With the 2023-24 season in the rearview mirror, it’s time to reflect on what was one of the most eventful NBA seasons in recent memory.
Some teams outperformed expectations, while others fell incredibly short. Outlined below are the final grades for every Western Conference team.
Click here to view our Eastern Conference grades.
Dallas Mavericks
Regardless of how the NBA Finals unfolded, the 2023-24 season for the Dallas Mavericks was an unbelievable success.
After a disappointing end to the 2022-23 season which saw Dallas on the outside looking in of the Western Conference playoffs, Luka Doncic and Kyrie Irving led the team to a 50-32 record and the NBA Finals in their first full season playing alongside each other.
Doncic and Irving have solidified themselves as the most dangerous backcourt duo in the NBA, but they are not alone on this surging Mavericks squad. The front office won the trade deadline with the acquisitions of PJ Washington and Daniel Gafford, who have both drastically changed the complexion of the Mavs’ roster.
By trading for Washington and Gafford, drafting Dereck Lively with the 12th overall pick in the 2023 NBA Draft and signing Derrick Jones Jr., the Nico Harrison-led front office has drastically improved the Mavs’ frontcourt. While Mavs fans are likely disappointed following an underwhelming NBA Finals performance, they have positioned themselves to be a contender for the foreseeable future.
Final Grade: A+
Denver Nuggets
Coming off a dominant 2022-23 postseason run that ultimately led to the Denver Nuggets hoisting the Larry O’Brien trophy, they were rightfully considered the team to beat this season.
The Nuggets finished the season as the No. 2 seed in the loaded Western Conference with an impressive 57-25 record led by now three-time MVP Nikola Jokic. Denver sent the Lakers home once again in five games in the first round of the playoffs but were bounced by the Minnesota Timberwolves in Round 2.
For most teams, a 57-win season and a playoff series victory would be considered a success.
The Nuggets are not most teams.
The reigning NBA champions led by the consensus best player in the league in Jokic aspire for a greater outcome than a second-round exit. It felt like the Nuggets never re-established their dominance from last season and at times it seemed like they were going through the motions.
Final Grade: B
Golden State Warriors
With the core of the team winning four NBA championships as a trio, making the playoffs should be a given for the Golden State Warriors.
This was not the case for the Stephen Curry–Klay Thompson–Draymond Green led squad, however, with the Warriors finishing 10th in the West before getting eliminated by the Sacramento Kings in the Play-In tournament.
With the constant controversy surrounding Green and the struggles of Thompson and Andrew Wiggins, Curry had to rely on young talent such as Jonathan Kuminga and Brandin Podziemski to keep the Warriors afloat. Golden State enters this off-season with more questions than answers and will have to do some serious maneuvering if they want any chance of winning a fifth NBA Championship in the Stephen Curry era.
Final Grade: C-
Houston Rockets
Of all the teams that didn’t reach the playoffs this season, there is no team that should feel better about themselves than the Houston Rockets.
With Ime Udoka at the helm, the Rockets finished the season with a 41-41 record and the 11th seed in the Western Conference. Budding star (or maybe superstar) Alperen Sengun led the charge for the Rockets as the team exceeded expectations in Udoka’s first season as the head coach.
Along with Sengun, the Rockets showcased an incredible amount of promising young talent this season. With Jalen Green, Amen Thompson, Jabari Smith and Cam Whitmore, there is reason for immense optimism amongst the Rockets community. Not to mention, Tari Eason only suited up for 22 games this season. Given their collection of talent, this will likely be the last season that the Rockets get a pass for not making the postseason.
Final Grade: B+
Los Angeles Clippers
There was perhaps no team throughout the league that endured a rollercoaster experience quite like the Los Angeles Clippers did this season.
After acquiring James Harden from the 76ers in late October, the Clippers lost their next six games. They then went on an unreal 26-5 run from December to February, looking like the clear-cut best team in basketball during that stretch. Kawhi Leonard then suffered another injury at the end of the season, only appearing in one playoff game, with the Clippers losing in round one to the Mavs in six games.
At this point, Clippers fans are used to this feeling. It seems like a yearly occurrence that the Clippers have a stretch where they look completely unbeatable, only to suffer crippling injuries to their star players. The one bright spot was the clear step forward Ivica Zubac took with Harden running the offense.
