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This year's Western Conference is intriguing, and the playoffs will be exciting to see which team will represent the conference and contend for an NBA championship.
The Western Conference playoffs will be fiercely contested, whether it's between the Phoenix Suns, Memphis Grizzlies, Golden State Warriors, Utah Jazz, Los Angeles Clippers, Los Angeles Lakers, Dallas Mavs, or anyone else.
The Western Conference playoffs will be thrilling, and there will be some unexpected twists and turns.
In the Western Conference, there should be three favorites right now. Golden State, Phoenix, and Memphis have all demonstrated that they are the best three teams in the West, and to argue otherwise now would be insane. Other teams in the Western Conference might potentially cause problems for some of the top teams. If they are on their game, the Los Angeles Lakers, Minnesota Timberwolves, and Dallas Mavericks could all beat some of the best in the West.
Let's take a look at the six-nine teams in the Western Conference in terms of contenders and rate them.
Winning an NBA title is never easy. As we have seen with the past 20 champions, every team is going to need something significant to go their way. Whether that is an unfortunate injury to someone, or having guys on the roster step up more than they ever have. There is a reason why winning a championship is so hard, and a reason why we have seen crazy upsets in the past. If a team is going to win a title, they’re going to need everyone on their roster to be playing the best basketball they possibly can, and even sometimes that isn’t enough to get the job done. Matchups are always something that is going to play a major factor, and some teams just know how to get the job done against certain teams when it matters most.
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The Third Tier Of Western Conference Contenders, Ranked
3. Lakers
The Lakers haven't been great this season, but it doesn't rule out their chances of turning it around eventually. Nobody anticipated the Lakers to play like they are right now, and it's certainly time to panic.
One of the biggest reasons for the Los Angeles Lakers' lack of success this season is their front office's failure to bring in players who can assist LeBron James and Anthony Davis. When they signed Russell Westbrook, no one expected him to be playing the level of basketball he is now. For whatever reason, he isn't performing well this season. There is simply no other way to put it.
Given the current Lakers roster, they will have to put a lot of faith in players with postseason experience to get the job done. Yes, many of them are past their prime, but it doesn't rule out the possibility that their postseason experience will help them. They will need them to be smart and use their experience to come out of the Western Conference.
Almost every Lakers player has experienced a tense playoff series before, and they know how to keep their cool and get the job done. This might be extremely beneficial to the Lakers in the long term, and while it isn't currently beneficial to them, it could be in the future.
If the Los Angeles Lakers want to win an NBA championship, LeBron James must be the best player on the planet. Given how horrible the season has been, even if he is the best player in the world, the Lakers' chances of winning an NBA title are still small even if he is the best on the court.
2. Timberwolves
Do the Timberwolves have what it takes to beat the Golden State Warriors or the Phoenix Suns? Probably not, but they could surprise a few teams if they play their best basketball at the right time.
They've shown all year that when they're playing their best basketball, they're more than capable of getting the job done when it matters.
On the other hand, they've been outrageously inconsistent and have lost games they shouldn't have lost. Other teams must always be concerned about a squad with Karl Anthony-Towns, Anthony Edwards, and D'Angelo Russell because of their offensive ability.
1. Mavs
The Mavs won't have it easy in the playoffs, but if their regular-season performance is any indicator, they have the potential to win if everything comes together at the perfect time. The question will be whether they can upset Golden State or Phoenix, which doesn't seem likely at the moment, but they have shown they can win when they play their best basketball.
The Dallas Mavericks will need Luka to be the best player on the court in every postseason series to win, and there's no reason to believe he won't. Dallas also possesses one of the best defenses in the NBA, which is critical for success in the playoffs. If they want to win in the playoffs, the defense must keep playing at a high level.
