14. Minnesota Timberwolves
Every time it feels as if the Minnesota Timberwolves are beginning to take strides as a team, they naturally fall into a bit of a lull. So far this season, that's been the story for the Wolves. They've been wildly inconsistent so far this season and it's hard to envision this team truly turning the corner at any point during the second half of the year. The honest truth about this team is that they simply don't have a roster that will be able to effectively - and consistently - compete in the Western Conference this season.
In fairness, the moment that the Wolves traded Karl-Anthony Towns, that should've been the first sign that this season was going to be somewhat of a gap year for the team. The Wolves are probably still going to make the postseason, but there shouldn't be much expectation for this team heading into the stretch run. Maybe Anthony Edwards is special enough where he can make a few things interesting but this team has more issues that it could effectively solve at the moment. A big offseason awaits for the Wolves in which they almost have to make a splash improvement to their roster.
13. LA Clippers
The LA Clippers did a great job of "surviving" the first half of the regular season without Kawhi Leonard. The true test for this team began when Kawhi made his debut this year. While there have been some rough patches for Kawhi in the four games he's played in, as continues to shake the rust off his game, the biggest and most important stat is that the Clippers are 3-1 in games he's played in since his return. He's going to miss some time sparingly due to rest but that's certainly a positive sign for him moving forward.
More than anything, this is something that the Clippers can look to build on heading into the true push toward the postseason. This team was always going to be graded on what they did in the playoffs and not the regular season. If the Clippers can get the postseason with a Kawhi who has effectively knocked off his rust and is relatively healthy, this is a team that can emerge as a dangerous threat - especially considering the top of the West standings is littered with unproven contenders.