NBA Standings 2017 West: Complete Playoff Picture and Team Rankings Breakdown
Looking back at the 2017 Western Conference standings, I still get chills thinking about how fiercely competitive it was. As someone who’s followed the NBA for over a decade, I can confidently say that season was one of the most grueling playoff races I’ve ever witnessed. Teams weren’t just fighting for seeding—they were battling exhaustion, travel schedules, and the mental toll of an 82-game season. It reminds me of a quote I once came across from a player reflecting on that very dynamic: “Ang mas nagiging reference ngayon, kahit pagod, gumagalaw na kami na sa tingin ko ng mas-efficient dahil nga nilalaro na namin ‘yung games na may dinadala rin talagang pagod.” Roughly translated, it speaks to how teams had to adapt, playing through fatigue while somehow becoming more efficient. That, to me, captures the essence of the 2017 West—a relentless grind where resilience often trumped raw talent.
Let’s start with the top of the standings, where the Golden State Warriors dominated with a staggering 67–15 record. I’ve always admired their offensive firepower, but what stood out that year was their ability to manage fatigue. Even on back-to-backs or long road trips, they played with a fluidity that felt almost effortless. Stephen Curry and Kevin Durant, in particular, seemed to elevate their games when it mattered most, and I believe their depth allowed them to conserve energy for the playoffs. Right behind them, the San Antonio Spurs finished at 61–21, a testament to Gregg Popovich’s legendary load management. I remember thinking how the Spurs embodied that idea of playing efficiently despite exhaustion—they rarely blew teams out, but they always found a way to win close games. The Houston Rockets, led by James Harden and Mike D’Antoni’s offensive system, rounded out the top three with a 55–27 record. Their pace-and-space approach was thrilling to watch, though I’ll admit I sometimes questioned their defensive consistency down the stretch.
The middle of the pack was where things got really messy, and honestly, it was my favorite part of the season to analyze. The Utah Jazz, Los Angeles Clippers, and Oklahoma City Thunder all finished with identical 51–31 records, forcing tiebreakers that came down to the smallest margins. I vividly recall Russell Westbrook’s historic triple-double campaign—averaging 31.6 points, 10.7 rebounds, and 10.4 assists—but what impressed me more was how the Thunder managed to stay competitive in games where they clearly looked gassed. That quote about playing through fatigue rings so true here; OKC had to grind out wins in the fourth quarter repeatedly, and it showed in their clutch statistics. Meanwhile, the Jazz, with Rudy Gobert’s defensive presence, often won ugly, low-scoring games. As a fan of disciplined basketball, I loved watching them frustrate opponents night after night. The Clippers, on the other hand, felt like they were always on the brink of something greater but never quite got there. Chris Paul and Blake Griffin were brilliant, but injuries and fatigue seemed to catch up with them at the worst times.
Then there were the bubble teams—the Memphis Grizzlies, Portland Trail Blazers, and Denver Nuggets—all fighting for the seventh and eighth seeds. Memphis finished 47–35, relying heavily on their grit-and-grind identity, while Portland edged out Denver with a 44–38 record. I have to say, the Nuggets were one of the most fascinating stories that year. They missed the playoffs by just one game, and I still wonder how things might have unfolded if they’d secured that final spot. Nikola Jokić was already showing flashes of his future MVP form, but the team’s youth and inexperience in tight situations cost them dearly. On the flip side, the Trail Blazers, led by Damian Lillard, had a knack for closing out games under pressure. Lillard’s clutch gene was on full display, and I remember thinking how his leadership in high-stakes moments mirrored that idea of growing more efficient despite fatigue.
As the regular season wound down, the playoff picture became a chess match of rest versus momentum. Coaches had to decide whether to push their stars or conserve energy for the postseason, and it wasn’t always clear what the right move was. For instance, the Warriors occasionally rested their starters in late-season games, which I thought was smart but also risked disrupting their rhythm. Meanwhile, teams like the Thunder played their stars heavy minutes until the very end, banking on momentum to carry them into the playoffs. Reflecting on it now, I think the teams that struck the right balance—like the Spurs—were the ones best prepared for the postseason grind. The first-round matchups, from Warriors–Trail Blazers to Spurs–Grizzlies, were brutal, and it was clear that the teams who had learned to play through exhaustion during the regular season had a distinct advantage.
In hindsight, the 2017 Western Conference was a masterclass in endurance and adaptability. The standings didn’t just reflect talent; they highlighted which teams could maintain efficiency under duress. That quote I mentioned earlier—about playing through fatigue and becoming more efficient—really sums it up for me. Whether it was the Warriors’ depth, the Spurs’ system, or the Thunder’s sheer will, each team had to find a way to navigate the grueling schedule. As a longtime observer, I’ve come to appreciate how seasons like 2017 reveal the intangible qualities that separate good teams from great ones. It’s not just about star power or statistics; it’s about resilience, and that’s something I’ll always remember when looking back at those standings.
