2020–21 NBA Western Conference Predictions
By: Marc Delucchi
Tags: Western Conference, Los Angeles Lakers, Golden State Warriors, NBA, Nba Predictions

Photo by Tim Hart on Unsplash

The NBA is starting it’s 2020–21 season on Tuesday. As COVID-19 continues to overwhelm medical facilities throughout the United States, the league should be pushing their schedule back. However, following other professional sports leagues like the NFL, MLB, and NCAA, the NBA has committed to playing regardless of the dangers imposed on their employees and those around the sport. Ultimately after losing substantial revenues from their original decision to suspend the 2019–20 NBA season, the league and players were unwilling to pass on massive television revenues from their Christmas Day schedule, one of their most marketable days of the year.

More than ever, the league is just hoping to avoid calamities. At this point, finishing the season without a catastrophe is all the league can hope for. Of course, to me, one team-wide outbreak would meet that standard. The league, though, has accepted that players and employees will contract novel coronavirus in the best-case scenarios.

Given the risks, predictions seem even more moot than usual. Already a nearly impossible challenge, the virus could decimate any roster at any point in the season. Still, since the league is moving forward with play, I decided to look at every team’s roster in the Western Conference. Each team is ranked by how I expect them to finish in the regular season. At the end of the list, I use these standings to project my Western Conference champion.

Coming off the bubble, fans are excited about up-and-coming stars like Nikola Jokic and Luka Doncic, but I think the league is due for a pretty large course correction. Older players generally need the offseason to get healthy, but younger players need the offseason to improve their games. This year, with the compressed offseason, we may be poised to see a resurgence from teams that rely on stars that many are overlooking. The bubble seems to be creating an even stronger recency bias than usual towards the postseason, leading fans to forget about teams not far removed from relevance

15. Oklahoma City Thunder

Best Player: Shai Gilgeous-Alexander

Biggest Strength: Defensive Versatility

Biggest Question: Can they create a competent offense?

Most Likely Player Traded: Trevor Ariza

No one else in the conference has lost a larger portion of their 2019–20 rotation without any significant upgrades than the Thunder. Chris Paul, Dennis Schroder, Danilo Gallinari, and Steven Adams could build a solid playoff contender in the West. The Thunder lost all four this offseason and essentially replaced them with George Hill, Theo Maledon, Ariza, and Al Horford. Horford is the only one that isn’t a massive downgrade, and Adams was a fantastic fit in OKC.

The Thunder have been accumulating draft picks and young talent to build their next contender for the last couple of years. While last season’s playoff run was a fun storyline, their moves this offseason confirmed that they are putting little effort into winning soon. Without the incentive of putting fans in the stands and the historic hoopla around this upcoming draft class, they seem tailor-made to tank.

I’m a big fan of Gilgeous-Alexander, but think his future is a versatile secondary piece on a contender, a la Jrue Holiday. After him, Horford and Hill are the Thunder’s next best offensive options. Lu Dort looks like a legitimate defensive stopper, and I’m bullish on prospects like Theo Maledon and Aleksej Pokusevski to become long-term pieces as well. Still, every other team in the conference has at least two better offensive players than whoever the best option for the Thunder is.

14. San Antonio Spurs

Best Player: DeMar Derozan

Biggest Strength: Roster Depth

Biggest Question: Is there any elite player on the roster?

Most Likely Player Traded: DeMar Derozan

The Western Conference is just so deep. Talented teams will stumble out of the gate and then see their front offices inhibit them from bouncing back. Without any elite players, the Spurs have a deep roster and the caliber of coaching that I normally like to project into the back of the playoffs. However, barring circumstances eliminating a few teams ahead of them, Derozan and LaMarcus Aldridge are not be enough to carry a team to the postseason in the West this year.

They have some intriguing young talent in Dejounte Murray and Derrick White, who are already solid NBA starters. I like their pair of young wings Devin Vassell and Lonnie Walker IV as well, but neither will be game-changers this season.

No organization has had more continuity over the past two decades than the Spurs and that could have a major impact this season. Without anyone worrying about their job security, tanking remains an enticing proposition. Derozan, Aldridge, Patty Mills, and Rudy Gay could help playoff contenders and are on expiring contracts. At some point this year, all four will probably be traded or bought out while head coach Gregg Popovich hands the reins over to the young guys. Things could get ugly at that point. I originally had the Spurs ranked at 13 (ahead of the Kings), but Sacramento’s contract situation will make it harder to trade their best players and tank. On the other hand, San Antonio is perfectly situated to absolutely nose dive after the trade deadline.

