NBA Power Rankings: Western Conference Week 1 - LA Clippers on top as the Minnesota Timberwolves start the season in excellent form
The 2019-20 NBA season got underway last week and the Western Conference is packed with teams that believe they can contend following the demise of the Golden State Warriors. The Warriors have advanced from the West in five consecutive seasons, although Steve Kerr's team has lost back-to-back games following the summer departures of Kevin Durant, Andre Iguodala, and DeMarcus Cousins.
Meanwhile, much of the West has been locked in an arms race that has resulted in Russell Westbrook teaming up with James Harden and Mike Conley joining the Utah Jazz. Evidently, competition in the West is now at an all-time high, and even the Phoenix Suns could be among the contenders for a playoff spot after making a solid start to the season.
However, a number of teams in the West have stood out for various reasons during the first week of the season, and here we will take a look at Top 5 Western Conference teams ahead of Week 2 of the 2019-20 NBA season.
#5 Minnesota Timberwolves - Current Record: 3-0
The Minnesota Timberwolves entered the new season as one of the few teams in the West that was expected to be out of the race for a playoff spot. However, the Wolves are just one of the three teams in the West that have yet to lose and are currently the only team in the entire NBA with three wins. Minnesota opened their season with a thrilling overtime win against a Nets team that had Kyrie Irving drop 50 points, before following that up with a comfortable 121-99 win over the Hornets.
The Wolves then improved to 3-0 last night thanks to a hard-fought win over the Miami Heat. Minnesota outscored Miami 39-25 in the final quarter as Andrew Wiggins scored 16 of his 25 points during a four-minute stretch. Karl-Anthony Towns has also started the season in monstrous form, averaging 32 points and 13.3 rebounds, and the Wolves suddenly look like a playoff team despite little hype entering the season.