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In a pre-pandemic world, it would be right around that special time of the season where players, media and fans spend countless hours arguing over the NBA All-Star rosters. In some years, a player might even lash out at a post-game presser over the perceived slight. The first post-snub game for those players is a must-watch, as they always seem to bring extra intensity in the hopes of showing the voting public just how wrong they were.

But this season, the All-Star situation is fluid, to say the least. The game itself was originally a no-go, but recent reports indicate the NBA may be looking for a way to host the exhibition. The league also just announced that voting on the starters for each conference will begin soon.

With only a month of NBA basketball in the books, crafting a perfect All-Star team that spares no deserving player is futile. There will be snubs — likely even more than usual. A player’s reputation may come into play more than ever leading to more deserving players missing the cut. Those players will make snarky comments about this, and their fans will argue on Twitter, and life will go on.

In previous years, Basketball Insiders would take a look at some players on the fringes of the All-Star roster and make the case for their selection. Due to the aforementioned circumstances, it seems more prudent to leave the All-Star game out of the equation and take a look at a few players who have simply stood out this year.

Our own Tristan Tucker has already pinpointed a few of those players in the East, so a few players from the West will be examined here. Keep in mind, these are players who, in a normal year, would be in the All-Star discussion, rather than a lock for the team. So, while players like Nikola Jokic and LeBron James have had incredible seasons, neither will not be mentioned beyond this sentence.

Mike Conley, Utah Jazz

The entire Utah Jazz starting five was in consideration for this list. The Jazz are now on a 10-game winning streak and sport the league’s best record. Their starting lineup is running teams off the court and they are shooting the lights out of the ball over the last few weeks.

While each player involved in the streak has played well, Conley will be the focus here. His two-way play at point guard has been a revelation, particularly after his struggles when joining the team last season.

Conley currently leads the entire league in plus-minus. While this stat is more indicative of team success than player success — Rudy Gobert is second on this list — the fact that Conley leads all other members of the Jazz shows just how valuable he has been in propelling bench units.

Conley’s efficiency has mostly been driven by his hot three-point shooting and the rebirth of his once-great floater game. Conley is shooting 42 percent from three and 54 percent from floater range, up from 38 percent and 36 percent in those respective areas last season, per Cleaning the Glass.

Conley has also developed better pick-and-roll chemistry with Gobert. The Jazz has scored 1.03 points per possession with Conley as the pick-and-roll ball handler this season, up from 0.84 points per possession last season, per NBA.com.

Just as impressive has been Conley’s defense. His basketball IQ and experience have made him a standout team defender and he still possesses the ability to hound the opponent’s point guard out to the half-court. Here he stays with Trae Young while reading the pass from John Collins, nabbing a steal which leads to a layup:

While Conley is helped by a Jazz team that is dominating as a unit, his stellar play has been a large part of their recent streak.

Christian Wood, Houston Rockets

After bouncing around the league and a brief stint in China, Wood has found his footing in Houston. The gangly big man is averaging 23 points and 10 rebounds a game on 60 percent true shooting. His production has been maintained even after the departure of James Harden, with who he had developed decent chemistry in their short time together.

The Rockets offense is performing at a league-average rate when Wood plays but plummets to one of the worst in the league when he sits. His vertical gravity around the rim opens up the team’s pick-and-roll game, where they have scored 1.20 points per possession on nearly six of those possessions per game, per NBA.com. Only Nikola Vucevic can claim that efficiency on that high of a volume over the first month of the season.

Wood is not a perfect defender, as his slight frame can make guarding the league’s bulkier centers a tall task and he can often find himself out of help position. He does occasionally find ways to be disruptive thanks to his ridiculous wingspan. Here he swipes an entry pass while guarding the perimeter:

The most impressive part of that clip comes after the steal, as his poise with the ball when leading the break has stood out early this season. Despite his stature, Wood looks comfortable dribbling into his spots and doesn’t panic when guards swipe at him. He moves at his own pace to get to where he wants on the floor.