13. Sacramento Kings

Best Player: De’Aaron Fox

Biggest Strength: Roster Depth

Biggest Question: Is there any elite player on the roster?

Most Likely Player Traded: Nemanja Bjelica

The Kings acquired strong foundational pieces like Fox, Buddy Hield, and Marvin Bagley III over the past few seasons, but overspent for solid depth options like Harrison Barnes, Cory Joseph, Dewayne Dedmon, and Bjelica. While Fox, Hield, and Bagley are the type of players who could elevate a star, Sacramento seemed to act like they already had their franchise cornerstone on their roster. Looking back, had they selected Luka Doncic instead of Bagley, things would look quite different for the franchise.

Now, with Fox and Hield signed to big contracts, the franchise is trapped into building around very good players like they’re elite. You can talk yourself into Fox’s speed or Bagley’s ability to score, but I think Fox is more Mike Conley than Russell Westbrook and Bagley will fill up the statsheet, but is just a more athletic David Lee.

To me, the only way for Sacramento to break from 35–40 win (in a 82-game season) purgatory is the draft. With Vlade Divac out as the head of Sacramento’s basketball operations though, new general manager Monte McNair might be more inclined to move on from this core. Given the strength of the Western Conference (and the draft class), its very easy to see them quickly falling out of playoff contention with a new GM trying to push the team down the standings by moving expiring contracts like Bjelica.

After that… I expect to start hearing Hield and Fox’s names on the trade market in the not-too-distant future.

12. Houston Rockets

Best Player: James Harden

Biggest Strength: Harden’s talent

Biggest Question: What’s Harden’s future?

Most Likely Player Traded: James Harden

The Rockets are the highest variance team in the league. Houston essentially replaced Robert Covington with Christian Wood, a more dynamic offensive player that’s less flexible defensively, and Russell Westbrook with John Wall. On the surface, this team should still be good. However, with Harden trying to force his way out, it’s hard to see him working to find an amicable fit alongside Wall who, like Westbrook, lacks the shooting ability to be a strong off-ball player.

It seems like Houston is trying to wait Harden out, but after seeing Wall flash his pre-Achilles’ injury form and reading they could swap Harden to the Nets for a package built around Caris LeVert and Spencer Dinwiddie, I’d strongly consider pulling the trigger. A Wall-LeVert-Danuel House-PJ Tucker-Wood starting five with Eric Gordon and Dinwiddie off the bench would be intriguing if Wall can be the player he once was with the Wizards. Of course, that’s no guarantee. As frustrating as Harden can be to watch and, reportedly, work with, he’s still one of the NBA’s best players.

I can talk myself into the Rockets holding out and Harden & Wall forming effective enough chemistry alongside Wood to be a dynamic offense that could be a five or six seed in the West. However, this has toxic blowup possibility too. If it does, and Harden gets moved, everything rests on Wall. I’m still not sure how good he can be so soon after such a major injury.

11. Minnesota Timberwolves

Best Player: Karl-Anthony Towns

Biggest Strength: Towns’ talent

Biggest Question: What are D’Angelo Russell & Anthony Edwards?

Most Likely Player Traded: Jarrett Culver

I’m higher on the Wolves than most, but not because of their two most important players: Russell & Towns. At this point, I’m confident we know what both of them are. Towns is one of the five best bigs in the NBA. Russell is the most dynamic scorer Towns has ever played with (Jimmy Butler is a far better player, but is not the shooter that Russell is) with a surprising repertoire of passes and court vision. On offense, they will make a lethal pick-n-roll duo that will force defenses to help. While there aren’t any elite shooters to worry about, Malik Beasley, Juancho Hernangomez, and first overall pick Anthony Edwards should be able to hit enough open threes to make defenses pay. Offseason acquisition Ricky Rubio remains underrated as a competent three-point shooter with elite passing ability and strong defense that raises their floor as well.

Russell is terrible defensively, though, and Towns has been inconsistent at best. Critics are rightfully concerned they’ll allow as many points defensively that they can generate on offense. To me, there success this season hinges on Edwards, Josh Okogie, and Jarrett Culver. All three are dynamic wings with the ability to be defensive stoppers. If two of them take that step, this team should be in playoff contention. I’m a huge fan of Okogie’s potential, and thought the Warriors should have held out for his inclusion in the Russell trade last summer. Jarrett Culver was bad in his rookie season, but the sixth overall pick in 2019 has the length, size, and athleticism to be effective defensively.

