I remember sitting in my living room during that 2017-18 NBA season, watching the Houston Rockets completely dismantle teams with their revolutionary offensive system. They were like a well-oiled machine, firing threes from every angle while James Harden orchestrated the show with Chris Paul as his co-pilot. That season felt different from previous years - there was this palpable shift happening in how basketball was being played, and the standings reflected that evolution perfectly. The Rockets finished with a league-best 65-17 record, which honestly surprised me given how dominant the Warriors had been in recent years. What struck me most was how teams like the Raptors transformed their entire approach, embracing modern analytics and three-point shooting in ways we hadn't seen before.
Looking back at that season's standings, the Western Conference was absolutely brutal. I recall thinking how teams like the Denver Nuggets, who finished just one game out of the playoffs at 46-36, would have comfortably made it in the East. Meanwhile, the Miami Heat squeezed into the eighth spot in the East with a mediocre 44-38 record. The disparity between conferences was stark, though personally I've always believed the West's competitiveness made for more exciting basketball down the stretch. Teams were fighting for playoff positioning until the final day, with Minnesota clinching their first playoff berth in 14 years on the season's last game - that moment when Jimmy Butler returned from injury to lead them past Denver was pure theater.
When we talk about teams that took setbacks straight to the chin and kept pushing, the Oklahoma City Thunder come immediately to mind. After losing Kevin Durant in free agency, they retooled around Russell Westbrook and added Paul George and Carmelo Anthony. Many critics wrote them off, but they fought through early chemistry issues to secure the fourth seed in the West. Their journey reminded me that in basketball, as in life, sometimes you need to embrace the struggle to emerge stronger. The Philadelphia 76ers embodied this philosophy perfectly - after years of "trusting the process," they exploded onto the scene with a 52-30 record, riding their young stars Joel Embiid and Ben Simmons to their first playoff appearance since 2012.
My playoff predictions that season were mostly on point, though I'll admit I underestimated the Cleveland Cavaliers' ability to flip the switch come postseason. I had them losing in the second round, but LeBron James carried them all the way to the Finals with one of the most incredible individual playoff runs I've ever witnessed. Meanwhile, my dark horse pick of the Utah Jazz surprised everyone by knocking out the Thunder in the first round, proving that team chemistry and defensive discipline could overcome superstar talent. The Raptors, despite earning the East's top seed, once again fell short against Cleveland - a disappointment that ultimately led to massive organizational changes.
What fascinates me about analyzing standings and making predictions is how much context matters beyond just wins and losses. The Boston Celtics, for instance, lost Gordon Hayward just five minutes into the season opener, yet Brad Stevens coached them to 55 wins and nearly an NBA Finals appearance. Teams like the San Antonio Spurs, who finished seventh in the West with 47 wins, demonstrated the value of institutional stability - they made the playoffs for the 21st consecutive season despite Kawhi Leonard playing only nine games. Meanwhile, the Detroit Pistons barely missed postseason action despite Blake Griffin's heroic efforts, finishing ninth in the East with 39 wins.
The beauty of that particular season was how it challenged conventional wisdom about team construction and playoff success. The Houston Rockets, with their analytical approach to shot selection, came within one missed three-pointer of defeating the Warriors and reaching the Finals. Meanwhile, traditional powerhouses like the Spurs and Cavaliers showed signs of vulnerability. As someone who's followed the NBA for decades, I appreciated how the 2017-18 season represented a passing of the torch in many ways, with emerging teams like the 76ers and Bucks beginning their ascent while established contenders faced new challenges. The standings told a story of transition, of teams adapting to new styles of play, and of organizations learning to navigate the complexities of the modern NBA landscape.