Where the Warriors sit in the Western Conference standings after Christmas

On By Littum

When I last checked in on the NBA’s Western Conference standings, the Golden State Warriors were in second place and looked like a legitimate contender, despite losing two in a row. Since then, they have gone just 3-9, meaning they have now lost 11 of their last 14 games after starting the season with 12 wins in their first 15.

Not great!

But perhaps that means it’s more important now than ever to look at where the Warriors sit in the conference standings. So let’s dive back into the wild, wild west to see where the Warriors are, how they’ve fared against their competition, and what lies ahead.

The standings and stats are ahead of Thursday’s slate, and the net ratings are all adjusted for garbage time, courtesy of Cleaning the glass. I’ll be back next month with another update.

The playoff teams

1. Oklahoma City Thunder — 23-5 record, +11.9 net rating (2nd in NBA)

Warriors record vs Thunder: 1-1
Remaining Games vs. Thunder: 1

Just like last year, the matchups between the Dubs and Thunder have been electric, and you’d be excused for hoping the two teams — led by superstar point guards Steph Curry and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander — match up in the playoffs. But the Thunder are in a class of their own right now in the Western Conference, especially since their loss to Milwaukee Bucks in the NBA Cup championship game does not count towards the standings.

2. Houston Rockets — 20-9 record, +7.4 net rating (7th in NBA)

Warriors record vs. Rockets: 2-1
Remaining Games vs. Rockets: 2nd

The Warriors and Rockets have the ultra-rare five games against each other this year, thanks to the meeting in the quarterfinals of the NBA Cup, which counts in the standings. All three games have been exciting, and it is clear that the youthful Rockets have finally and fully emerged as one of the top teams in the conference.

3. Memphis Grizzlies — 20-10 record, +10.2 net rating (4th in NBA)

Warriors record vs. Grizzlies: 1-1
Remaining matches vs. Grizzlies: 2nd

It certainly doesn’t feel like the Warriors are equal to Memphis this year, as their win was more than offset by their 51 point loss last week in one of the ugliest performances you’ll (hopefully) ever see.

4. Dallas Mavericks — 19-11 record, +7.5 net rating (6th in NBA)

Warriors record vs. Mavs: 1-1
Remaining matches vs. Mavs: 2

Klay Thompson’s new team — and the defending Western Conference champions — took a while to find their rhythm this year, but they’re on fire now. The Mavericks have won 14 of their last 18 games, but with Luka Dončić suffering a pretty serious injury over Christmas, Dallas could fall in the standings.

5. Denver Nuggets — 16-12 record, +3.3 net rating (9th in NBA)

Warriors record vs. Nuggets: 0-1
Remaining Games vs. Nuggets: 2

The Nuggets are slowly, surely starting to climb up the standings. Having won the championship in 2023, they haven’t seemed particularly invested in regular season success, but they remain clear contenders when the games actually matter.

6. Los Angeles Lakers — 17-13 record, -1.7 net rating (20th in NBA)

Warriors record vs. Lakers: 0-1
Remaining games against the Lakers: 3

The Lakers beat the Warriors in a thrilling Christmas affair, and they remain one of the league’s strangest teams. On the one hand, the Lakers are currently holding on to one of the playoff spots in the West; on the other hand, no team with a worse net rating than Los Angeles is within three games of .500. They started the season winning 10 of their first 14 games and have won five of their last seven; in between they lost seven out of nine. They are a strange team.

The play-in teams

7. LA Clippers — 17-13 record, +1.7 net rating (12th in NBA)

Warriors record vs. Clippers: 0-2
Remaining matches vs. Clippers: 2nd

LA is just slowly on its way and has the same record as their cross-town rivals (albeit losing in the standings), comfortably treading water as they hope for an eventual Kawhi Leonard return. However, they have had the Dubs’ number this year.

