How tight the West Coast playoff race is...

[Jakay]

Just chew on this for a second. We all know the West playoff race is super close, but does anyone remember a time when, with only seven or eight games left in the season, a number one seed could still be elimanated from the playoffs?

Now, that is, of course, highly unlikely, but if NO, who's only 7.5 games ahead of Golden State, lost every single game from here on out, they would be out, which is ridiculous, in April.

Is there some outside chance this is the tightest conference playoff race ever? It can't be far off if it isn't, and especially if we use the latest possible date for a conference leader to clinch a playoff berth, never mind top spot, as a criteria.

[NetsForce]

Kobe.

[wetsthebed]

It's crazy. The 1 and 8 teams are separated by the same amount of games as the 1 and 2 teams in the East.

[pillwenney]

Golden State would also have to win out too, I believe.

But yeah, it's pretty nuts. There probably won't be much vet-resting this year.

[_SRV_]

It's crazy. The 1 and 8 teams are separated by the same amount of games as the 1 and 2 teams in the East.

also 7 losses is what separates 7th from 9th in the east, it means there's a chance of7th seed clinching in the east before anyone in the west, which is really F'ed up.
Top players have been and still are ridden for a long time with no chance of catching a breath(Kobe, Nash, Paul etc...).

[KF10]

Yeah, it is tight. I like how the Kings are playing the spoiler role. The Kings can potentially can impact the playoff race between these teams. We play teams that are in the playoffs in the West. So, they have to watch out. The Kings are not marked as an "easy" win. You have to play 100% to beat the Kings. We are not tanking or giving up, we are just playing for pride and the common goal of basketball...Which is to win.

[BROWN]

Yeh warriors and nuggets play them.
let's hope they beat the nugget. and loose to the warriors

[PHXfan85]

I hope they beat the Lakers.

[NO-KG-AI]

Well we clinched

Jakay, what are you doing posting on the GB anyway..... wayyyy out of your jurisdiction.

[caborn]

Kind of sucks for the draft though...some West teams are going to get a better pick than they should. Some East teams are going to get a lower picks than they should. Blazers and Sixers have almost identical records...Blazers are in the lottery, Sixers are not.

Unrelated, but I have a hunch that this is the year the Knicks get a top 3 pick...I hope Isiah didn't trade it away.

[Super Bad]

Chew on this for a second, it's mighty delicious. The west couldn't be closer but do you ever remember the east having so much separation from 1 to 8.

P.S. Lebron is going to face the west champ in the finals, and he will be ready to deliver! you heard it here first

[CITYOFANGELSX3]

P.S. Lebron is going to face the west champ in the finals, and he will be ready to deliver! you heard it here first

You see those games the cavs against the bulls and today against orlando?? Lebron's back seems to be bugging him big time.

[Sixercise]

Well we clinched

And the only Western team to do so....for now

[JES12]

West "Coast" ?

Dallas, Houston, Phoenix, San Antonio, Utah, Orleans and Denver are not on the coast.

[Troy McClure]

You didn't think you'd get away with that, did you?

[RoyceDa59]

The Western Conference playoffs will be extremely entertaining this season. Seedings will play a critical roll in determining who matches up well on their path to the finals.

This is how I would rank the likelihood of a finals appearance for the teams in the West:

1. San Antonio
2. LA Lakers
3. Phoenix Suns
4. New Orleans Hornets
5. Utah Jazz
6. Dallas Mavericks
7. Denver Nuggets
8. Golden State
9. Houston Rockets

As good as the teams are 1 through 8, I really doubt the Rockets, Nuggets or Warriors will pull off an upset in the first round.

Dallas has playoff experience and two HOFers, and unlike last season they are forced to play with intensity for the final stretch of the regular season leading up to the playoffs. If taken lightly, they have the ability to beat one of the upper seeded teams in the first round.

Utah is another team that is playoff tested and their strongest positions at PG and PF match up well against Phoenix's best players. I expect them to meet up in the first round and it has the makings to be a nailbiter. They could make it through to the 2nd round.

Phoenix is the strongest they've been in the Nash-era. With HOF candidates at every position (save SG), this is the year Phoenix makes the leap from pretender to contender.

New Orleans is quite simply one of the best teams in the league. They have the best Point Guard in the world and an athletic, versatile and dynamic front court for him to dish too. Their success begins with stingy defense and they have a stong counter attack on the fast break. They're not quite as expererienced as the Spurs, Lakers or Suns but there is no doubt that they're as talented. Anything less than the conference finals will be filed as a disappointment.

The Lakers are the best they've been since Shaq skipped town. Their front court compares to that of the Hornets in that they have 3 athletic, versatile players who's varying skill sets mesh. They have a guard whom many consider to be the best player in the world paired with arguably the greatest coach in the history of basketball. I expect no less then a hard fought 2nd round series for LA, and if health prevails, the NBA championship is within reach.

The Spurs are the defending champs. But there is still a lingering pressure for San Antonio to repeat and stamp their claim as a dynasty. With the emerging talent of the western conference, this very well may be their last chance to wins back-to-back titles. Lead by the consistantly best defense of this decade, the Spurs should be the favorites to win the West this season.

This is how I expect the western conference playoffs to go down:

1. New Orleans over 8. Denver
2. LA Lakers over 7. Houston
3. San Antonio over 6. Dallas
5. Phoenix over 4. Utah

5. Phoenix over 1. New Orleans
3. San Antonio over 2. LA Lakers

3. San Antonio over 5. Phoenix

Western Conference Champions: San Antonio Spurs.

[Duiz]

No kidding.. that is a lot of separation.. Good point super bad.