What to make of the Western Conference standings

Mar 11

The Denver Nuggets stand alone at the top of the Western Conference. Behind center Nikola Jokic’s dazzling 24.5 points, 11.8 rebounds, and 10 assists a night, the Nuggets are poised to be the top seed, and Jokic is on pace to compete for the NBA’s MVP for the third straight season.

And yet, despite their success, few people are certain the Nuggets are the team to beat in the West. Prior to Sunday’s win over the Brooklyn Nets, the Nuggets were just 1-5 in their last six games.

Right behind Denver, the Sacramento Kings and Memphis Grizzles both have arguably overachieved this season, sitting as the number two and three seeds, respectively. Both teams are four games back from the top seed.

Then we have the stragglers; the Phoenix Suns, Los Angeles Clippers, and Dallas Mavericks are the next three sitting above the play-in line but facing a significant threat of dropping. With big-name players in the mix, Kevin Durant, Kawhi Leonard, Luka Doncic, Kyrie Irving, and more, you can’t count out deep playoff runs from either of these teams.

The play-in seeds are where it gets more hectic; the reigning NBA Champion Golden State Warriors are the eight seed, followed by the Oklahoma City Thunder, Minnesota Timberwolves, and Utah Jazz to round out the play-in picture.

However, if the first 72 or so games this season were any indication, the playoff picture is not set in stone. The Los Angeles Lakers are a half-game back from the final play-in spot, and it would seem to be a blemish on LeBron James’ legacy to miss the playoffs in a season that saw him become the NBA’s all-time leading scorer.

The New Orleans Pelicans and Portland Trail Blazers both sit several games out of play-in contention behind the Lakers, and unless either team breaks into immense win streaks, they will likely miss out altogether. Yet, with Damian Lillard averaging clear of 32 points a night, Portland will likely remain competitive.

There have been few instances of normalcy in the Western Conference. The Suns, Mavericks, and Clippers each have duos of perennial All-Stars in their lineups but sit middle of the pack. The Jazz cleared house this offseason, dealing both Rudy Gobert and Donovan Mitchell, and still find themselves in the play-in tournament. The Kings haven’t made the playoffs since 2007 and suddenly are primed to host a playoff series, maybe even two.

Above all, the Warriors and Lakers raise the biggest questions. Sure, injuries to Warriors’ Stephen Curry and Lakers’ LeBron James have cost them consistency and likely several games. Still, it’s hard to comprehend that two of the NBA’s powerhouse franchises could miss the playoffs entirely.

There’s little certainty about any of the potential playoff matchups in the Western Conference. If the Warriors were to fall into the eighth seed and playoff the top-seeded Nuggets in the first round, we may see an eight-seed beat a one-seed for only the sixth time in NBA history. Who knows? Maybe we could witness the first time an eight-seed has ever won an NBA championship.