The Red Hot Spurs And Ace Bailey Is Next Up

Jed Jacobsohn. Getty Images.

This is NBA Brain Food, the blog about every NBA team written by the fans that watch them every game. This is the Western Conference edition. Get the latest on the Eastern Conference here.

We start at the top of the Western Conference:

1) Oklahoma City Thunder (42-14, 1st in the West) via Nick C

- Shai Gilgeous-Alexander remains at the center of everything. His MVP case is intact, but the real storyline is timing. How quickly can he ramp back up and regain rhythm? In a tightly packed West, even a short absence impacts seeding, momentum and narrative.

- The San Antonio Spurs are officially within striking distance. They’ve surged up the standings and played OKC tough this season. With tiebreakers and head-to-head matchups looming large, the Thunder can’t afford to drift coming out of the break.

- The post-break schedule is no soft landing. Several playoff-caliber opponents are waiting immediately, and this stretch could define whether Oklahoma City maintains control of the top seed or gets pulled into a crowded fight for home-court advantage.

- Chet Holmgren’s All-Star appearance reinforced that the Thunder isn’t just building for the future — it’s here now. His two-way impact remains essential as games tighten up, especially his rim protection and floor spacing in high-leverage minutes.

- Jalen Williams’ health and Jared McCain’s opportunity window are quiet swing factors. When J-Dub is aggressive and healthy, the offense feels layered and dynamic. Meanwhile, McCain now has a real chance to spread his wings post-break, with rotation flexibility giving him room to inject shooting, confidence and spacing into key lineups.

2) San Antonio Spurs (38-16, 2nd in the West) via Rob G

- The San Antonio Spurs are riding high with a 6 game winning streak, coming off the All star break they have a schedule this week against probably the worst team in the west, in the Kings, the best in the east, in the Pistons, and a shorthanded Suns team who they have not beat this season.

- Victor Wembanyama may have just saved the all star game and announced himself as the face of the league. When asked by NBA insider Chris Hayes about the idea of being the face of the league, “I definitely see it happening. I think it's the natural course of things—you know, supply and demand—and I'm here to supply”.  He put up 40/12/2/2 vs the Lakers in just 24 min becoming the 5th player to ever score 40 in 26 min since the shot clock era began. And only the 2nd player ever to have a 40 pt double double.  Look for a big game from Victor vs the Suns since the Wembanyama stopper will be out due to a suspension for too many technical fouls.

- Devin Vassell is still trying to settle in after his time off, he looked to get on track vs the Lakers shooting 4/5 from the field and 50% from three, only scoring 9 points though.   Vs the Warriors he had 8 points shooting 2/8 from the field, 1/5 from 3 and 3/3 from the ft line.  As he gets comfortable, look for him to average around 12 to 15 with the occasional 25 pt game. 

- The Spurs released my favorite Spur Jeremy Sochan, who signed with the Knicks.  San Antonio is averaging 131 over the last 2 games while holding opponents to 110 per with the average margin of 20.5. Look for the Spurs to add someone from the buyout market with the extra spot available.

3) Denver Nuggets (35-20, 3rd in the West) via Grant M

- 1-0 for the Nuggets this week as they beat the Grizzlies with a bit of an uneven performance. The offense was great as usual but the defense allowed the Grizzlies to crawl back from multiple 10+ point deficits to make it closer than it needed to be. Nikola Jokic had another triple-double though as he continues his quest for another MVP, even though he said he’d much rather have his horses win a race than win another MVP.

- Jamal Murray participated in his first all-star game and 3PT contest this week. While his performance in the events was ok, the fact that he was there was huge. He is the first all-star teammate that Nikola Jokic has had in his career, validating that while this season has been marred by injuries, this team definitely has a chance to be something special in the playoffs.

- Christian Braun is finally returning to form after his missed time. He recorded 14 Pts, 7 Reb, 6 Ast against the Grizzlies after having 20 points against the Cavs. He knows how he fits with this team and excels at his role of finding the open spots on the floor and playing solid defense.

