Rockets' Western Conference Standings Race Already Getting Competitive

There isn't much anyone can do about the NBA's imbalance between the Eastern and Western Conferences. Over the last decade or so, the West has had a clear surplus of star power and competitive teams over the East.

Last season, that was more evident than ever because of how difficult it was to secure home-court advantage in the West standings. For context, the Memphis Grizzlies, who were two victories shy of a 50-win season, finished eighth in the conference. The No. 2 and No. 8 seeds were separated by just four games, with multiple teams needing tiebreakers to determine the standings.

The Houston Rockets were fortunate enough to finish as the second seed with 52 wins. It didn't necessarily matter in the end due to a first-round upset loss, but had they dropped a few more games, they could have easily lost home-court advantage.

This season, that same competitive fire in the West is back early in the season, with nine teams at .500 or better as of November 11. The Rockets, fortunately, have been on a bit of a hot streak, winning six of their last seven games. At 6-3, they're currently the fifth seed in the West.

While teams like the Grizzlies and LA Clippers appear to have taken a step back, new teams in the conference have risen to prominence. The San Antonio Spurs, led by a potential MVP candidate in Victor Wembanyama, are a staggering 8-2 to start the season after finishing 34-48 last season.

The Phoenix Suns, at 6-5, could be in the running for the postseason after missing it last NBA year and trading Kevin Durant to Houston. The young Portland Trail Blazers, despite dealing with a recent gambling investigation regarding head coach Chauncey Billups, have rallied to a 5-5 record.

Aside from those few teams, the rest of the West playoff picture looks normal at the moment. The Oklahoma City Thunder, Denver Nuggets, Los Angeles Lakers, Minnesota Timberwolves, and Golden State Warriors round out the rest, but they seem to have gotten better.

All of this is to say that the Rockets will once again have their work cut out for them. They've also improved on paper after a flurry of veteran acquisitions, but every game counts in the West. Houston has been hot since its 0-2 start, but it can't afford any major losing streaks, or else the title hopes could be in jeopardy with a loss of home-court advantage.