#20 Washington Wizards – Last Season’s Record: 34-38
Key Offseason Additions: G Spencer Dinwiddie, F Kyle Kuzma, C Montrezl Harrell, G Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, F Corey Kispert, G Aaron Holiday
Key Offseason Departures: G Russell Westbrook, G Ish Smith, G/F Garrison Mathews, F Chandler Hutchison
The dynamic duo of Russell Westbrook and Bradley Beal was really fun to watch last season, especially since they single-handedly led the Washington Wizards to the playoffs for the first-time since 2018, but this pairing was short lived as the Wizards traded Russell Westbrook to the Lakers this offseason.
Beal may have lost his All-Star partner in the backcourt, but the Wizards turned Westbrook into Spencer Dinwiddie, Kyle Kuzma, Montrezl Harrell, Kentavious Caldwell-Pope and Aaron Holiday. This is really not that bad of a return and most importantly, the Wizards now have depth, something they were lacking with all the injuries they sustained last year.
In addition to the new faces they are bringing in, Washington will also be bringing back Deni Avdija and Thomas Bryant, two guys who suffered significant injuries last season. Rui Hachiumura, Davis Bertans and Raul Neto also return for this squad, making the Wizards a team to definitely keep watch of in the Eastern Conference this year.
They are not title contenders by any means, but Washington can definitely be a team that picks up some big wins during the regular season that wind up changing some seedings in the postseason. However, all the moves they made this offseason may result in Bradley Beal requesting a trade next offseason.
The 28-year-old All-NBA performer is in the prime of his career and wants to win right now, something Washington is not necessarily set up to do. With Beal being up for a $200M+ contract extension next offseason, it will be interesting to see what the future holds for the 3x All-Star shooting guard.
#19 New Orleans Pelicans – Last Season’s Record: 31-41
Key Offseason Additions: G Devonte’ Graham, G/F Josh Hart, C Jonas Valančiūnas, G/F Trey Murphy III, G Tomáš Satoranský, G/F Garrett Temple
Key Offseason Departures: G Lonzo Ball, G Eric Bledsoe, C Steven Adams, F Wesley Iwundu
Zion Williamson and Brandon Ingram are two young All-Stars that have been the only contributors on the Pelicans for years now, but they finally got the help they needed this offseason with the additions of Devonte’ Graham, Jonas Valanciunas and others to fill out their bench.
The last three seasons in New Orleans have resulted in a different coach each year, but hopefully Willie Green is the answer now. The former Phoenix Suns assistant was hired by the Pelicans in July after the Suns lost in the NBA Finals. The 40-year-old first-time head coach inherits a really strong group of players that definitely have a lot to prove.
While they were one of the worst defensive teams in the league last year, New Orleans was actually one of the better offensive teams in the league. They ranked 9th in the league in scoring and 7th in the league in field goal percentage, giving the Pelicans a strong chance to be even better during the 2021-22 season with Zion Williamson improving as an all-around offensive juggernaut.
Not to mention, moving back in the draft to get Trey Murphy III may end up being a steal for the Pelicans, as he was one of my standout performers in Las Vegas Summer League this year. From being able to hit perimeter shots to being a presence on the perimeter defensively, Murphy checks off all the boxes to being a great complimentary player next to Williamson and Ingram in the Pelicans’ system. This is definitely a team that could sneak back into the playoffs this upcoming season.
#18 Portland Trail Blazers – Last Season’s Record: 42-30
Key Offseason Additions: F Norman Powell, F Larry Nance Jr., G/F Tony Snell, G/F Ben McLemore, C Cody Zeller
Key Offseason Departures: F Carmelo Anthony, C Enes Kanter, F Rondae Hollis-Jefferson, F Derrick Jones Jr.
From screwing up their coaching search, to not really improving their roster, to giving Norman Powell a five-year, $90M contract, the Portland Trail Blazers front-office made some really questionable moves this offseason that ultimately may lead to their demise. The Trail Blazers fired head coach Terry Stotts after nine seasons with the team and hired Chauncey Billups, who drew a lot of scrutiny due to his past sexual assault allegations.