The play of Wood has put him well ahead of the pack in the race for Most Improved and has been a key component in the Rockets’ fight to stay competitive.

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Oklahoma City Thunder

After a year under the tutelage of Chris Paul, Gilgeous-Alexander has been given the keys to the Thunder offense. And the third-year point guard has rewarded the team’s trust, putting up 21 points, 5 rebounds, and 6 assists on the season with a very impressive 61 percent true shooting.

While the Thunder have slipped from the national spotlight this season, Gilgeous-Alexander is blossoming into a star. He has continued to improve his ability to finish at the rim and draw fouls, while also improving his already impressive floater game.

He is carrying the Thunder offense. The team posts a not-great-but-respectable 110.1 offensive rating when he plays, compared to a god-awful 96.0 when he sits, per Cleaning the Glass. His defense has slipped a bit with the increased offensive load, but he still competes on that end and has the length to bother opposing guards.

And, if you are into cherry-picked statistics, then this is the stat for you: in NBA history, only seven players have averaged at least 21 points, 6 assists, and 5 rebounds on 60 percent true shooting or better. Those players — Michael Jordan (twice), Lebron James (six times), Larry Bird (twice), Magic Johnson (three times), James Harden (six times), Stephen Curry (three times), and Wilt Chamberlain.

Right now Gilgeous-Alexander and Jokic — who was not supposed to be mentioned again, but alas — are posting at least those numbers.

The league is filled with talent in every corner, but those three have made their mark on this condensed and weird season in a way that deserves recognition.

Outside of that triumvirate, young players out West like Mikal Bridges, Michael Porter Jr., Lu Dort, and Keldon Johnson have been impressive and important for their teams as well. Basketball Insiders will be keeping an eye on them and many others as the season wears on.

Basketball Insiders recently launched the ICYMI series to keep readers up-to-date on a plethora of news from around the Association. Ariel Pacheco recently covered the Atlantic Division, David Yapkowitz covered the Pacific and Garrett Brooks handled the Central. Next up, we’re serving up all things Northwest Division-related.

To be fair, these teams out westward have had their share of challenges. The collection currently boasts an aggregate record of 46-41 – behind only the Atlantic and Pacific Divisions.

The Northwest Division hasn’t been home to the NBA Champion since its inception in the 2004-05 season. Still, there’s lots of talent in the Pacific Northwest this season and it’s probably never had a better chance of being the NBA Champion’s home than it does right now.

With a proper introduction out of the way, let’s dive into all of the interesting Northwest Division news stories from the first quarter of the season.

Jusuf Nurkic is a load in the post. He was still working his way back into his near-All-Star caliber of play, averaging 9.8 points and 7.7 rebounds in 23.3 minutes – or 15.2 points and 11.8 rebounds per-36 minutes. Unfortunately, he suffered another setback earlier this month.

Nurkic had played only 25 games since returning from the lower leg injury he suffered in March 2019. And while it might not sound fair, that isn’t part of the equation in the NBA.

Nurkic suffered a broken wrist on Jan. 15 against the Indiana Pacers. He had surgery to repair the break and the Trail Blazers do not yet have a firm timeline for his return. He was scheduled to be re-evaluated in eight weeks and he’ll miss at least 23 games.

Portland was able to remain in the playoff picture without Nurkic last season, so they could theoretically do it so again. But they appear to be the modern version of the Old Testament’s Job, receiving one test after the next from the basketball gods.

All-Star guard CJ McCollum also went down with a hairline fracture in his foot a few days later.  Portland announced on Jan. 19 that McCollum would miss at least four weeks, or 16 games, at which point he’ll be re-evaluated.

