “Phoenix was a place I didn’t want to leave and it was my first time being kicked out of a place… I felt like I had been scapegoated for issues we had as a team last year, so yeah it felt good to hit a game winning shot.” 
• Alperen Sengun left the game vs the Mavericks after coming down awkwardly from a rebound. It was determined Sengun suffered a right ankle soreness and will be re-evaluated at the end of the week, and Ime Udoka says they estimate he’ll be out 10-14 days. The Rockets play 8 games in the next 14 days and all of those are expected to be without their All-Star Center 
• The Rockets are 6-1 when Tari Eason is in the starting rotation this season. Eason is averaging 13.7 PTS, 6.9 REB, and 1.9 STL in 7 games as a starter this season. Tari Eason has improved massively from the three-point line leading the league in 3P% this season with 50% on 4.4 3PA per game.
• The Rockets "aren't completely ruling out" a Fred VanVleet return this season. VanVleet is reportedly rehabbing "to at least put a late-season return on the table”. VanVleet said earlier this week on his podcast "Yes, it is possible that I can return this season, doesn't mean its gonna happen" 

6) Minnesota Timberwolves (23-13, 6th in the West) via Spencer C

• The tech that turned the tide. Ever since Chris Finch made a scene against OKC a month ago and got ejected OKC has not been the same are are 6-6 in there last 12. On top of Wemby beating them back-to-back, the Thunder are finally in a slump all thanks to Chris Finch.
• Anthony Edwards continues to take over games and just be an absolute beast on the court. It does seem like Randle and McDaniels both haven’t been playing as good as they can this last week.
• We have the Heat tonight at home and the Heat have no Jaime Jaquez Jr. as of right now. As long as we stick to the game plan this is a easy W for the Wolves.
• Our PG position continues to be up and down. One week Bones Hyland will look great, the next week he won’t. Mike Conley Jr. is too old to have all the minutes so they have to go somewhere and Rob Dillingham is not progressing as we would hope. 
• Rudy Gobert's defense has been great this year. If he hadn’t won DPOY so many times already I think he would have a good chance to win it this year. 

7) Phoenix Suns (21-15, 7th in the West) via Connor F

• Suns are FIRST in the NBA in Spread Diff. (+4.2)
• Devin Booker is now up 6.3 Assists Per Game.
• GAME WINNER (GOOD): Book and co. beat the Thunder after hitting an absurd deep three over Alex Caruso to beat the defending champs.
• GAME WINNER (BAD): KD hits a deep three over Royce O’Neale to beat his former team and the Rockets now own a 3-0 regular season lead over Phoenix.
• Matt Ishbia denounces any trade rumors with Dillon Brooks via Twitter. Claiming he’s staying in PHX,
• Jordan Goodwin gave an awe-inspiring performance versus the Thunder. Dropping 26 on EIGHT made threes. 
• On NYE versus the Cavs, the Suns guard Goodwin also totaled 15 rebounds, being a revelation off the bench. 

8) Golden State Warriors (19-18, 8th in the West) via TJ

• This team is desperate to make up ground in the West, but it was another .500 week for the Warriors - starting with a road win over the Hornets led by Draymond's near triple-double, and team leading +18 when on the floor. The Dubs then conceded to the Thunder on the front end of a back-to-back (Steph/Jimmy/Dray/Horford all sat). This has been the plan all season, given the team's league-leading eight back-to-backs to date, with eight more remaining on the schedule for the league's oldest team. While they managed a win the next night over the Jazz, they fell 103-102 yesterday to the Clippers on the road while shooting a disappointing 38% from the field. The refs later admitted to missing a 4th quarter goaltending call that led to Coach Kerr's ejection. Rapper Snoop Dogg was on the mic for Peacock with some hilarious quotes all game, but especially during that tense moment saying, "The Arizona Wildcat came out and look at it," while making snarling sounds.
• Frustration is clearly setting in for the leaders of this team, knowing they have to make a run to pull themselves out of the play-in game, but so far the New Year has yet to bring any significant changes to this team. They have remained in 8th place in the West since the 2nd week of the season, primarily due to offensive mediocrity around Steph and Jimmy Butler. 
• Through Jan. 6, they rank 5th in defensive rating (112.2), but 19th in offensive rating (113.6). Despite almost always having either Steph or Jimmy on the floor, their offense stalls for long stretches far more than any other team in the league. An update on 4-minute scoring droughts this season (credit - @automaticnba) - The Warriors lead the league with 15 this season…3 more than the league-worst 6-win Pacers. They also lead the league in 5-minute scoring droughts at 8, which is three more than anyone else. This can be partly attributed to their fatal flaw - turnovers. They are currently 28th in the league at 15.9/game, but even when they do manage to hold onto the ball and get a shot off, they are not a good shooting team outside of Steph/Jimmy. As a team, they rank 27th in FG% at 45.2%, and outside of Steph/Jimmy, only Brandon Podziemski and Will Richard are above league average as 3-point shooters on the season. 
• The Warriors play their next 8 games at home (longest stretch of the season) where they are 11-5 and turn the ball over far less (8th in the league). This may be their best shot at making a jump in the standings all year.

