We’re hitting the home stretch of the 2024-25 NBA regular season. This can often be the part of the schedule that feels like it can drag on a bit as we anxiously await the playoffs. Everyone has their eyes on the postseason, the draft lottery or something else, and this last month-and-a-half can become a blur. But with a trade deadline that brought so many seismic moves, and tons of postseason spots hanging in the balance, there’s some increased importance placed on these last handful of games as the regular season comes to a close.
With that in mind, with 25-ish games left on the schedule, here’s the biggest goals for each team in the Western Conference over the next six-plus weeks.
Dallas Mavericks
Goal: Get healthy
The shock is still wearing off from the Mavericks executing the most stunning trade in NBA history, but as painful as saying goodbye to Luka Dončiċ may be for the fanbase, that’s in the past and the current roster is now the focus. With two dozen games left, the goal for this team should be to get healthy. Dallas is without all four of its big men, including Anthony Davis. Despite having a stellar showing in three quarters of his Mavericks debut, Davis picked up an adductor strain which is expected to keep him out for at least another week. Getting at least two of their four big men will be a massive boost to a team that has the pieces to make life difficult for some of the top teams in the West, but that won’t happen if this roster can’t get healthy as the regular season closes.
Kyrie Irving discusses Luka Dončić’s first game vs. Mavericks, says new Lakers star will have ‘confidence’
Jasmyn Wimbish
Denver Nuggets
Goal: Secure the No. 2 seed
The Nuggets were one of the hottest teams entering the All-Star break. Though their nine-game winning streak was recently snapped by the Lakers, the Nuggets seem to be peaking at the right time. They entered Tuesday a half-game ahead of Memphis for the No. 2 seed in the West. Wrangling that spot away from the Grizzlies (and Lakers and Rockets) should be the goal for the Nuggets down the stretch. This isn’t about just trying to stack up as many wins as possible, it’s about avoiding the Oklahoma City Thunder in the playoffs for as long as possible. Getting the No. 2 seed puts the Nuggets on the opposite side of the bracket from OKC. While the Nuggets match up well against the Thunder, ducking that buzzsaw for as long as possible should be the main goal for Denver.
Golden State Warriors
Goal: Keep flying under the radar
The Warriors appear to have a new lease on life with Jimmy Butler in tow, which alters their outlook for the rest of the season. That’s not to say that they’re championship contenders, but I certainly wouldn’t bet against a team that has Stephen Curry and the never-quit attitude of Butler. Already the Warriors look like they have enough to upset some of the top teams in the West behind Curry’s shooting and Butler’s ability to move without the ball and get to the free-throw line. For one of the first times in the Curry era, the Warriors don’t have significant expectations on their shoulders, which means they can operate in the background and try to steal wins off teams and try to sneakily climb up the standings in the West. They are currently ninth in the West, but are only one game back of the sixth-seeded Clippers.
Houston Rockets
Goal: Get their veteran floor general back
At the start of February the Rockets held the No. 2 spot in the West, and looked like they could be a serious threat in the playoffs behind what’s been a pleasantly surprising season. But at the time of writing this, Houston has fallen to the No. 5 spot, which can be easily explained by the ankle injury to floor general Fred VanVleet, who has been sidelined since Feb. 3. VanVleet’s presence was always important, but watching the Rockets without him for the last month has shown just how badly this team needs him. VanVleet calms everything down on offense and gets everyone in order. While Jalen Green and Alperen Sengun are having strong seasons, VanVleet’s veteran presence is sorely missed. Getting him back is of the utmost importance for this team to make noise in the playoffs, and having VanVleet return with enough time to get re-acclimated before the postseason is even more important to knock off any rust.
Los Angeles Clippers
Goal: Keep their top-six seed
Not many people are talking about how impressive the Clippers have been this season despite losing Paul George, and being without Kawhi Leonard for a good chunk of the season. But Norman Powell and James Harden have carried this team in a way no one could’ve ever expected, and there’s a real possibility that L.A. will finish with a top-six seed. At least, that should be the goal for the rest of the season. The Clippers are tied with the Timberwolves and have a half-game lead over the Mavericks, who are looming right behind them, but L.A. has been the more consistent team. Staying out of the play-in secures more rest for the oft-injured Leonard, who L.A. will want as healthy as possible for a potential playoff run.
Los Angeles Lakers
Goal: Make Luka as comfortable as possible
The Lakers have an embarrassment of riches after the Mavericks handed them Luka Dončiċ on a silver platter. It’s the kind of trade every general manager in the league fantasizes about but rarely occurs, and now L.A. has to shift course to cater to Dončiċ’s needs as much as possible. We saw a bit of that already in L.A.’s recent win against the Nuggets, where Dončiċ had the ball in his hands the most since he was traded to the Lakers. It resulted in a 32-point, 10-rebound, seven-assist outing for the superstar, and the first sign that Dončiċ is starting to really get comfortable with LeBron James his new squad. Continuing that trend should be the top goal for the Lakers, because the more comfortable Dončiċ feels with the Lakers, the more dangerous they will be when the playoffs start.
Memphis Grizzlies
Goal: Help Ja Morant find some consistency
The Grizzlies have outperformed expectations this season, holding the No. 2 seed in the West behind a roster that has the fourth-best net rating in the league. All that despite sporadic injuries, most notably to Morant who has appeared in 35 games. When healthy, though, Morant hasn’t been quite as dominant as years past. He’s earned a reputation for being an explosive guard, one who could wreak havoc on opponents when he gets downhill. That’s still the case, but Morant’s production has been inconsistent. One night he’ll put up 16 points, the next he’ll drop 25 points, and then 12 points after that. Memphis needs the All-Star version of Morant, the guy who two seasons ago was putting up 25+ points one a regular basis if they want to avoid the negative “regular-season team” tag.
