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The Western Conference became upside down with LeBron James' decision to join the Los Angeles Lakers. Things only got tougher for the teams in this highly competitive and stacked conference now and a lot of games are expected to end in a photo-finish this season.
Last season, three teams were tied for fourth, fifth and sixth spot in the west with a 48-34 record. For the seventh and eight spot, Spurs and T-Wolves were tied at 47-35. That shows how competitive the Western conference is and how teams have to leave it all on the floor to eke out a win.
Here are the predictions for Western Conference's top four teams in NBA standings this season.
#4 Utah Jazz
The Utah Jazz are one of the best defensive units in the league. Last season, they struggled to win without their franchise center, Rudy Gobert. However, once he returned back, they went on to dominate the opponents and the teams struggled to get a win against the Jazz.
Many analysts predicted that the Jazz who would not make it to the playoffs after losing against Atlanta but with Gobert back, they went on 11-game and 9-game winning streaks and not just made it to the playoffs but finished fifth in the west.
In the first round of the playoffs, rookie guard Donovan Mitchell showed why he is rated so high and with a collective effort, the Jazz defeated the Thunder in six games. They lost after putting up a fight against the Rockets in five games.
The Jazz resigned Derrick Favors and Dante Exum in the off-season and they started the season well with a win against the Kings and a one-point loss against the defending champions. In Joe Ingles, they have one of the league's top shooters and he scored 27 points in the game against the Warriors on a 7-of-11 shooting from downtown.
Watch out for the Jazz this season as they reach newer heights and are going to be playoff-bound. They might even end up as top four in the regular season standings and make an impact in the playoffs.
#3 New Orleans Pelicans
The New Orleans Pelicans had an incredible 2017-18 NBA season and made it to the post-season for the second time in four years. They also shocked the world sweeping Damian Lillard and the Blazers in the first round of the playoffs.
In the off-season, their front-office did a brilliant job of adding some really good players who can help this squad achieve greater heights this season. They added Julius Randle who had 25 points on his debut night with the Pelicans against the Rockets.
Nikola Mirotic is going to be a frontrunner for the Most Improved Player award this season and he is already putting up big numbers as he scored 36 and 30 in the first two games this season.
After finishing as DPOY and MVP finalist in the same-season, this season might well be the one for Davis when he gets his hands on the league's most prestigious MVP trophy. The Pelicans are definitely going to bring the pain on the teams every single night this season.
#2 Houston Rockets
The Houston Rockets are known for their terrific shooting. They have some of the league's greatest shooters on the team and shoot incredibly well from anywhere on the court. Last season, they finished at the top of the ladder in the league with 65-17 record.
In the off-season, they have added a veteran like Carmelo Anthony and also resigned Chris Paul and Clint Capela to multi-year deals. James Harden is the defending MVP of the league and with the kind of talent that this team has, it is safe to say they are going to make some noise this season just like they did last season.
Chris Paul missed games six and seven of the Western Conference Finals last season and the Rockets could not finish the business, but this season, if everyone on this roster remains healthy, they are a serious threat to the Warriors.
#1 Golden State Warriors
The Warriors have been dominating the league for quite some time and they only got better this off-season when DeMarcus Cousins decided the join the team. In the 2017-18 season, they finished second in the west with a record of 58-24 but are likely to finish at the top this season.
Albeit the team's veteran centers who have played a key role in the Warriors' recent success left the team, the young guys are doing a great job in Cousins' absence and looked good in the first three games.
Last season, guard Stephen Curry only played in 51 games and missed out on remaining 31 due to MCL injury. The Warriors win-record took a hit in Curry's absence and if he remains healthy this season, there is no reason why they do not end up at the top. They are also the favourites to win the championship and three-peat for the first time in the franchise history.
