The Spurs have enough to take the West’s top seed from OKC, and Utah will crash the field

Writer Jahlil Williams predicts the San Antonio Spurs will claim the Western Conference top seed over the Oklahoma City Thunder. The outlook highlights San Antonio's addition of Tobias Harris on a two-year, $31 million deal alongside Victor Wembanyama, who secured 77 percent of the GM vote for MVP. Meanwhile, Williams projects the Thunder to regress following the offseason departures of depth pieces Lu Dort, Isaiah Joe, and Aaron Wiggins.

The analysis also projects the remaining playoff field, ranking the Houston Rockets third and the Denver Nuggets fourth. Williams expects the Los Angeles Lakers, Portland Trail Blazers, Minnesota Timberwolves, and the Utah Jazz—bolstered by No. 2 pick Darryn Peterson and Jaren Jackson Jr.—to round out the conference's top eight seeds.