The Western Conference is so ridiculously stacked, that honestly every seed besides #1 (which belongs to the Warriors) is debatable. Besides Golden State, no spot is guaranteed and the regular season will be as tough as the playoffs. Here is SneakerReporter.com’s predictions for the 2019 Eastern Conference standings.
1. Golden State Warriors – 65-17
This one’s easy. Golden State will dominate the regular season, even with DeMarcus Cousins missing the first half or so. They’ll dominate the playoffs too, and win another championship. It’s not even worth discussing, because you already know.
2. Houston Rockets – 60-22
Despite losing a few key pieces such as Trevor Ariza and Luc Mbah a Moute, the Rockets will still be good enough to take the 2-seed again. Reigning MVP James Harden and Chris Paul are a great tandem and with big man Clint Capela being their defensive stronghold, Houston is all set. On the contrary, who knows how Melo will do there.
3. Oklahoma City Thunder – 54-28
Thunder fans rejoiced when they re-signed Paul George, and for more than one more season. He showed his loyalty, and his eagerness to get to work. He and Westbrook have unfinished business, especially after Andre Roberson went down with a knee injury prior to the playoffs. Steven Adams is a top-5 center, and Oklahoma City’s high level of talent is enough for the #3 seed.
4.Los Angeles Lakers – 53-29
The addition of LeBron James, although completely flipping the Lakers in the right direction, isn’t enough to take over the West. Their other players are still young (but very talented), and their other role players like Lance Stephenson and Javale McGee are solid. They should be able to make a deep playoff run, but they probably won’t be capable of topping the Warriors.
5. Portland Trail Blazers – 50-32
The Trail Blazers have underrated star Damian Lillard, who is capable of carrying a team himself. He’s got C.J. McCollum by his side, and Jusuf Nurkić in the paint. Nurkić is all-around dominant, and just 24. He’s still improving, as their whole roster is. They’ve got a great deal of talent throughout their entire roster, and they can take the 5-seed easily.
6. Utah Jazz – 47-35
Donovan Mitchell is good, but still needs some time before he can help Utah make a deep playoff run. In the regular season he and defensive stud Rudy Gobert can secure a solid playoff seed, and other strong pieces like Joe Ingles should continue to contribute well. Utah will be good for years to come.
7. San Antonio Spurs 46-36
The Spurs were just fine without Kawhi Leonard last year, so with a new face like DeMar DeRozan, they’ll be even better. Gregg Popovich is always capable of bringing a team to the playoffs, and they can still make it despite veteran Manu Ginobili having just announced his retirement. The Spurs have solid young guns as well as a great veteran presence, so they can yield the 7-seed with no issue.
8. Denver Nuggets – 43-39
Denver is in the exact same situation as the Jazz – they will be very good in the coming years. They have Nikola Jokić, Jamal Murray, Paul Millsap, Gary Harris, and a steal in Michael Porter Jr. He was picked 14th overall, despite being arguably the most talented player in the 2018 NBA Draft. The Nuggets will be able to scrape out a playoff spot, but it’ll be a little while before they’re a serious threat.
And about the bottom 7 teams…
9. New Orleans Pelicans – 42-40
10. Minnesota Timberwolves – 41-41
11. Dallas Mavericks – 35-47
12. Phoenix Suns – 34-48
13. Sacramento Kings – 30-52
14. Memphis Grizzlies – 25-57
15. Los Angeles Clippers – 22-60
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