NBA Western Conference Heats Up
Rockets, Hornets, Lakers Crowd atop Standings
A mere two and a half games separate first from seventh in the NBA's stacked Western Conference.
NBATV Analyst Rick Kamla pointed out last night that the Denver Nuggets, with 39 wins and 26 losses, have their best record as a team, ever, through 65 games. But if the playoffs started today they’d be the 9th seed, on the outside looking in – that gives you an idea of how deep the West is this year.
There is no sign of the things relenting either. With the top eight so deep, home-court advantage in the first round becomes more important than ever. Currently the Houston Rockets and the Los Angeles Lakes share the top spot in the conference, with the teams slated to play one another on Sunday. The Rockets will be coming into the game riding a 21 game winning steak, something that would guarantee a high playoff seed any other year.
If the playoffs started today the match-ups would look as follows:
(1) 45-20 Los Angeles Lakers vs. (8) 40-24 Golden State Warriors
(2) 45-20 Houston Rockets vs. (7) 43-23 Dallas Mavericks
(3) 44-20 New Orleans Hornets vs. (6) 43-22 Phoenix Suns
(4) 44-23 Utah Jazz vs. (5) 44-21 San Antonito Spurs
The teams getting the shortest end of the stick here (apart from the Nuggets) are the Utah Jazz. The Spurs are the league’s defending champs, and aren’t having an off year. Usually when a team sports a 66% winning percentage, as the Jazz do, they are rewarded with a favourable first round opponent – not the de facto favourites.
The team with the most favourable draw at is stands are the Mavericks. Out of all the teams, the one everyone wants to face is the Houston Rockets. Despite their recent historic run, the Rockets will enter the playoffs without their best player in Yao Ming, and no real post presence to account for. Teams like the Spurs, Suns, Jazz, and Lakers match up especially well with the Rockets because of their strength at the centre and/or power forward position.
Houston has a stretch of five games coming up that could deflate this mentality though, facing the Lakers, Celtics, Warriors, Suns, and Hornets. If they go 3-2 or better, perhaps teams with begin to think they are the real deal.
The only thing certain is that the standings will change drastically from today, no team is secure in its place. With the recent injury to the Lakers’ new prized center Pau Gasol, look for them to take a step back, along with New Orleans (who recently suffered injuries to All-Stars Chris Paul and David West), as San Antonio and Phoenix make a push for a top four seed.
Whatever the final seeding, one thing is certain: never before has there been a conference this deep one through eight, meaning the first round of the playoffs could be the most entertaining and most competitive the NBA has ever seen.