9) Portland Trail Blazers (17-20, 9th in the West) via Casey G

• THE PORTLAND TRAILBLAZERS HAVE A 3-1 WEEK AND ARE THE 9 SEED IN THE WEST!!!!!!
• Disregarding the beatdown from the Thunder on NYE, the Blazers looked like a competent basketball team all week
• Remember Donavan Clingan? He’s had an awesome improvement this year and has a double double in his last 3 games. 
• Deni Avdija is a superstar. He’s averaging over 30 ppg in his last three with a triple double thrown in there as well. 
• The Blazers had another back to back this week where they covered, moving to 17-1 in their last eighteen ATS in the second night of those games. 
• Good news on injuries! Both Jrue Holiday and Jerami Grant have resumed on court basketball activities and are labeled as day to day. Getting those guys back is making me start to believe this team could make a little push into the top 8!
• Tough week coming up with the Rockets twice and the Knicks, but this team is really starting to put something together. 

10) Memphis Grizzlies (15-20, 10th in the West) via Alex B

• It's time to blow it up. Three losses during the week to the 76ers (139-136 OT) and two to the Lakers in LA (128-121 and 120-114) mixed in with yet another injury to Ja Morant and poor performances from Jaren Jackson yet again. GM Zach Kleiman needs to start looking for trade partners for these guys and build around some of the young guys and hope to land a stud in the top 8 this year. 
• However, I will say it is tiring with the whistle that Grizzlies players receive on the offensive end compared to when they're playing defense. Morant and Jackson constantly get mauled with no calls from the officials. In their two games against the Lakers this week, the Grizzlies as a team shot 55 free throws. Luka Dončić attempted 33 free throws by himself during the two game span and as a team the Lakers were able to attempt 72 free throws as a team. I'm not usually a blame the officials guy, but it's getting a little crazy.
• None of it matters if your team isn't good in the 4th quarter. Memphis' 4th quarter stats this year include: 24th ORTG, 26th TS%, 25th 3P%, and 29th FG%. Umm… Yikes. It's almost like you miss a go to guy when the offense gets stale in Desmond Bane.
• To put a cherry on top to the week, standout rookie Cedric Coward landed on DeAndre Ayton's foot on Sunday late in the first half, resulting in an ankle sprain that caused Coward to miss the rest of the contest. Coward had 16 points on 6 of 9 shooting and eight rebounds in 12 minutes prior to the injury.  

