New Orleans Pelicans: Power ranking the Western Conference

New Orleans Pelicans: Western Conference power rankings #5-1

#5- Los Angeles Clippers

This is where things start getting tough, as all of the rest of these teams are good and very similar in talent level.

I just don’t believe in the Clippers depth, so it will only take an injury to one of their two stars to derail them. I think every team in the top-5 could win the title, so I wouldn’t count the Clippers out but adding Eric Bledsoe as your big move is not that inspiring.

#4- Utah Jazz

The Jazz will once again be solid. They had the best record in the West last season but didn’t make any major additions. They still have a great balance of offense and defense and I liked their draft, as Jared Butler could be a steal.

They are a contender to win the West once again, but I don’t think they did enough to hold onto the top spot.

#3- Golden State Warriors

The Warriors are the team I see making the biggest move up the Western Conference power rankings.

No team in the West got a guy as good as Klay Thompson, who is fully healthy and ready to rejoin MVP candidate Stephen Curry in the Warriors’ backcourt.

They have a good mix of youth and veterans and added guys like Otto Porter Jr. and Moses Moody, who should improve their depth.

The Warriors also have a big trade sitting there waiting to happen, and if they able to swap someone like James Wiseman for a player like Jerami Grant, they could win the title next season.

This is probably the biggest hit or miss team on the list, but it’s hard to bet against the Splash Brothers if they are healthy.

#2- Denver Nuggets

The Nuggets have the MVP, a healthy Jamal Murray and Michael Porter Jr. ready to become a star. They added some depth and I love Bones Hyland, the player they selected in the draft.

It may be a boring pick, as the Nuggets have been a good regular season team for years but could this be the season they finally break through and win a title? I like them as a title pick, especially if the next team flounders.

#1- Los Angles Lakers

It seems like the Lakers have signed nearly every veteran player in the NBA this offseason and their season could be tanked by the fact that they are the oldest team in the league by far.

They added Russell Westbrook, Carmelo Anthony, Rajon Rondo, DeAndre Jordan and Kendrick Nunn, so the Lake Show will have more quality depth than they did last season.

Oh yeah, they still have LeBron James, who is healthy and on a mission, and the hated Anthony Davis, who is one of the best two-way players in the game.

If the Lakers stay healthy, they have the talent and depth to win it all, but that’s a big if, which is why they signed half the league this offseason.