Western Conference Predictions

  |  
Oct 21, 2021
Portland Trail Blazers
Damian Lillard, Portland Trail Blazers.

6. Denver Nuggets

To be clear, if Denver were starting the season with a healthy Jamal Murray, I would have them at the #2 seed. The lack of Murray for the first half of the season will allow a few Western Conference teams to pass them up in the standings. Come playoff time, Denver will be a nightmare to face in the first round. Aaron Gordon has fit in nicely with Nikola Jokic, and Murrays’ absence has allowed Michael Porter Jr. to further develop into the team’s 3rd-star player.

7. Los Angeles Clippers

The team seemed to come together and rally after Kawhi Leonard went down in the 2nd round series against Utah. Eric Bledsoe is an upgrade over Patrick Beverley, and if they can hold on until Kawhi comes back, we might be in for a treat in a potential first-round series between the Clippers and Lakers. Similar to my thoughts about Denver, a healthy Clippers team is a legit threat to any team in the west and should be considered a contender.

8. Dallas Mavericks

I’m not a fan of the offseason moves Dallas made. Moving around role-players is like moving around chairs on the Titanic. This team has shown improvement in its few seasons with Luka Doncic, but they are way too reliant on him.

Their other star, Kristaps Porzingis, needs to stay healthy and have the kind of impact he was expected to have when the team traded for him a few Summers ago. Otherwise, they are looking at the bottom seed in the playoffs and a likely play-in game against another up-and-coming team with more balance.

9. Sacramento Kings

The talent is there to have an elite backcourt. Now it’s just working on chemistry and fit. De’Aaron Fox is starting to look like a real leader for this team, and Tyrese Haliburton has star potential. The team might be a trade away from making the playoffs, but I have them at least making the play-in. Marvin Bagley III and Harrison Barnes might end up as trade assets to bring in a more long-term answer at one of the forward positions. But I like the direction this team is going with its young backcourt.

10. Memphis Grizzlies

After back-to-back play-in losses, just losing out on the eighth seed, I think this team stalls a bit this season as it figures out its contract situations with some of its young players. Ja Morant keeps this team above water but gets beat out by the Sacramento Kings by just a hair.

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