With Paul George’s upcoming free-agency looming, this season might have been the last chance for the Clippers to a make a run in the Leonard-George era.
Final Grade: C+
Los Angeles Lakers
For however long LeBron James remains in the NBA, it will always be championship or bust for him.
That just comes with the territory of being one of the most accomplished athletes in the history of any major sport. With that said, a first-round exit was incredibly disappointing for a Lakers team that made it to the Western Conference Finals last season. The front office seemingly agreed, as they have already moved on from head coach Darvin Ham after his second season.
One bright spot from this season that can’t be ignored was Anthony Davis suiting up in 76 games this season and looking like an absolute superstar all season. Davis shed the narrative that he can’t stay on the court, playing the most games this season that he has in his entire career.
The Lakers will look to make big moves this off-season and build a legitimate championship roster around their superstar duo of LeBron and Davis as first-time head coach JJ Redick takes over as the lead-man in Los Angeles.
Final Grade: C
Memphis Grizzlies
The 2023-24 season was incredibly tough for Memphis Grizzlies fans to endure.
Ja Morant was suspended for the first 25 games of the season before suffering a season-ending shoulder injury nine games into his return. Desmond Bane only suited up in 42 games and Marcus Smart only played 20 games in his first season as a Grizzly. The seemingly never-ending terrible injury luck for the Grizzlies resulted in a 27-55 record for the perennial playoff team.
It’s difficult to evaluate this season for the Grizzlies given the lengthy absences to most of their key contributors. Amid all the chaos, however, Memphis saw multiple young players emerge as legitimate pieces moving forward.
With the promising play of Vince Williams Jr. and GG Jackson II, this season was not a total loss for the Grizzlies. By adding both guys to the core of Morant, Bane, Smart and Jaren Jackson Jr., along with the tenth overall pick in this week’s draft, the Grizzlies are positioned to be among the top tier of the Western Conference next season.
Final Grade: N/A
Minnesota Timberwolves
The vibes were not too high in Minnesota following a disappointing end to last season, which saw Rudy Gobert throwing punches at teammates and Jaden McDaniels throwing punches at the wall.
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The Timberwolves effectively closed the door on the chaos surrounding last season, putting together an incredible 2023-24 season. The Wolves finished with a stellar 56-26 record and the third seed in the West before losing to the Mavs in five games in the Western Conference Finals.
Despite struggling in the Conference Finals, this season was an absolute success for the Wolves. Anthony Edwards took another leap towards superstardom, with the 22-year-old emerging as the potential future face of the NBA. The now four-time Defensive Player of the Year Gobert along with McDaniels and Edwards helped mold the Wolves into one of the best defensive teams in the league.
There are still lingering questions around the frontcourt duo of Gobert and Karl-Anthony Towns, but for now, Wolves fans should be proud of the season their team put together.
Final Grade: A
New Orleans Pelicans
The Pelicans entered the 2023-24 season as a legitimate contender.
Unfortunately, another year for the Pelicans was seemingly lost to injuries. While Zion Williamson managed to stay healthy for most of the season, suiting up in 70 games, he suffered a heart-wrenching injury in the final stretch of the Pelicans Play-In game against the Lakers. New Orleans eventually got swept by the Thunder in the first round of the playoffs, with Williamson missing the entire series.
The Pelicans now enter the off-season with more questions than answers. Zion was awesome all season before getting injured, showing off skills as a facilitator in addition to his dominance as a paint scorer.
But can you trust him to stay healthy for an extended postseason run?
Brandon Ingram had a disappointing season leaving the Pelicans questioning if he should be a part of their future. Where does CJ McCollum fit into New Orleans’ plans? All of these questions must be answered by the Pelicans’ front-office as they enter a pivotal off-season.
Final Grade: C
Oklahoma City Thunder
The Oklahoma City Thunder entered the 2023-24 season as a team that at best was hoping to crack the bottom of the Western Conference playoff picture.
They absolutely shattered every expectation, finishing the season as the top seed in the West. Oklahoma City coasted through the first round of the playoffs with an easy sweep of the Pelicans before getting eliminated in six games by the Mavs in the second round.
