The 2024-25 NBA regular season just wrapped up with an exciting Clippers victory over the Warriors in overtime. This game decided the 5th to 7th seeds in a very competitive Western Conference. Before the 2025 playoffs start on Tuesday, let`s take a moment to review the last six months.
Below are season grades for all 15 Western Conference teams. These grades aren`t just about final standings. They consider how teams performed compared to expectations, while also looking at things like injuries, trades, and coaching changes.
For example, the Portland Trail Blazers might get a better grade than the Sacramento Kings or Dallas Mavericks. Even though Sacramento and Dallas made the playoffs and Portland didn`t, Portland played better than expected. Sacramento didn`t meet expectations. The Mavericks` season changed dramatically after trading Luka Dončić.
Let`s dive into the grades for each Western Conference team in the 2024-25 NBA season.
Dallas Mavericks: F
- Record: 39-43
- The basics: Offense ranked 18th, Defense 20th, Net Rating -1.3 (19th)
To put it simply, it was a disaster. They traded Luka Dončić and made fun of his weight, for Anthony Davis, who is now 32 and injury-prone. Davis got hurt in his first game with the Mavericks. Then Kyrie Irving injured his ACL. This team, which was in the NBA Finals last season, barely made it to the Play-In Tournament as the 10th seed and their future looks uncertain. It was a complete failure for the Mavericks, mostly due to their own decisions. If there was a grade worse than F, they would deserve it. – Brad Botkin
Denver Nuggets: B
- Record: 50-32
- The basics: Offense ranked 4th, Defense 21st, Net Rating +3.8 (9th)
If we were grading the team owners for firing their general manager and coach right before the playoffs, the grade would be much lower. Even if those changes were needed, the timing was terrible, especially for coach Michael Malone, who built the franchise`s only championship. Booth benefited from previous good decisions and just finished the job for the title. Also, getting a new GM in place quickly might be more important during the draft evaluation period.
On the court, Denver was good. Winning 50 games and getting a top-four seed in this tough Western Conference is a good achievement. The defense isn`t great (losing good defenders like Kentavious Caldwell-Pope and Bruce Brown hurts), and the bench relies too much on Russell Westbrook. However, Nikola Jokić had his best season ever, and Jamal Murray is playing like his old self. Denver is still a dangerous playoff team. – Brad Botkin
Golden State Warriors: A
- Record: 48-34
- The basics: Offense ranked 16th, Defense 7th, Net Rating +3.2 (10th)
The only record that matters for the Warriors is 23-7 since acquiring Jimmy Butler. They had the best defense in the league during that time and the third-best net rating, becoming one of the NBA`s top teams. Butler`s impact was huge, especially for Steph Curry, who averaged 27 points and six assists with great shooting percentages after the trade because he had less scoring pressure. Even minutes when Curry wasn`t playing became positive because of Butler. Without the trade, the story would be very different. This move turned the Warriors into a major threat. – Colin Ward-Henninger
Houston Rockets: A
- Record: 52-30
- The basics: Offense ranked 12th, Defense 5th, Net Rating +4.6 (7th)
The Rockets are doing much better than expected. They are a very solid team that will challenge either the Warriors or Grizzlies in the first round of the playoffs. They have more offensive talent than people realize; they are almost a top-10 offense and have several players who can dominate. Getting a consistent top scorer is the next step, but even now, if players like Jalen Green, Jabari Smith Jr., Dillon Brooks, Fred VanVleet, or Alperen Sengun have a good night, they are tough to beat. Amen Thompson is a game-changer. Ime Udoka deserves serious consideration for Coach of the Year. – Brad Botkin
Los Angeles Clippers: A+
- Record: 50-32
- The basics: Offense ranked 15th, Defense 3rd, Net Rating +4.9 (5th)
Compared to expectations, the Clippers had one of the best seasons in the NBA. At the start of the season, Paul George left for the 76ers, James Harden seemed to be declining, and Kawhi Leonard was injured. But by mid-April, the Clippers finished the regular season with an 18-3 record, with the best offense and fourth-best defense in the league during that stretch. Harden played great again, and Leonard became the dominant player we know. With strong seasons from Ivica Zubac and Norman Powell, and good role players, the Clippers are a team nobody wants to play in the playoffs. – Colin Ward-Henninger
Los Angeles Lakers: A
- Record: 50-32
- The basics: Offense ranked 11th, Defense 17th, Net Rating +1.2 (14th)
At midseason, the Lakers got a `C+`. Then, they traded for Luka Dončić. That alone is worth an `A.` They started the season without a long-term star player or a good head coach. Now they have a great coach in JJ Redick and possibly two star players with Dončić and Austin Reaves improving quickly.
