NBA 2018-19: Western Conference Power Rankings Week 8
The West is a beautiful mess right now. Every team (except the Phoenix Suns obviously) has a chance at making it to the playoffs, as the data suggest that the 8th team on the standings is just 3.5 games behind the Conference leader. It's more like a traffic jam at the moment and it seems to be getting stranger day by day.
Surprisingly, this early in the season, every game is as crunch as they come. While a bunch of teams have separated themselves from the pack in the East, there is no clear leader still, out West.
Keeping in mind that the shift of power in the West is so volatile and dynamic at the moment, it's a tough task to pick out the front-runners from the ever-changing scenario. But the following piece will make an effort to rank the 5 best in the West based on their performance this season so far.
Note: These power rankings are based on the current status quo and are subject to change in the future, especially considering how cut-throat the competition is.
#5 Los Angeles Lakers
LeBron had a 0-4 start to the season for the first time in his entire career, but the Lakers have found solid ground ever since. They acquired Tyson Chandler, trusted LeBron down the stretch and now find themselves with a 16-10 win-loss record(0.615) having won 7 out of their last 10 games.
Bron is averaging 28.3 points per game(3rd best in the league), being duly aided by the sophomore, Kyle Kuzma who has improved his rookie average of 16.1 ppg to 17.3 ppg currently. It has been interesting to see how Kuzma has managed to keep up his scoring numbers even in the presence of LeBron on the team, knowing he will keep the ball for the most part of the game.
Surely, Lakers are not the strongest side in the West for now, but if they can keep up the pace and energy, things are clearly looking bright for the LeBron-led young core.