It’s that time of year again, the time for people to place their predictions, to share with their friends and family members, creating arguments due to disagreements. With the season vastly approaching, the superior Western Conference is once again very tough to predict, but here at VAVEL, we will do our best to come up with the most accurate predictions.
1. Golden State Warriors – The defending champions will be back to protect their throne. Led by the sweet shooting of The Splash Brothers and basketball intellect of head coach Steve Kerr, the Warriors should put up another astronomical season, most likely winning 60-plus games again. Aside from David Lee’s departure and Jason Thompson’s arrival, nothing much has changed in Warriors land. They will continue to be the team to beat.
2. San Antonio Spurs – Surprise! They are back (as if they went anywhere). The Spurs have rejuvenated their roster with the additions of LaMarcus Aldridge and David West and will most certainly be championship contenders. It may take them a few games to gel, which may cost them a few W’s, but this team is better than ever and poised to win their second title in three years.
3. Los Angeles Clippers – The Clippers did the improbable this off-season; they finally improved their small forward position, added extreme bench depth, and kidnapped DeAndre Jordan to force him to sign a long-term deal with them, spurning the Dallas Mavericks. So now, they have a loaded team with yet another great chance to go deep into the playoffs. No more excuses for this team. The time is now.
4. Houston Rockets – The bearded one earned himself a new backcourt mate this off-season, the pass-happy Ty Lawson who should be a fantastic addition to the team. But with two play makers in the backcourt, the Rockets will definitely need to figure things out soon before it blows up in their face. However, as long as James Harden is leading the charge, this team is still talented enough to be top four in the conference.
5. Oklahoma City Thunder – The Russell Westbrook one-man show was fun while it lasted. In comes Kevin Durant, who is ready to take his Thunder team from a playoffs absence to title contenders. The most important factor for this team will be injuries, of course, since they were absolutely dismantled by injuries last season. Otherwise, the Durant and Westbrook tag team is back with a new head coach and a full season for Enes Kanter.
6. Memphis Grizzlies – The Grizzlies actually got slightly better during the off-season, but unfortunately, they reside in the tough Western Conference which is going to make it difficult for them to clinch a top-three seed. Nonetheless, probably the only team left that plays old-school style of basketball could be the dark horse of the conference. They just have to hope for better perimeter play from their guards.
7. New Orleans Pelicans – How much better can Anthony Davis become this season after posting 24.4 points, 10.2 rebounds 2.9 blocks, and 1.5 steals per night last season? Well, he is only 22 years old, and he can only get better, which should be scary for the rest of the league. Sadly, he is the only star on this Pelicans team and has to carry a heavy load on a nightly basis. Until management doesn’t greatly improve the roster surrounding Davis, this team is going to go as far as The Brow can take them. But the likelihood of capturing the seventh seed in a powerful Western Conference is not too shabby.
8. Phoenix Suns – As the first seven teams mentioned above should be a lock, the eight seed is widely up for grabs. However, it could be the Suns who finally slip into the playoffs, ending their five-year playoff drought. The Suns have been a solid team the last couple seasons but have suffered a few heartbreaking buzzer-beating losses that have set them back. This year, with the return of Brandon Knight and a somewhat new and improved roster surrounding Eric Bledsoe, they have a terrific chance to land a playoff seed.
9. Utah Jazz – The Stifle Tower, that’s all that there is to say about the Jazz. Rudy Gobert’s breakthrough during the second half of the season last year has given the Jazz much hope that they could contend for a playoff spot this season. Gobert paced the Jazz to number one in opponent’s points per game, as he has become an intimidating defensive force in the paint with his freakishly long wingspan. Besides Gobert, the Jazz has a nice collection of young, up-and-coming players who are only going to get better.
10. Dallas Mavericks – The Mavericks looked like they were building an elite team when they thought they had DeAndre Jordan tucked, taped, and signed, but the big man pulled last-minute shenanigans and giddy-upped out of Dallas, leaving the team with desperate backup plans for their center position. Although the Mavericks still managed to build an adequate team, they have early-season injury issues to deal with amongst a couple of their major contributors. Chandler Parsons (knee) and Wesley Matthews (Achilles) are still rehabbing and likely to miss quite a few games. This could obviously set the Mavericks back, tossing them out of the top eight.
11. Sacramento Kings – The Kings have strong playoff hopes as well heading into the new season, as they should. The team snatched the pass-first point guard they had been looking for over the years to help DeMarcus Cousins and Rudy Gay. With Rajon Rondo now on board, the Kings are ready to compete for the postseason, barring any unexpected dilemma within the players. Rondo, we’re looking at you. On a serious note, this team has potential as long as Boogie Cousins is leading the charge.
12. Los Angeles Lakers – The Lakers have been down on their luck over the last few summers, and they are once again a mediocre team. Although they have constructed a more competitive team than last year, the playoffs are still far-fetched for them. And of course, they cannot count on the aging and injury-ridden Kobe Bryant to shoulder the weight and carry them to the postseason. That will not happen, but for what it's worth, this will be the year where the young guys can get loose and showcase their talent.
13. Minnesota Timberwolves – How exciting is this team going to be this season? Andrew Wiggins, Zach LaVine, Karl-Anthony Towns, Tyus Jones, and yes, even Ricky Rubio. The Wolves have a compelling combination of youngsters and oldies, but an exciting team is all they are going to be, at least for now. This is a team built for the future, but hey, at least fans won’t change the channel anymore when the Timberwolves are on television.
14. Portland Trail Blazers – Once a top-five team in the conference now has turned into a lower-echelon team. What can we say? The Blazers had a nightmare of an off-season when four of their five starters bolted out of the city and found new homes, while the young Damian Lillard has now become the only member remaining from the five. Fortunately enough, management has gathered a handful of fine, young talented pieces who are ready to prove themselves with a larger role in Portland. Let’s not completely give up on this team. They can shock quite a few opponents here and there.
15. Denver Nuggets – The Nuggets were already freefalling last season and are headed toward rock bottom. Sure, they drafted Emmanuel Mudiay and have some veterans on the team to support the young core, but the Nuggets are years away from returning to superiority. Trading Lawson was a smart move though, considering that he was becoming an off-court problem. But the trade also meant that the team is headed in a different direction, it’s called rebuilding.