San Antonio looks set to grab the West’s top spot this season, and Utah is ready to jump into the mix.
The Spurs and Thunder were separated by only two games a year ago, with San Antonio finishing 62-20 and Oklahoma City at 64-18. San Antonio then settled that argument the hard way by knocking out the Thunder in seven.
That was last season, though. The race starts over now.
From where this stands, the Spurs have the best path to the No. 1 seed in the West. Victor Wembanyama drew 77% of the GM vote for MVP, the Slash Bros. should be another year stronger, and Tobias Harris arrives on a two-year, $31 million deal. San Antonio already looked dangerous, and the expectation here is that it gets even better.
Oklahoma City should still be excellent, but there’s a real cost to what it lost this summer. Lu Dort, Isaiah Joe, and Aaron Wiggins are gone, and that’s a lot of glue for any team to replace. Teams don’t usually get better after trimming that much depth.
Houston is next in line to climb, and the big reason is Amen Thompson. There’s skepticism about the Rockets built in, but Thompson’s growth as a playmaker makes the case stronger. Chip Engelland should help his jumper, too.
Denver, meanwhile, looks like more of the same: a Jokic-heavy machine. Nikola Jokic was responsible for 51% of the Nuggets’ points, rebounds, and assists last season, and that sort of load tells the whole story. DeMar DeRozan is supposed to help cover the loss of Peyton Watson and Tim Hardaway Jr., but this still feels like a team headed for another playoff letdown.
The Lakers will put a lot on Luka Doncic’s shoulders, and that should keep them winning in the regular season. Los Angeles won 53 games, then lost LeBron James and Rui Hachimura.
Walker Kessler is in the mix now, and another step from Austin Reaves would help, but this doesn’t read like a true title threat. It does, however, read like a team that can pile up wins because Doncic keeps making things happen.
Portland has the kind of swingy setup that makes it one of the West’s most interesting teams. Ja Morant and Damian Lillard turn the Trail Blazers into a wildcard if the guard experiment clicks.
San Antonio beat Portland in five last spring when the Blazers finished 42-40, but that was before the reinforcement arrived. If this works, the offense could become a nightmare to handle.
Minnesota is the team that could pay for the way it reworked its frontcourt for LaMelo Ball. Julius Randle and Naz Reid are out.
Losing Randle may not upset Timberwolves fans much, but Reid’s departure matters. That same group pushed San Antonio to six games in the semifinals with an injured Anthony Edwards, and Ball doesn’t look like the answer that changes everything.
Utah, though, is the team that could really surprise people. No. 2 pick Darryn Peterson is expected to come in and contribute right away alongside Lauri Markkanen, Keyonte George, and Jaren Jackson Jr.
That’s a strong core, and it comes with plenty of salary attached. After finally landing the player they wanted for the future, the Jazz are done tanking and ready for expectations to rise.
OKC has had the West’s playoff home-court edge for long enough. This season, that belongs to San Antonio, in a conference with plenty of storylines worth following.
In Other News...
Wembanyamas Opening Night Struggles Have Spurs Fans Debating One Thing
Victor Wembanyamas start to the 2026-27 season has already sparked plenty of conversation in San Antonio, and his first half against the Oklahoma City Thunder only added fuel to it. Through the opening two quarters, he had eight points without making a field goal, while the Spurs were forced to chase the game as the Thunder controlled the flow and carried an 80-70 lead midway through the third quarter.
For Spurs fans, the bigger issue has been less about one rough stretch than what it says about how the offense is functioning around him. The frustration has been obvious, with concern building over both Wembanyamas performance and the teams approach when the game starts to get away from them, and this matchup is already shaping up as an early test of how quickly San Antonio can settle in around its franchise center. [Read more 🡒]
Spurs Showed Fight Against OKC But One Debate Just Got Louder
The Spurs had the kind of season opener that can leave a team feeling both encouraged and annoyed. They hung around with Oklahoma City through a game that featured multiple lead changes, physical stretches and a handful of defensive plays worth circling, even if the Thunder ultimately pulled away for a 116-104 win. The return of Jalen Williams gave Oklahoma City another layer, while Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Jared McCain helped steady the visitors when the game tightened.
For San Antonio, the bigger takeaway may be less about the final margin and more about how sharply the matchup sharpened the conversation around Victor Wembanyama. His back-and-forth on the defensive end with Chet Holmgren produced the kind of moments that fuel a rivalry debate, and the altercation involving DeAaron Fox only added to the edge. The Spurs showed they can match intensity, but they also left with one familiar question getting louder after a night when the other side handled the biggest moments better. [Read more 🡒]
Wembanyama Sounds Off After Spurs Let Thunder Set The Tone
The Spurs opened the season with a loss to the Thunder, and Victor Wembanyama did not hide his frustration afterward. San Antonio fell 116-104 in a game that quickly tilted toward Oklahoma City, even as Wembanyama still found ways to make his presence felt with 13 rebounds and six blocks. His shot never came around, though, as he managed just 12 points on 1-of-13 shooting in a start that left plenty of room for the Spurs to clean up.
What stood out most from Wembanyamas postgame assessment was how plainly he pointed to the issues that let the Thunder set the tone. He cited defensive miscommunication and poor closeouts, the kind of lapses that can snowball early in a season when rotations are still being sorted out. For San Antonio, the loss was more than one rough night from its franchise center - it was a reminder that the details have to sharpen up fast if the Spurs want to avoid letting opponents dictate the pace from the opening tip. [Read more 🡒]