Edwards is the wild card. Defensively he has the strength to be an elite stopper and help cover for Russell, but that’s a lot to put on a 19-year-old. Offensively his shot selection wavers, but he has the ability to be a strong scorer. Then again, he shot 40.2% from the field and just 29.4% from three at Georgia and was even worse in both categories in the preseason.

10. New Orleans Pelicans

Best Player: Zion Williamson

Biggest Strength: Physicality & Size

Biggest Question: Can their roster form a complimentary rotation?

Most Likely Player Traded: J.J. Redick

Every time the Pelicans have made a move since David Griffin has taken over basketball operations in New Orleans, I’ve liked the value. The massive return for Anthony Davis remains strong even after the Lakers title run. This offseason, he did it once again, this time swapping Jrue Holiday for the eternally underrated Eric Bledsoe (Russell Westbrook-light) and even more draft picks. Yet, when I step back and look at the roster, it’s hard to see everything fitting together.

Williamson is a star, but I’m skeptical of his ability to transform a team without floor spacing. While Bledsoe is a really good player, there seems to be a lot of offensive crossover with Lonzo Ball. They also upgraded talent wise at center, replacing Derrick Favors with Steven Adams, but Adams is a plodding seven-footer that will only clog the paint. Still, I tend to trust that really good players can figure it out. Brandon Ingram remains a budding star and J.J. Redick was still an incredible shooter and strong defender at 35-years old last season.

Granted, aside from Williamson’s health, there’s reason for concern. Last season Ball (37.5%), Williamson (42.9%), and Brandon Ingram (39.1%) all shot well above what their history suggests they are as three-point shooters. If Ball regresses to a 33% three-point shooter, Williamson to 35%, and Ingram to 36%, floor spacing will be a huge issue. It was only exacerbated by losing Holiday and backup combo guard E’Twaun Moore.

This team is going to be monstrous defensively though. Ball will be the smallest starter at 6’6” and Ingram is the only one that is not above-average or better defensively. Except for Redick, every rotation player is a strong rebounder for their position as well. We tend to underrate the value of defense and overrate the importance of having multiple scorers, but the Pelicans have pushed it too far for me to be all-in. If Ingram and Williamson are strong enough to make this an above-average offense, they could be one of the best teams in the conference, but otherwise, there defense will keep games close and their offense should have enough to stay on the edge of the play-in tournament.

9. Utah Jazz

Best Player: Donovan Mitchell

Biggest Strength: Starting Five

Biggest Question: Is Mitchell good enough to compensate for their bench?

Most Likely Player Traded: Mike Conley

Mitchell took another step forward last season and it still was only enough to finish sixth in the West. Ultimately, replacing Ricky Rubio with Mike Conley has proven far less fruitful than I expected it to be at the time. Conley will be in his second season with Utah and could be poised to rekindle some of his game from his days in Memphis, but now 33-years old, this might be who he is now.

Their starting five is quite formidable, but Jordan Clarkson is their only above-average bench option and he’s coming off a career-year that might be poised to regress this season. Outside of him and Mitchell, the Jazz need a trio of players entering their mid-30s (Joe Ingles, Bojan Bogdanovic, and Conley) to take steps forward to improve. That seems unlikely.

Had they handled their bench differently this offseason, I could easily see them in the conference’s top-four seeds. However, they put even more on Mitchell, Clarkson, and the 30s crew than they did last season. Given the improved depth of their conference, it seems doomed for the play-in tournament.

8. Denver Nuggets

Best Player: Nikola Jokic

Biggest Strength: Jokic’s talent

Biggest Question: Is Jamal Murray the player he was in the bubble?

Most Likely Player Traded: Paul Millsap

The Nuggets were the Western Conference darlings of the bubble after their heroic comeback performances against the Jazz and Clippers. However, Denver lost their three best defensive players this offseason: Jerami Grant, Miles Plumlee, and Torrey Craig, while bringing in just one solid defensive piece: JaMychal Green. Will Barton should be back from injury, which will help, and Michael Porter Jr. could be ready to take a step forward, but I’m skeptical.

Jamal Murray looked like a future top-five point guard in the bubble, but his overall numbers last season were almost identical to his performance the year before. If he’s just a good point guard, rather than an All-Star, the burden falls on Porter to be the team’s second star behind Jokic. Porter could be that soon, but with a larger role, I expect his efficiency to plummet from the elite levels he showed in a smaller role last season.