Portland can probably stay in the playoff hunt with Damian Lillard shouldering an even bigger role, but it won’t be easy. The Trail Blazers went 31-35 without Nurkic in 2019-20 prior to his return with McCollum. They are 1-3 since McCollum and Nurkic went down, playing against the mediocre-at-best New York Knicks, San Antonio Spurs, Oklahoma City Thunder and Houston Rockets. The remaining 55 games could be a long haul for Lillard and the Blazers.

Utah fans have been on a rollercoaster of emotions with Mike Conley thus far. Conley arrived in Utah fresh off career highs in scoring (21.3 points per game) and rebounds (3.4 per game).

But Conley struggled to fit into Utah’s system and alongside All-Star guard Donovan Mitchell. He regressed mightily in 2019-20, especially in the portion of the season that preceded the COVID-19 shutdown. Even after looking better in the bubble, Conley still only averaged 14.4 points, 4.4 assists and 3.2 rebounds per game for the season – worse than he’d performed in years

But Conley has played significantly better so far this season, averaging 16.6 points, 5.9 assists and 3.8 rebounds. And while none of the aforementioned stats are career highs, his resurgence is about more than just raw numbers.

Conley is shooting a career-high 41.9 percent on three-point attempts, while also attempting a career-high 6.9 threes per game. He’s posting the second-highest PER of his career (20.2), and he’s assisting on 29.7% of his teammate’s field goals while on the floor – his fifth-highest total in his 14-year career. Of course, he’s still a pit bull on the defensive end of the floor.

Conley’s future in Utah appeared to be in question as of this past off-season – but it appears pretty solid now.

Denver Finally Steadying Itself

Lately, the Denver Nuggets have been an enigma. They’d squandered a number of leads, failed to close out tight games, appeared viscerally opposed to engage defensively and Jamal Murray looked incapable of following-up his bubble breakout with any semblance of an encore presentation. Additionally, Michael Porter Jr. was out due to COVID-19 protocol

Well, first of all, Denver has improved defensively. They’ve jumped to 18th in the league in defensive rating, up from 25th just two short weeks ago. They also rattled off five straight wins –  two of which were overtime victories, proving they can, in fact, close out tight games.

And while Murray has continued to struggle to score the ball, Denver at least saw the return of Porter Jr., who is averaging 20.3 points per game on 57 percent shooting in his last three games.

Just like it was too early to write off the Nuggets on January 15th, it’s still too early to assume all is well. But NBA fans should be encouraged with how Denver has played of late because, let’s face it, the Nuggets are good for the NBA – plain and simple.

No one expected much from the Oklahoma City Thunder – and they’re not really outdoing our expectations. But there are two reasons to keep your eyes on Oklahoma City as we approach March: George Hill and Al Horford.

It goes without saying that both Hill and Horford can contribute. Horford has had a quietly successful start to the 2020-21 season, averaging 11.1 points and 7.1 rebounds per game. Hill looks even better, posting 11.8 points and 3.1 assists while shooting 38.6 percent on three-point attempts. Are they necessary pieces for the Thunder’s future? Absolutely not. Are there teams out there who they’d help? You know it.

The net effect of Hill and Horford, along with their experience, makes them incredibly valuable to contenders in need of size and shooting, respectively. Teams like the Dallas Mavericks and New Orleans Pelicans – 30th and 29th in three-point shooting, respectively – could sure use Hill’s services, and Horford would be a welcome addition in places like Miami, Indiana and Los Angeles (Clippers) – which are 30th, 29th and 27th in rebounding.

The Thunder have already amassed (almost literally) too many picks, including the best two of their own, plus HEAT and the Houston Rockets’ first-rounders in 2021. They’ll probably add two more valuable picks to their stash thanks to two of these veterans.

While newer modes of travel and an effective national television strategy have chipped away at the relevance of divisions for a number of years, the Northwest is on the up. Between one of the better burgeoning rivalries between Utah and Denver and one of the most marketable players in the league in Lillard, it shouldn’t be long before they’re atop it all.

While the organization of most divisions is mostly a formality, there is actually something special brewing in the Northwest – and NBA fans should take notice.