With the 2025-26 NBA season fast approaching teams will take aim at trying to win the 2026 NBA Championship.
The Eastern Conference is expected to take a step back this season with the Boston Celtics and Indiana Pacers’ main stars facing injuries.
Meanwhile, in the Western Conference it is absolutely stacked with multiple teams having a legitimate case to make a deep run.
The West is going to be a gauntlet and whichever team makes it out should be the favorite to win the title.
Photo by Matthew Stockman/Getty ImagesJeff Teague says the Oklahoma City Thunder, Denver Nuggets, Minnesota Timberwolves and Golden State Warriors are the four best teams in the Western Conference
The Oklahoma City Thunder are the defending NBA Champions and they will be the team to beat until proven otherwise.
The Denver Nuggets had a solid offseason bringing in key pieces to surround Nikola Jokic.
The Minnesota Timberwolves have made it to back-to-back Western Conference Finals so they know what it takes to make a deep run.
Also, the Golden State Warriors have championship pedigree and as long as Stephen Curry is healthy they have a shot.
These are the four teams who Teague thinks are the best in the West.
“OKC, Nuggets two, then I got a surprise for you, it’s a little weird I ain’t going with the Rockets, but the T-Wolves at three, and then I’m going to take the Warriors at four.
“I think they [Timberwolves] gonna be a better team, they know their roles, and some of their roles going to expand. AE [Anthony Edwards] is going to be in the MVP race this year. They solid.”
Jeff Teague doesn’t believe in the Houston Rockets
The Houston Rockets are expected to be one of the best teams in the West this season with their offseason addition of Kevin Durant.
However, they did suffer a huge loss before the start of their season as Fred VanVleet tore his ACL and will likely miss the entire 2025-26 campaign.
Teague thinks the loss of VanVleet and Dillon Brooks will be too much for Houston to overcome.
“That’s what made me back off a little bit [VanVleet injury], losing Dillon Brooks too, I don’t think they got it.
“I like the twin, you know I’m high on the twin but they missing Dillon Brooks that gritty defender, that rah-rah guy I don’t see who they have in that role right now if you look at that roster.”
If the Rockets are going to replace VanVleet’s production they need players like Amen Thompson and Reed Sheppard to step up.
Houston will have their work cut out for them this season if they want to hoist up the Larry O’Brien Trophy.