Predicting Western Conference standings

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Periodically, NBA.com’s writers will weigh in on key storylines or trending topics around the league.
Make your early predictions on how you see the Western Conference standings heading into the postseason.
The Thunder are young and precocious enough to need and value the No. 1 seed, and the still-untapped upside of so many of their players makes this quite reachable. Just when we were getting to enjoy the Timberwolves’ two-big throwback approach, they changed it up. But coach Chris Finch and team president Tim Connelly know what they’re doing.
The Suns have to be better — reputations, even legacies are at stake. The attrition to Denver’s depth the past two summers looks insurmountable to me at this point. There’s nothing particularly “building” about Dallas — what we saw last spring was this Mavericks crew’s best selves, tough to replicate. The Kings will continue to be fun to watch. I can’t question Stephen Curry’s pedigree enough to drop Golden State lower. As for the Pelicans, do you trust Zion Williamson’s durability again? Good luck.
OKC finished first in the West last season and should do the same following the additions of Alex Caruso and Isaiah Hartenstein.
Teams in the next tier all have key questions: How will Kentavious Caldwell-Pope’s exit affect Denver? How much will adding a “Splash Bro” help Dallas? Do Julius Randle and Donte DiVincenzo fit better than Karl-Anthony Towns in Minnesota?
Phoenix added a new point guard and coach, but the health of its star trio will be key after playing just 41 games together last season. After injuries torpedoed last season, good health should have Memphis back in 50-win contention.
The final four teams — the Pelicans, Kings, Warriors and Lakers — could realistically finish in the top six and snag a playoff berth … or they could be in the SoFi Play-In Tournament (like they were last season).
The takeover is in effect, where young teams are claiming the top territory and the old guard is fading. Oklahoma City should be an easy No. 1 seed with 60-plus wins.
At the other end are Stephen Curry and LeBron James. Not long ago, they competed every June for championships. Now, they’re fighting just to make the playoffs.
Beware of Memphis, which could sneak up and make a top-four run. Whether the Mavs return to the NBA Finals could depend on whether Klay Thompson hits the open jumper.
The Thunder are the clear favorite to be the best team in the West, while the Wolves will win many games with their defense. After that, anything can happen, but the next three teams on this list — Dallas, Denver and Phoenix — have too much talent to ignore.
At least two teams have to fall short of expectations with how deep the West is, and the two (seemingly competitive) teams on the outside looking in are the two from Los Angeles. The Clippers could have a very good (top-10) defense, but will struggle offensively if Kawhi Leonard isn’t healthy. The Lakers may also be in store for a drop-off, having had the West’s 11th best point differential last season, with Anthony Davis and LeBron James missing only six and 11 games, respectively.