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Our first look at the Western Conference this season, discussing each team in the West in a loose alphabetical order over almost 2 hours.

Timestamps: DAL (6:40), DEN (14:27), GSW and MEM (20:52), HOU (35:40), LAC and POR (43:03), LAL (54:45), MIN (59:26), NOP (1:07:50), SAC (1:17:00), OKC (1:25:56), PHX (1:35:10), SAS (1:40:43), UTA (1:46:18).

With host Nate Duncan (@NateDuncanNBA). And if you like this pod, please donate to support Nate and Danny at Patreon.com/DuncanLeroux. Merchandise available at NateDuncanNBA.com.

Bradley Beal has helped lead the Washington Wizards to a 5-1 start, which is the team's best record since the 2005-06 season. Beal reiterated postgame that Washington is where he wants to be by saying, “I want to win with D.C.”

Beal's future with the Wizards has been under speculation for several years now. Despite Beal continually stating he has no desire to leave Washington, the team's average records make many believe he'll eventually ask for a trade.

Following their double-overtime victory over the Boston Celtics, Beal said he's been telling his teammates, “You can be part of a lot of history here.” Beal also said that the Wizards have played like "crap" on offense. Beal said, "It's going to be scary", when Washington gels and everyone gets healthy.

Kevin Durant of the Brooklyn Nets was fined $25,000 for forcefully throwing the ball into the stands on Friday. With 4:40 remaining in the third quarter of the Nets victory over the Indiana Pacers, Durant was seen throwing the ball in the stands.

Following the game, crew chief Sean Wright said that Durant should have been ejected for the action. Pacers coach Rick Carlisle complained at the time of the incident for an ejection. Wright said the officials didn't realize what Durant had done until they saw a replay after the game.

The Indiana Pacers have exercised their 2022-23 rookie scale team option for Goga Bitadze. This is the fourth-year option for Bitadze.

In three-plus seasons, Bitadze has averaged four points and 2.6 rebounds per game. The 22-year-old center is still a developing player behind Domantas Sabonis and Myles Turner for the Pacers.

Bitadze will be under contract for $4.7 million for 2022-23. He'll then be eligible for restricted free agency in the summer of 2023.

The Cleveland Cavaliers have exercised the fourth-year (2022-23) contract options on Darius Garland and Dylan Windler and the third-year (2022-23) option on Isaac Okoro.

Garland (6-1, 186) was the No. 5 pick in the 2019 NBA Draft by Cleveland and owns career averages of 14.7 points, 2.1 rebounds, 5.1 assists and 0.95 steals in 31.9 minutes over 117 career games (113 starts) with the team. Last season, the Vanderbilt product received three votes for the NBA’s Most Improved Player award after recording career highs in points (17.4), rebounds (2.4), assists (6.1, 18th in NBA), steals (1.22), minutes (33.1), field goal percentage (.451) and three-point percentage (.395). Additionally, Garland was one of only four players in the entire NBA to post at least 17.0 points, 6.0 assists, a .390 clip from three and a .840 mark from the foul line in 2020-21, joining Damian Lillard, Kyrie Irving and Kyle Lowry. He became the quickest in franchise history to reach 200 career three-pointers (107 games), achieving that mark with his fourth trey in a win over Chicago on April 21. So far this season, Garland is handing out a career-best 9.0 assists per game, which ranks third in the NBA, while also averaging 14.0 points and 2.3 rebounds in 30.8 minutes per contest.

Windler (6-6, 199) was selected as the 26th overall pick by the Cavaliers during the 2019 NBA Draft after a four-year career at Belmont. He has appeared in 34 career games with the Cavaliers, holding averages of 4.7 points and 3.1 rebounds in 15.2 minutes. Last season, he averaged 5.2 points and 3.5 rebounds in 16.5 minutes over 31 games after missing his entire rookie campaign in 2019-20 due to a left lower leg stress reaction. From Dec. 23 to Feb. 24, Windler led the Cavs in three-point percentage at .418 (23-55) and had a stretch of nine consecutive three-pointers made without a miss (Feb. 23-24), becoming the first Cavs rookie to accomplish that feat in 20 years and was the longest by any Cavs player since Kyrie Irving in 2015.