The main storyline of the offseason for the Blazers though revolved around Damian Lillard, who was rumored to want out of Portland. Lillard ultimately shot down these rumors, but he did state that he wants to win in Portland and that the way this team was current constructed was not good enough to contend for a title.
Could this be Dame saying that he is giving Neil Olshey and the Trail Blazers front-office one more chance to improve the current conditions of this team? This is the way I am interpreting things as it is looking more and more likely that we could see Damian Lillard on the move either at the trade deadline or next offseason.
READ MORE: Predictions for Latest NBA Trade Rumors: Simmons, Siakam, Dragic, Lillard
Over the years, every single team in the Western Conference has been making moves to better themselves, yet the Portland Trail Blazers always seem to find themselves stuck as a back-end playoff team that does not make a deep run. They did make the Western Conference Finals in 2019, but they were not close to winning a championship that year, as they got swept by the Golden State Warriors.
Damian Lillard wants to win and Portland is not really set up to win at the highest level, which is why this 2021-22 season could be the last we see the Blazers in terms of being somewhat of a real threat. Change is coming for this organization and a rebuild is on the horizon.
#17 Memphis Grizzlies – Last Season’s Record: 38-34
Key Offseason Additions: C Steven Adams, G/F Ziaire Williams, F Juan Hernangómez
Key Offseason Departures: C Jonas Valančiūnas, G Grayson Allen
If the 2020-21 season proved anything, it is that the Memphis Grizzlies are WAY ahead of schedule in terms of building with their young core. Ja Morant is a stud, Jaren Jackson Jr. is going to get better and with others in Dillon Brooks, Desmond Bane, Brandon Clarke, Xavier Tillman and now Ziaire Williams and Santi Aldama, the Grizzlies are not far off from turning themselves into a yearly threat in the Western Conference.
Last season resulted in Memphis making the playoffs as the 8-seed in the West and winning Game 1 of their first-round series against the Utah Jazz, the team with the best record and home record in the NBA last year. The job Zach Kleiman has done building this Grizzlies’ team is remarkable, but the job is not done yet.
The 2021-22 season is going to give us a huge glimpse into what the future holds for the Grizzlies and I truly believe that they can contend for the 5-seed or 6-seed in the Western Conference. They may still end up in the play-in tournament region of the standings when all is said and done, but Ja Morant is only getting better as a borderline All-Star talent and he is leading this young team the right way.
Expect to see Memphis be big “buyers” at the trade deadline during the 2021-22 season and expect them to once again take a massive leap in terms of being a real threat. The Grizzlies took a few years off from 2017-2020 to rebuild, but they are finally relevant again in the Western Conference and definitely not a team to be overlooked by some of the title favorites out west.
#16 Dallas Mavericks – Last Season’s Record: 42-30
Key Offseason Additions: F Reggie Bullock, G/F Tim Hardaway Jr., F Sterling Brown, C Moses Brown
Key Offseason Departures: G J.J. Redick, F James Johnson
At 22-years-old, Luka Doncic is already arguably a Top-5 player in the NBA and there is a reason he is the betting favorite to win the 2021-22 NBA MVP award. Through his first three seasons in the league, Doncic has averaged 25.7 points, 8.4 rebounds and 7.7 assists while shooting 45.7% from the floor.
As long as he is healthy, the Mavericks have a real chance to make a deep playoff run in the Western Conference, but Dallas is still missing something. Kristaps Porzingis has not been that second All-Star talent they thought they were getting when they traded for him and while Tim Hardaway Jr. is a really solid offensive threat on the wing, the Mavericks still need something.
Whether that is trading for another All-Star talent or adding more secondary scorers/ball-handlers around Luka, Dallas is not a true title contender in the Western Conference yet. However, they will definitely finish with 40+ wins and will likely be in that 4 to 6-seed range in the West once again.
