Will the Los Angeles Lakers rule the Western Conference again?
The NBA Western Conference should be deeper and more competitive than ever before this season. Under the new postseason format, the 7th through 10th place teams will face off against each other in play-in games to determine which two advance in the playoffs.
Which 10 teams will qualify for the expanded playoffs in the West? And which five will have to sit home and watch? Will the Los Angeles Lakers repeat as the top dogs?
The 5 Teams Missing the Cut
1. Oklahoma City
The Thunder is clearly in rebuilding mode. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander returns, but the next four leading scorers are all gone. Brighter days are ahead thanks to the stockpile of draft picks they have accumulated. But the talent level just isn’t high enough to compete in the tough Western Conference this season.
2. Minnesota
The T-Wolves have a fine offensive team featuring Karl-Anthony Towns, former Laker D’Angelo Russell and Malik Beasley along with the re-acquired Ricky Rubio. But last year they ranked 21st on defense, surrendering 112 points per game, and it’s unlikely they’ll be much better at that side of the court this season.
3. San Antonio
Last season the Spurs failed to qualify for the playoffs for the first time this century. They reportedly explored off-season trades for their two biggest stars, LaMarcus Aldridge, who at age 35 may be at the beginning of a career decline, and DeMar DeRozan. But both are back again along with most of last year’s roster.
The Spurs are not a bad team and Gregg Popovich is one of the best-ever NBA coaches. But they will probably have a “close but no cigar” kind of season.
4. Memphis
The Grizzlies will once again feature Rookie of the Year point guard Ja Morant. He is joined by several other talented young players, including Justice Winslow, Jaren Jackson and Brandon Clarke.
But both Winslow and Jackson will miss the early part of the season due to injury, and in the competitive West, a slow start could mean missing the postseason. The Griz will be in the playoff hunt but should fall just short.
5. Dallas
This pick will surprise some because the Mavericks feature the best one-two European punch in the NBA, Luka Doncic and Kristaps Porzingis. Each averaged over 20 PPG last season while Doncic evolved into one of the league’s best players.
They re-signed their third-leading scorer, Tim Hardaway Jr, and added Josh Richardson, but didn’t do much else noteworthy in the offseason. That could be a serious mistake in the Western Conference, where so many teams have gotten stronger.
Of even more concern is that the oft-injured Porzingis will not be ready to return from surgery to start the season. Just when he will be back is unknown, but a prolonged absence could cause the team to get off to a slow start. That, in turn, could mean a drop in the standings, and the Mavs might have to fight just to make the playoffs.