There are only 5 teams in the Western Conference that can compete for the championship. The Rockets that Durant joined are not among them. Chasing Dreams gives the reason.

Chai Meng publicly stated in the live broadcast that only 5 teams in the Western Conference can compete for the championship, and the Rockets joined by Durant are not among them. Chai Meng also gave reasons for this statement.

Only 5 teams in the Western Conference can compete for the championship.

The new season has only started one week, and the NBA has already experienced a data blowout. In particular, several players in the Wild West scored 40+ points, and even many people scored 50+ points in a single game. In addition, the Trail Blazers, Jazz, and Spurs are showing their competitiveness, which has further intensified the already fiercely competitive Western Conference environment, and many teams have shown their ability to compete for the championship.

In response to this hot topic, Chai Meng publicly stated in his podcast that the Western Conference seems to be brutally competitive, but in fact there are only five teams capable of competing for the championship, and the Rockets that Durant joined are not among them.

"OKC, our Warriors, and Denver, as long as Jokic is there, they will always have a chance, Gordon is also very strong, and then there are the two teams in Los Angeles. These are the teams that I think can really compete for the championship now," Zhui Meng said.

5 teams lead the battle

Judging from the performance since the beginning of the season, the five teams named by Dream Chaser do have good ability to compete for the championship, especially the defending champion Thunder, which started the season with 6 consecutive wins and led the league despite the injuries to many core players such as Jaylen Williams and Holmgren.

After winning the Finals, while MVP Alexander further transformed, the Thunder's role players also played the role of a surprise player.

Whether it is in terms of core player capabilities, depth of role lineup, offensive and defensive balance, growth ceiling, or even potential trading chips, the defending champion Thunder have the strength to build a dynasty.

With Jokic, the number one player currently on active duty, the Nuggets, who have been a steady contender for the championship in the past few seasons, are expected to be the Thunder's biggest competitor on the road to defending the title.

After cleaning up the management and coaching staff, the internally united Nuggets have completed effective reinforcements. The three new players of Varan, Hardaway Jr. and old player Bruce Brown have all been seamlessly integrated into the system.

The only variable is Cameron Johnson, who was exchanged for Porter in a 2-for-1 trade. Not only did he not become an upgraded version of Porter, but he was unable to integrate into the system. He has no elite 3D player style. The good news is that the Nuggets still have enough time to wait for Johnson to integrate into the team.

As for the Lakers, Clippers and Warriors, the three teams built around veteran stars, the problems are generally similar, but there are also subtle differences.

Overall, the three teams are faced with aging core players, physical fitness, and potential injuries. Among them, the Clippers are the most prominent and face the challenge of rebuilding chemical reactions after a major lineup change.

In contrast, the core of the Warriors is the oldest. Curry + Butler + Dream Chaser + Horford are 147 years old. However, the Warriors have a stable chemical reaction. At the same time, Kuminga, Moody, Podger, Post and other young players are worth looking forward to.

And although the core players are old, their injury risks are much smaller than those of the Clippers.

The Lakers' aging problem is mainly concentrated on James. The overall injury risk is smaller than that of the Clippers, but the depth of the team's lineup is far less than that of the Clippers and Warriors.

If you want to go far in the playoffs, you can only hope that the three core players of James, Doncic, and Reeves will remain healthy and hot for a long time.

The Rockets unexpectedly lost the selection

In addition to these five teams, the Rockets' unexpected defeat caused controversy. For this reason, Dream Chaser also responded in a subsequent live broadcast.

Chai Meng said that he has no prejudice against the Rockets and likes their lineup configuration, but it is nonsense to expect the Rockets to win the championship without Van Jordan.

Many people have overlooked Van Jordan's leadership, ball-handling and scoring abilities, not to mention that he is like a bulldog on the defensive end. Everyone really underestimates Van Jordan's significance to this Rockets team.