Are there questions about this team going into the 2025 playoffs? Yes. Redick improved the defense for a while, but the Lakers` defense got worse in March. They didn`t find a good center after the Mark Williams trade fell through. They are not favorites against the Oklahoma City Thunder in the playoffs, and other teams could beat them. But considering where the Lakers started this season and where they are now, `A` is the only fair grade. They changed from a declining team to one with a very bright future. Anything else this postseason is a bonus. – Sam Quinn
Memphis Grizzlies: C+
- Record: 48-34
- The basics: Offense ranked 6th, Defense 11th, Net Rating +4.7 (6th)
The good stats suggest the Grizzlies are ready to compete for a title again. But the reality is more complicated. Taylor Jenkins was fired after a bad stretch after the trade deadline, and Memphis was only 14-25 against teams with a .500 or better record. Ja Morant`s performance, efficiency, and availability decreased compared to his last full season. The Grizzlies` defense dropped to 18th after the All-Star break. They fell from the No. 2 seed to the Play-In Tournament in less than two months, and the team`s future and its star player are now uncertain. – Colin Ward-Henninger
Minnesota Timberwolves: B-
- Record: 49-33
- The basics: Offense ranked 8th, Defense 6th, Net Rating +5.0 (4th)
It took a while, but the Timberwolves are recovering from trading Karl-Anthony Towns. When they were 32-29, they looked headed for a bad offseason with more doubts and cost-cutting. But Julius Randle is playing well in Minnesota, making his 3-pointers and playing decent defense. Donte DiVincenzo is also making shots, and Anthony Edwards is now one of the best guards in the NBA. There`s some hope returning to Minnesota.
Still, the Timberwolves almost reached the Finals last year. They won seven fewer games this season because of their own decisions, so they can`t get a grade higher than `B-` for now. If Minnesota does well in the playoffs, this grade could change. For now, they turned a team that could have contended for a championship into one that probably can`t. They`ve made the best of a bad situation but haven`t lived up to last season`s level. – Sam Quinn
New Orleans Pelicans: D+
- Record: 21-61
- The basics: Offense ranked 25th, Defense 29th, Net Rating -9.4 (29th)
It`s easy to find problems here. Everyone got injured. Many players who played weren`t great. Herb Jones stopped making 3-pointers. Dejounte Murray struggled. The Pelicans only had four five-man lineups play together for at least 100 possessions this season. None of them had even average defense. The whole season was a mess.
But some individual performances saved the Pelicans from an `F.` Trey Murphy is likely to become an All-Star next season. He has great athleticism and shooting ability, and the extra playing time he got this season taught him a lot. Yves Missi is a future starting center. Brandon Boston is a useful wing player. And Zion Williamson showed flashes of his potential in February and March. This season was bad, but not a total waste. Even if we say this every year, the Pelicans could be dangerous if they can stay healthy next season. – Sam Quinn
Oklahoma City Thunder: A+
- Record: 68-14
- The basics: Offense ranked 3rd, Defense 1st, Net Rating +12.7 (1st)
The Thunder had the second-best net rating in NBA history. They were still in contention for 70 wins until April 4th. If you only counted their home wins, they would be in the Eastern Conference play-in. If the Thunder don`t get an `A+`, no one should.
