The Warriors were dominant last year breaking the Chicago Bulls’ record for most wins in a season. They, however, performed poorly by comparison in the playoffs where they narrowly beat the Thunder and then lost to the Cavs in the championship series. The Warriors have made a series of roster moves that stands to improve on what was arguably already the best all-around squad in the NBA. Harrison Barnes and Andrew Bogut are the most notable players they lost in free agency. However, the acquisition of superstar, Kevin Durant, outweighs the losses felt from Bogut and Barnes by a mile. I have the Warriors at 72 wins because I can’t bring myself to predict another record breaking season. However, I wouldn’t be entirely surprised if they didn’t lose a game this year.

The Spurs have lost a lot of key players this offseason including, most notably, Tim Duncan. However, the addition of Paul Gasol should even the lineup out a bit. I expect the Spurs to remain dominant in the West as they quietly booked 67 wins last year.

The Clippers haven’t changed much over the offseason. They made no bold acquisitions or trades and didn’t pick up anyone worth talking about in the draft. With that said, Chris Paul, Blake Griffin, and DeAndre Jordan are still a powerhouse trio who will continue to be a force to be reckoned with. Expect a typical strong season from the Clippers and the chance of a deep-ish playoff run. However, the Warriors will still be the team to beat in the West and the Spurs remain strong.

The Trailblazers are a young developing team that performed better than anyone could have predicted in 2015. I don’t expect Damian Lillard and C.J. McCollum to slow down in 2016 and there’s no reason to expect anything but improvement from Portland.

The Mavs are probably going to win my vote for most improved team this year. They’ve made some crucial free agency acquisitions, mostly from the Warriors, that should jumpstart what was an already talented roster. Look for Dirk, Barnes, and Bogut to be a dynamic threesome in the west.

The Thunder would have been my underdog pick to win the Western Conference Championships last year and they nearly took it from Golden State. Westbrook and KD were a dynamic force and the team felt unstoppable in the playoffs. However, the loss of KD to their conference rivals will impact the team in a number of ways. First, they will simply just not be as good. Durant is an impactful player whose void will be felt immensely this season. Second, losing Durant to the Thunder, a conference rival, will effect the team from a morale point of view. The Warriors are going to win games- possibly more games than they won last year. Watching the Warriors thrive with their new superstar will impact the team psychologically. I expect the Thunder to struggle this year despite having one of the best point guards in the game and an otherwise serviceable roster. Westbrook can’t win this on his own, though. I think they will make the playoffs, but narrowly.

7: Houston Rockets 42-40

After living in New Orleans for the last three years and now moving to Houston, I’m thrilled with the Rockets’ offseason acquisitions. Eric Gordon and Ryan Anderson were two of my favorite players to watch and I think they will be able to thrive on this team. Harden won’t feel as much pressure to get it done on his own. Hopefully well see a more balanced offense from the rockets with solid depth on their roster. I have them making the playoffs narrowly but won’t be shocked if they breach the top 4 in the west.

The Grizzlies managed to make the playoffs last year despite and injury riddled roster. They have a roster full of veterans including the newly added Chandler Parsons. The Grizzlies are a solid team without a bona-fide superstar (unless you count Gasol…) who manage to get the job done. I expect them to finish above average, make the playoffs, and lose in the first round.

The Pelicans spiraled downwards last year after making the playoffs with 45 wins in 2014. They managed only 30 wins in 2015, largely due to an injured Anthony Davis who missed a total of 21 games. The Pelicans arguably have little place to go but up from last year. However, after losing two key pieces to their roster in Eric Gordon and Ryan Anderson, I have tempered optimism. Expect a mediocre season and somewhere around a 9th place finish in the West for the Pels.

The Jazz are a defensive powerhouse who barely missed the playoffs last year after a mediocre season. There’s little to be excited about with concern to this team except for the fact that Dante Exum will be returning from his torn ACL injury that caused him to miss all of last season. Yet, I still have the Jazz regressing despite his return.

The Timberwolves are a young team with a lot of undeveloped talent. I can see them shattering my projected 30 wins for them, but they are too unproven for me to give them any more credit. Karl-Anthony Towns and Andrew Wiggins are potential superstars in the making and there’s no reason to believe that rookie, Kris Dunn, won’t have an impact on this team. However, I think the T-wolves are a year or two away from playoff pedigree.

The Nuggets have a lineup riddled with mediocrity and absolutely no star power. They will continue to lose games in 2016 unless Malik Beasley turns out to be a superstar. This is a team with little going for it except for the consolation that they will probably be better than Phoenix, and Los Angeles.

The Kings have established a legacy in being terrible. Last years 33 win season was actually their best in almost 10 years. DeMarcus Cousins is a superstar but the rest of the team is pretty terrible. There’s no reason to expect a rebound from the Kings this year.

The Suns have been in rebuild mode for years and have made little progress. The acquisition of Barbosa from Golden State is probably exciting for the die-hard fans in Arizona but will have little impact on the Suns’ ability to win games. Expect a fairly terrible season from the Suns once again.

The lakers won 17 games WITH Kobe last year. Now he’s gone. They won’t win more than 20. 20 is actually probably fairly generous.

The Bulls were a defensive powerhouse in the East but struggled to score when they had the ball. Jimmy Butler helped to fix some of those issues as he has risen to star-status in the last year. Now, the additions of Dwyane Wade, one of the best guards to ever play the game, has given Chicago the dynamic duo it has lacked- and one that can play well on both sides of the court. Forget about Noah and Rose. Butler and Wade are the future of Chicago and it looks bright.

The Knicks have added start, Joacim Noah, to complement Carmelo Anthony and his underrated sidekick, Kristaps Porzingis. The Knicks have been bad for years despite talent. This year they will compete in the East and could potentially make the playoffs. I have them on the cusp at 9.

The Pistons are a team that oozes mediocrity. They managed to squeeze their way into the playoffs last year with 44 wins despite not having a single player whose name would be recognizable to anyone not from Detroit- except Andre Drummond- I guess- now. There are plenty of teams that have improved this offseason and the Pistons probably shouldn’t have made the playoffs last year. Don’t expect it to happen in 2016.