Okoro (6-5, 225), the No. 5 pick by the Cavaliers out of Auburn in the 2020 NBA Draft, is averaging 9.5 points, 3.1 rebounds and 0.90 steals in 32.1 minutes over 71 career games with the team. An NBA All-Rookie Second Team selection last season, Okoro (646 points, 62 three-pointers, 62 steals, 24 blocks) became just the third rookie in franchise history to record at least 500 points, 50 threes, 50 steals and 20 blocks in a single season, joining LeBron James (2003-04) and Kyrie Irving (2011-12). 

The Milwaukee Bucks will visit the White House on November 6 to celebrate their 2021 NBA title. The Bucks will meet with President of the United States Joe Biden in a ceremony honoring their championship.

Milwaukee will be the first NBA team to travel to the White House since 2016.

The Bucks defeated the Phoenix Suns in six games to win the 2021 NBA Finals. Giannis Antetokounmpo won Finals MVP after averaging 35.2 points, 13.2 rebounds and 5.0 assists in the series.

Near the end of the Brooklyn Nets victory over the Indiana Pacers on Friday, Kevin Durant threw the ball into the stands. Per NBA rules, any player who intentionally throws or kicks the ball in the stands with force should be ejected from the game. Durant was not ejected, and was allowed to finish the Nets victory.

Following the game, crew chief Sean Wright said that during live action, the officials did not think Durant threw the ball in the stands with force. After later seeing a replay, Wright said Durant did throw the ball into the crowd with force and should have been ejected.

Rick Carlisle let the officials know during the game that he believed Durant should have been tossed. Wright was asked about Carlisle's complaint that Durant was not ejected and said, "He made mention of it."

Julius Randle of the New York Knicks was recently fined $15,000 for intentionally throwing the ball in the stands, following a Knicks victory.

Atlanta Hawks guard Trae Young was fined $15,000 for making contact with a game official. Young bumped a referee midway through the second quarter of Thursday's game at the Washington Wizards.

Following that game, Young vented about his frustrations with the points of emphasis on foul baiting. Young stopped short of saying too much, noting he didn't want to be fined for criticizing officiating. However, he made it clear that while the officials are cleaning up some things, Young believes they are missing some fouls that should be called.

Through five games, Young is averaging a career-low 4.4 free throw attempts per game.

The Golden State Warriors have exercised their 2022-23 rookie scale team options for Jordan Poole and James Wiseman. This is the four-year option for Poole and the third-year option for Wiseman.

Poole has been a rotation player for the Warriors since his rookie season. In two-plus seasons, he's averaged 10.5 points per game. Poole had a breakout season in 2020-21, as he averaged 12 points per game and shot 35.1% from behind the arc.

Poole will be under contract for $3.9 million for 2022-23. He'll then be eligible for restricted free agency in the summer of 2023.

Wiseman suffered an injury-plagued rookie season, after being the second overall pick in the 2020 NBA Draft. In 39 games (27 starts), Wiseman averaged 11.5 points and 5.8 rebounds per game. Wiseman has yet to play in the 2021-22 season, as he rehabs from a torn meniscus in his right knee.

Wiseman will be under contract for $9.6 million for 2022-23. The Warriors hold another team option for Wiseman for the 2023-24 season.

The Charlotte Hornets have exercised their 2022-23 rookie scale team options for LaMelo Ball and P.J. Washington. It's the third-year option for Ball and the fourth-year option for Washington.

Ball averaged 15.7 points, 5.9 rebounds, 6.1 assists and 1.6 steals as a rookie. Ball has gotten off to a bit of a slow start as a sophomore, but he's been a main driving force in the Hornets surprising start to the 2021-22 season.

Ball will be under contract for $8.6 million for 2022-23. The Hornets hold another team option for 2023-24 for Ball's fourth season.

In his two-plus NBA seasons, Washington has averaged 12.4 points, 6.0 rebounds and 1.0 blocks per game. Washington has also proven to be a good floor-spacer, as he's shot 37.7% from behind the arc.

Washington will be under contract for $5.8 million for 2022-23. Washington will then be eligible for restricted free agency in the summer of 2023.