NBA February Prediction: The cream rises to the top in the Western Conference
The Lakers, Clippers, and Jazz have all comfortably set themselves above the pack during the first quarter of the season. And while it’s still too early to panic about the other hopeful contenders, February will be an important month for a lot of teams.
The Denver Nuggets seem to have begun steadying the ship, using their recent win streak to get their head above water. But teams like the Suns and Mavericks need to have a good month to avoid digging themselves a hole they can’t climb out of.
February should also provide some clarity on the surprise teams out West. For example, are the Spurs just a nice story? Or is the first quarter of the season proof that the Spurs can throw any group of players on the floor and Gregg Popovich will figure out how to win games with them?
Same story with the Thunder, whose chances of making the playoffs should have been about the same as my chances of winning the lottery, but here they are in the thick of things.
It’s not bold to assume these teams will start to show who they really are, but if teams we thought would be playoff contenders can’t get things figured out this month then it’s probably time to stop giving them the benefit of the doubt.