This season was not as dominant as in years past for the National Basketball League’s (NBA) Western Conference. While there were strong seasons put together by many teams out west, it seems they were outshined in many ways by the Eastern Conference, as previous Western Conference powerhouses seemed to falter, but some still snuck into the postseason. Of the eight teams that made it out west, it’s really anyone’s game, as they all will race to the Larry O’Brien Trophy, awarded to the NBA Champions in early June.
While the reigning NBA Champion Golden State Warriors found their way back to the postseason, they do not look like the same team. Though the team is the sixth seed in this year’s playoffs and star guards Stephen Curry and Klay Thompson are a force to be reckoned with, and veteran coach Steve Kerr has one of the better career winning percentages of any coach in the league, the team has struggled mightily on the road. Though they carry a 33-8 record at home in the Chase Center, they are a measly 11-30 on the road. Being one of the lower seeds in their side of the bracket, they will be road warriors throughout the postseason, which, if their regular season stats are any indication of what is to come, should open a chance for a different Western Conference team to make a run at the NBA Finals.
Outside of the Warriors, two of the teams getting the most hype in the Western Conference include the one-seeded Denver Nuggets led by their star center, the two-time Most Valuable Player (MVP) Nikola Jokic, and the four-seeded Phoenix Suns whose star-powered starting five is led by two all-stars in Devin Booker and Kevin Durant. The Nuggets won 53 games this season and have consistently been one of the best teams in basketball in the past few seasons. As for the Suns, they have also been dominant and their seed doesn’t display their true potential this playoffs.
The two-seeded Memphis Grizzlies and five-seeded Los Angeles Clippers are other teams that could make some noise in the Western Conference; however, both are dealing with injuries to key contributors. For the Grizzlies, recent reports suggest veteran center Steven Adams will miss the playoffs due to a knee injury. The team also lost forward Brandon Clarke in March to a torn achilles. While a deep team, they might struggle to defend the paint without these two. However, with defensive player of the year front runner Jaren Jackson Jr. blocking layups left and right, they could weather the storm. As for the Clippers, they will likely be without star forward Paul George for their opening round against the Suns, as he recovers from a sprained knee. Although the Clippers are another team that has great depth, going up against a team like the Suns, who can simply score the ball at will, they will need some great performances off the bench in this series.
The Sacramento Kings are another exciting team out west who own the three-seed in this year’s playoffs. After finishing 30-52 last season, the team shocked many by finishing 48-34 and looking like one of the better teams in basketball. While a well-built team, they seem to lack that one superstar that draws the attention of the sports media. But make no mistake, this team does not mess around. Guys like young guard De’Aaron Fox and starting center Domantas Sabonis earned all-star honors this season. They also have a consistent supporting cast with guys that can knock down the three ball, so the lack of respect they are getting is a bit odd. It will be interesting to see if the team can continue to “light the beam” and fight their way to the Finals.
Rounding things off with the two bottom seeds are the seven-seeded Los Angeles Lakers and eighth-seeded Minnesota Timberwolves. The Lakers took down the Timberwolves in the Play-In Tournament to lock up the seventh seed. The Timberwolves on the other paw, had to claw their way back into the playoff picture, beating the Oklahoma City Thunder to secure the final playoff spot. Both teams have an uphill battle ahead of them. For the Lakers though, their odds are looking better and better. Not only are they battling a wounded Grizzlies team in the first round, but they also have looked tremendous following a successful trade deadline. Acquiring guard D’Angelo Russell has proved to be a smart move, as he has been a lavish piece on the offensive end. In the same deal, the team acquired Jarred Vanderbilt, a defensive minded forward who has been doing the dirty work on the defensive end. Pair these guys, along with contributors off the bench, with stars LeBron James and Anthony Davis and they could make a run. For the Timberwolves, they do have some guys that could do some damage. Anthony Edwards is one the brightest stars in the game and Karl-Anthony Towns is no slouch either, dropping 23 points a contest. They also have towering center Rudy Gobert who is usually an enforcer inside. However, finding a way to stop the red-hot Nuggets is going to be a tough task.
As usual, it should be fun to watch these Western Conference teams duke it out, all with hopes of reaching their dreams of winning an NBA championship.