While there are questions about how their young team will perform in the playoffs, there`s nothing to criticize about their regular season. They were top three in both offense and defense. They improved their rebounding. They forced the most turnovers and committed the fewest. They did all this despite injuries to key players like Chet Holmgren. This was almost a perfect regular season for Oklahoma City. It`s definitely an `A+`. – Sam Quinn
Phoenix Suns: F
- Record: 36-46
- The basics: Offense ranked 13th, Defense 27th, Net Rating -3.0 (23rd)
The Suns are lucky to avoid an `F-` after this disastrous season. Many bad grades are due to circumstances like injuries or bad trades. But for Phoenix, this is the team they wanted, and it just wasn`t good.
The Suns had a bottom-five defense. This was somewhat expected because they didn`t address the center position and relied on a rookie for perimeter defense. They have also failed to be in the top 10 in offense for two seasons in a row with three max-salary scorers. This is a major roster-building failure. They gathered similar players and were surprised to learn that basketball is more than just making tough shots. Hopefully, they will learn from this when they rebuild the roster this summer. – Sam Quinn
Portland Trail Blazers: B
- Record: 36-46
- The basics: Offense ranked 22nd, Defense 16th, Net Rating -2.7 (21st)
The Blazers exceeded their preseason win predictions. They almost made the play-in late in the season with a 25-25 run after January 1st, featuring a top-10 defense. This gives the Blazers more time to develop their young core of Deni Avdija, Donovan Clingan, Shaedon Sharpe, Toumani Camara, and Scoot Henderson before making big decisions. Henderson might not become a superstar, but he played well in the last three months, averaging over 13 points and five assists with 37% 3-point shooting. They still need a top offensive player, but this core is promising. Chauncey Billups has done a good job building a competitive, defensive culture, anchored by Clingan for the future. – Brad Botkin
Sacramento Kings: D
- Record: 40-42
- The basics: Offense ranked 7th, Defense 22nd, Net Rating +0.6 (15th)
Sacramento is in the play-in, which isn`t a complete failure in this Western Conference. But the Kings finished below .500, and even if they win two play-in games, they will likely be easily defeated in the first round against the top-seeded Thunder. The Kings lost De`Aaron Fox and might lose Domantas Sabonis if he loses faith in the team`s long-term plan. The Kings have become like the Chicago Bulls, stuck in mediocrity. – Brad Botkin
San Antonio Spurs: B-
- Record: 34-48
- The basics: Offense ranked 19th, Defense 25th, Net Rating -2.8 (22nd)
We are mainly grading the Spurs based on games before Victor Wembanyama`s injury. At that point, they were 23-29 with the 19th-ranked net rating, still not great. Wembanyama, who was likely to win Defensive Player of the Year before his injury, made the Spurs` defense the third-best in the NBA when he played. This is something positive for next year. Chris Paul played a surprising full season, and Stephon Castle`s strong late season might win him Rookie of the Year. Spurs fans wanted a stronger push for the Play-In Tournament, but they will be patient waiting for Wembanyama to return. – Colin Ward-Henninger
Utah Jazz: D
- Record: 17-65
- The basics: Offense ranked 24th, Defense 30th, Net Rating -9.2 (28th)
There`s a way to lose games on purpose without being completely embarrassing, but the Jazz didn`t do a good job this season. Utah went 4-24 after the All-Star break, losing by an average of almost 14 points. Most disappointing was Lauri Markkanen`s decline, going from 23 points per game last season to 19 this season with inconsistent play and worse shooting percentages. Tanking is okay, but not if it hurts your best player. Overall, it was a season to forget for Utah, but it will be worth it if they draft a future star in June. – Colin Ward-Henninger
Jasper Hawthorne