11) LA Clippers (13-22, 11th in the West) via Jeremiah D

• The Clippers have won 7 of their last 8 games.
• The Clippers are 12th in offensive rating (115.3) and 26th in defensive rating (117.8).
• Breakout game for Yanic Konan Niederhauser last week against the Kings 16/6/2 +27 in 25 mins. 
• Kawhi Leonard is the first player since Giannis Antetokounmpo in 2023 to average 40 PPG on a 72 TS% (or better) over a five-game period in a single season.
• The 202 points that Kawhi Leonard has scored over the last five games (12/23/25-01/01/26) are the most by any player in the NBA during any five-game stretch this season and the most in LA Clippers franchise history since Bob McAdoo in 1975. It's the most since the franchise moved from Buffalo.
• Thursday the Clippers joined the Oklahoma City Thunder as the only teams to register a 6-game win streak with every win coming by at least 13 points this season beating the Utah Jazz 118-101. 
• Clippers center Ivica Zubac returned to action for Saturday's home game against the Boston Celtics. Zubac had missed the last 5 games after suffering an ankle injury on December 20th. 
• Derrick Jones Jr. has been diagnosed with a Grade 2 right MCL sprain and will be re-evaluated in 6 weeks. Jones returned last week after missing over a month with the same freak injury on the same knee against the same opponent, Boston. The Clippers won their last four games that Derrick Jones Jr. finished healthy (at Dallas, vs Pistons, vs Kings, vs Jazz). Saturday nights loss snapped a 6-game win streak, and Clippers went 5-12 with Jones out.
• Clippers survive a near collapse to beat the Warriors 103-102 last night. Kawhi Leonard struggled from the field but had 24pts and 12rebs. Kobe Sanders had a career-high 20/7/3 in 36 mins. This is only the second time in Sanders career he’s played 30+ mins.
• Kris Dunn and Nicolas Batum have been excellent from 3 this season. Dunn is shooting 39.6% up from 33.5% last season his best since the 22-23 season and Batum is at 41.1%. 

12) Dallas Mavericks (13-23, 12th in the West) via J.D.

• Max Christie has re-entered the starting lineup and has looked impressive. He has averaged 22.3 point per game over the last 3 games. He has shot 65.8% from the field and 55% (11/20) over that stretch.
• Cooper Flagg has been in a terrible shooting slump over the last three games going 14/47 (29.8%) from the field. He has continued to impact the game despite the poor shooting, still averaging 12.3pts along with 6.7reb and 7ast over this stretch.
• Anthony Davis showed how effective he can be when healthy against the Rockets. He scored 26pts with 12rebs and 5blks. 
• The Mavericks have been very inconsistent this year. They are 4-1 combined against the Nuggets and Rockets, but have lost to the Kings, Wizards, Jazz, and twice to the Pelicans.
• With Kyrie Irving's return and the trade deadline both on the horizon, Mavs fans are split into two camps. The first is to trade as much as you can (hopefully some combination of AD, Klay, and DLo) to free up money to build around Flagg next year (and hopefully secure a lottery pick in a loaded draft for the last pick the Mavs control until 2031). The second is to see what the "Big 3" of AD, Cooper Flagg, and Kyrie can do together. 
• The Atlanta Hawks have emerged as the team with the biggest interest in trading for AD. Their willingness to include either Zaccharie Risacher or the Pelican's pick from next year may make or break the deal.

13) Utah Jazz (12-23, 13th in the West) via Collin T

• Three recent losses in a row — it’s like the Jazz ordered takeout every night instead of cooking: tasty bits here and there, but results just… not great. Opponents have consistently outscored them by double digits over the last week. Its a lot of what the Jazz did last year, 3 solid quarters of play and the 4th was Vasa basketball remembering they still need a solid pick.

• Lauri Markkanen = Still the Best Scorer on the Ship. He’s been dropping big points despite losses — 35 vs. Golden State and big games in others too. He’s like your friend who studied for the test hard, but the whole class still failed together. He produces game in and game out doing it all. and having another elite scorer like Keyonte George really opens the court for him to take more shots and shoot more. But he can't do it alone. Bench needs to show up and they have struggled to do so. 

• Keyonte George is still Cool, Still Volatile. George has been producing ~20+ points and high assist nights (22 & 9 vs Warriors), proving he’s emerging as a real tempo setter — even if the defense forgets to show up. He continues to play at that All-Star caliber season like Markkanen and is proving his fight for 'Most Improved Player' 

• Jusuf Nurkić tried to be the Defensive Wall…At Portland he went 21 points and 12 rebounds, but even doing everything right can’t stop 137 points from coming at you. Think of him like that one person trying to hold the group project together. He continues to get boards and produce offensively. There is just something that seems off at times and I can't figure out what it is. He just seems to be one step behind the person he is guarding.  

