NBA: The latest rankings of the Western Conference, the Rockets have won 3 games in a row and are ranked 7th, the Warriors have revealed their true colors, and the 2 teams are too surprised

After the NBA regular season has played 6 focus games, the Western Conference rankings will directly undergo a major reshuffle. What seemed to be a relatively clear pattern at first was completely disrupted. The Rockets won three consecutive victories with a big victory over the Celtics and rushed directly to seventh place in the Western Conference. The Warriors lost two consecutive losses to the Pacers and dropped to eighth place, which completely exposed their true state. The most unexpected thing is the Thunder and Spurs. One is ranked first with 6 wins and 0 losses, and the other is ranked second with 5 wins and 0 losses. I am afraid that few people can guess the performance of these two teams before the game.

First, the top four in the Western Conference completely "changed", and the Thunder Spurs became the biggest surprise.

Let’s first look at the rankings of the top four in the Western Conference. Now it’s really surprising. The Thunder ranked first with an unbeaten record of 6 wins and 0 losses. This result is too valuable - you must know that their core Holmgren has missed many games due to injury, and Jaylen Williams has not played a game, relying on the remaining players to fight for six consecutive victories. If it were another team, they would have collapsed without two cores. However, not only did the Thunder not collapse, they were able to win all kinds of tough battles, which shows how terrifying their team depth is. The current Thunder are fully qualified to defend the championship.

The Spurs are ranked second, and their record of 5 wins and 0 losses is also impressive. Although some people say that the Spurs took advantage of the schedule and their early opponents were not strong, everyone who has watched the game knows that their progress this season is real. In the past, the Spurs always stumbled on the offensive end and easily missed people on defense. But things are different now. They can cooperate smoothly on the offensive end and can defend the penalty area on the defensive end. The tacit understanding between the players has improved visibly. They are no longer the soft persimmons who were bullied in the past. Such a Spurs are definitely worthy of being ranked second in the Western Conference.

The Trail Blazers are ranked third with 4 wins and 2 losses, and are continuing their three-game winning streak. Their performance this season is also very stable, and the team's chemical reaction is getting better and better. Whether they are the main players or substitutes, they can find their own rhythm on the court. They have sufficient firepower on the offensive end and sufficient resilience on the defensive end. They can stabilize the top three positions, which is achieved entirely through hard power. It is worth mentioning that Chinese player Yang Hansen was transferred to the Development League. For him who wants to gain a foothold in the NBA, the time left to prove himself is really getting less and less. If he cannot perform well in the Development League, it may be difficult to return to the NBA.

The Lakers are ranked fourth with 4 wins and 2 losses, and their performance during this period can be considered reasonable. James did not play, and Doncic only played a few games. It was all up to Rius to carry the team forward. His explosion gave Lakers fans hope. Before, they were worried that no one in the Lakers could stand up and score. Now with Rivers' violent output, at least there is no need to worry too much on the offensive end. However, the Lakers' current problem is also obvious. They are over-reliant on Rivers. If his condition declines, the team will easily get into trouble, and they will have to find ways to get other players to step up.

In addition, the Clippers and Nuggets ranked fifth and sixth respectively with 3 wins and 2 losses. As the Western Conference powerhouses in the past few years, their current performance can only be considered satisfactory, and they have not yet fully found their best form.

Second, the Rockets won three consecutive games and rushed to seventh place in the Western Conference, with Durant becoming the biggest contributor.

The Rockets are definitely one of the most eye-catching teams on November 2. They defeated the Celtics 128-101. Not only did they win three consecutive victories, but their record also reached 3 wins and 2 losses. They rushed directly from the previous mid-range position to seventh in the Western Conference. Who would not say "surprise" after seeing such an improvement speed.

The Rockets played too smoothly in this game, firmly controlling the rhythm from beginning to end, and did not give the Celtics any chance to make a comeback. At the beginning of the first quarter, the Rockets were on full fire, scoring both inside and outside, and quickly established their lead; in the following quarters, the Rockets played smoother and smoother, and the point difference widened. In the end, they even won by 27 points. Durant only played 30 minutes and clocked out easily, which is enough to show the disparity of the game.

