Every April, the NBA welcomes spring by showcasing its finest talent during the NBA Playoffs. The league gives 16 teams the opportunity to battle head-to-head for a championship and the decisive ring that every player strives for. The ring, with its ability to define a career, create a dynasty and crown new heroes, is the most sought after prize in the NBA. The Lakers are the two-time defending champions so yes, you might be thinking: “We all know the Los Angeles Lakers are going to three-peat again, what else is new?” Actually, this year has not been as systematically dominant as past years for the Lakers.
The under-the-radar San Antonio Spurs hold the top seed in the West, while the Los Angeles Lakers, Dallas Mavericks and Oklahoma City Thunder round out the top four. With the depth of the West, the two-time defending champion Lakers might have a hard time making it out of the grueling conference. Unlike the Eastern Conference, the West, from top to bottom, is filled with teams capable of pulling off a few upsets and making a run for the Conference Finals.
Even though the Spurs have posted 50+ wins each of the last ten seasons, they continue to go unnoticed. This season, Coach Gregg Popovich changed the offensive philosophy of the team. Previously, a slow tempo, half court team, the Spurs have injected new life into their players with a run and gun offense, relying heavily on the fastbreak for easy baskets. Led by “The Big Fundamental,” Tim Duncan, along with Tony Parker and Manu Ginobili, the Spurs currently hold the best record in the West at 61-19. However, in the last few weeks, the Spurs’ age has come to the forefront of their problems. Duncan, Parker, and Ginobili have all suffered injuries that have sidelined them for multiple games. The biggest concern for the Spurs’ “Big Three” is health. If all three of these All-Stars are healthy and performing to the best of their abilities, there is no doubt that this team is capable of winning the West. Now, with Ginobli doubtful for the first round of the playoffs with a hyper extended elbow, the Spurs face an uphill battle. If Ginobli’s injury is more serious that originally thought, the Spurs may have to rely heavily on their influx of youth in Dejuan Blair and George Hill, combined with their veteran presence, to have an impact in the playoffs. The depth of the Spurs has allowed San Antonio to form a consistent rotation, putting them up there with the other contending teams in the West.
Los Angeles Lakers – #2 Seed
The defending champs have had an up and down season and that remains true now. After coming out of the All-Star break winning 15 of their first 16 games, the Lakers dropped five in a row. Continuing their inconsistency, in the last game of the season, the Lakers narrowly defeated the Sacramento Kings, leading many to question if they could flip the proverbial “switch” in time for they playoffs. The strength of the Lakers during their championship run has been their size, beginning with their acquisition of Pau Gasol during the 2008-2009 season. Gasol and the developing Andrew Bynum have created a formidable force in the paint, severely overmatching teams. However, the Lakers’ biggest asset is clearly Kobe Bryant. Even though he has numerous injuries and has taken a physical beating from playing thousands of minutes in his career, Bryant is still at the top of his game, being a motivational leader on and off the court. Under the guidance of the “Zen Master,” Phil Jackson, the Lakers have developed a quality bench that surpasses almost every other in the league. Lamar Odom is making a strong case for the 6th Man of the Year Award, and as a threat in every facet of the game, he will be one of the determining factors of how successful the Lakers are. The only weakness that the Lakers face, similar to the Spurs, is health. Andrew Bynum has not been the epitome of durability throughout his career and Bryant has logged enough minutes to legitimize concerns about whether his body can consistently handle the beating day in and day out.
Dallas Mavericks – #3 Seed
Almost every season, the Mavs are at the top of the standings, making every analyst and fan believe that they are ready to legitimately contend. It seems like they are doing the same this season. They started off this season strong; led by Dirk Nowitzki and Jason Kidd, the Mavs dominated teams with their outside shooting and interior defense, but then, the injury bug bit them. Caron Butler, a defensive catalyst and skilled scorer, went down with a severe knee injury, forcing him to miss a majority of the season and putting his playoff hopes in serious jeopardy. During the final months, the Mavs have been slowly unraveling, losing several key games to their Western Conference Rivals. Their foundation of teamwork and defense has been crumbling, culminating in an on-court dispute between guard, Jason Terry, and Coach Rick Carlisle. The Mavs have spent the entire season preparing themselves for a deep run, but if their recent efforts mean anything, it may end prematurely. In order for the Mavs to accomplish their postseason goals, their veteran leadership must bring this team back together while correcting their defensive flaws.
