The Western Conference has been a minefield for most of the 2023-24 NBA regular season and that’s unlikely to change in the final third of the campaign after the All-Star break. Nine teams in the conference have at least 30 wins, with four having 36 or more. Only seven games separate the top seed from the first play-in spot, meaning this is going to be a thrilling fight to the finish for the six automatic playoff spots.
Below we take a look at the Western Conference standings and predict how we think the bracket ends up looking.
Western Conference Standings and Playoff Picture
1. Minnesota Timberwolves (39-16)
2. Oklahoma City Thunder (37-17), 1.5 GB
3. Los Angeles Clippers (36-17), 2 GB
4. Denver Nuggets (36-19), 3 GB
5. Phoenix Suns (33-22), 6 GB
6. New Orleans Pelicans (33-22), 6 GB
Play-in tournament
7. Dallas Mavericks (32-23), 7 GB
8. Sacramento Kings (31-23), 7.5 GB
9. Los Angeles Lakers (30-26), 9.5 GB
10. Golden State Warriors (27-26), 11 GB
11. Utah Jazz (26-30)
12. Houston Rockets (24-30)
13. Memphis Grizzlies (20-36)
14. Portland Trail Blazers (15-39)
15. San Antonio Spurs (11-44)
Playoff Predictions
As the standings indicate, this is going to be a ridiculously tight race. I think the Timberwolves, Thunder, Clippers and Nuggets all get into the playoffs without much of a fight but it really does get dicey from there. The Suns are one more February injury for Kevin Durant away from the bottom falling out despite their fringe moves at the trade deadline. The Pelicans have Zion Williamson’s health to worry about, while the Mavericks and Kings are looking to flip a switch after the break.
The Lakers and Warriors have both improved significantly heading into the All-Star break, which gives those teams confidence to make that final push. Both LA and Golden State have the experience of winning big in the playoffs, something the teams ahead of them don’t have. They may be playing from behind the eight ball, but they’re more proven than Dallas, Sacramento and New Orleans.
Perhaps the most disappointing thing here is knowing two out of 10 deserving teams are going to be left out. That’s the nature of the Western Conference this year.