Rising Teams in the East, Setting Teams in the West (Ep. 177)

The Ringer’s Chris Vernon and Kevin O’Connor react to Victor Oladipo’s transformation into a star (4:15), debate why the Oklahoma City Thunder superteam hasn't worked (17:54), and analyze the Toronto Raptors’ surprising success (29:09). Then, they gauge whether the dominant Rockets will contend with the Warriors (43:34), speculate around LeBron’s future (51:22), and consider which Western Conference teams will rise to playoff contention (56:20).