The performance of Shen Jing and Durant contributed greatly to winning this game. Shen Jing played 31 minutes, making 5 of 13 shots, 1 of 3 three-pointers, and 5 of 7 free throws. He scored 16 points, 10 rebounds, 9 assists, 1 steal, and 2 blocks. His plus-minus value was as high as +24, and he almost got a triple-double. His role on the court is so crucial. Not only can he score in the paint and grab rebounds, but he can also pass the ball to connect the team and organize the Rockets' offense in an orderly manner. Now Shen Jing is more and more like "making an appointment with the teacher".

What is more worth mentioning is Shen Jing's performance in the first five games of the season. He averaged 22.2 points, 8.4 rebounds, and 7.6 assists per game, with a true shooting percentage of 60.3%. At the age of 23 years and 100 days, he became the youngest player in NBA history to average at least 20 points, 5 rebounds, and 5 assists in the first five games of the season. This achievement is very impressive in the entire history of the NBA. You must know that those who could achieve this in the past were superstars like James and Durant. Shen Jing has such a performance at the age of 23, and his future is really limitless.

Durant's state can also be called "the sword is still young". He played 30 minutes in this game and made 9 of 11 shots, 2 of 3 three-pointers, and 8 of 9 free throws. He scored 26 points, 4 rebounds, 1 assist, 2 steals and 2 blocks, with a plus-minus value of +21. His efficiency on the court is so high that he can pose a threat to the Celtics almost every time he takes a shot. Whether it is a breakthrough layup or an outside three-pointer, he can do it with ease. Looking at his performance so far this season, he has played 5 games, averaging 34.9 minutes per game, scoring 27.2 points, 5.4 rebounds, 1.8 assists, 1.2 steals and 1 block. He shot 55.1% from the field, 40.9% from the three-point range, and 85.4% from the free throw line. This data is definitely at the level of a top scorer in the league. With Durant like this, there is no need to worry about the Rockets' offense.

In addition to the two core players, the Rockets' role players are also very impressive. A total of seven players scored in double figures.. Ethan made 4 of 7 shots, 4 of 6 three-pointers, 12 points, 6 rebounds and 1 block; Smith Jr. made 5 of 10 shots, scored 12 points, 6 rebounds, 1 steal and 4 blocks; Okogie made 3 of 5 three-pointers, 12 points, 2 assists and 1 steal; Sheppard made 4 three-pointers, 12 points and 3 assists; even Old Green, who came off the bench, made 2 three-pointers in 8 minutes, and scored 6 points and 1 block. Everyone can contribute their own strength on the court. This kind of teamwork is the key to the Rockets' three consecutive victories.

On Wednesday, the Warriors lost to the eighth seed in the Western Conference for two consecutive games. Their true colors were revealed and they also encountered a devilish schedule.

In sharp contrast to the Rockets, the Warriors suffered a two-game losing streak after losing to the Pacers 109-114. Their record fell to 4 wins and 3 losses, and their ranking also dropped to eighth in the Western Conference. They were only 0.5 games ahead of the ninth-place Grizzlies. If they were not careful, they might fall out of the top eight. What is even more frustrating is that in this game, the Warriors were reversed after leading by 11 points in the final quarter. This way of losing also allowed fans to see clearly the current state of the Warriors - they seem to be a strong team in the Western Conference, but in fact they have a lot of problems, and they have completely "revealed their true colors".

The turning point of the game came in the final quarter. At that time, the Warriors still held an 11-point lead. Seeing that victory was about to be won, they suddenly fell into an offensive stagnation. Neither Curry nor other players could find the feeling of scoring, and they frequently missed shots; while the Pacers seized the opportunity, and a 9-0 climax directly narrowed the point difference. Then Nesmith hit consecutive key three-pointers, directly helping the Pacers to overtake the score. At the critical moment, the Warriors tried to chase points but couldn't make any shots. In the end, they could only watch the victory slip away.

