NBA Playoffs: 3 Western Conference teams that are already out of postseason contention

Two weeks into the 2019-20 NBA season, it seems like a lot has changed from last season. The Los Angeles Lakers and the Boston Celtics are the first teams to reach 10 wins this season while the Golden State Warriors are the team with the worst win-loss record across the league.

The Miami Heat have shocked everyone with their dominance on both ends of the floor and sit firmly at the second spot in the Eastern Conference. Without Kevin Durant, the Brooklyn Nets are fighting to make it to the playoffs while the New York Knicks continue to struggle.

Let us take a look at the three Western Conference teams that are already out of playoff contention.

#3 Sacramento Kings

Sacramento Kings needs some veterans on their team

The last time Sacramento Kings made it to the playoffs was way back in 2006. It seems like the franchise just cannot make it to the postseason and is in need of some veterans who have good playoffs experience.

Harrison Barnes and Trevor Ariza are the only experienced players on this team who have enjoyed postseason success and know what it takes to get there. However, Ariza is 34 and is not the same player he once was. Barnes has been great so far but the supporting crew has not exactly provided the support he deserved.

Two of their four wins this season have come against the New York Knicks and Atlanta Hawks, who are sub-par teams. Their win against the Portland Trail Blazers was impressive and it showed that they can beat good teams while their win against the Jazz could have gone either way. What the team needs is some veterans with leadership qualities to get to the playoffs.

However, with no trade expected before the deadline, it is safe to say that the Kings are out of playoff contention.

#2 New Orleans Pelicans

Zion Williamson is yet to make his NBA debut

When you look on paper, the New Orleans Pelicans have one of the most talented teams across the association. However, they have not been able to perform to the same extent on the court this season as they are 3-8 right now and are waiting desperately for Zion Williamson to make his NBA debut.

While not having a player like Zion is definitely a blow to the team, they should not have struggled this bad even in his absence. Brandon Ingram has been the only reliable scorer for the team so far and Jrue Holiday has disappeared for the most part before dropping 36 points in the recent win against the Los Angeles Clippers.

Pelicans' starting lineup has been battling injuries for a while now and that can also be one of the reasons why they have performed so poorly to start the season. Zion is yet to make his NBA debut and while the fans are sure to get a lot of highlights when he does make his return, the Pelicans are still not going to get to the playoffs.

#1 Golden State Warriors

D'Angelo Russell has been the Warriors' go-to scorer this season

This is a tough season for the Golden State Warriors, in the absence of their stars Stephen Curry and Klay Thompson. While players like D'Angelo Russell and Draymond Green will continue to grind and shine, but at 2-11, they are all but certain to miss the playoffs.

This Warriors team is filled with youngsters and lacks playoff experience. Therefore, this is a challenging season for Draymond and it will be interesting to see how far he can lead this team.

Youngsters like Eric Paschall and Glenn Robinson III have all shown that they have the talent but will still require a considerable amount of playing experience before the team starts picking up some wins this season.