New pattern in the West: Rockets and Nuggets have become the biggest threat to the Thunder, and there are too many problems with the Lakers, the Warriors lack operations

The operations of most teams this year's offseason have basically ended, and ESPN interprets the current new crown competition pattern in the West. The Thunder is obviously still a unique existence, and the Rockets and the Nuggets have become the Thunder's strongest challengers after targeted reinforcement.

Level 1: The well-deserved popular

Thunder

The Thunder's lineup has two changes: the 2024 first-round pick Tobic returns, and the rookie center Sauber joins. The Thunder did not bring in new players through trades or free agent markets this offseason, but why do they need to do that? The defending champion already has the deepest lineup rotation in the league. And in the 2025-2026 season, they are likely to become stronger, as Caruso, 31, and Kenridge Williams, 30, are the only two players over 27 years old, and Chet Homgren played only 32 games last season due to injury. Last season, the Thunder won 68 wins and set a record of net wins to win the championship. Can they make a more brilliant season? It is possible and realistic that they will try to be the first team to defend their title since the Warriors.

Level 2: Preparing to stop the defending champion

Rockets

2024-2025 season, the Rockets are a bit like a paper tiger: they won second in the Western Conference through unremitting efforts, but lacked the necessary star influence in the playoffs, resulting in being eliminated by the Warriors in the first round. But after getting Kevin Durant and signing Dorian Finney Smith, with Amen Thompson, Tari Ethan and Shepard taking on more important roles, the Rockets have a team with a complete lineup, depth and star strength, enough to pose a threat to the Thunder. The Rockets' top stars are still not as strong as the champion team, but they also have no obvious weaknesses. Don't be surprised if the Rockets are second in the West again and look more playoff competitive in the process, this time they are really capable.

Nuggets

The overall structure of the Nuggets has remained the same for years: Jokic led the way, with Jamal Murray and Aaron Gordon supporting it. But the Nuggets have also changed a lot recently: with a new coach, a new management team, and after signing Bruce Brown, Tim Hardaway Jr. and getting Valanciunas (if he doesn't return to Europe to play), the team's substitute lineup has increased. The Nuggets also sent Porter Jr. for Cameron Johnson, and the starting lineup has changed. They strengthened the lineup for another championship next season.

Timberwolves

Anthony Edwards' continued improvement will be the main factor in determining whether the Timberwolves can enter the division finals for the third consecutive season, and ideally this time to make it even further. But the Timberwolves' performance also depends largely on the performance of defenders outside Edwards. With Alexander Walker moving to Atlanta, the rest of the Timberwolves' guard rotation includes Mike Conley, who will celebrate his 38th birthday before the start of the season, Divincenzo, who is in a state of unstable form, and budding sophomore Dillingham and Terrence Shannon. The two players averaged only 8.8 points in 81 games they played together in rookie season. The Timberwolves retained Randall and Reed in the offseason, but it's hard to say they've improved.

The third level: The veteran powerhouse

Clippers

Leonard only made his debut last season on January 4, and since then, the Clippers ranked second in the Western Conference with a net win of +7.2. The good news for the Clippers is that Brooke Lopez joins, which is an underrated signing that solves the problem of substitute center behind Zubac. The Clippers exchanged Powell for Collins to strengthen the frontcourt, and their core lineup was basically retained last season. The bad news is that Leonard, James Harden, and role players Lopez, Batum, Chris Dunn and Bogdan Bogdanovic are all over the age of age.

Lakers

Any team that has Luca Doncic or LeBron James automatically becomes a championship contender, not to mention that the Lakers have both Doncic and James. But do the Lakers have a strong enough supporting cast to compete? Here are some major and challenging questions: Can a lineup consisting of Doncic, James and Austin Reeves gain a foothold on the defensive end? Can the new starting center DeAndre Aiton, who has just experienced a buyout, have more impact and reverse the decline trend over the years? Can Laravia replace Finney Smith? Is this team's three-point firepower sufficient? The Lakers can continue to be full of twists and turns until they can answer these questions clearly.

Warriors

This offseason, the Warriors have made quite few moves. They are in a wait-and-see state, waiting for free agent Horford to make a decision while resolving the contract negotiations issue of Kumingga. Currently, they are in a similar situation as at the end of last season: they are a very good team, but not a dominant team. Depending on the development of the rest of the offseason, they have the potential to go up to a level, but at this time they have not taken any action to prove that they should get a higher ranking.

Mavericks

18-year-old No. 1 pick Flag is the most anticipated factor for the Mavericks. The bigger question about the Mavericks is whether they have enough organizational offensive capabilities? As a rookie, can Flag be competent for the small forward and possession of the ball, and can Russell, who is in a state of unstable form, be in a hot state? The most important thing is whether Irving can fully recover his condition, or it will take another year to get back to his best condition.