When a team's roster is being introduced at the beginning of games, it's an unofficial honor to have your name mentioned last, implying that your the squad's best/most-popular player. But things aren't always that simple, because the best player and the most-popular player aren't always the same. Also, there's other things to take into consideration, such as a player's tenure with the organization and what he's actually accomplished as a member of that team. We've already looked at the Eastern Conference and will now analyze the West, which I would say is a bit simpler, since Western Conference teams have more defined stars and less roster fluctuations.
DALLAS MAVERICKS
Last-Called: Cooper Flagg
Backup: Kyrie Irving
I'm kinda conflicted about this one but guess Kyrie would understand if they gave it to Cooper. Irving was the backup star when the Mavs reached the Finals a couple of seasons ago and was also an allstar as a Mav in 2025. Meanwhile, Flagg more recently won ROY. Kyrie has tenure and more accomplishments, but I think it's generally understood that Dallas is looking forward to Cooper being the star into the future.
DENVER NUGGETS
Last-Called: Nikola Jokic
Backup: Jamal Murray
There's a lot of people who call Jokic the best basketball player in the world, which I may agree with, if we're referring solely to offense. And as for Murray, he's a perennial-borderline (and reigning) allstar, besides also being homegrown. So, there isn't much to debate about here. And while we're on the subject of Jokic, one thing I do have to give to him, amongst NBA stars, is that you don't regularly hear of dude being on the injured list. So, last-call away.
GOLDEN STATES WARRIORS
Last-Called: Steph Curry
Backup: Draymond Green
Steph is the greatest shooter in NBA history, besides perhaps being the second or third most-popular player in the league and, even as he loses consistency, remains must-watch. Meanwhile, Draymond is also homegrown and won those four championships right alongside Curry, as a integral part of the team. Off the top of my head, I would say Golden State is the only organization that has two players that have been around longer than a decade.
LOS ANGELES CLIPPERS
Last-Called: Darius Garland
Backup: Brandon Ingram
Darius Garland has gone from being a debatable allstar a couple of seasons ago to now being an alpha by default. Not many players experience that kind of luck, and hopefully he'll be able to capitalize on it. And as for the backup, all things considered (such as Ingram's health), that's probably going to be a revolving door throughout the season. If both Darius and Brandon are hurt, which they likely will be at some point, Bradley Beal can even end up being the last-called. That's how unsettled this roster is looking at the moment
HOUSTON ROCKETS
Last-Called: Kevin Durant
Backup: Alperen Sengun
Oh my goodness. As I said before, the Rockets are contenders. But amongst the internal issues that can derail them, besides injuries, is dudes not being able to humble themselves and accept roles.
Similar to the Dallas situation, Sengun may not be the best or most popular player, but he is the one who appears to be leading the team into the future. He may not have that Cooper Flagg level of favor, but I mean, if I owned this team, all things considered I'd probably make him last-called. But since I don't, that's not likely going to happen.
LOS ANGELES LAKERS
Last-Called: Luka Doncic
Backup: Austin Reaves
One of the few absolute no-brainers on this list. Doncic is the A-lister, while Reaves is the homegrown star. Bronny, the actual son of Lebron, is more popular than Austin, the basketball son of Lebron. But despite only being surpassed in popularity by Luka, Bronny's game isn't respectable enough to earn a last-calling
MEMPHIS GRIZZLIES
Last-Called: Cameron Boozer
Backup: Cedric Coward
At first I put Jerami Grant as the backup because, even though he's a C-lister, he still perhaps has more name recognition than anyone else on this roster besides Boozer. But with that said, an argument can also be made for Zach Edy, who has the advantage of being homegrown, or perhaps even those other dudes, Cedric Coward and them, who are recognized as up-and-comers. And as for Cameron, he's lucked out in that even though the Grizzlies themselves have fallen off a cliff in terms of popularity, he's set to have more freedom to do what he wants than any other rookie.
