Now that we’re more than a third of the way through the 2015-16 NBA season, the Warriors, Spurs and Thunder have separated themselves from the rest of the league.
The new year is here and the NBA’s Western Conference is starting to shape up. Although, while the top three contenders have clearly emerged ahead of everyone else, the rest of the West isn’t quite the same as it has been in recent years. The San Antonio Spurs, Oklahoma City Thunder, and, of course, the Golden State Warriors, are all formidable, yet the teams below them aren’t quite so threatening. Instead of eight teams that look like they can pose a threat in the playoffs, there are hardly even half that many dangerous teams right now.
In comparison to the East, the West are actually worse off. When it comes to teams above .500, the East have 10, whereas the West have just six. For what’s typically been the far superior conference in recent history, this disparity is startling.
It finally indicates that teams in the East, such as the Boston Celtics, Orlando Magic and even Charlotte Hornets, are starting to rise. On the other hand, it also shows how previous contenders from the West may be nearing the end of the road with their current rosters.
As for the Thunder and Spurs, they’re both riding four-game win streaks and have the third and second most wins, respectively, in the league. Then there’s the Warriors, who are clearly on top at 31-2.
Now, let’s continue to this week’s NBA Rewind. If you’re new, the purpose of this series is to breakdown everything across the league through each week of the season.
These are the featured segments:
- The key games and results of the week
- Who’s heating up?
- Who’s struggling?
- The best highlights
- A weekly rookie watch
- Under-the-radar players to look out for
Now that 2016 is here and the season is getting close to the half way stage, the top contenders and award candidates are well and truly emerging. Let’s get started with this week’s action by looking at some of the key results, including the Warriors actually losing for once.
Next: The Key Games and Results of Week 10