The OKC Thunder enjoyed supreme Western Conference dominance for exactly one year before running into the formidable San Antonio Spurs. Led by Victor Wembanyama, the Spurs seemingly came out of nowhere, finishing 13th the year before claiming the 2026 conference title.
To those who were paying close enough attention, the Spurs' rise to power was inevitable, as they had been building a contending force in the shadows until it was time to strike. Now, it seems another team out West has been following a similar blueprint, and this season might be when they finally put it all together.
The Utah Jazz have been the laughing stock of the league for a while now. They have finished dead last in the West two years running, but it's also allowed them to stockpile talent.
Countless injuries and tanking have led to a lack of positive results in the win column, but on paper, their roster looks as good as anyone's heading into 2026-27.
Jazz can go toe-to-toe with Thunder and Spurs with talent depth
Utah's second-overall selection and generational prospect Darryn Peterson only adds to an impressive starting five. Established All-Stars Jaren Jackson Jr. and Lauri Markkanen man the forward slots, while up-and-coming youngster Keyonte George runs the point.
They were forced to trade center Walker Kessler to the Lakers this summer, but received an immense return package. Jusuf Nurkic is now slated to take his spot down low.
Their bench is arguably as deep as the two current conference juggernauts, the Thunder and Spurs. Isaiah Collier has averaged more than 6.0 assists in each of his first two seasons, while Ace Bailey, Brice Sensabaugh, and Kyle Filipowski are all competent young players.
Even backup center Jaxson Hayes has proven to be a capable defender in a pinch.
All that being said, the Jazz are a prime candidate to make a Spurs-like rise to the top of the West. Barring health issues, they could give OKC and San Antonio a run for their money.
Declining Thunder foes have left door wide open for a dark horse
While the Jazz have secretly been collecting talent, other, more obvious contenders have plateaued.
The Nuggets failed to make any legitimate moves this offseason, and they lost one of their best young players, Peyton Watson.
The Wolves have completely restructured their roster around Anthony Edwards, and the Lakers lost LeBron James in their quest to keep Austin Reaves long-term.
Meanwhile, the Rockets elected to do nothing as they look to repeat their anticlimactic 2025-26 performance.
Because much of the league's talent has migrated East, Utah is in a perfect position to make a surprise run. If that's the case, the Thunder will have not one, but two young nuisances to deal with.
As of now, many view the Western Conference as a two-horse race, and rightfully so. But then again, nobody had the Conference Champion Spurs on their bingo card last year, and it's a healthy reminder that anything can happen in a league filled with variables.
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