The NBA Western Conference is absolutely stacked, making any subsequent playoff matchup that much more compelling.
The San Antonio Spurs, Oklahoma City Thunder and Los Angeles Clippers lead both the West and entire Association with 53-plus wins apiece.
Based off current standings (April 2), their would-be opponents in the eighth-place Phoenix Suns, seventh-place Memphis Grizzlies and No. 6 Golden State Warriors all boast a record worthy of the third seed in the East.
The 49-win Houston Rockets and Portland Trail Blazers, meanwhile, will surely light up the scoreboard with their No. 3 and No. 2 ranked offenses, respectively.
Point being, all eight of these teams are fully loaded and will provide gripping action in the postseason. It might not appear as such once the first round concludes, but each series will bring plenty of newsworthy moments.
Let’s now take a look at the four playoff matchups out West as they stand right now.
No. 1 San Antonio Spurs (59-16) versus No. 8 Phoenix Suns (44-31)
San Antonio currently boasts a best-of-three advantage over Phoenix with a 2-1 season-series edge.
Yet, despite winning the first two matchups, those victories only materialized with three- and seven-point margins. The Suns also dropped 101 points one week before Christmas on a Spurs club that ranks No. 4 in allowing just 97.4 per game.
Better yet, they pummeled the conference leader 106-85 on Feb. 21. That marks the last time the Spurs lost before embarking on their ridiculous 18-game winning streak.
Jeff Hornacek’s upstart Suns have therefore battled Gregg Popovich’s seasoned bunch in a competitive, if not winning fashion all three times. Outscoring San Antonio by an average of four points certainly reveals as much.
But can a still inferior club—and a preseason lottery-qualifying one at that—outlast a 58-win Spurs team whose postseason prowess rates as all-time great?
Even though a couple games will come down to the final possession, the dynamic backcourt of Goran Dragic and Eric Bledsoe will not suffice this time around.
The proven superior who distributes and knocks down threes more efficiently than any team in the NBA will simply outclass the inexperienced Suns en route to a four-game sweep.
Popovich, Tim Duncan, Tony Parker and Manu Ginobili are all too hungry for what might amount as their final championship run together.
No. 2 Oklahoma City Thunder (54-19) versus No. 7 Memphis Grizzlies (44-31)
Let us begin this breakdown by pitting a few contrasting numbers against each other and formulating a happy-medium-like prediction.
The Thunder are 3-1 against the Grizzlies this season. They have won both with and without point guard Russell Westbrook, and with and without center Marc Gasol anchoring things for Memphis.
All told, Kevin Durant and Co. have outshot, out-rebounded and outscored their conference rivals on the way to victories by 16, nine and six points in 2013-2014.
On the other hand, a brief trip down memory lane reveals quite the opposite outcome in a similar sample size featuring these two teams.
After dropping Game One in the Western semifinals last year, the Grizzlies summarily dismissed Oklahoma City in four straight. They outshot, out-distributed and outscored the supposedly superior Thunder in short order indeed.
Durant was exceptional with a glorious stat line of 28.8 PPG, 10.4 RPG, 6.6 APG, 1.2 SPG and 1.2 BPG. But without Westbrook, it wasn’t enough against Gasol, Zach Randolph and Mike Conley, who all averaged over 18.0 points in the series.
So, what’s the difference in this latest head to head?
You guessed it—Westbrook.
The sheer athleticism and playmaking ability of Durant’s partner in crime will ultimately propel OKC past Memphis in a hard-fought six games.
No. 3 Los Angeles Clippers (54-22) versus No. 6 Golden State Warriors (46-29)
Feast your eyes on the best matchup of the first round.
Hands down, this series will unfold in ways that would otherwise suit a conference or even NBA Finals battle.
On one hand, LAC is clearly the better team in terms of roster talent, coaching and overall winning percentage. But delve a little deeper, and some interesting correlations and opposing strengths emerge.
Both the Clippers and Warriors are top 10 in scoring offense and defense. Both feature upper-echelon floor generals, lights-out shooting guards, point-producing power forwards and top-notch defensive-minded centers.
The Clippers get the edge offensively behind Blake Griffin’s 24.0 PPG and the collective unit’s top-ranked 107.6 PPG.
The Warriors earn the nod on defense with lockdown wing defender Andre Iguodala and the overall group’s top-four rating per 100 possessions (102.6 PPG allowed).
Furthermore, the 2-2 season series between LA and Golden State reflects the balanced character of this heated divisional rivalry.
Mark Jackson’s bunch led in field goal percentage, three-point accuracy, rebounds and assists. Doc Rivers’ contingent held the edge in steals, blocks, turnovers and points (mere 0.7 advantage notwithstanding.)
And, as previously mentioned, both clubs absolutely hate each other.
As for the upper hand come playoff time, give it to the team with the best player.
The Clippers might have more great pieces, but the Warriors have the asset in point guard Stephen Curry.
Expect a go-ahead three-pointer from Splash Brother No. 1 in the final seconds of an epic, Game 7-deciding opening-round series.
No. 4 Houston Rockets (49-25) versus No. 5 Portland Trail Blazers (49-27)
Recall that whole lighting up of the scoreboard we referenced earlier?
These teams averaged an eye-popping combined score of 225.5 points per game in four contests this year.
Houston owned the decided advantage with a mark of 116.0 PPG. But Portland dazzled as well to the tune of 109.5 PPG—more than two points greater than it’s second-ranked season average (106.8 PPG).
Oh, and both squads coughed up at least 102.0 PPG during the 2013-2014 campaign, so expect continued offensive fireworks in the playoffs.
At any rate, the Rockets have thus far secured the best of four in the regular season. Two of their wins have come by a dominant 15 and 13 points.
Backcourt dynamo James Harden led the charge with 30.3 PPG, 7.3 RPG, 5.3 APG and 2.3 SPG. He shot 48.1 percent from the floor and an outstanding 45.5 percent from downtown.
That said, the Blazers took one of their own (111-104) behind all-star power forward LaMarcus Aldridge’s monster 31 PTS, 25 REB line. They also extended the final head to head into overtime after nearly closing it out late in the fourth quarter.
In the high likelihood that these teams meet in the postseason, the Rockets will prevail once again.
But in a wildly entertaining series of the highest degree, Houston advancing in six games will satisfy the short-term attention spans of all those watching from home or otherwise.
Well, at least those residing outside the city of Portland.
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