2014 NBA Playoff Picks and Predictions: Western Conference Power Rankings

2014 NBA Playoff Picks and Predictions: Western Conference Power Rankings: The 2014 NBA playoffs have arrived, and as you probably already know, the Western Conference is absolutely loaded once again. In fact, the eighth-seeded Dallas Mavericks barely snuck into the playoffs in the West, but they would have home-court advantage as the No. 3 seed in the East. Meanwhile, four or five teams in the West figure to have a legitimate shot at winning the title this year, but first, they have to settle things amongst themselves just to get to the finals. Needless to say, whichever team emerges from the Western Conference is going to have to earn it, and with that in mind, here are my power rankings for all eight Western Conference playoff teams heading into the first round.

1. Oklahoma City Thunder (2/1): Kevin Durant is playing as well as he ever has in his career, and after sitting on the sidelines during the Thunder’s second-round loss last year, Russell Westbrook is currently healthy and ready to provide a counterpunch on the offensive end. Meanwhile, Serge Ibaka has expanded his game from last year, and the Oklahoma City bench is much more reliable than ever before. Throw in the fact that Durant and company went 4-0 against San Antonio during the regular season, and the Thunder look primed for a run to the finals.

2. San Antonio Spurs (3/2): Tony Parker, Tim Duncan and Gregg Popovich just keep winning games, and this year, the Spurs won more games than any other team in the NBA. Balance was the key for San Antonio as the team ranked sixth in both points per game and points allowed, and thanks to the addition of Marco Belinelli and emergence of Patty Mills, the Spurs are as deep as ever. In fact, no player averaged more than 30 minutes per game this year so fatigue should not be a huge factor. San Antonio also won more road games than any other team this year so aside from the Spurs’ 0-4 marks against both Oklahoma City and Houston, it is tough to find many flaws.

3. Los Angeles Clippers (9/2): The Clippers are a really good team. Chris Paul is the best point guard in the game, Blake Griffin has expanded his game to near-MVP levels, and DeAndre Jordan has emerged as a force in the middle. Los Angeles has more than enough firepower to win the Western Conference, and with Doc Rivers on the sidelines they won’t be out-coached. If the Clippers can show the dedication on the defensive end that it takes to win in the postseason and make their free throws, they are going to be a factor.

4. Houston Rockets (9/1): Assuming Dwight Howard and Patrick Beverley can hold up physically for the entire postseason, the Rockets are a dangerous team. They have a go-to scorer in James Harden, a defensive presence in Howard and plenty of offensive firepower in Chandler Parson, Jeremy Lin and others. Houston will have to sure up its perimeter defense in order to make a run to the finals, but after going 4-0 against San Antonio during the regular season, there is no team the Rockets can’t beat when healthy and focused on both ends of the court.

5. Memphis Grizzlies (33/1): They barely snuck into the playoffs, but now that they are in the field, the Grizzlies could make some noise. After all, Memphis’ defense ranks third in the NBA and first in the Western Conference in points allowed, and no team does a better job and controlling the pace of a game. Plus, it’s not like this is your typical No. 7 seed. Injuries to point guard Mike Conley Jr. and Marc Gasol forced Memphis to play shorthanded much of the year, but since Gasol returned, the Grizzlies have gone 33-13. Meanwhile, this team still has a core group of guys that upset the top-seeded Spurs three years ago and the top-seeded Thunder last year. If you are looking for your sleeper in the West, look no further than Memphis.

6. Portland Trail Blazers (18/1): With young players like LaMarcus Aldridge, Damian Lillard and Nicolas Batum leading the way, the Trail Blazers are building something special. However, the same core that makes the future for the franchise bright is also very inexperienced when it comes to postseason basketball. Throw in a suspect defense, and Portland is still a year or two away from being ready to contend with the power teams in the conference.

7. Golden State Warriors (14/1): When Stephen Curry and Klay Thompson get going from beyond the arc, the Warriors’ offense can be explosive. Unfortunately, an injury to center Andrew Bogut is likely to doom Golden State’s chances of making a serious run in the playoffs. Keep in mind that during the regular season the Warriors ranked in the top five in rebounding and ranked fourth in field goal percentage defense. Without Bogut in the middle, the Warriors suddenly become very vulnerable up front and on the glass. It is hard to see them slipping by the Clippers in the first round.

8. Dallas Mavericks (33/1): Despite missing out on big free agents once again, Dallas managed to snag enough quality players to make the playoffs. However, Dirk Nowitzki and company are the worst defensive team to reach the postseason, and a first-round matchup against a San Antonio team that scorched them to the tune of 112 points per game in four regular season meetings is sure to make their playoff stay a short one.

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