NBA Pretenders or Contenders: The West lottery teams
- Minnesota Timberwolves
In the deep Western Conference, there’s only one team that seems destined for the NBA Draft Lottery. There will certainly be others, but the majority of the teams are still somewhat in the playoff race. The Minnesota Timberwolves are 6.5 games back and would need to go on a significant run during the latter portion of the season to make a move up the standings. I don’t see that coming.
The playoff fringe candidates
- Dallas Mavericks
- New Orleans Pelicans
- Oklahoma City Thunder
- Sacramento Kings
- Houston Rockets
- Memphis Grizzlies
- San Antonio Spurs
Each of these eight teams is in the running for one of the final two playoff spots. It’s difficult to predict which team will wind up with the spots, but it wouldn’t be surprising to see any of these teams in the postseason. At the same rate, it wouldn’t be surprising to see any of these teams completely fall off either.
The playoff locks
- Golden State Warriors
Even without a healthy Klay Thompson this season, I have a hard time believing that the Golden State Warriors won’t make the playoffs this season. As long as Stephen Curry, Draymond Green, and the rest of the core remains healthy, the Warriors will be making a return to the playoffs.