Jokic also appeared to plateau last season. Granted, already an All-NBA player, that’s far from a problem, but I think the team will need him to take another step to remain a top-four team in the West. While most other young players got a prolonged offseason to work on their games and rest up, Jokic (and Murray) were exhausted as they pushed into the Western Conference Finals. Too many teams got better for them to make up for their defensive losses without a big step forward from Jokic, Murray, Porter, or someone like Bol Bol.

7. Dallas Mavericks

Best Player: Luka Doncic

Biggest Strength: Doncic’s talent

Biggest Question: Can they replicate their three-point shooting without Seth Curry?

Most Likely Player Traded: James Johnson

For similar reasons, I’m skeptical of the Mavericks taking a big step forward this season. First, as great as Doncic is, he’s been a career 32.1% three-point shooter. Without much of an offseason, it’s hard to imagine him improving there. Furthermore, while I love Josh Richardson’s fit, trading Seth Curry to do it could create new problems. Last year’s backup point guard Delon Wright is also incredibly underrated and his departure in free agency will have negative ripple effects too.

While its Seth’s brother Stephen Curry best known for gravity, both Curry’s draw massive attention on the perimeter from opposing defenses that help everyone else on the court, especially three-point shooters. I don’t think it’s a coincidence that Dorian Finney-Smith, Tim Hardaway Jr., Jalen Brunson, Maxi Kleber, and Courtney Lee all had career-best percentages from beyond the arc last season. Without Curry on the floor, everyone will get a bit more attention on the perimeter and that could make a difference.

I do really like all three of their draft picks: Tyler Bey, Josh Green, and Terrell Terry, but if Bey and Terry are going to get the opportunity to use their shooting ability, Dallas will probably lose a bit on the defensive end. The one x-factor would have been Kristaps Porzingis, but after undergoing another knee surgery this offseason, it’s impossible to count on him making a bigger impact than he did last year.

Doncic is a star, but I don’t think he’s going to carry the Mavericks to the top of the regular season standings. Still, he’s going to be a difficult out in the playoffs and I could see them making a surprising run.

6. Phoenix Suns

Best Player: Devin Booker

Biggest Strength: Talent in starting lineup

Biggest Question: Can they play enough defense to be a contender?

Most Likely Player Traded: E’Twaun Moore

I was high on the Oklahoma City Thunder’s chances last season with a deep roster around Chris Paul and I’m once again on board after the Suns have acquired the future hall of famer. Booker is more talented (and consistently healthy) than Paul at this point in his career, but Paul is still a difference maker that should make things even easier for dynamic young stars Booker and DeAndre Ayton.

Booker may struggle to adjust to a more off-ball role next to Paul, but I trust his shooting ability enough to make it work. My bigger concerns are on defense. Ricky Rubio, Kelly Oubre, and Aron Baynes were three of the better defenders on the team last season and all have been replaced by weaker defenders. I do like Jalen Smith a lot, but am not sure how quickly he’ll be able to be an above-average defensive player. However, Langston Galloway and E’Twaun Moore were two of the offseason’s best values and should provide enough shooting and offensive punch on the bench to ensure they can win shootouts.

A lot of weight is on Booker to take a step forward defensively and for Ayton to make the jump from very good to elite center. Still, I feel better about them making that jump alongside Paul than players like Doncic, Murray, and Jokic who all had to spend much more time in the bubble and lack the same veteran safety net. Honestly, my biggest concern remains the organization. Run by one of the worst owners in sports (Robert Sarver), the Suns will lose around the margins. They’ll hope they have the talent to overcome that.

5. Memphis Grizzlies

Best Player: Ja Morant

Biggest Strength: Depth and youth

Biggest Question: Will the young talent continue developing?

Most Likely Player Traded: Tyus Jones

Memphis finished with the ninth-best record in the Western Conference last season and no one seemed to notice. Zion Williamson may be a transcendent talent, but if his injury issues continue, Ja Morant could very easily become the best player of his draft class. Morant made one of the smoothest adjustments to the NBA that anyone will see and surrounded by other players in their twenties, the Grizzlies are primed to take another step forward as a group.

In a shortened offseason with a condensed preseason, continuity should be very valuable. No team has more than Memphis who lost just one of the nine players that played at least 1000 minutes for them last season (Jae Crowder). All under 30, there’s plenty of reason to believe some more breakouts could be coming alongside Morant. There were some legitimate concerns about outside shooting, but I think acquiring Desmond Bane in the draft and expanding Grayson Allen’s role is enough to make up for it.

