As the NBA prepares to take center stage on Christmas Day, there's something missing in the Western Conference: a team with at least 20 wins.
This time a year ago, both the eventual champion Golden State Warriors and Phoenix Suns had 26 wins entering their Christmas showdown, and even the Utah Jazz were off to a 22-9 start.
This season, the Denver Nuggets and Memphis Grizzlies share the top spot in the West with 19-11 records. The New Orleans Pelicans -- tied for the conference lead as recently as Dec.