Tiers of the West: Contenders, Climbers & Pretenders (25-26 Conference Preview)

In this episode of The Baseline NBA Podcast, we deliver our 2025-26 NBA Western Conference Preview — breaking down all 15 teams into four tiers: Contenders, Middle of the Pack, Play-In Hopefuls, and Lottery Bound squads. While many believe it’s OKC Thunder’s conference to lose, the West is as tight as ever, with razor-thin margins separating playoff locks from the lottery line. We debate where every team stands, highlight breakout candidates, and predict how this year’s Western Conference hierarchy will shake out.

If you love NBA analysis, power rankings, and season previews, this is the episode for you.

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