Western Conference
1. Oklahoma City Thunder Record: 60-22 PPG: 105.7 (3rd) PA: 96.5 (10th) The Thunder have done nothing but improve and this isnt just about this season. From 09-10 until this season the Thunder have improved their winning total, playoff seed
and their playoff success. Theyve come from a first round loss to conference championship games to last years Finals appearance, losing to the Miami Heat. Trading star sixth man, James Harden, at the beginning of the year looked like a risky move but it looks to have paid off. Theyre fast, have one of the most versatile scorers in the league in Kevin Durant, kept steady defence the year round through Serge Ibaka and, as said before, have learnt from experience.
2. San Antonio Spurs Record: 58-24 PPG: 103.0 (4th) PA: 96.6 (11th) The Spurs have been close to the top of the Western conference ever since their 1999 Championship. They havent always made it to the top of the mountain, suffering difficult loses including a few in the first round but theyre constant contenders and this year has been another fine season for them. The Spurs only have eyes for the championship though and this year might be more difficult than others. All of their big three, (Parker, Ginobili and Duncan) have missed action though they appear to be ready going into the playoffs. Their age is a problem the Spurs appear to have mastered during the regular season but seven game series have gotten the best of them for quite some time now. One thing going for them is the expert coaching of Gregg Popovich who has seen them through all four of their championships who can give them the upper hand when facing younger, faster but less experienced teams and coaches.
3. Denver Record: 57-25 PPG: 106.1 (1st) PA: 101.1 (23rd) Denver has been perhaps the biggest surprise of the season, negating notions that teams need a star to be successful, running and gunning themselves to a new high for franchise wins. George Karl has once again proved why hes one of the best coaches in the game by moulding a team with young talent (all but one player under thirty years old and all but two have been in the league less than six years) into one of the leagues most exciting teams. Not great defensively but what Denver benefits from is having one of the leagues best collections of pieces. By this I mean they have a great selection of players performing individual tasks. At point guard Ty Lawson brings the speed while backed up with Andre Millers experience. Andre Iguodala and Wilson Chandler are all round scorers, Kenneth Faried brings monstrous athleticism and JaVale McGee has flashes of defensive dominance.
4. Los Angeles Clippers Record: 56-26 PPG: 101.1 (9th) PA: 94.6 (4th) Right behind Denver is the second most fun team in the league. It doesnt always add up to playoff success but Clipper basketball is incredibly entertaining to watch. Emphatic blocks, Chris Pauls handles and some of the most incredibly dunks of the year are all part of the Clippers repertoire and this year theyve cranked up the pressure defensively giving a top ten finish in both offence and defence. Last year they crashed out after meeting a much more experienced Spurs teams and this is often the case with young, flashy teams. All of the main players from last years run are here which is always a plus and Vinny Del Negro seems to have grown as a coach too.
5. Memphis Grizzlies Record: 56-26 PPG: 93.4 (29th) PA: 89.3 (1st) It may be an offensive-driven league but the playoffs is all about defence and the Grizzlies have made their season based on defence. Trading away Rudy Gay was a hit they (due to salary cap reasons) had to take and theyve dropped in the standings because of this but their strength comes from the frontcourt combination of Zach Randolph and Marc Gasol. Mike Conley and Tony Allen are solid guards that again bring defence and Tayshaun Prince has brought championship experience and extreme flexibility as he can put up a fight with some of the leagues best scorers. After knocking off the Spurs in a historic eighth-over-first seed matchup in the past theyve shown their size can beat almost anyone and their offensive numbers do not mean they should be slept on.
6. Golden State Warriors Record: 47-35 PPG: 101.2 (7th) PA: 100.3 (19th) Their hot start has cooled off but the Warriors arent any less dangerous. Strong defensive rebounding and hot shooting, especially from star guard Stephen Curry (who recently broke the single season record for most three pointers) make them a lethal offense. They do have some road woes, having a losing record and being the sixth seed means theyll have to steal some road victories to get by but they bring great potential. Theyre inexperienced in the playoffs but managed to keep their main core healthy throughout the season so they are capable of some damage come playoffs.
7. Los Angeles Lakers Record: 45-37 PPG: 102.2 (6th) PA: 101.0 (22nd) The Lakers performance throughout the season has been highly criticised and rightly so. Any time multiple stars come together to sign to one team, lofty expectations are placed on them and no team has failed to live up to them like this years Lakers. An early season coaching change and regular injury woes have conspired to make the Lakers, when facing winning another championship, to almost miss the playoffs altogether. While theyve hit something of a stride in the run up to the playoffs, the loss of Kobe Bryant is a massive blow that the Lakers need to make major adjustments to compensate for. The Lakers plan to turn the team over to all star Dwight Howard need to be accelerated if they want success this year.
8. Houston Rockets Record: 45-37 PPG: 106.0 (2nd) PA: 102.5 (28th) The Rockets brought in James Harden and Jeremy Lin as major signings at the start of the year, both with things to prove. Lin was the centre of massive publicity as he went on a brief spell of fantastic performances while playing for New York, his play settled down come the end of the year but his best was good enough to land a major deal to start in Houston. Harden on the other hand had the makings of a star already but was coming off the bench in Oklahoma City. He was perfect for the role but people doubted whether he could pull off being the star of his own team. Together theyve improved Houston enough to make the playoffs with great offensive outbursts, though are less than stellar on the opposite end. Still, in Harden they have a dependable star who plays solid defence, can create his own shot as well as get others involved. Click to the next page to see how the Western playoffs will play out.