The Lakers are set to enter the 2021/22 season as the betting favorites to win the Western Conference, but they’re not viewed as the overwhelming frontrunners, with several talented teams expected to give them a run for their money.
In his preseason rankings of all 30 NBA teams, ESPN’s Zach Lowe places the Lakers in the West’s first tier along with the Jazz and the Suns, suggesting that he doesn’t view Los Angeles as being in a tier of its own atop the conference. Lowe isn’t necessarily sold on the supporting cast to the Lakers’ stars, and thinks Phoenix’s young core has room to continue improving.
If the Lakers, Jazz, and Suns all finish in the top six of the West, that leaves just three more teams that can claim a playoff spot without participating in the play-in tournament. Lowe’s next tier of Western teams features five strong candidates for those three postseason spots: the Nuggets, Clippers, Trail Blazers, Mavericks, and Warriors.
As Lowe observes, it’s hard to know what to expect from some of these teams that are missing a star player. Clippers forward Kawhi Leonard and Nuggets guard Jamal Murray are recovering from ACL tears and may not play at all in 2021/22, while Warriors swingman Klay Thompson, coming off an Achilles tear, seems likely to miss at least a couple months or so and may not be at 100% when he returns.
All of those teams still have stars more than capable of carrying the load in Paul George, Nikola Jokic, and Stephen Curry, but it remains to be seen whether they’ll reach their ceilings without a fully healthy lineup. Still, Lowe considers Denver and Golden State good bets to crack the West’s top six, along with Dallas, potentially leaving the Clippers and Blazers to earn their postseason berths in the play-in tournament.
While those may be considered the top eight teams in the West, there are several more clubs with playoff aspirations. Lowe places the Grizzlies a notch above a tier that includes the Pelicans, Kings, Timberwolves, and Spurs, but acknowledges that at least one club – and possibly two – from that latter group figures to qualify for the play-in.
All five teams of those teams are young and will count on recent lottery picks to make major contributions. All but perhaps San Antonio – which lost several productive veterans – are expecting to take a step forward and make some noise in the West in 2021/22. However, three of those clubs could be left on the outside looking in, unable to even qualify for a play-in spot.
The Rockets and Thunder are in Lowe’s bottom tier, viewed as at least a year away from becoming play-in contenders.
While I think Lowe’s evaluation of the West is reasonable, I’m curious to know what you think. Which teams will claim the top six playoff spot in the conference? Which four will make the play-in tournament, and which two will escape that tourney with the final two postseason berths? Which teams in the West do you expect to exceed or fall short of expectations in 2021/22?
Head to the comment section below to weigh in with your thoughts on the Western Conference!
Jazz are the best team in the West come playoffs time in 2022
Regular season,
My prediction
Jazz 62 wins
Lakers 52 wins
Jazz are a regular season tiger. Come playoff time they are a pathway opponent for real contenders. Clippers embarrassed them without Kawhi. Lakers would steamroll them in the playoffs.
Clippers beat them with when they had an injured backcourt. Neither Conley nor Mitchell were close to 100 percent.
Clippers will never win the title even with Kawhi but they have one star and enough decent role plAyers who can shoot and a system that makes their players better then they would be on another team so I wouldn’t be shocked if they are somewhere from 4 to 6 In the west ! To do that though come playoff they will be exhausted
We call this before injuries rankings. As we all know injuries is the biggest factor in the season. I only see 1 team with 0 chance of competing this year. Top 6 teams could be anybody that stays healthy all season long. 2 of the teams are a dark horse to break out.
In order
Jazz Nuggets Suns Lakers Mavs Warriors Blazers Clippers Kings Grizzlies
Then after the play in tournament the Kings and Grizzlies will fall out. Jazz vs Clippers will be exciting with a healthy Kawhi and PG. Lakers line themselves up with the Mavs. Warriors upset the Suns.
Then Clippers vs Lakers, Lakers win. Warriors vs Nuggets, Nuggets win in 7.
Lakers vs Nuggets, Lakers in 6
The west will be tight this year as the Jazz, Suns, Lakers, Nuggets, Clippers and Warriors have legitimate title aspirations. The Nuggets, Clippers and Warriors most likely get off to a slow start with some of their primary and secondary options on the bench to start the season and in the Clippers case perhaps close to all of the regular season. The Jazz and the Lakers will be cautious as injuries cost them both dearly last year. Suns, Lakers, Jazz, Mavericks, Warriors and Nuggets 1-6. Clippers, Grizz, Blazers and T-wolves play in. The Clippers and Wolves come out of the play in leading up to a very exciting playoffs culminating with the Jazz beating the Warriors in 7 in the WCF.
1-2: PHX is most likely to get through to the Finals. Won the WC last year as an ascending team, with a core that includes young stars that should still be ascending. That formula rarely results in a step backward overall. CP3 does need to stay healthy. DEN is close to a co-favorite since it has the best overall talent, and currently the single most dominant player, in the WC. But chemistry has proven elusive, and they seem oblivious to it (maybe they’re right to laugh it off, but I’m skeptical).
3-5: LAL and UTH are veteran teams with a win yesterday perspective. They should be there until the semi’s if they can stay healthy. GSW is a more challenged version of that. To compete for a semi slot, GSW needs both health and a reset of their team chemistry around their big 3 and some breakout by recent lottery picks. That’s a bunch.
6-10: MEM seemed ready to make a jump. But their off season was almost a declaration that they’re not ready (and need to move sideways some more). DAL is a tempting pick because Luka could well be the best player in the league by year’s end; but his cast isn’t nearly as strong as DEN has put around Jokic. LAC will be the Ty Lue Show, channel changing boredom (if KL comes back by playoff time, then they got a puncher’s chance, meaning very little chance). NOP and POR should be in the playoffs, but neither looks equipped to get past the 1st round.
1.Jazz, 2.Suns, 3.Lakers, 4.Blazers, 5.Clips, 6.Nuggets, 7.Warriors, 8.Pels