8. Phoenix Suns — 15-14 record, -1.4 net rating (16th in NBA)

Warriors record vs. Suns: 0-1
Remaining matches vs. Suns: 3rd

We’ve known ever since the Suns acquired their star-studded team that they would go as far as their health would take them, and this year has been the clearest case of that. Devin Booker has missed three games, Jusuf Nurkić has missed seven, and both Kevin Durant and Bradley Beal have missed 10. In particular, Warriors legend KD has been the ever-important cog in Phoenix’s wheel: with a record 14- 5 , they are clear contenders when he plays; and with a 1-9 record, they are one of the worst teams in the NBA when he doesn’t suit up.

9. Minnesota Timberwolves — 15-14 record, +2.3 net rating (11th in NBA)

Warriors record vs. Wolves: 2-1
Remaining matches vs. Wolves: 1

The Dubs have played well against the Timberwolves this year, and Minnesota has struggled to find their 2023-24 magic after trading Karl-Anthony Towns for Julius Randle and Donte DiVincenzo. However, they are still ultra talented, with Anthony Edwards looking less like a star and more like a superstar every day.

10. Golden State Warriors — 15-14 record, +1.1 net rating (14th in NBA)

Matches behind the playoff teams: 1.5

The Dubs are in something of a free fall and their inability to close out games has been part of it. During their current skid, where they have lost 11 of their last 14, they have had a one-point loss, a two-point loss, a pair of four-point losses, a six-point loss and a pair. eight point loss.

The lottery teams

11. San Antonio Spurs — 15-15 record, -1.7 net rating (19th in NBA)

Warriors record vs. Spurs: 0-1
Remaining matches against Spurs: 2

Spurs are coming. They may not make the playoffs this year (although they might!), but it’s only a matter of time before the Victor Wembanyama-led side are a fixture at the top of the standings. For now, they stand as a talented but flawed team that should have all 10 teams currently in the postseason looking over their shoulders.

12. Sacramento Kings — 13-17 record, +1.1 net rating (13th in NBA)

Warriors record vs. Kings: Haven’t played yet
Remaining matches vs. Kings: 4th

What a disappointing year it’s been for Mike Brown’s team … so disappointing that rumors are now swirling about how they might not be able to re-sign De’Aaron Fox. The Warriors have yet to face their new rivals and face them in the first of four on January 5.

13. Portland Trail Blazers — 9-20 record, -10.7 net rating (28th in NBA)

Warriors record vs. Blazers: 1-0
Remaining matches vs. Blazers: 2

The Dubs haven’t faced the Blazers since a 140-104 win in Portland on opening day. Needless to say, Golden State looked like a better team back then! The Blazers have a better record than many would have expected at this point in the season, but the net rating paints a uglier picture … needless to say, Portland is not in the running for the postseason.

14. Utah Jazz — 7-21 record, -8.6 net rating (27th in NBA)

Warriors record vs. Jazz: 1-0
Remaining matches vs. Jazz: 2

And the Dubs haven’t faced the Jazz since they won 127-86 in Utah in their second game of the season, looking like a better team than they do now! The Jazz, on the other hand, have looked like the same sad team all year long.

15. New Orleans Pelicans — 5-25 record, -12.7 net rating (29th in NBA)

Warriors record vs. Pelicans: 3-0
Remaining matches vs. Pelicans: 1

The Pelicans are like Suns Lite. They’ll go as far as their health can take them … except the ceiling isn’t quite as high as Phoenix’s, and the injury concerns are somehow much worse. Just 30 games into the year, the Pels have already had 24 absences from Zion Williamson, 18 from Herbert Jones, 17 from Dejounte Murray, 13 each from CJ McCollum and Trey Murphy III, and 12 from Brandon Ingram, not to mention their role players. Only four players – rookie Yves Missi, two-way contract Brandon Boston Jr., journeyman Javonte Green and the still young and inexperienced Jeremiah Robinson-Earl have played more than 20 games this year.

And there are the positions after the board of Christmas games. Hopefully they will look better next month.