NBA Mailbag: King of the West, Kyrie and Jaren Jackson DPOY?

Welcome to another NBA mailbag for Inside The Suns. In this edition, everything from Jaren Jackson’s DPOY case to who the top team in the West is settled.

Welcome back to the second NBA mailbag on Inside the Suns. A few Western Conference questions fill up this week's slate. 

Best team in the West?

The Western Conference has been very confusing all year, as several teams have moved up and down the standings. Based on recency bias, the Denver Nuggets appear to be the best team in the West. The only team close to them record-wise is the Memphis Grizzlies, who are coming off a five-game losing streak. 

Even so, the Nuggets themselves haven't been the most consistent team, dropping three of their last six games. The Grizzlies are also an outstanding team when they are in rhythm with each other, which they haven't been over this rough patch. Hopefully, they can bounce back after another poor stretch. As of now, it's likely a toss-up between these two teams, with a couple of west-coast teams looming near.

The Clippers and Kings have made their way up the rankings and have both looked solid as of late. However, neither team seems to have the edge over the Nuggets or the Grizzlies.

Where does Jaren Jackson Jr. rank in the DPOY race?

Based on odds, Jackson is far and away the No. 1 candidate as there is a sizeable margin between him (-235) and Nic Claxton (+650), who has the second highest odds. Jackson was selected for his first All-Star game this year despite averaging 16.5 PPG. This is a testament to how spectacular his defense has been this year.

He's averaging an absurd 3.3 BLK this year to go along with a steal in just 27 minutes a contest. He's averaging 4.3 BLK per 36 minutes this season which is simply unheard of. Statistically, no other player compares with those numbers, giving Jackson the edge over just about anybody. 

Heading into the All-Star break, the award is his to lose.

How good does Kyrie Irving make the Dallas Mavericks?

As of late in the NBA, the biggest news has been the Kyrie Irving to Dallas trade from the Brooklyn Nets. This season, the narrative around Luka Doncic and the Mavs is that Doncic has had very little support. Even so, they are still the sixth seed in the Western Conference, sitting at 28-26 on the season. The addition of superstar Irving makes their backcourt one of, if not the scariest, in the league. Irving also has playoff experience that he can add to the Mavericks, giving teams like the Grizzlies and Nuggets a run for their money in the playoffs. This new addition makes them a true title contender, and they could very well make it out of the West.