- Tim Hardaway Jr is another essential role player to this team. He hit 7 threes against the Grizzlies and continues to be a scoring spark off the bench. 

- This week the Nuggets play 3 road games in 4 days against the Clippers, Blazers, and Warriors. We’ll so how rested the team looks after a week off for most of them

4) Houston Rockets (33-20, 4th in the West) via Freddy V

- The Rockets went 1-1 on the week splitting a two-game series vs the Clippers on back-to-back nights. On Tuesday, the Rockets won 102-95, a game where Kevin Durant scored 26 points and Sengun added 22 and 5 assists. Wednesday was a completely different story; the Rockets blew a 16-point lead and turned the ball over 21 times and Kevin Durant tied a season high 8 turnovers.  The Rockets had 10 more turnovers than the Clippers, the Rockets are now 2-5 on the season when they turn it over 20 or more times.

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- They must take care of the ball if they want to be a serious title contender 

- The Rockets have had a pretty identical season as last year so far. At the all-star break last season, they were 34-21 (61.8%-win percentage) and this season they are 33-20 (62.3%-win percentage). Key players who have missed games this season are Fred Van Vleet (53), DFS (33), Tari Eason (22), Steven Adams (21), Alperen  Şengün (7).

- Kevin Durant was the talk of the Allstar game…. and It wasn't for good reason. Kevin Durant is known as Allstar not only on the court but on X as well as he's not afraid to talk online and he does it frequently from his own personal X account but Durant has also made it known he has "burner" accounts also. It seems one of these burner accounts was revealed right before tip-off on Sunday afternoon. "GetHigher77 and  “getoffmydickerson” are highly believable burner names for Kevin Durant and if it is found true KD has a lot of explaining to do. It was revealed whoever is behind those accounts (allegedly Durant) was talking mad trash about a lot of NBA Superstars, mostly former and current teammates of Durant. 

5) LA Lakers (33-21, 5th in the West) via Andrew K

- For the final 28 games, the Lakers need to continue testing defensive schemes. Work out the kinks with teams that are not performing well, so that during the playoff guys are not standing lost.

- Health was a big aspect that Luka and LeBron spoke about during their media times during All Star weekend. When looking at the year, it looks as though the Lakers have been FULLY healthy for just a handful of games, which isn’t great for synergy.

- As much fun as it is to see LeBron and Luka dishing passes up and down the court, maybe the Lakers should hold the ball and work on some sets. High ball screens are cool but the stagnation on weakside helps opposing defenses.

- I expect the Lakers to reach the 50th win mark this year, it will be the first time the Lakers win 50 games in back-to-back seasons since 2009 & 2010.

- There must be a serious Luka MVP push, so many dudes during All Star weekend spoke with high praise about Luka, so if the players respect him why won’t the media.

6) Minnesota Timberwolves (34-22, 6th in the West) via Spencer C

- We had 1 game last week before the all star break and we pummeled the Trailblazers with ease which was great to see going into the all star break.

- Anthony Edwards flourished this weekend at the all star game winning All Star MVP just like Kevin Garnett did. When Ant brings the first ever chip to MN it will be incredible. 

- We have to come out of this all star break with force and a game plan. HC Chris Finch needs to get more decisive and make game time decisions on rotations for us to succeed.

- Very excited to see more minutes from our new PG Ayo Dosunmo his pace is so fast and he brings something no one else can do on our roster. Him and Ant together will be lethal once they build chemistry. 

7) Phoenix Suns (32-23, 7th in the West) via Connor F

- All Star weekend concluded with 2 exciting performances from Devin Booker

- Book choked and lost to Dame by 2 points in the championship round of the 3-point contest Saturday afternoon.

- He then contributed to the USA team winning all of their games, dropping a near triple double.

- As the Suns return this week, Jalen Green is still questionable with a his hamstring and tailbone injuries. But I would expect him to play

- The Suns are currently 32-23 heading into the final stretch of games.

- They have a 3 game lead on the Warriors for the 7th seed — and trailing the 6th seed Wolves by 1.5 games.