MINNESOTA TIMBERWOLVES
Last-Called: Anthony Edwards
Backup: LaMelo Ball
One thing you have to give to Edwards, whether or not he ever leads the T-Wolves to a championship, is that he has lived up to the billing of being a #1 pick which, if you look at NBA history, isn't as common as think. Besides that, he has made the team competitive. Before he showed up, Minnesota used to have more-talented rosters, but it's like they could never achieve anything.
Based on tenure, maybe Gobert should be backup last-called, but I think it would have to go to Ball, who's like exponentially more popular.
NEW ORLEANS PELICANS
Last-Called: Zion Williamson
Backup: Trey Murphy III
The most-popular players in the NBA are those who enter the league as stars already (often going back to high school), get drafted high (usually at #1) and then prove to actually be superstars in the league. There's no substitute for that trajectory. That's why, even if you try to argue that Steph or KD is better, they can never be as popular as Lebron. And that's why Kobe, who was drafted all the way down at #13, proceeded to become the most-famous basketball player in the world.
Meanwhile, Zion has never really done sh*t besides being named an allstar, once, but he's still benefiting from his pre-NBA fame. Some people may label him a disappointment, but he's not a flatout bust. The word I like to use is perhaps overrated, not as an insult but, you know what I mean. He has yet to team-up with another A-lister so, as it currently stands, remains in indisputable last-called.
Meanwhile, I still don't know much about Trey Murphy, which is one of the curses of being stuck on a team like the Pelicans. But I hear his name a lot, in terms of being coveted by other organizations. So if he continues to represent and even more ideally progresses, he'll logically be the backup last-called.
PHOENIX SUNS
Last-Called: Devin Booker
Backup: Dillon Brooks
You have to give it Devin Booker that, despite being on the best scorers in the game, you never hear of him demanding a trade from the sluggishly-progressive Suns, even though it feels far-fetched to believe that Phoenix will make the Finals again during his career. Determining a backup last-called isn't nearly as easy, but I'm going with Dillon Brooks, though it could be Jalen Green also.
OKC THUNDER
Last-Called: Shai Gilgeous-Alexander
Backup: Chet Holmgren
No debate, in terms of who's at the top of the last-called list, as Shai is the reigning MVP. Choosing the backup though ain't that simple when Jalen Williams, arguably the second-best player on the squad, is available, though Chet is also arguably second-best, besides being on the court more.
PORTLAND TRAILBLAZERS
Last-Called: Damian Lillard
Backup: Deni Avidja
We have to go with Lillard because, even though he didn't play the entirety of last season, he remains the greatest Trailblazer of the 21st century. Morant is much more popular than Avidja, but Deni is a reigning allstar, while Ja is more or less fighting to keep his career alive and has yet to prove anything in Portland.
SACRAMENTO KINGS
Last-Called: Darius Acuff Jr.
Backup: Domantas Sabonis
The way the Kings are acting is as if a #5 pick, who has yet to accomplish anything really (except being picked number five), may actually get the last-call. That's how lost in space this organization is, even though I'm not sleeping on dude. And oh sh*t, I deadass forgot for a second that Zach LaVine is on this team. And now that I am remembering, I don't think it'd be fair to just pop him up there. He isn't as good as Sabonis but is more popular so may get the last-call, even over Acuff.
SAN ANTONIO SPURS
Last-Called: Victor Wembanyama
Backup: Stephon Castle
Wemby is a no-brainer but, the funny thing is if this were a couple of months ago, De'Aaron Fox would likely be the backup. Now that would harder to rationalize, even if he is getting paid gazillions of dollars. Like fukaround and introduce dude last, and he may even get booed in San Antonio. So it would have to be Castle. It's arguable that Harper is just as good (if not better), but Stephon has won ROY as a Spur.
UTAH JAZZ
Last-Called: Lauri Markennen
Backup: Keyonte George
Utah is a traditionally white franchise(?), and whereas they won't be the whitest team in the NBA this coming season, I would think they still want to embrace that tradition. Also, Lauri is really good, even if his reign as an allstar was brief.
As far as basketball in the United States goes, Jaren Jackson is the most-accomplished player on this roster and probably the most all-around popular. But he has yet to do anything for the Jazz, and meanwhile, Keyonte George is trending.
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