While their postseason exit was painful, losing to the eventual Western Conference champions is nothing to be ashamed of. Led by MVP candidate Shai Gilgeous-Alexander alongside Chet Holmgren and Jalen Williams, the Thunder have seemingly laid the foundation for many years of serious contention.
With the recent acquisition of Alex Caruso, the Thunder are already making moves to ensure they stick at the top of the West.
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Final Grade: A
Phoenix Suns
The Suns pushed all their chips this season after the acquisitions of Kevin Durant and Bradley Beal.
The newly formed big three of Durant, Beal and Devin Booker led the Suns to a 49-33 record and the No. 6 seed. The first postseason run for the superstar-trio ended abruptly, with the Timberwolves bringing out the brooms and sending the Suns home in four games.
Anytime you have three players with the pedigree of Durant, Booker and Beal, the expectation is championship contention. Getting swept in the first round was a massive disappointment for Phoenix, which ultimately led to the dismissal of head coach Frank Vogel.
With Mike Budenholzer now at the helm, the Suns will need to make a deep playoff run next season, or else there will likely be serious conversations about blowing it all up.
Final Grade: C-
Portland Trail Blazers
In their first season without Damian Lillard, the 2023-24 season was the first year in the rebuild for the Portland Trail Blazers.
Portland finished at the bottom of the conference with a 21-61 record. While their poor record was expected, the issue for the Blazers was that they struggled to effectively develop their young talent.
With Anfernee Simons only suiting up for 46 games and Shaedon Sharpe only 32 games, two of the core young pieces for Portland never had a chance to get into a rhythm this season.
Additionally, with Deandre Ayton picking and choosing when he wants to look like a former first overall pick and a disappointing rookie season for Scoot Henderson, the Blazers remained stagnant in their first season of their long-awaited rebuild.
Final Grade: F
Sacramento Kings
After an awesome 2022-23 season in which the Kings became must-watch TV, it felt like the team never quite regained that spark this season.
Finishing with a 46-36 record in a loaded Western Conference is nothing to be ashamed of, but for a team that looked to build on their prior season success, getting knocked out in the Play-In was a major disappointment.
De’Aaron Fox and Domantas Sabonis both had strong seasons for Sacramento, as well as sixth-man Malik Monk. However, it seemed like second-year player Keegan Murray didn’t show significant improvement from his rookie season.
The Kings will need Murray to take a big leap next season and will likely have to add a significant contributor this off-season if they hope to re-enter the fray at the top of the West next season.
Final Grade: C+
San Antonio Spurs
Upon drafting French-phenom Victor Wembanyama with the first overall pick in the 2023 NBA Draft, all eyes were on the Spurs as they showcased one of the most hyped prospects this game has ever seen.
Coach Gregg Popovich spent much of the season experimenting different combinations around Wembanyama, with some resulting in more success than others. The Spurs finished the season near the bottom of the conference with a 22-60 record.
While their record was disappointing, Wembanyama somehow shattered the outrageously massive expectations that were in place for his rookie season. Wemby finished the season with impressive averages of 21.4 PPG/10.6 RPG/3.9 APG/3.6 BPG, resulting in him winning the Rookie of the Year and a second-place finish in the Defensive Player of the Year voting.
This off-season will be critical for the Spurs as they look to begin constructing a roster around their young superstar that can compete for a playoff spot in the Western Conference as soon as next season.
Final Grade: C-
Utah Jazz
In the second year of their rebuild, there were not overly high expectations surrounding the Jazz entering the 2023-24 season.
The season went relatively in line with expectations, with Utah finishing with a 31-51 record in Will Hardy’s second season at the helm.
While a 31-win season is nothing to write home about, there are some causes for optimism within the Jazz organization. Lauri Markkanen is a star. Collin Sexton had an awesome season. Keyonte George, Taylor Hendricks and Brice Sensabaugh all showed promising signs in their rookie campaigns. If the Jazz want to re-enter the playoff picture in the Western Conference, they will have to make some moves this off-season and hope that the young players on their roster continue to develop under the tutelage of Hardy.
Final Grade: C-
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