The Wild West will kick off the 2014 - 2015 season with one of the best matchups of this season between defending champs San Antonio and the Dallas Mavericks. The West has been beating up on each other ruthlessly during the past few years, and this season looks to be no different.

Look for the West to have some of the best matchups, playoff races, and rivalries in all of the NBA this season. Here are the standings and awards for the Western Conference for the 2014-2015 season.

Playoff Scenario

First Round

1) San Antoio beats 8) Portland in four games

4) Golden State beats 5) Los Angeles in seven games

2) Dallas beats 7) Memphis in seven games

6) Houston beats 3) Oklahoma City in six games 

Conference Semi-finals

1) San Antonio beats 4) Golden State in six games

2) Dallas beats 6) Houston in seven games

Conference Finals

1) San Antonio beats 2) Dallas in sven games

#1 San Antonio Spurs beat #2 Dallas Mavericks in Seven Games

Analysis

The Western Conference in the NBA 2014 - 2015 season will again be wild. In fact, this year might be one of the best years for Western Conference teams in recent memory. There’s a very good chance that there will be eleven teams with .500 records by the end of the season. When your worst .500 team has Kobe Bryant, however old he may be, on their team, your conference is doing pretty good. The Western Conference playoffs again will be must watch TV and the regular season will be something to watch as well.

The most important aspect of the Western Conference is in the state of Texas. Once again, there is a chance that Dallas and San Antonio will be at each others’ throats all season, starting with a fantastic opener at the defending champs’ home court on Tuesday night. These interconnected rivalries between Dallas, Houston, and San Antonio will carve a path of excellence this season. I expect all three teams to elevate their level of play amongst their bitter in-state rivals. Adam Silver and the NBA could not be luckier with the rise of the state of Texas and this will create great storylines, great games, and a great race for the Southwest Division this year.

The teams that may falter this season, however, look to be some of the more successful of last year. With the utter dominance of the Southwest Division, other teams in the West will struggle while facing the formidable lineups in that division. Teams such as the Clippers, Blazers, and Warriors will find the West to be far more of a struggle as each team did very little to improve upon their core of players. Portland in particular seems to be on the downswing with no improvements to a bench that was in the bottom in terms of scoring last season. With Lamarcus Aldridge in a contract year, and Damian Lilliard no longer being under-estimated, the Blazers may be lucky even to make the Western Conference Playoffs this season.

The other team that will have some struggles this season will be the Los Angeles Clippers. Despite losing the huge distraction/parasite that was Donald Sterling, basketball-wise the Clips didn’t do much to change a team that struggled mightily last season on defense. Blake Griffin will continue to improve and Chris Paul will still be a top 3 point-guard in the league; but Jamaal Crawford and Matt Barnes are 34, and the addition of Spencer Hawes doesn’t change the lack of quality defense by this team. Doc Rivers will do what he can with this bunch, but chances are that they will run into Houston, Dallas, or San Antonio and this Clippers team has no chance.

Overall, the Western Conference will be spear-headed by the three-headed Texas monster and the Western Conference Playoffs will be won by one of those three teams. San Antonio kept their entire core of players and Kawhi Leonard will become the regular season star that he has shown himself to be in the playoffs the last two years. Tim Duncan, Tony Parker, and Manu Ginobli will go out as champs one more time before they leave Pops and San Antonio with one of the best runs in NBA history.

Dallas will contend with San Antonio to the bitter end, just as they did last year as they gave San Antonio their most competitive series in the playoffs last year. The additions of Jameer Nelson, Chandler Parsons, and Tyson Chandler will help improve on a team that already gives the Spurs fits. Monta Ellis and Dirk Nowitzki will be the ringleaders for this team, and they will contend with the Spurs through the whole season, culminating in an epic in-state rivalry clash in the Western Conference Finals.

Finally the Houston Rockets have the most upside in this three part glorious monstrosity. The addition of a rising Trevor Ariza will help spread the floor and the improvements with Patrick Beverly will help Houston contend with their in-state kin. Ariza will prove to be the most valuable addition of the 2014 offseason, and Houston will cause fits for San Antonio and Dallas while they try to topple each other in the deep and very wild Western Conference. I hope you all brought your pistols, because in the Western Conference, it’s going to be a shootout to the bitter end.

Conference Awards

Conference MVP: Kawhi Leonard, San Antonio Spurs

Conference Coach of the Year: Rick Carlisle, Dallas Mavericks

Conference Comeback Player of the Year: Trevor Ariza, Houston Rockets

Conference Disappointing Player of the Year: Eric Bledsoe, Phoenix Suns

Conference’ Most Disappointing Team: Portland Trail Blazers

Conference “Just wait til Next Year” Award: Minnesota Timberwolves