Western Conference Playoff Predictions

Western Conference Playoff Predictions

1. Utah Jazz. The Jazz had the best record in basketball last season and earned the number one seed in the western conference. Superstar Donovan Mitchell is only getting better and their roster is mainly the same this season as it was last season so expect similar results for the Jazz in the 2021-2022 season.
2. Denver Nuggets. Projecting Denver as the number two seed in the west may come as a shock to a lot of you. However Denver finished as the number three seed in the west last year and their team was rarely at full strength all season. When Jamal Murray comes back from his ACL injury, don’t be surprised to see Denver have a great season if they can stay healthy.
3. Los Angeles Lakers. The Lakers made a splash this offseason by trading for star point guard Russell Westbrook to pair with LeBron James and Anthony Davis. However I believe the Lakers would have been better off trading for Buddy Hield as they desperately need shooting which Westbrook does not provide. Still, expect the Lakers to have a solid season based off of their stars carrying them to wins in the regular season.
4. Los Angeles Clippers. The Clippers have had an interesting offseason. They traded away Patrick Beverley and Rajon Rondo to acquire Eric Bledsoe. They also resigned Reggie Jackson who was critical in their playoff run. They return superstars Kawhi Leonard and Paul George so expect the Clippers to be right in the thick of things come playoff time in the west.
5. Golden State Warriors. The Warriors made the play-in tournament last season without star player Klay Thompson all season due to MVP caliber play from Steph Curry. Now, Curry has his backcourt partner back and they are hungry. Expect Golden State to compete for a top seed in the west this year and ultimately compete for a championship.
6. Phoenix Suns. Putting the Suns as the five seed may come as a shock to many of you. However I think being the runner ups last season took a toll on an aging Chris Paul which will limit the Suns abilities this season. Still expect a solid playoff team and a tough out in Phoenix.
7. Dallas Mavericks. Luka Doncic is a superstar and he is the only reason Dallas is even relevant in the NBA right now. Dallas needs to figure out how to best utilize big man Kristaps Porzingis which can raise their ceiling. Regardless of Porzingis, Doncic will be able to carry his team to the playoffs once again.
8. Memphis Grizzlies. Ja Morant is a rising star and he has a solid supporting cast around him. However the Grizzlies just don’t have enough talent to compete with the other juggernauts in the western conference. Still expect the Grizzlies to be a tough out in a play-in game or a playoff series next season.
9. Portland Trail Blazers: The only reason Portland is so low is the drama behind Damian Lillard this offseason. Portland has the roster to be a top five/six team in the west but they have had a chaotic offseason which I believe will effect the chemistry of this roster and will negatively impact their playoff seeding.
10. Minnesota Timberwolves: The Timberwolves have rarely tasted the postseason in their franchise history. However this team has enough talent to make it to the play-in stage of the postseason. They have a young rising core of all stars Karl-Anthony Towns and D’Angelo Russell along with rookie of the year runner up Anthony Edwards. They also just traded for Patrick Beverley which will bring much needed defense and toughness to the Wolves.

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