With the Golden State Warriors regaining strength and the rejuvenated Lakers, the Western Conference could become unpredictable and fun- For years, fans have generally known what to expect from the Western Conference. Everyone knows that the Lakers of the showtime era will make it to the Finals. Everyone knows that Duncan, Manu and Popovich will keep the Spurs competitive in the playoffs. Everyone knew the postman would go to work on time—at least until Jazz met Jordan and the Bulls. And everyone knows that the Splash Brothers are ready for the Golden State Warriors' title battle. Of course, in addition to unpredictable contingencies, predictability has always been one of the hallmarks of this partition. But we may still not be able to try to figure out what will happen this season.
Due to injuries, both the Clippers and Nuggets will lack a very core player in the lineup. The Lakers' roster is really old. The Suns are regrouping in hopes of replicating last season's success. And then you have teams like the Jazz, the Mavericks, and the Trail Blazers, and they all look really strong. All of this could set the stage for a dramatic renaissance for the Golden State Warriors, who have struggled downstream in the West for years as Klay Thompson has been sidelined from the court amid a series of catastrophic injuries. He's coming back, though, and the Golden State Warriors have spent the past two seasons building up the roster and developing young players like Jordan Poole.
Here's how the Predictions for the Western Conference and a potentially wild season shake up:
Phoenix Sun
The Suns will spend most of their time using a similar lineup they made to the Finals last season. They've brought in New Payton and McGee and they won't be expected to have too much playing time. Chris Paul has repeatedly proven his suspicions wrong, but he turned 37 in May. At some point in the future, he will no longer be in the ranks of elite players. Devon Booker, meanwhile, is 25 years old and has been an elite offensive player for a few years. Can we still expect to see something new in him? Ayton's continued development should be good news for Phoenix, but with the Los Angeles Lakers improving and a healthy Warriors, the Suns will have a steeper path back to the Western Conference championship.
2. Los Angeles Lakers
At the start of last season's playoffs, the Lakers were a mess: LeBron James wasn't young anymore, and Anthony Davis kept getting injured. The result was a first-round loss to the upstart Phoenix Suns in a generational battle in favor of youth. If that loss seemed to indicate that the Lakers should consider getting a little younger, they staggered in the opposite direction. James, as de facto general manager, opened his home this summer to a range of potential new hires. The new-looking Lakers now have players like Cameron Anthony, DeAndre Jordan, old friends Rajan Rondo and Russell Westbrook.
Lakers – a team of experienced veterans. If they can keep their health intact, they can challenge them for a second title in three seasons. But that's a big if. Five players on the list are at least 35 years old, including James, 36.
3. Los Angeles Clippers
Kawhi Leonard, who came back after tearing the cruciate ligament partially in last season's Western Conference Finals game against Phoenix, has no timeline yet. Without him, the Clippers are still full of talent, but are they capable enough to make noise in the West?
Paul George led Los Angeles through nearly two rounds of the playoffs last season without Leonard, dispelling the growing perception that he could no longer lead the team alone. This year, he needs Terrance Mann, Reggie Jackson and Marcus Morris to recreate their big results from last playoff. Since then, the Clippers have traded Patrick Beverley for Eric Bledsoe, and Serge Ibaka is expected to recover from injury. While it's hard to make up for Leonard's scoring and defense, head coach Tyrone Lue should have enough to fit in. However, without Leonard in the West, the Clippers probably still can't compete for the NBA championship.
4. Golden State Warriors
Clay Thompson hadn't played basketball in public in a while. In the roughly two years since he injured his knee in the 2019 Finals, the Raptors, Lakers and Bucks have won the championship separately, and the coronavirus pandemic has swept the world, and Thompson broke his right Achilles tendon during a training session before the start of last season, delaying his return by about a year. It should be noted that in his absence, the Warriors did not win many games. But Thompson could return to the squad in late December or early January, a welcome sight for those who missed out on what he could do — a team that included his teammates. Will Thompson's return propel the Golden State Warriors toward their familiar role as title contenders? Hardly. But his appearance can be seen as a victory in itself.
5. Denver Nuggets
The Nuggets have unsurprisingly renewed the league's new MVP MVP Nikola Jokic. In the offseason, they also had massive contract extensions with Michael Potter Jr. and Aaron Gordon. The Nuggets now have the size, talent and young capital. But they don't have Jamal Murray — their injured starting point guard, at least not for a short time. Denver seemed to be on the cusp of great achievement for several seasons, but never made a breakthrough in the Finals. As Murray continues to recover from surgery to repair the torn front critical ligament, the Nuggets' journey this season will be steep again. There is no timeline for his return.