As I look back at the 2017 NBA Western Conference standings, what strikes me most isn't just the numbers—it's the incredible human effort behind those rankings. I remember watching teams push through what seemed like impossible circumstances, and one quote from that season has always stuck with me: "Even when we're tired, we're moving more efficiently now because we're playing games while carrying fatigue." This perfectly captures the reality of that grueling Western Conference race, where teams weren't just competing against each other but against their own physical and mental limits.

The Golden State Warriors finishing at 67-15 wasn't just impressive—it was almost unfair how dominant they were. Having watched them throughout that season, I'd argue they were playing a different sport than everyone else. Their offensive flow, the way they shared the ball, it was basketball poetry. What many casual observers might not realize is that their success came despite playing 19 back-to-back games, exactly proving that point about learning to perform efficiently even through exhaustion. The San Antonio Spurs at 61-21 were typically methodical, but I always felt they were playing with house money that season—they knew they were good, but not championship good, and it showed in their more measured approach.

Now, the Houston Rockets at 55-27—that's a team I genuinely enjoyed watching. Mike D'Antoni's system unleashed James Harden in ways we hadn't seen before, and their three-point barrage either thrilled you or made you want to tear your hair out depending on which team you supported. They averaged an absurd 40.3 three-point attempts per game, which at the time felt revolutionary and slightly insane. The LA Clippers at 51-31 were their usual entertaining selves, but I always felt they were the team most likely to disappoint in crucial moments, which unfortunately proved accurate come playoff time.

What fascinates me about that Utah Jazz team finishing 51-31 is how they defied every modern basketball convention. They were slow, methodical, and played what some might call "ugly" basketball, but watching Rudy Gobert transform into a defensive powerhouse was one of my personal highlights of the season. The Oklahoma City Thunder at 47-35 gave us Russell Westbrook's historic triple-double season, but if I'm being completely honest, all those individual stats never felt like winning basketball to me—it was spectacular theater but ultimately empty calories.

The Memphis Grizzlies clawing their way to 43-39 felt like their last stand of grit-and-grind basketball, and I have to admit I've always had a soft spot for how they stubbornly refused to play "pretty" basketball. Meanwhile, the Portland Trail Blazers at 41-41 were the team that frustrated me most—so much talent, yet consistently underperforming when it mattered. The Denver Nuggets at 40-42 were clearly building toward something special, though none of us knew just how good they'd become in the coming years.

The battle for that final playoff spot between New Orleans Pelicans (34-48) and Dallas Mavericks (33-49) was genuinely heartbreaking to watch. The Pelicans somehow sneaking into the playoffs with a losing record tells you everything about the conference imbalance that year. I remember thinking at the time how unfair it was that teams like Denver and Portland missed out while a sub-.500 team got in, but that's the nature of the playoff structure.

Looking at the teams that didn't make it—the Sacramento Kings (32-50), Minnesota Timberwolves (31-51), LA Lakers (26-56), Phoenix Suns (24-58)—what stood out to me was how each was in a different phase of rebuilding. The Lakers in particular were fascinating to watch, with a young core that showed flashes of what was to come, though nobody could have predicted their championship run just a few years later.

When the playoffs arrived, the Warriors' sweep through the West felt inevitable yet still breathtaking. I'll never forget watching them dismantle teams with what appeared to be minimal effort, that "efficiency through fatigue" concept playing out in real time. Their 12-0 run through the Western Conference playoffs before the Finals was one of the most dominant performances I've witnessed in my years watching basketball.

Reflecting on that entire season, what stays with me isn't just the standings or the statistics—it's the human element. These athletes playing through exhaustion, adapting to fatigue, finding ways to perform when their bodies were begging for rest. That quote about moving efficiently despite carrying fatigue wasn't just words—it was the defining reality of that Western Conference race, where the difference between making playoffs and going home often came down to who could best manage the cumulative toll of an 82-game season while still performing at elite levels. The 2017 Western Conference wasn't just about basketball—it was a masterclass in professional resilience.