Making A Case For Every Team In Western Conference Group C
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With the NBA’s first midseason tournament looming, many fans have been analyzing the six designated groups the league released and predicting who will come out on top of each one. Most groupings are extremely top-heavy, with one team as the clear favorite above a collection of average to below-average rosters. But one group that appears to be the most even and unpredictable is Group C in the Western Conference, composed of the Warriors, Kings, Timberwolves, Thunder, and Spurs. While Sacramento and Golden State will likely enter the tournament as the favorites to emerge as victors, all five of these organizations possess a compelling argument as to why they could ultimately be the best of the group. Here is a case for each team in Group C and what path each one needs to follow to advance to the single-elimination round.
The Warriors appear to have the best roster of the five organizations, led by Steph Curry, who is still one of the best players in the entire league despite being 35 years old. They also retained Klay Thompson and Draymond Green during the offseason, although losing Jordan Poole will definitely hurt. An aging Chris Paul will do his best to fill that gap, but the Warriors still have solid role players such as Kevon Looney and Andrew Wiggins to lean on. For Golden State, they will need to rekindle some of their old magic and excel at the same winning formula that earned them four championships. Their longtime core is still intact, and while Curry, Thompson, and Green are all aging, they still know how to get it done when the pressure is on. If Steve Kerr can get his team firing on all cylinders as he has in the past, Golden State will be tough to beat.
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One squad that could take it to the four-time champions is the Sacramento Kings. After being the surprise of the league last season, the team is looking to back things up in 2023 by taking down Golden State in the midseason tournament. While they did lose to Curry and the Warriors last year in the playoffs, it was an extremely hard-fought seven-game series, and now the Kings have had all offseason to grow as a team and build chemistry. All-NBA players De’Aaron Fox and Domantas Sabonis return to the locker room, as do Harrison Barnes, Keegan Murray, Malik Monk, and others. Mike Brown is coming off a Coach of the Year award and will be hungry to prove his squad’s success last year was not a fluke. Don’t forget the Kings managed to secure the third overall seed in the West last year, which means they are more than comfortable with winning regular season games. Their roster is young and will likely only get better, so should they take the next step as a unit this season, they could be in contention to make it out of Group C.
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Another young team looking to take a step is the OKC Thunder. Headlined by their superstar Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, the Thunder is looking to turn heads this upcoming year. Missing out on Chet Holmgren last year was devastating, but their No. two overall pick is due to make his NBA debut this season after an impressive summer league performance. Jalen Williams is coming off a third place in the rookie-of-the-year voting and will likely be even better this year than he was previously. Other promising pieces for OKC include Lou Dort, Josh Giddey, and rookie Cason Wallace. The development will be the name of the game in 2023 for the Thunder, and they certainly have players that are more than capable of taking huge steps forward with their game. A few standout performances from young rising stars could propel OKC to the top of their group.
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The Minnesota Timberwolves, while not having the most smartly-constructed roster, boast perhaps the best big-three of any team in Group C. Anthony Edwards, Karl-Anthony Towns, and Rudy Gobert are a force to be reckoned with, no matter what situation they are in. Mike Conley, Jaden McDaniels, and Naz Reid are all solid pieces that will help take the pressure off Edwards and company. Last season was disappointing for the T-Wolves, barely making the playoffs and only taking one game off of the eventual champion Denver Nuggets. While figuring out how to play KAT next to Gobert will be a struggle, the coaching staff has had all offseason to think about it, so hopefully, they will be able to execute a better plan than they did in 2022. While their roster might not be as deep as Golden State’s or Sacramento’s, the Wolves have top-end talent that can lead them to victories. All it takes is Edwards or Towns getting hot for a few games, and Minnesota could find themselves at the top of the Group C. standings.
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Last but by no means least are the San Antonio Spurs. Yes, their record last year would suggest they stand no chance in the upcoming midseason tournament. But, their sub-par showing earned them the number one overall pick in the draft, which they used on one of the most promising prospects in basketball history; Victor Wembanyama. The 7’5 19-year-old from France has the chance to revolutionize the game of basketball and stamp his authority on the league in just his first year. However, the odds that a rookie will be a dominant force in the NBA right out of the gates are low. But, if anyone is capable of displaying greatness early on in their career, it’s Wembanyama. Along with other young players such as Jeremy Sochan, Keldon Johnson, Devin Vassell, and Tre Jones, the Spurs will be looking to shock the world and come out on top of Group C. With Greg Popovich at the helm, the sky is the limit for San Antonio.
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What do you think? Who do you predict will be the winners of Western Conference Group C?
