The "Wild West" That Could Leave Title-Contending Teams Out of the Playoffs
We review how the fierce competition in the Western Conference can lead to the play-in, or even something worse, for franchises with real hopes of winning the title.
As we approach the conclusion of the first third of the NBA season, it is clear that the Western Conference will provide great excitement throughout the regular season, making it impossible to anticipate how the standings will look heading into the postseason. There are teams whose initial goal was to win the championship and now face serious threats to their playoff berths.
Only six spots guarantee a playoff berth, and it is not far-fetched to say that a total of twelve teams in the Western Conference have what it takes to compete for them. Currently, the difference between the fifth and twelfth seeds is only 2.5 games. While Oklahoma City Thunder appears to have secured their place in the title race, there are concerns about a possible decline for Memphis Grizzlies and Houston Rockets.
Though not weak teams, their drop should not be too steep. Behind them, there are teams with some of the greatest players of all time and much more experience dealing with tight situations. Dallas Mavericks, Denver Nuggets, Golden State Warriors, Phoenix Suns, Los Angeles Clippers, Los Angeles Lakers... The math doesn't add up, especially when considering the determined efforts of Minnesota Timberwolves with Edwards shining and the eager Victor Wembanyama of the San Antonio Spurs.
It would be unwise to exclude Sacramento Kings from the fight, a team that hasn't started the season well but has the elements and identity to climb in the standings and join the postseason race. What is clear is that some significant team will miss the play-in, and the four competing for a playoff spot through that format will face high-stakes games.
This is an automatic translation. You can read the original news, El "salvaje Oeste" que puede dejar fuera de playoffs a equipos aspirantes al anillo