Minnesota Timberwolves
Goal: Avoid the play-in
It’s been a rather disappointing season for the Timberwolves, who are coming off a Western Conference finals run. Julius Randle has been far from a seamless fit, and Anthony Edwards has had to alter the way he plays to account for the fact that there’s less floor spacing with this roster. As a result, the Wolves sit seventh in the West, but that’s not where they have to end up by season’s end. Minnesota is tied with the Clippers for the sixth spot after an exhilarating comeback win over the Thunder, and with one of the softest remaining schedules in the league, the Wolves have a solid shot of avoiding the play-in, which should be the priority. It’s going to take this team getting healthy as several key players are out, but it’s certainly possible for the Timberwolves to go on a run and end the regular season on a high note with the playoffs around the corner.
New Orleans Pelicans
Goal: Keep the No. 1 pick chances as high as possible
It’s been a lost season for the Pelicans, winners of just 14 games. They traded Brandon Ingram, further solidifying themselves at the bottom of the conference, and currently have the second-worst record in the NBA. The three teams with the worst records in the league receive equal 14% chances of landing the No. 1 pick in the spring’s draft lottery. The Wizards seem likely to claim one of those spots. The Pelicans will be “competing” with the Hornets and Jazz for the other two. Over the last month-and-a-half of the season, the Pelicans shouldn’t deviate from the path their currently on, which could lead directly to Cooper Flagg if the lottery goes their way.
Oklahoma City Thunder
Goal: Figure out the postseason rotation
The Thunder have far and away been the best team in the West this season, and with the No. 1 seed all but locked up, everything going forward is all about fine tuning things before the playoffs. One focus should be on figuring out what the postseason rotation is going to be for OKC. While this is an incredibly deep roster, not everyone is going to — or should — be playing when the playoffs start. That means using the next six weeks as a tryout of sorts to see who is going to fill out what is typically an eight-man rotation for the postseason. Guys like Kenrich Williams, Ajay Mitchell, Jaylin Williams all hover around the 10-12 spots in the rotation, and could see their minutes shrink significantly in the playoffs, or perhaps they outperform someone else to see an increase in playing time. It’s a good problem to have if you’re Mark Daigneault, but that doesn’t make it an easy decision to make.
Phoenix Suns
Goal: Go all out to make the postseason
The Suns have been one of — if not the most — disappointing team in the West this season. A roster that has Kevin Durant and Devin Booker sits 11th in the Western Conference, and is in real jeopardy to miss the postseason. Phoenix didn’t improve at the trade deadline. A Butler trade that many had expected to happen never came to fruition, and contingency plans didn’t materialize when that plan fell through. So the roster is what it is and Phoenix has to do everything in its power to try and get one of the last spots in the play-in. It’s certainly doable, there’s just a 1.5 game gap between them and the 10th-place Kings, but it’s going to take more than the 2-8 record they’ve mustered in the last 10 games. The vibes don’t appear to be good in Phoenix, and they’ll be even worse this summer if this team fails to make the playoffs. Even if the Suns wind up in the draft lottery, they don’t own their first-round pick in 2025.
Portland Trail Blazers
Goal: Try to add some ping pong balls
There was a moment there where it looked like maybe the Blazers were gunning for a play-in spot, but injuries quickly dissolved that idea, and now they’re in position for a high lottery spot in June. That’s exactly where Portland should be, because in a draft as deep as the upcoming one, getting as high of a spot as you can get is priority No. 1. The development from the young guys like Scoot Henderson, Shaedon Sharpe and Anfernee Simons has been promising, but Portland still doesn’t appear to have the guy yet, and nailing this upcoming draft could very well net them someone who could be built around going forward.
Sacramento Kings
Goal: Play-in or bust
The Kings are in a weird position after trading De’Aaron Fox ahead of the deadline. They’ve got a bunch of talented individual players, but cohesively it doesn’t appear to add up to a team that could do anything more than win a couple play-in games and get bounced in the first round of the playoffs. That’s just the reality for Sacramento right now, and while that may be enough for a team that has rarely tasted playoff success in the last 15 years, being in the middle in the NBA is the worst place to be. If the Kings don’t make the play-in they’ve got to really consider their future options this summer. A rebuild is going to be difficult to do after taking on Zach LaVine’s massive contract, but even at its peak this just isn’t a roster that can contend with the top teams in the West.
San Antonio Spurs
Goal: Prioritize the 2025-26 roster
Victor Wembanyama’s unfortunate shutdown for the remainder of the season is the perfect reason for the Spurs to give up on a potential play-in run. Without Wemby this team isn’t reaching the postseason, even with Fox, Chris Paul and all the young guys on the roster. It also shouldn’t be the goal going forward, as getting a quality piece near the top of the 2025 draft is far more beneficial for the continual building around Wembanyama and now Fox.
Utah Jazz
Goal: Be worse than the Pelicans and/or Hornets
Utah has been tanking all season and that shouldn’t change now. With the flattened draft odds, as we touched on in the Pelicans’ section, the top three teams with the worst records will all have a 14% chance at landing the No. 1 pick. The Jazz are currently third in that group. They’ll want to keep pace with the Pelicans and not let the Hornets — who are a half-game back of the third-worst record — catch them, otherwise their chances of getting that top pick decrease from 14% to 12.5%.
