12. Houston Rockets (22-10)
After an embarrassing showing on Christmas Day against the Warriors, the Houston Rockets continue to be one of the most inconsistent good teams in the Western Conference. The good news is that Eric Gordon is back and he should help with some of their overall offensive issues.
Still, I’m not sure if the Rockets are built to win in the playoffs. That’s the one thing that has plagued this team over the last few seasons. And I’m still not sure they’ve addressed that.
11. Utah Jazz (20-12)
Led by Donovan Mitchell and Rudy Gobert, the Utah Jazz is led by one of the league’s most well-balanced duos. They’re one of those West teams that are in the second tier that, if everything falls their way in the playoffs, could make some serious noise.
For the time being, though, this team has some making up to do in the standings. The Jazz needs to find a way to avoid the Clippers and the Lakers in the first round. No matter how strong they may be on the defensive end, there’s no way they can beat them if either squad is fully healthy.