Jaren Jackson Jr. has been the league’s biggest impending star that no one knew about, but an offseason knee surgery will delay his 2020–21 debut. Still, Brandon Clarke can slide into his spot in the starting lineup and be productive enough in his absence to pass the time until he returns. Justice Winslow, acquired for Andre Igoudala last season, continues to rehab a hip injury that could prevent him from making a big contribution but, yet to make his debut with the team, he offers even more upside to the roster.

4. Los Angeles Clippers

Best Player: Kawhi Leonard

Biggest Strength: Star power

Biggest Question: Can a team win a title without an average starting point guard?

Most Likely Player Traded: Paul George

If it weren’t for Houston’s chaos surrounding James Harden, we would be paying a lot more attention to the Clippers. Bad team chemistry reportedly played a big role in their early postseason exit last season and led head coach Doc Rivers to be replaced by his top assistant (Tyronn Lue). Still, I think the chemistry issues were more a function of a poor roster construction than something more foundational. Teammates may be annoyed with Paul George, but many teammates have had bad relationships on championship teams.

There’s a reason the Clippers were the Western Conference favorites for most of last season. They were immensely deep at the wing position defensively and had Leonard, Paul George, Montrezl Harrell, and Lou Williams to carry the load on offense. However, in hindsight, they had very few players strong on both sides of the ball. In the regular season, they could use their depth to remain successful even while star players like Leonard and George rested. Once the postseason came, players like Harrell and Williams were exposed defensively, but the Clippers needed their offensive contributions.

This offseason, they turned some of that wing depth into Luke Kennard and replaced Harrell with Ibaka. Both are massive improvements. Kennard averaged 15.7 points per game and shot 40% from three on a mediocre Detroit Pistons team without any of the floor spacing he’ll receive next to players like Leonard, George, Ibaka, and Williams. Ibaka is a true two-way player who is a strong rim protector with a legitimate three-point shot.

Ironically, while the Clippers are better suited for the postseason, they are probably setup to struggle more in the regular season. Ibaka is a better player than Harrell next to Leonard and George, but Harrell can do more without anyone around him than Ibaka. Since both stars will sit several games, given their injury histories, I expect the Clippers to struggle a bit more in the regular season. I don’t think they’ll care though. If they get to the postseason with George and Leonard, they will be one of the favorites.

3. Golden State Warriors

Best Player: Stephen Curry

Biggest Strength: Curry’s transcendent potential

Biggest Question: How close can Curry still get to his peak?

Most Likely Player Traded: Kevon Looney

We are less than two years removed from Stephen Curry scoring 47 points in the NBA Finals against the best defense in the league without Kevin Durant or Klay Thompson. There was once a time when Curry had a legitimate argument that he was the best player in basketball and had Kevin Durant not signed in Golden State, he may have been able to prolong that conversation far longer.

While nearly every other star played in the bubble, Curry has barely played basketball in the last 16 months and will never be better rested heading into a season. Rust is a legitimate concern, but Curry averaged 31.3/5.1/4.6 per 36 minutes and shot 39.4% from beyond the arc on 11 attempts a game in three preseason games. He looked like an MVP favorite.

Those close to the Warriors are ecstatic about the prospects of second overall pick James Wiseman and the hype suggests he could form a strong trio at center with Marquese Chriss and Kevon Looney. Wiseman will not be a star as a rookie, but his length could make a huge difference defensively, where the Warriors will have to dominate to be a contender.

Outside of Curry, no one else on the team is an above-average scorer. That will be a problem. If Wiseman has earned the starting job by midseason and Chriss remains a solid role player, I could see the Warriors packaging Looney and Eric Paschall to acquire a stretch-five and/or another veteran shooter. However, even if this is it, the defense has the makings of a top-five group.

As much criticism as he received, Draymond Green was still an above-average defender by most metrics last season. Now flanked by a plethora of solid defensive players like Brad Wanamaker, Andrew Wiggins, Kelly Oubre, Kent Bazemore, and potentially Wiseman, a Green defensive renaissance seems likely.

Wiggins has gotten the most attention on the wings, but Oubre is the one I’m most excited about. Oubre has never been in a system where he was the focal point, but has always been productive. In Steve Kerr’s system, built to help secondary offensive pieces, he seems positioned to breakout. He has been more productive every year of his career and is in a functional organization for the first time. It’s a small-sample, but Oubre has had the best preseason of his career (23.2/6.8/2.1 per 36, 6–15 from three). He might be a sleeper candidate for the Most Improved Player award.