8) Golden State Warriors (29-26, 8th in the West) via T.J. B

- The Dubs continue to fight for their playoff (play-in currently) lives. Unfortunately, it wasn't enough in their last game before the All-Star break against the 2nd place Spurs. Despite leading for over 3 quarters, and having a near triple-double and excellent defense on Wemby from Draymond (17/12/8), the Warriors didn't have enough in the 4th quarter to close out the Spurs. Being outscored 32-19 in the 4th quarter is to be expected when your top 2 scorers are out with injury.

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- After the loss, Coach Kerr was asked about the injury status of Steph (Runner's Knee - missed AS Game) & Porzingis (Achilles Tendinitis), saying, "Kristaps played today and was moving better than yesterday. He seemed to be in a good rhythm. I didn't see it, but the development coaches did. I think it was still half-court, but I believe it was 5s. They said he looked good, so we'll just see how it works out." He was also positive about Steph's status for post All-Star break, despite offering no specific timetable - "I talked to Steph earlier, and he said he was feeling better, so he's trending in a good direction. It'll be just day-to-day when he comes back." The Warriors' first game after the break will be Thursday (2/19) at home vs. the Celtics. I would expect they will want to give Steph and KP as much time off as possible to make a strong push down the stretch, and will have them sit that game, with the possibility of playing Sunday (2/22) vs. the Nuggets or the following Tuesday (2/24) vs. the Pelicans. 

- Steph sat out the All-Star weekend festivities, but was still around fulfilling his role as one of the faces of the league. He made a memorable long shot from the NBC broadcast booth (4th attempt), and made his presence felt as an elder statesman and icon of the league. After watching Dame Lillard win his 3rd 3-point competition to surpass Steph's 2, he vowed to return to the competition next year and face off with Dame. He was asked in an interview with PEOPLE Magazine what the future holds for him and when he may consider retirement. Steph offered a wise perspective - "Thinking about the end robs you of the now." I'm enjoying the journey of competing and all the work that goes into it. Hopefully that carries me a long way." 

9) Portland Trail Blazers (27-29, 9th in the West) via Casey G

- Only two games for the Blazers this week because of All Star weekend, but they went 1-1 and are right in the thick of the play-in, which is something I would’ve been happy about preseason. 

- Jrue Holiday, who has faced a lot of criticism from Blazer twitter, had a nice game against the Jazz last week scoring 31. 

- Donovan Clingan was a BEAST that game going for 23/18/7. 

- Fun all star weekend for the blazers! Clingan and Yang Hansen both showed out in the Rising Stars game. Meanwhile, Dame Dolla got himself a third 3 point contest victory, and also providing a lot of quotes that he believes the Blazers will be ready to win a title next year. Lastly, Deni represented well in the ASG!!!

10) LA Clippers (26-28, 10th in the West) via Jeremiah D

- The Clippers are 12th in offensive rating (115.3) and 20th in defensive rating (115.6)

- Kawhi Leonard put on a show during the All-Star game with 31 points including a game winning-3-pointer with just three seconds left to end the World's chances at the All-Star game title. Kawhi was 11/13 from the field in 12 minutes including 6/7 from downtown. In a night filled with stars, he shined the brightest. Unfortunately, the Stars team fell short in the final game and he didn't win MVP.

11) Memphis Grizzlies (20-33, 11th in the West) via Alex B

- Memphis will kick off their second half of the season by hosting the Jazz on Friday evening. What would've been a homecoming return for Jaren Jackson Jr. will now have to wait after Jackson Jr. was ruled out for the year after undergoing knee surgery.

- Grizzlies will be getting a good look at their young guys and who they want to keep around as they enter another rebuild heading into this second half and perhaps years beyond. 

- Jaylen Wells and Cam Spencer competed in the Rising Stars game over the All-Star weekend while rookie Cedric Coward was selected to the game, but missed due to an injury. Wells finished the game with four points. 

12) Dallas Mavericks (19-35, 12th in the West) via J.D.

-The Mavs are currently on a 9 game losing streak

-Cooper Flagg, the Mavs only representative at All Star weekend, was sidelined from the Rising Stars game with an ankle injury. His status is uncertain heading into play after the break. 

