In this week's eight things I liked and disliked, we look at why the Western Conference race looks nothing like last season, the return of a healthy Khris Middleton for an inconsistent Milwaukee team, the unsung New York Knick and how the Indiana Pacers have developed a defensive (!) identity.
Jump to Lowe's Things:
The wild, wild West | Will the real Bucks please stand up?
Pels offense still clunky | The Pacers' identity on defense
Unsung Knick | Avdija's mean streak
What happened to Bryant's 3-point shooting? | "I got you that time"
1. This year's West isn't last year's West
For at least this week, the old lions of the West rose up -- clinging to whatever is left of their championship equity within a conference shifting beneath their feet.
The LA Clippers, 10-11 in their past 21 games, fled James Harden's return game to Philadelphia in a getaway car -- heist complete. The Golden State Warriors, floundering as they attempt to fight off the turbo-charged Houston Rockets for the last play-in spot, decamped to Florida and won two straight -- surviving the latest self-imposed Draymond Green melodrama and the one-game absence of the ascendent Jonathan Kuminga. Andrew Wiggins looked as decisive in Golden State's win in Orlando on Wednesday as he has in any game since the 2022 title run.
The Warriors need that Wiggins almost every night now. Most parts of the Warriors machine are running at decent levels, but the combined effect has amounted to a 5-6 record in their past 11 games. Something is missing. On some level, it's obvious: Wiggins has been subpar all season, and Stephen Curry is shooting 39.9% since the All-Star break.
But beyond that, something seems to go haywire for some pivotal four-minute stretch every game. There is no through line. One night, it's bad transition defense -- the product, to some degree, of Golden State's strategic push this season for more offensive rebounds. The next night, the turnovers and fouls reappear. One game later, a few miscommunications on defense turn the game. They are adjusting to new lineups -- realities of a crowded rotation.
The top half of the play-in bracket is a very long shot now. The realistic goal is holding off the Rockets; Houston is fierce, and not going anywhere. In best-case scenarios the Warriors will likely need to win two games -- maybe two road games -- just to face the No. 1 seed in the first round. How much of the organization's focus is already on next season -- on reorienting the team around Curry?