In terms of player performance, Curry is undoubtedly the most disappointing one. He took 23 shots in the game and only hit 8 goals, especially three-pointers. He took 16 shots and only scored 4. In the end, he only scored 24 points, 2 assists and 1 steal. As the core of the Warriors, Curry failed to stand up and lead the team to a comeback at critical moments. His poor touch directly affected the team's morale. After the game, many fans said "Curry's state has declined too obviously."

Butler is one of the few bright spots for the Warriors. He made 6 of 14 shots, 8 of 9 free throws, and scored 20 points, 6 rebounds, 7 assists, 3 steals and 2 blocks. He tried his best on both ends of the offense and defense. Whether it was breakthrough points on the offensive end or steals and blocks on the defensive end, he did a good job. It's a pity that his efforts alone could not save the team's defeat. Kuminga played 32 minutes, made 7 of 16 shots, and scored 17 points, 5 rebounds and 2 assists. As a young player, his impact is worthy of recognition, but his handling of critical moments is still a bit immature and he needs more games to hone. Podemski played 35 minutes, making 6 of 10 shots, contributing 16 points, 4 rebounds, 3 assists, 1 steal and 1 block. His performance was quite satisfactory, without many highlights, but it did not hold the team back. Dream Green scored 8 points, 10 rebounds and 1 assist. Although the rebounds and passes were still online, he made almost no contribution on the offensive end. He failed to score several open shots. This performance is really unsatisfactory.

To make matters worse, the Warriors will also face the "devil schedule" - in the next 10 games, there will be 8 away games and 3 back-to-back games. Away games are inherently difficult to play, and coupled with the physical exertion of back-to-back games, it will undoubtedly make things worse for the Warriors, who are currently in a sluggish state. If the Warriors cannot adjust their status as soon as possible and solve the problems on the offensive end, I am afraid they will not win a few games in these 10 games, and their ranking is likely to further decline by then, or even fall out of the top eight in the Western Conference.

Four, other games: The Timberwolves stopped their decline, and the Mavericks fell to outside the tenth place.

In addition to the games mentioned above, there are two games on November 2 that also affect the Western Conference rankings. The Timberwolves defeated the Hornets 122-105, ending their previous two-game losing streak. However, due to their poor early record, they are still ranked tenth in the Western Conference with 3 wins and 3 losses. In this game, the Timberwolves played tenaciously and relied on teamwork to complete the reversal when Edwards was absent due to injury.

In terms of player performance, Randall was undoubtedly the star of the game. He scored 3 three-pointers, scored 30 points, 7 rebounds and 4 assists. He scored 30+ points in two consecutive games, completely carrying the team's offensive banner; Gobert showed dominance in the paint, contributing 1 4 points, 15 rebounds, 5 assists, 2 steals and 2 blocks, 15 rebounds firmly controlled the penalty area, and many key blocks disrupted the Hornets' offense; DiVincenzo and Reid also performed well, scoring 18 points each, and their outside explosion opened up the team's offensive space.

The Mavericks lost to the Pistons 110-122, with a record of 2 wins and 4 losses, falling directly outside the top ten in the Western Conference. In this game, the Mavericks were missing many core players such as Brother Big Eyebrow, Irving, and Lively. With a incomplete lineup, they finally collapsed in the final quarter.

In terms of player performance, Russell was the only bright spot for the Mavericks. He scored 7 three-pointers, scored 31 points, 7 rebounds and 3 assists, setting a record for the highest score in a single game since joining the Mavericks. Flagg contributed 16 points, 8 rebounds and 4 assists. As the new No. 1 pick, he showed good potential in the absence of the dual-core. But other players performed mediocrely and failed to give Russell much help.

The Pistons relied on team basketball to win the game. Duren scored 33 points and 11 rebounds, setting a new personal single-game scoring high; Cunningham delivered a near-triple-double of 21 points, 6 rebounds, 18 assists and 3 steals, and 18 assists revitalized the team's offense; Robinson contributed 18 points and 6 rebounds, and Stewart scored 10 points. The team's multi-point performance completely defeated the Mavericks.