Oklahoma City Thunder – #4 Seed
The new kids on the block made a huge splash last year in the first round against the Lakers. They proved to be much more than what L.A. had expected and what was thought of as being an easy series win for the Lakers ended up becoming an excited and competitive six-game match up. This postseason, with another year of experience under their belt, the Thunder look to improve upon last year’s success and take it to the next level. The team, led by superstar, Kevin Durant and flourishing guard, Russell Westbrook, has an explosive offense that could almost score on will. The player that may contribute to prevailing in the West for the Thunder could be the trade deadline acquisition of Kendrick Perkins. Perkins brings what the Thunder were lacking, an interior presence and someone who can body up against other big men. The only thing that could negatively affect the Thunder is their inexperience. Do they have to wait another year before they are legitimate contenders?
Denver Nuggets – #5 Seed
The Nuggets shook things up this past February after trading away perennial All-Star, Carmelo Anthony, along with hometown favorite, Chauncey Billups. Most people wrote them off, saying that since they didn’t have a go to scorer and lacked leadership, the team would falter and possibly fall out of the playoffs. That definitely has not been the case. The Nuggets seemed rejuvenated and relieved to get past the “Melo-drama” and get back to playing basketball. Danilo Gallinari, Wilson Chandler, and Raymond Felton, all part of the ‘Melo deal, have made huge contributions to this team on both ends of the court. This team no longer has one person to take all of the shots, but instead, they have four to six guys that, on any given night, can put up big numbers. Ty Lawson, the Nuggets’ point guard of the future, has changed the tempo of this team to a fast-paced offense, but at the same time, continues to show intensity on the defensive end. The Nuggets are a scary team because of the number of players that could score, and they will push any team to the limit. Only one question remains: In the closing seconds of a tight playoff game, who takes the last shot?
Portland Trail Blazers – #6 Seed
The Blazers are one of the few unknowns in the Western conference. Their season has been filled with injury to key players; Brandon Roy and Marcus Camby missed long stretches of basketball and make one question if the Blazers were even a playoff team. However, All-Star snub LaMarcus Aldridge carried his team on his back, coming through in clutch moments and being a consistent presence for this team. The Blazers made a great move at the trade deadline acquiring the hard-nosed, Gerald Wallace. Wallace brings hustle, versatility, and defense to the team, addressing some of their inefficiencies. Wesley Matthews has been solid all season long, but the X-factor for this team is Brandon Roy. Roy is coming off of surgery on both of his knees and is attempting to help his team move on in the playoffs. If Roy can show remnants of the player he once was, the Blazers could make some noise this year.
New Orleans Hornets – #7 Seed
The Hornets suffered a difficult setback when their All-Star power forward, David West, went down for the rest of the season with a torn ACL. His All-Star teammate, Chris Paul, has done his best to keep the team afloat and has succeeded in getting the Hornets to the playoffs in a deep Western Conference. However, there is not much he can do to stop them from getting eliminated in the first round. After Paul and center Emeka Okafor, there is not much talent on the team. In order for the Hornets to make it past the first round, all of their hopes rely on Paul, but there is only so much one person can do.
Memphis Grizzlies – #8 Seed
The Grizzlies this season have made great strides in improving as a team. However, their leader and best player, Rudy Gay, will be out for the rest of the year with a shoulder injury. For the last few weeks, the tandem of Marc Gasol and Zach Randolph has carried this team to a playoff berth. Some say that the Grizzlies are one of the teams people should keep on eye on to shake up the playoff picture, but unfortunately, the odds are against them. The guard play of the Grizzlies is subpar and Randolph has not been known to be defensive big man during his career. He will have a difficult time going up against the elite big men of the West. The only possibility of the Grizzlies advancing is if Gasol and Randolph absolutely dominate and Mike Conley Jr. improves his overall play.
Western Conference Predictions:
First Round:
(1 )San Antonio Spurs vs. (8) Memphis Grizzlies
Prediction: Spurs in 6 games.
(2) Los Angeles Lakers vs. (7) New Orleans Hornets
Prediction: Lakers in 5 games.
(3) Dallas Mavericks vs. (6) Portland Trailblazers
Prediction: Trail Blazers in 6 games.
(4) Oklahoma City Thunder vs. (5) Denver Nuggets
Prediction: Thunder in 7 games.
Second Round:
(1) San Antonio Spurs vs. (4) Oklahoma City Thunder
Prediction: Thunder in 6 games.
(2) Los Angeles Lakers vs. Portland Trail Blazers
Prediction: Lakers in 5 games.
Western Conference Finals:
(3) Los Angeles Lakers vs. (4) Oklahoma City Thunder
Prediction: Thunder in 7.
