As the NBA playoffs draw near, we give a team-by-team guide to this year's Western Conference with the San Antonio Spurs once again leading the way in the division.
San Antonio Spurs
Championships: 4
Strength: The Spurs keep ticking like a finely-tuned watch, regardless of how old the veterans get and who the role players are that surround them.
Weakness: It’s hard to pick out a weakness with the Spurs but if you had to, you would say they’ve attempted the third fewest free throws in the league.
X-factor: Kawhi Leonard (above in grey) – The small forward will likely have to defend and succeed against Kevin Durant and LeBron James for the Spurs to win the title.
Prediction: Picking against the Spurs isn’t a smart move. This time around, they won’t let the Larry O’Brien trophy slip through their hands and will earn a fifth championship.
Oklahoma City Thunder
Championships: 1
Playoff appearances: 27
Head coach: Scott Brooks
Star man: Kevin Durant
Strength: With arguably the most dynamic scoring duo in the league in Durant and Russell Westbrook, the Thunder are capable of beating any team in a series. Weakness: Having young players in important roles helps their development but it also forces you to have to trust those players in crucial situations with the season on the line.
X-factor: Reggie Jackson (above right) – Jackson isn’t James Harden but he can relieve enough offensive pressure on Durant and Westbrook for this Thunder group to make a return to the Finals.
Prediction: Durant looks like a man on a mission but the Spurs still stand in the way and the Thunder can’t match San Antonio’s experience and execution for a full series.
Los Angeles Clippers
Championships: 0
Playoff appearances: 10
Head coach: Doc Rivers (One championship)
Star man: Chris Paul
Strength: Rank first in the league at 107.9 points per game with six players averaging double figures.
Weakness: In the bottom five in free throw percentage. Much of that is due to DeAndre Jordan, who’s converting only 43 per cent, making him a liability at the end of games.
X-factor: Danny Granger (above in white) – Can give the Clips something they haven’t had much of: scoring from the wing position.
Prediction: They’ll need to take care of Steph Curry’s Golden State. The deciding factor will be home court, where LA are 34-7 this season.
Houston Rockets
Championships: 2
Playoff appearances: 28
Head coach: Kevin McHale
Star man: James Harden
Strength: With 107.7 points per game, the Rockets are only outscored by the Clippers.
Weakness: Of all the play-off teams in either conference, the Rockets allowed the most points per game during the regular season with 103.2… and that’s with Dwight Howard in the team.
X-factor: Patrick Beverley (above left) – A defensive pest whose attributes will be needed against the best guards in the Western Conference: Stephen Curry, Chris Paul and Russell Westbrook.
Prediction: Were built to be contenders but their inability to play defence makes them vulnerable against the elite sides. Fortunately for Houston, Portland isn’t a team that will make them play out of their comfort zone.
Portland Trail Blazers
Championships: 1
Playoff Appearances: 30
Head coach: Terry Stotts
Star man: LaMarcus Aldridge
Strength: The Blazers rank first in the league in total rebounding per game and do a lot of their damage on the offensive glass by grabbing 27.8 per cent of all missed shots.
Weakness: The only playoff team that allows more points per game than Portland is Houston, meaning the Trail Blazers have to outscore opponents.
X-factor: Robin Lopez (above in the center) – Will have an immediate challenge in the first round going head to head with Dwight Howard and will try to limit, if not stop, the Rockets centre.
Prediction: The Trail Blazers finished the year strong but struggled to stop the Rockets’ high-powered offence in the season series, losing three of the four games. The firstround match-up will hold much of the same.
Golden State Warriors
Championships: 3
Playoff appearances: 29
Head coach: Mark Jackson
Star man: Stephen Curry
Strength: Curry and Klay Thompson comprise the best shooting tandem in the league and the numbers show it with the Warriors ranking third in 3-point percentage.
Weakness: Golden State big men David Lee and Andrew Bogut are dealing with injuries right before the play-offs and it’s still unknown if both will be able to play at full strength.
X-factor: Harrison Barnes (above right) – Especially if Lee or Bogut can’t be used normally, Barnes will be called on for small-ball line-ups which he excelled in during last year’s playoffs.
Prediction: Curry always gives the Warriors a chance of winning games but with Bogut out indefinitely and Lee’s health still a concern, they won’t replicate their run from last year where they reached the semis.
Memphis Grizzlies
Championships: 0
Playoff appearances: 6
Head coach: David Joerger
Star man: Zach Randolph
Strength: Have shaped their identity through defence and have allowed the third fewest points per game at 94.6.
Weakness: On the flip side, Memphis are 27th in scoring and possesses no outside shooting as they rank dead last in the league in 3-pointers tried and made.
X-factor: Mike Conley (above in blue) – The Grizz will have a tough time beating any team in the West that feature an elite point guard without Conley holding his own.
Prediction: With Kevin Durant and the Thunder in the first round, it will be tough for Memphis to win a game, let alone the series.
Dallas Mavericks
Championships: 1
Playoff appearances: 18
Head coach: Rick Carlisle (1 championship)
Strength: Dirk Nowitzki is still playing at an elite level and Monta Ellis has provided a consistent second scoring option.
Weakness: The Mavericks are 26th in the league in rebounding at 40.9 per game, with no player across their entire roster averaging at least seven boards.
X-factor: Brandan Wright (above with the ball) – Coming off the bench for spurts at a time, Wright can make a big impact with his strong defence and occasional scoring.
Prediction: Nowitzki versus the Spurs makes for a throwback kind of series with a battle of long-time veteran stars. The big German will do what he can but the Spurs are too experienced to be overcome by a low seed in the opening round.
