Looking Ahead to the Western Conference Finals

Scott Morris | February 3, 2023

The Denver Nuggets seem to be one of several teams who have a shot at challenging for a playoff spot in the Western Conference, which is currently wide open. As long as Nikola Jokic is in good health, the Nuggets will be in playoff contention, and if Memphis continues to lead the way while having no postseason experience, Denver’s chances of success might wind up being far better than those of Memphis. Meanwhile, in order for Denver to go to the subsequent round of the NBA Finals, Jamal Murray must play at his full potential.

The Grizzlies may now be considered to be present at the scenario. While Ja Morant is an exceptional player who is completely qualified to lead any franchise to the NBA Finals, this team has shown that it is capable of defeating the major teams in the Western Conference, and the squad has also proved that it is capable of winning. They are now the top team in the league as of right now. Also, the Pelicans are at the same stage, but due to injuries sustained by Zion Williamson and others, they have dropped to the seventh spot in our predictions for the NBA playoffs.

The Phoenix Suns were unable to get Kevin Durant because of the team’s high asking price, but they were able to re-sign DeAndre Ayton in spite of the drama that occurred during the 2021-2022 season. In addition, Jae Crowder wants out of Phoenix, where he is now playing despite Cam Johnson having recently returned from a knee injury. They fell in the rankings as a result of all of these circumstances, but things have started to turn around for them. The Suns will continue their ascent of the mountain after waiting for Devin Booker to make his way back.

The Sacramento Kings are a serious basketball team. We were all expecting for them to lose their footing, but instead they have won four games in a row and are now ranked fourth in the Western Conference. The Kings, who are led by De’Aaron Fox and Domantas Sabonis, are poised to end the longest current postseason drought in any of the major professional sports leagues (NBA, NFL, MLB, and NHL). They could be reaching an even greater ceiling if they make a deal before the trade deadline.

The Dallas Mavericks and Luka Doncic have assembled another great squad for the 2022-2023 season. However, similar to the situation in the past seasons, the organization may need more talent surrounding Doncic in order to achieve its goals. It may seem like Doncic can handle everything on his own given that he now averages 33 points, 8.9 rebounds, and 8.4 assists, but there is still work to be done in this regard. In the meanwhile, the Golden State Warriors are working on developing some consistency in preparation for a postseason run.

In terms of clubs that will probably not make the playoffs, the Minnesota Timberwolves’ decision to acquire Rudy Gobert over the summer has begun to pay dividends. However, they are eliminated due to the unpredictable nature of the Western Conference. Additionally included in this cluster are the Portland Trail Blazers and the Los Angeles Lakers. For the Lakers to be successful in the future, Anthony Davis will need to be in good health, while the Trail Blazers will need Damian Lillard to remain on top of the Western Conference standings.

Also See: Looking Ahead to the Eastern Conference Finals