Kyrie Irving can’t seem to stay out of his own way. The former Brooklyn Nets Star took the NBA by storm on Friday when he demanded out from the Nets after both sides failed to agree on a contract extension. 

It seemed like a reunion was in store for Lebron James and Kyrie Irving, as Irving made it known he wanted to be shipped to the Los Angeles Lakers. And then Mark Cuban called.

The Mavericks acquired Kyrie Irving in a deal that became official on Tuesday and, in doing so, changed the whole landscape of the Western Conference. 

Meanwhile, the romantic notion that the Golden State Warriors were the favorites to defend their championship fell flat when Draymond Green punched Jordan Poole in the face.

Whether or not they want to admit it, the October 5 practice altercation significantly altered team chemistry. Add in Klay Thompson’s slow start and Steph Curry missing time with injury, and the Warriors are far from the top team in the Western Conference standings.

Despite these events, the Warriors are still within 1.5 games of the fourth-place Los Angeles Clippers. The West is [still] wide open.

So what teams will stay solid enough to finish in the top eight in the once-superior conference? 

  1.     Denver Nuggets

Nikola Jokic has made a resurgence as the MVP frontrunner, with averages of 25.1 points, a career-high 9.9 assists, and 10.9 rebounds per game while shooting a career-best 62.9 percent from the field and 39 percent from three. With a healthy Jamal Murray and Michael Porter Jr to complement the big man, the Nuggets seemed poised to make an NBA Finals run for the first time in franchise history. 

  1.     Dallas Mavericks

Luka Dončić’s job just got a whole lot easier. The Maverick’s star will finally have the opportunity to play alongside a perennial All-star and champion in Irving. The move to acquire Irving before the February 9th tradeline has shaken the whole pecking order of the NBA. The Mavericks now seem like bona fide contenders in the West, with their trio of Christian Wood, Doncic and Irving trailblazing the way for this rejuvenated Mavericks squad. This team will put up points, but will they be able to get defensive stops down the stretch to outlast, say, a seasoned Nuggets team?

  1.     Memphis Grizzlies

We have watched this young, flashy team develop right before our eyes. There is certainly no lack of confidence in this locker room, spearheaded by 23-year-old superstar Ja Morant. In a sit-down with ESPN’s Malika Andrews, Morant replied, “I’m fine in the West,” when asked about potential competition to get to the Finals. 

They have, to date, backed this up. The Grizzlies currently house a 32-20 record, good for fifth in the whole league, and have received consistent production from wings Dillon Brooks and Jaren Jackson Jr. to provide a balanced attack in addition to Morant. 

  1.     Golden State Warriors

Ah, the mighty Warriors. Despite their drama-filled offseason and slow start, Golden State managed to stay afloat. Look for this veteran core of Curry, Thompson and Green to dominate in the second half of the season as they slowly inch back toward greatness. After all, having Andrew Wiggins and Jordan Poole as your respective third and fourth offensive options isn’t too shabby.

  1.     Phoenix Suns

It is too early to count out this Suns team, who finished last year with the best regular season record in the NBA. The team is 25-17 when Devin Booker has played this year, which puts them at a .595 winning percentage, which would be good for third in the West if applied to the whole season. With the veteran leadership of Chris Paul, the incredible marksmanship of Booker, and the defensive prowess of Mikal Bridges, this Phoenix team will not be an easy out in this year’s playoffs. 

  1.     Los Angeles Clippers

At a certain point, your best players must play well. The Clippers have been heavily maligned this year for using load management on their star players, Kawhi Leonard and Paul George. Many were adamant that this would be the best duo in today’s NBA and that the Clippers have the deepest bench in the league. But the Clippers have woefully underachieved to date. Even when Kawhi does play, he is not the dominant force we remember him as, with his numbers down across the board (21.3 points, 6.2 rebounds and 3.9 assists per game). Additionally, the Clippers face the most challenging remaining schedule of all teams in the West, with their opponent’s win percentage of .535 moving forward. 

  1.     New Orleans Pelicans

The Pelicans started extremely hot but have since been humbled. Zion Williamson has looked great, pouring in 26 points per night on a staggering 60.8 percent shooting, but he has missed 22 of his team’s 51 total games this year. Star wing Brandon Ingram has put up impressive offensive numbers but only appeared in 17 games. There might be some hope for the Pelicans, even with sustained injuries, as they have the second easiest schedule remaining of all Western conference teams, with opponents’ win percentage at .488. 

  1.     Sacramento Kings

The Kings have largely overachieved thus far, as they currently sit in sole possession of third place. Despite a disciplined veteran core of De’Aaron Fox, Harrison Barnes, and Domantas Sabonis (who is on his way to his first All-Star appearance), the Kings will likely sink in the standings if and when the Warriors, Pelicans, and Clippers get healthy. 

There is an absolute deadlock right now in the West, with only four games separating the third from the 10th seed. It will be interesting to see how the next few months shake out and who ends up where. 

Perhaps Jokic will bring his Nuggets to relevance by leading them to their first-ever Finals appearance. Or the Doncic-Irving duo will overcome their defensive deficiencies and propel Cuban’s Mavericks to the top of the West. Or maybe even a trade deadline deal will shake up this list at its foundations.