6. Dallas Mavericks
It hasn't been a perfect start for the Dallas Mavericks this season but there are clearly signs that this team is going to reemerge as a contender in the Western Conference. I wouldn't say the trio of Luka Doncic, Kyrie Irving, and Klay Thompson has hit its stride yet but there are some positive signs the team can keep building off of. The rest of the supporting cast has also continued to take steps forward as the Mavs look to rebound from a loss in the NBA Finals at the hands of the Boston Celtics.
With how inconsistent the majority of the Western Conference has been this season, it would be surprising if the Mavs were in the thick of the race for one of the top 3 seeds for the majority of the season. At the end of the day, as is the case for most teams in that second tier of championship contenders, health will be one of the driving forces of what we can expect from the Mavs when it matters most.
On paper, there's a lot to like about how the Mavs have begun the season. Assuming they have another gear, the Mavs will have a shot to make it back to the NBA Finals this season.
5. Golden State Warriors
After a confusing offseason, it was almost impossible to predict what to reasonably expect from the Golden State Warriors at the start of this season. Perhaps the most positive sign that the Warriors may be back on track is the fact that they've managed to get off to a fast start to the season even without Steph Curry playing his best basketball. Right now, he's dealing with an injury. But even when he was in the lineup at the start of the year, Curry still hadn't hit his stride or rhythm. The Warriors didn't seem all that bothered by that.
The contributions of the supporting cast have been on par with where they need to be if this team is going to reemerge as a dark horse contender in the Western Conference. I wouldn't conclusively suggest that the Warriors should be considered contenders in the West at the moment, but they've gone a long way in reversing the negative narrative surrounding the team.
In a few weeks, it'll be interesting to revisit the Warriors and at that point, we should have a greater sample size as we continue to unwrap this team's dynamic this season.