A Look Back at the 2017 NBA Western Conference Standings and Final Results
I still remember the 2017 NBA season like it was yesterday, especially that wild Western Conference race that had basketball fans on the edge of their seats all season long. Looking back at the 2017 NBA Western Conference standings and final results, what strikes me most isn't just who finished where, but how teams navigated the brutal 82-game grind. The Warriors ultimately claimed the top spot with 67 wins, but the real story was how teams like the Spurs and Rockets fought through fatigue and injuries to secure their playoff positions.
That season taught me something important about professional basketball - it's not just about talent, but about managing energy and pushing through exhaustion. I was reminded of this recently when I came across a quote that perfectly captures this reality: "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." This Filipino insight about playing efficiently even when tired resonates deeply with what we saw from teams like the Spurs that year. Gregg Popovich's squad finished with 61 wins while strategically resting his aging stars, proving that smart fatigue management could be as important as raw talent.
The race for the eighth seed was absolutely insane that year. Denver, Portland, and New Orleans were fighting tooth and nail until the final week, with the Trail Blazers ultimately securing that final playoff spot with a 41-41 record. I remember watching Damian Lillard's late-season heroics thinking this guy just wouldn't let his team miss the postseason, even though they were clearly running on fumes. That's where that concept of playing efficiently through fatigue really manifested - teams had to find ways to win when they were physically and mentally drained.
What many casual fans don't realize is how much the 2017 Western Conference landscape was shaped by the previous summer's moves. Kevin Durant's decision to join the Warriors created this superteam that everyone was chasing, but it also forced other teams to get creative. Houston's acquisition of Mike D'Antoni and his offensive system transformed James Harden into a point guard, resulting in 55 wins and the third seed. The Jazz quietly put together a 51-win season despite losing Gordon Hayward in free agency, showing that system and culture could overcome individual talent losses.
The playoffs that followed revealed so much about these teams' character. San Antonio's Kawhi Leonard going down in the conference finals against Golden State was heartbreaking - I still wonder how different that series might have been if he'd stayed healthy. The Warriors swept their first three series before finally losing one game to the Spurs, but that dominant run showed how they'd mastered the art of peaking at the right time. Their ability to flip that switch when it mattered most, conserving energy during the regular season before unleashing their full potential in the playoffs, was something special to witness.
Russell Westbrook's MVP season with Oklahoma City was another fascinating subplot in that Western Conference narrative. His 42 triple-doubles and averaging 31.6 points per game while carrying the Thunder to the sixth seed was both spectacular and concerning. I've always been torn about that season - the individual brilliance was undeniable, but watching him visibly exhaust himself night after night made me question the sustainability of that approach. Contrast that with Golden State's ball movement and shared responsibility, and you see two very different philosophies about managing player workload.
The Clippers' final chapter with their core group was particularly poignant. They finished fourth with 51 wins but bowed out in the first round, ending the Chris Paul-Blake Griffin-DeAndre Jordan era. Watching them year after year, I always felt they never quite figured out how to preserve their stars for the postseason grind. There's something to be said about learning to play efficiently through fatigue rather than just fighting through it - that subtle distinction separates good teams from great ones.
Reflecting on the 2017 NBA Western Conference standings and final results five years later, what stands out is how that season represented a turning point in how teams approach the regular season. The strategic resting, load management, and energy conservation we see today were really crystallizing during that period. Teams were learning that surviving the Western Conference marathon required more than talent - it demanded smart pacing, roster depth, and the mental fortitude to perform when exhausted. The teams that understood this, like the Warriors and Spurs, found sustained success, while others struggled to adapt to this new reality. That season wasn't just about basketball - it was a masterclass in resource management and endurance that continues to influence how the game is played today.