By midseason, I expect the Warriors to have given up on Wiggins becoming more than he was in Minnesota and view Oubre as the future piece. While I don’t know if they could come up with the assets to make it work, don’t be surprised if they try to swing a deal that sends Wiggins to San Antonio for DeMar Derozan to help the team compete for the stretch run and clear Wiggins’ contract from their books going forward.

2. Portland Trail Blazers

Best Player: Damian Lillard

Biggest Strength: Guard & Center

Biggest Question: Is there enough talent on the wings?

Most Likely Player Traded: Enes Kanter

Robert Covington is no longer the premium 3-and-D player he was earlier in his career, but he still may be the best wing Damian Lillard has ever gotten to play with in Portland. Combine that with Carmelo Anthony’s resurgence as a bench scorer and the acquisition of Derrick Jones Jr. and the Trail Blazers have solid wing depth alongside Lillard and CJ McCollum.

Zach Collins and Jusuf Nurkic are both productive bigs who were hurt for almost all of last season. I’m not sold that Nurkic can be the perennial All-Star his numbers suggest he could become, but it’s hard not to believe he can continue improving after coming so far in his first six professional seasons. I understand why they added Enes Kanter, but I would feel better about their postseason prospects if they had tried to add a player with more defensive versatility.

In many ways, with the exception of their elite point guards, Portland and Golden State have constructed inverse rosters. Offensively, Portland is going to be great. Their depth chart is filled with scoring. Even on their bench, players like Anthony, Rodney Hood, and Gary Trent need to be respected. However, I have trouble seeing this team getting stops in valuable postseason situations. Still, if Lillard is ever going to have an MVP campaign, this seems like the year. No one expects the Trail Blazers to finish near the top of the West, but just two seasons ago, they had the third best record in the conference.

1. Los Angeles Lakers

Best Player: LeBron James

Biggest Strength: Two generational talents

Biggest Question: Did they improve their postseason roster?

Most Likely Player Traded: Kyle Kuzma

The Lakers are clearly the regular season favorite, but I don’t feel as confident about this team as I thought I would when I started. Yes, the Lakers added Montrezl Harrell, Dennis Schroder, Wesley Matthews, and Marc Gasol. Harrell and Schroder are clear upgrades for the regular season, when LeBron James and Anthony Davis might want breaks from carrying the load. However, Gasol is the only one who makes them better in the postseason and will be 36 in January.

The fact is, Rajon Rondo, Danny Green, and Dwight Howard were all above-average or better defensive players. Matthews is only average at this point in his career and Harrell and Schroder are mediocre at best. While the Clippers improved their postseason chances by sacrificing some regular season prospects, it seems like the Lakers may have done the opposite.

To me, this roster construction is even more uneven than it was last season. The Lakers are deeper than anyone in the league at power forward where James, Harrell, Kyle Kuzma, and Jared Dudley are all best situated. However, as the game moves to dominant centers, athletic wings, and scoring guards, power forwards have become somewhat obsolete. James obviously can contribute from any position on the floor, but Harrell and Kuzma have similarly redundant skillsets if Kuzma cannot become a more consistent shooter.

The Lakers are putting a lot of faith in 2019 second-round pick Talen Horton-Tucker, if they need wing depth late in the year. Right now, after James, Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, and Markieff Morris in the starting lineup, the Lakers have just Kuzma and Matthews before their best options become Horton-Tucker and journeyman Alfonzo McKinnie. Just because it worked last season in the bubble, does not mean it will work again. This team is built to coast through the regular season, but seems destined to disappoint in the playoffs.

Playoffs

Play-In Tournament

Dallas Mavericks (7) over Utah Jazz (8)

New Orleans Pelicans (10) over Denver Nuggets (9)

New Orleans Pelicans (10) over Utah Jazz (8)

Round 1

Los Angeles Lakers (1) over New Orleans Pelicans (10) 4–1

Dallas Mavericks (7) over Portland Trail Blazers (2) 4–2

Golden State Warriors (3) over Phoenix Suns (6) 4–2

Los Angeles Clippers (4) over Memphis Grizzlies (5) 4–0

Conference Semifinals

Los Angeles Clippers (4) over Los Angeles Lakers (1) 4–2

Golden State Warriors (3) over Dallas Mavericks (7) 4–3

Conference Finals

Los Angeles Clippers (4) over Golden State Warriors (3) 4–1

Western Conference Champion

Los Angeles Clippers