Western Conference: Potential matchups for the 2022 Play-In Tournament

Checking in with how the Play-In Tournament is shaping up in the Western Conference with the start of the NBA Playoffs just two weeks away. 

Even in a year where the Western Conference may not be as strong as the East, don’t count out the serious contenders the West has to offer. In the past decade, it always seemed like the West teams were just a little bit better than the East. I think that narrative has changed this year due to offseason free agency signings making the East stronger.

The West is still home to the best record in the NBA right now in the Phoenix Suns who are 62-14. Other powerhouses in this conference are the second seed Memphis Grizzlies, the third seed Dallas Mavericks, and don’t count out Steph Curry and his Golden State Warriors in fourth.

It’s looking like making the Play-In Tournament in the West is going to be a nail-biter. Seeds seven and eight look to be solidified, but nine and ten will be decided in the coming week and a half with three teams fighting for two open spots.

What four teams will make the Play-In and earn the final two seeds (7 and 8) left in the Western Conference Playoffs?

Play-In games will start on Tuesday, April 12th, and will conclude on Friday the 15th. Only four teams will be lucky enough to play for the final two spots.

How the Play-In Tournament works 

The 7th seed will play the 8th seed. The winner of that game will enter the NBA Playoffs as the 7th seed. Then, the 9th seed will play the 10th seed where the loser will be eliminated and the winner will play the loser of the 7th vs. 8th seed game. The winner of that game will enter the NBA Playoffs as the 8th seed.

If the season ended today, the West Play-In Tournament would be:

7th- Minnesota Timberwolves vs 8th- Los Angeles Clippers 

9th- New Orleans Pelicans vs 10th- San Antonio Spurs or Los Angeles Lakers 

Minnesota vs. LA Clippers 

The Timberwolves are not a team to take lightly. Their leader and franchise player was the No. 1 overall pick in the 2015 NBA Draft, Karl-Anthony Towns. He’s a double-double threat every time he steps on the court and he’s one of, if not the best shooting big man in the NBA right now. He did win the 3-point contest at All-Star weekend this year.

KAT leads the team in scoring (24.4 points) and rebounds (9.8), while also being a presence on the glass who bullies smaller defenders. He also leads the team in blocks averaging 1.1 per game. Another player who averages 20 points or more for the T-Wolves is the 20-year-old Anthony Edwards. The second-year pro has made a name for himself in his short time in the league.

Like KAT, Edwards was also taken first in his respective draft class (2020). In 139 games played in the NBA, his career averages are 20.1 points, 4.7 rebounds, and 3.3 assists per game. He exploded for a career-high 48 points against the Warriors early in November of this season. No doubt he is capable of being a dominant player for a long time, he’s only 20.

For the Clippers, this has been a rollercoaster kind of season. One of their two main superstars in Kahwi Leonard has not played a game for the team this year as he continues to rehab an ACL injury. NBA fans remember how Leonard lifted the Toronto Raptors on his back to help them win the franchise’s first-ever title in 2019. The Clippers are certainly missing Kahwi, but the team just recently got their other superstar back from injury.

Paul George has made a return after missing 49 games for the Clippers this season, 42 in a row. He made his return on Wednesday and dropped 34 points on 50 percent shooting while also recording five steals.

One player who has benefitted from Kahwi and George’s absence is Reggie Jackson. He leads the team in scoring (17.2 points) and assists (4.8). This is the most points per game he’s averaged in his whole career when the Clippers needed it most. Other role players like Ivica Zubac, Luke Kennard, and Marcus Morris Sr. all play pivotal parts in the team’s success when they’ve had it this year.

Pelicans vs. San Antonio (or possibly Lakers)

New Orleans has seen a shift in their season’s momentum since they acquired veteran CJ McCollum from the Portland Trailblazers. The Pelicans were bottom three in the West and have fought and scrapped their way to the ninth seed as of now, still subject to change. I am a huge fan of the roster that New Orleans has built. It’s a great combination of veteran leadership and young explosive talent.

In 20 games played with the Pelicans this season, McCollum averages 25.9 points, 4.8 rebounds, 6.4 assists, and 1.1 steals per game. It’s a shorter sample size of games compared to the rest of his career, but this is the most ppg he’s averaged. Safe to say that McCollum’s scoring has been a reason the team was able to fight their way into the Play-In scenario.

Assisting CJ in scoring for the Pelicans is the sixth-year pro. Brandon Ingram. He was the second overall pick in the 2016 NBA draft. Ingram has averaged 20 points or more in the previous two seasons and he’s doing it again in 2022. He has missed 24 of the team’s 76 games played so far.

The Pelicans roster has a lot of solid NBA talent and role players who benefit the team. Players like Jonas Valanciunas and Jaxson Hayes help rebound and play smothering defense. Herbert Jones leads the team in steals (1.7) and Devonte Graham is another solid scorer for the team while also leading in assists (4.3).

Two teams are neck and neck for the 10th seed and the final spot in the Play-In for the West. The Spurs and Lakers are both 31-45, but San Antonio is ahead of LA as of right now. It’s going to come down to the last few games of the season to determine that final spot.

San Antonio is a young basketball team coached by the winningest coach in NBA history, Greg Popovich. The team is led by point guard Dejounte Murray. He averages 21.2 points (team-leading), 8.4 rebounds, 9.3 assists (team-leading), and 2.0 steals per game (team-leading). Murray quite literally does it all for them.

San Antonio’s biggest glaring weakness is not having a true dominant center on the team. They do have Jakob Poeltl, but he’s not your traditional big man. Zach Collins and Thaddeus Young help out of the glass as role players.

Coach Pop has filled the roster with a lot of young talent. Keldon Johnson, Jakob Poeltl, Lonnie Walker IV, and Doug McDermott all average 10 points or better.

The other possible 10 seed is the LA Lakers who are having a down season. LA did something very unique this season and they brought in a lot of veteran players. They have the highest average age of any team in the NBA at (30.0).

LeBron has not missed the playoffs many times in his career. It’s going to be extremely hard to beat out San Antonio for the final Play-In spot. The good news for the team is that reports have come out saying that Anthony Davis may return Friday night vs, the Pelicans. Davis has only played in 37 games this season. He’s been out since February 15 with a mid-foot sprain.

Coming into the season, the Lakers were getting criticized for who they signed. An issue I had with the team was that they had so many ball-dominant players who can’t all have the ball at the same time. The Lakers are “Lebron’s” team, but players like Russell Westbrook will never think of themselves as a second or even third option for the team.

This is Westbrook’s third-lowest scoring average since his first two seasons as a pro. The Lakers as a whole are not a bad basketball team. Between all their veterans, I’m sure there’s a ridiculous amount of all-star appearances. That doesn’t mean anything if your team does not have good chemistry. LA will have to battle till the end to try and make the Play-In Tournament.

Who is your pick to win it all in the West?