Unlike the East, where the Boston Celtics pretty much have the entire conference in a chokehold, the West is still up for grabs. Outfits like the Thunder, Nuggets, Timberwolves, and even the Clippers all have legitimate claims to be the kings of the Wild West once the NBA regular season is done and dusted.
As of today, the young and bouncy Oklahoma City Thunder and the defending champions Denver Nuggets are tied with a 47-20 record, while the Timberwolves and Clippers are trailing by just a few games. It could definitely be a photo finish in the West, given that there isn’t a polarising team like the Celtics that reigns supreme.
The tight tail-end race in will also be detrimental in terms of playoff seeding, but unfortunately for the top teams in the West, clinching the top spot will only set them up for a tough first-round clash in the playoffs, as more than formidable teams will be battling it out in the Play-In Tournament.
If the Play-In Tournament starts today, the Sacramento Kings, Dallas Mavericks, Golden State Warriors, and Los Angeles Lakers will be the outfits competing for the last two spots in the playoffs. I don’t know about you, but this SBOTOP writer wouldn’t want to face any of those teams in the postseason.
Sacramento Kings
With a 38-28 record, the Kings are way over the .500 mark, proving that they can hang with any of the teams in the league. After strong NBA 2024 results to start the season, the Kings slowly slid down to the middle of the pack, thanks to the emergence of the New Orleans Pelicans, who are currently situated as the fifth seed, and the tail-end run by the Phoenix Suns.
Their sturdy one-two punch in De’Aaron Fox and Domantas Sabonis has been proven effective both in the regular season and in the playoffs. Everyone remembers their spirited run last season when they forced the Golden State Warriors to seven games in the first round of the playoffs.
Despite the All-Star snub, De’Aaron Fox is having the best season of his young career, posting averages of 26.8 points, 4.3 rebounds, 5.7 assists, 1.9 steals, and 2.7 3PTM while dropping seven 40-point games in the season thus far.
Meanwhile, his running mate Domantas Sabonis cements his bidding as one of the best big men in the league, garnering the most triple-double performances this season thus far with 23, showcasing his dominance in the paint and his playmaking abilities to boot. The 27-year-old is posting MVP-worthy numbers this season, averaging 20.1 points, 13.6 assists, and 8.3 rebounds while shooting .614 per cent from the field.
Aside from the deadly duo, the Kings also possess a handful of reliable role players, such as Malik Monk, Keegan Murray, and Kevin Huerter, who can carry a game by themselves every now and then.
Dallas Mavericks
The Dallas Mavericks are 15.00 to win the West in the NBA 2024 betting odds, the best value among the Play-In Tournament candidates in the West. Boasting one of the most talented backcourts in the entire NBA is a good confirmation as to why they’re priced where they are.
This is Kyrie Irving’s first full season with the Mavs, and his acquisition gives Luka Doncic a worthy running mate who can take control of the game if the Serbian phenom is having a bad game or in street clothes. Irving’s recent takeover against the Warriors when Luka exited the game in the fourth quarter is a great attestation of Irving’s ability to take over and close out games.
The Mavs also struck gold in the 2023–24 draft, acquiring a budding big man in Dereck Lively, who has proven to be a sturdy anchor and energy guy down low. Aside from Lively, the Mavs also acquired Daniel Gafford in a trade with the Washington Wizards before the trade deadline. The 25-year-old is quietly having a breakout season, averaging 11 points, 7.8 rebounds, and 2.1 blocks.
Having to deal with Kyrie and Luka in the backcourt is already one of the tallest tasks for any team in the league, and having to deal with the likes of Lively, Gafford, and even Tim Hardaway Jr. in the wings and in the paint requires a herculean effort from any adversary.
Golden State Warriors
Oh, how the mighty have fallen. The Golden State Warriors are not who they used to be. This season is a mere ghost of their past selves, who have dominated the league since 2015. Now that Father Time has been slowly catching up with the Warriors’ core, they now sit as the ninth seed in the West, a conference that’s currently being dominated by young, healthy, and promising teams.
But with that being said, going up against the Warriors in a seven-game series, even in their current condition, is no easy task for any team in the conference. Steve Kerr and the rest of the Warriors core have proven that they’re still a championship-calibre team just two seasons ago when they defeated the Boston Celtics in the NBA finals in six games.
The question now is if they can rally when it matters most with the personnel they have this season. One half of the splash brothers, Klay Thompson, and veteran winger Ander Wiggins have seen considerable dips in production this campaign, but Steph Curry remains the greatest marksman the game has ever seen.
It’s a matter of momentum for this seasoned squad, and if they’re able to figure things out before the Play-In Tournament, then the Warriors could be a legitimate dark horse to win the West this term.
Los Angeles Lakers
It’s been a rollercoaster season for the Lakers thus far, but it would simply be foolish to prematurely count a LeBron and AD-led team out of the playoff picture.
The Lakers have the same core that reached the Western Conference Finals last season, so it’s fair to expect close, if not the same, results from the purple and gold, especially since Anthony Davis has stayed relatively healthy all throughout the season.
Davis already has 64 games under his belt this season, the most he’s played since the 2017-18 campaign. With AD’s health in check and the fact that LeBron James is showing no signs of slowing down at 39 years of age, having the Lakers in the first round of the playoffs won’t be a cakewalk whatsoever.
Disclaimer: Odds are correct at time of publish.
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