NBA Western Conference Winning Favorites

The Western Conference was never really in any doubt last season, especially since the Golden State Warriors put together a record breaking season for the ages. Whether they will be able to replicate that success, or perhaps even better it, remains to be seen, but you have to feel that their focus this coming season will be on getting their championship back from the Cavaliers. The Warriors look like a shoe-in for the top spot in this conference, but we should see a good battle taking place for the 7 remaining postseason positions. Find the latest betting odds here.

A Closer Look At The NBA Western Conference Winning Favorites

    I may end up adjusting these picks a little as the season progresses, as all sorts of different things can affect how a team plays. For now, tough, let’s take a look at my NBA Western Conference predictions for the coming season:

Golden State Warriors

I’m not so sure that they can reach the same regular season heights as they did last season, but the addition of Kevin Durant is going to make this team a formidable force once again. Stephen Curry will be coming into the season fully fit again, and if everyone stays healthy on this team, it’s tough to see anyone stopping them.

San Antonio Spurs

Losing Tim Duncan to retirement is big, but this is still a team that is loaded from top to bottom. They pushed the Warriors all the way to the end in the West last season, and I see no reason why they can’t do the same thing again this year.

LA Clippers

Last season was a bit of a rough one for the Clippers, mostly because off court issues became way too big of a distraction. Blake Griffin is back and healthy, and we can only hope that he focuses on his game this season rather than getting involved in issues outside the building. Do that, and the Clippers have a shot.

OKC Thunder

It’s going to be interesting to see how the Thunder adapt to life without Kevin Durant. What we shouldn’t forget is that Russell Westbrook is still on this team. It may well be a step backwards for OKC this year, but a playoff spot should still be a guarantee.

Utah Jazz

As the Thunder slip back this season, the Utah Jazz step forward. They added some veteran talent to the squad in the offseason, and then should help elevate the very decent group that they already had in place.

Memphis Grizzlies

It should be another solid year for the Grizzlies, and while I have them I the number 6 spot here, it would not be a huge surprise to see them end up as high as number 4.

Houston Rockets

This team struggled more than it should have last year, and I would not be surprised to see more of the same this coming season. Still a good enough team to land in the postseason, though.

Portland Trail Blazers

The Blazers have a new head coach in place, and they made a few nice offseason moves that should be enough to land them in the playoffs at the end of the season.