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-Kyrie Irving said in a recent stream that he will be giving an update on his recovery/return from his knee injury. Hopefully he will play some games down the stretch. 

-The Mavs have upcoming games against the Wolves (2/20), Pacers (2/22) and Nets (2/24)

13) Utah Jazz (18-38, 13th in the West) via Collin T

- Ace Bailey lighting it up during Rising Stars felt like a not-so-subtle reminder of why Utah is even in this position. While ESPN gushed over his upside, Jazz fans were doing the mental math: young core + draft capital + patience = relevance. The irony is thick — the league loves hyping the future stars… just not the teams positioning themselves to actually draft them.

- The NBA slapping Utah with a $500,000 fine for “tanking” sent ESPN into full pearl-clutch mode, as if strategic losing hasn’t been an unofficial league tradition since the dawn of lottery balls. Suddenly Utah is the villain for doing openly what half the league has mastered quietly for years — just without saying the quiet part out loud.

- National media outrage conveniently ignores history, because teams like Philadelphia, Oklahoma City, Houston, and even San Antonio have run extended rebuilds that were openly celebrated as “smart asset management.” Utah does it for five minutes and ESPN acts like the Jazz personally invented losing on purpose.

- What actually upset the league isn’t losing — it’s transparency. The Jazz weren’t breaking rules so much as breaking the illusion. They didn’t hide behind vague “developmental lineups” or mysterious injuries well enough, and now everyone’s pretending the NBA is a sacred meritocracy where every team is always trying to win 82 games.  

- In the end, Jazz fans understand the assignment better than anyone on TV. A short-term fine and some national scolding is a small price to pay if it leads to long-term contention. If a player like Peterson, Dybantsa, or Boozer ever ends up in Utah one day, ESPN will magically forget this week ever happened and pivot to calling it a “masterclass rebuild” like it was always the plan.

14) New Orleans Pelicans (15-41, 14th in the West) via Colby J

- The Pelicans lost 123-111 to the Miami Heat in their last game before the All-Star break. Zion had 25 on 12/19 shooting and Jeremiah Fears followed up a 20 point game with 13/11/8.
- The Pelicans had Derik Queen and Jeremiah Fears participate in the Rising Stars Game. Queen’s team led by Vince Carter got the win as DQ recorded 2 PTS 5 REB and 3 AST. Fears sparingly played and recorded 3 PTS on Carmelo’s team. 
- One of the biggest storylines after the AS Break for the Pelicans is the return of Dejounte Murray. Murray can help rebuild his value for a future trade or his future with the Pelicans. Murray has missed the whole season with a torn achilles.
- The Pelicans have games against the Bucks and 76ers coming up this weekend. The Pelicans blew a 20 point lead in a OT loss against the Bucks in their last matchup.

15) Sacramento Kings (12-44, 15th in the West) via Ben M

- Entering the break on a 14-game losing streak, tying a franchise record for consecutive losses in a single season (Sac-era worst, matching historical lows from 1960 and 1972).

- Massive struggles with poor offense (offensive rating around 109.6, near bottom of league) and defense (defensive rating 119.8, also near bottom). Many losses have been blowouts.  

- Zach LaVine is out for the season after right hand surgery post-break. Domantas Sabonis has dealt with injuries, impacting his play. Veterans like DeMar DeRozan and others have seen reduced minutes, with more focus on younger players/development.

- Emerging/young talents like Nique Clifford (recent starter, strong fantasy/recent production in scoring, 3s, assists, steals) and Maxime Raynaud (getting more center minutes even with Sabonis back in the line up

- Season described as a “wash” or “disastrous” by analysts—projections show little hope for a turnaround, with focus shifting to tanking for a high 2026 NBA Draft pick (currently in prime position for top-5 lottery odds, leading the league in losses). Front office emphasis on draft picks and development rather than wins.

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- Factory of sadness” per some rankings; no All-Stars, heavy injuries, older roster issues, and low expectations for the remaining 26 games. Fans and media are eyeing the offseason for potential changes, though big moves may be limited by contracts.