NBA Western Conference tiers: Spurs, Thunder in a group of their own … what about new-look Lakers?

The Western Conference has been the NBA's superior half for a while, but that might be shifting. The West has two elite teams at the top who are among the favorites to challenge for a championship, but after that, there's a grab bag of playoff and play-in teams that could shake out in any number of ways.

On Thursday, we revealed our preseason Eastern Conference tiers. And with the season set to begin next week, here's our first installment of Western Conference tiers.

This is how it figures to shape up for at least the next half-decade. Maybe Oklahoma City isn't scared, but having to battle the Spurs and Victor Wembanyama until further notice just to get out of the West can't be what anyone was hoping for. After the Thunder won the title two years ago, the Spurs skipped the line and defeated the Thunder in last year's Western Conference Finals, sending the then-defending champs home. Jalen Williams was unavailable for much of the regular and postseason, but he's ostensibly healthy now. Chet Holmgren didn't acquit himself well against Wembanyama in the postseason (then again, few did), but he still made All-NBA and finished second in the Defensive Player…

Original source: https://www.cbssports.com/