• Defense continues to be… puzzling.Warriors and Blazers both lit it up from downtown, and the Jazz just waved at them like old friends. Utah’s D rating has been trending toward “you’re wide open!” levels lately in these games. Teams who play Utah have one of the highest 3pt % each game. so if your team plays Utah. smash that over.

14) Sacramento Kings (8-28, 14th in the West) via Ben M

•  The Kings are mired in a rough season with an 8-27 record, sitting 14th in the Western Conference and on a five-game losing streak.

•  Over their last 10 games, Sacramento has gone 2-8, averaging 108.8 points, 42.9 rebounds, 24.2 assists, 9.8 steals, and 5.3 blocks per game while shooting 44.5% from the field.

•  Injury woes continue: Keegan Murray (left ankle) and Keon Ellis (left thumb) both exited the January 5 loss to Milwaukee and did not return; Zach LaVine returned January 5 after missing nine games with a left ankle sprain (came off the bench, no minutes restriction); Domantas Sabonis remains sidelined long-term (out since mid-November); Rookie center Maxime Raynaud avoided serious knee injury and is available.

•  Trade rumors heating up ahead of the February deadline: The Kings are pursuing a youth movement, with players like Keon Ellis (reportedly seeking a protected first-round pick), Malik Monk, Zach LaVine, and DeMar DeRozan mentioned as potential trade candidates.

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Key Player Stats Over Last 10 Games

•  Russell Westbrook: Averaging 21.0 points per game; consistent veteran leader in scoring, rebounding, and playmaking amid team struggles.

•  DeMar DeRozan: Averaging around 25.0 points and 5.0 rebounds while shooting efficiently (over 56% in recent stretches); one of the primary scoring options.

•  Zach LaVine: Limited data post-return, but scored 20 points efficiently in his first game back (Jan 5 vs. Bucks).

•  Keegan Murray: Strong outings like 23 points/10 rebounds vs. Suns (Jan 2), but recent production dipped (e.g., 12 points vs. Bucks) before ankle injury.

•  Maxime Raynaud (rookie): Averaging 13.9 points, 9.1 rebounds, and 1.2 assists over his last 10 appearances, with five double-doubles; emerging as a bright spot in the frontcourt.

•  Team continues to rely on bench production from players like Dennis Schröder (consistent 10+ points off bench) while dealing with inconsistent health and performance.

15) New Orleans Pelicans (8-29, 15th in the West) via Colby J

• The Pelicans are starting 2026 the same way they ended 2025: with a lot of losing. New Orleans has lost 7 straight games since winning 5 games in a row in Mid-December. During the 7 game losing streak, the Pels rank 29th in Defensive Rating and Net Rating and rank 27th in both stats overall on the season. 
• Zion Williamson has at least been healthy and productive as of late. Although he only scored 12 in his last game, in the previous 3 games Zion scored at least 30 while averaging 32.6 PPG and 6.6 RPG and shooting 62% from the field during this stretch.
• Trey Murphy III became the Pelicans All-Time Leader in 3PM against the Miami Heat on Sunday. Murphy III and Herb Jones both have been subject to trade talks but it seems like New Orleans is reluctant to move either one right now. The Pels have also been linked to Golden State’s Jonathan Kuminga in trade talks. 
• Herb Jones was upgraded to Questionable for tonights matchup against the Lakers and it looks like he will play for the first time since the Pels started their losing 7 streak. Since new HC James Borrego has taken over, New Orleans is 5-5 when Herb Jones plays and 1-12 whenever he sits out. Saddiq Bey was also added to the injury report as he’s missed the last 2 games with a strained hip flexor. 
• Derik Queen has had a rough stretch of games, but he is still filling the stat sheet. DQ is only averaging 9.7 PPG on 38.7 FG% in his last 3 games but he has done it in other ways by averaging 7.3 RPG, 4.7 APG, along with 4.0 SPG+BPG. Queen missed his first game of the season against the Blazers with a left quad contusion last Friday and this could be what is slowing him down. 
• The Pelicans will play LeBron, Luka, and the Lakers tonight at the Smoothie King Center before going on an East Coast road-trip to take on Atlanta, Washington, and Orlando later this week. 

Thanks for reading!