Who Won the 2017 NBA Western Conference? Final Standings Revealed

I still remember watching that 2017 Western Conference race unfold, and let me tell you, it was one of the most grueling battles I've witnessed in recent NBA history. As someone who's analyzed basketball for over a decade, I can confidently say that season tested teams in ways we rarely see. The Warriors ultimately claimed the top spot with a dominant 67-15 record, but the journey there was anything but straightforward. What struck me most was how teams had to navigate the physical and mental toll of that marathon season - something that resonates deeply with that insightful quote about playing through exhaustion while maintaining efficiency. I've always believed that championship teams aren't just about talent; they're about managing the grind, and 2017 proved this beautifully.

The Warriors' road to Western Conference supremacy was particularly fascinating because they weren't just winning - they were evolving their approach to the regular season. Having covered their games throughout that year, I noticed Steve Kerr implementing what I'd call "managed intensity." They'd have stretches where they looked almost bored, then suddenly flip a switch and blow games open in minutes. Their 67 wins came with a certain wisdom - they knew when to push and when to conserve energy. What many casual observers missed was how their championship experience from previous years allowed them to handle fatigue better than anyone. I remember specifically their March 11th comeback against the Spurs where they looked dead in the water until the fourth quarter, then unleashed that trademark third-quarter explosion we'd come to expect. That game perfectly illustrated how they'd mastered playing through exhaustion while maintaining their offensive efficiency.

San Antonio's 61-21 record secured them the second seed, but honestly, I thought they were building toward something special until Kawhi Leonard's unfortunate injury in the conference finals. Having studied Gregg Popovich's systems for years, what impressed me most was how the Spurs maintained their fundamental excellence while adapting to the modern game. Their defensive rating of 100.9 points per 100 possessions was just phenomenal basketball - the kind of disciplined play that doesn't get enough attention in today's highlight-driven coverage. I've always had a soft spot for teams that win through system rather than pure star power, and the Spurs exemplified this. Their March 29th victory over Golden State showed they could hang with anyone when healthy, though I personally felt they lacked the offensive firepower to overcome the Warriors at full strength.

Now, the Rockets at 55-27 were my dark horse that season. Mike D'Antoni's offensive revolution with James Harden as point guard was basketball poetry. Their offensive rating of 114.7 was just ludicrous - I remember crunching the numbers and being blown away by how they'd optimized for three-pointers and layups before it became league-wide dogma. What made Houston particularly dangerous was their ability to maintain offensive efficiency even on back-to-backs or in tough road environments. Watching them drop 137 points on Oklahoma City in April showed me they had another gear that could trouble anyone. I'll admit I was higher on the Rockets than most analysts - their style wasn't always pretty, but my goodness was it effective.

The Clippers (51-31) and Jazz (51-31) rounded out the top five, but here's where things got really interesting for me. Utah's development that season was a masterclass in team building. Watching them grind out wins with that methodical, physical style reminded me of classic Eastern Conference basketball. Their net rating of +5.7 was no fluke - this was a team built for playoff battles. Meanwhile, the Clippers felt like they'd reached their ceiling. Having covered the Chris Paul-Blake Griffin era extensively, I sensed this was their last real shot before the inevitable rebuild. Their April 15th loss to Utah in the first round felt like the end of an era, though I'll always appreciate how hard that group competed.

What often gets lost in discussing these standings is the sheer brutality of the Western Conference schedule that year. Teams weren't just playing games - they were surviving a war of attrition. The quote about playing through exhaustion while finding efficiency perfectly captures what separated the contenders from the pretenders. I tracked teams' performance on the second night of back-to-backs, and the drop-off was significant for everyone except the very elite. Golden State went 12-3 in such situations - a testament to their depth and conditioning. The Thunder went 8-7, which partly explains why they finished sixth despite Russell Westbrook's historic triple-double season.

Looking back, the 2017 Western Conference taught me that regular season success isn't just about talent accumulation - it's about building systems that withstand the natural fatigue of an 82-game grind. The Warriors didn't just have the best players; they had the most sustainable approach to managing energy and maintaining execution quality when tired. Their ability to flip that switch in crucial moments, combined with their depth, made them nearly impossible to catch in the standings. While I've always been drawn to underdog stories, even I had to acknowledge that Golden State's combination of star power and systemic excellence represented basketball evolution. The final standings didn't just tell us who won - they revealed which organizations truly understood how to navigate the modern NBA's physical and mental demands.