The NBA’s best in the West

The Western Conference is the league of champions. It’s quintessential in all major professional sports. As we approach the last few months of the NBA regular season, the tides are changing.

As it stands today, there are eight teams in the Western Conference with a legitimate shot at postseason life. The West was impressive when the season began, and it has only gotten stronger with the moving day. Shaq landed in Phoenix, Pau Gasol went to the Lakers, Jason Kidd hopped to Dallas, and the Spurs added ex-Sonic Kurt Thomas and Damon Stoudamire.

To put things in perspective, Portland is the 10th-best team in the West. If Portland was in the Eastern Conference they would be the sixth seed. The Eastern Conference has only five teams with above .500 records, while the Western Conference has 10.

So who is going to make the playoffs in the West? There are eight spots for 10 teams, and each team will be a tough matchup for their first-round series.

1. Los Angeles Lakers: This team goes 10 deep once Andrew Bynum comes back from a knee injury. Gasol is still learning the triangle offense, but the help of Lamar Odom and Kobe Bryant will ease the transition. This team has a hall-of-fame coach, can shoot the lights out, won’t kill themselves with turnovers and seem to be grooving as the playoffs approach.

2. San Antonio Spurs: The defending NBA champs are looking for their first repeat. The Spurs are 9-1 in their last 10 games. Manu Ginobili has been unconscious as of late and they are getting Tony Parker back at just the right time. The additions of Thomas and Stoudamire will add to this veteran squad’s dominance in the playoffs. They also have Tim Duncan, a top-five power forward.

3. Utah Jazz: The Jazz almost made the NBA finals last year. The team returns this year with nearly the same squad as last year but with sharpshooter Kyle Korver. Utah has been unstoppable lately, going 20-4 since the acquisition. Deron Williams and Carlos Boozer are a tough combination to handle. Andrei Kirilenko will be a wild card and Mehmet Okur can definitely shoot the rock. Throw in Jerry Sloan and the tough arena they play in and Utah becomes a very formidable opponent.

4. Phoenix Suns: The window is closing on their title hopes but this team is still tough in the playoffs. The addition of Shaq takes a ton of pressure off Amare Stoudamire therefore allowing him to become the scoring threat he has always dabbled with.

5. New Orleans Hornets: I hate to say it, but the Hornets will probably lose in the first round. They are an extremely talented team but experience begins to play a major role once you reach the playoffs. Chris Paul is being considered for league MVP but this team still needs more pieces to become a true contender. The Hornets do not possess a great home-court advantage either, as the team ranks 28th in the NBA for attendance.

6. Dallas Mavericks: NBA fans have to love the trade for Jason Kidd but this team still relies on Dirk far too much, and during playoff time that has been scary. Kidd will add toughness, but in order to beat an upper echelon Western Conference team they will need big games from Jason Terry and Josh Howard. One question about Dallas is who will guard the multitude of skilled big men in the West — Erick Dampier?

7. Denver Nuggets: After losing Yao for the season, I see Houston falling out of the mix. Carmelo Anthony and Allen Iverson will turn up the heat and show how good that tandem can truly be.

8. Golden State Warriors: The Lakers vs. Warriors would be an amazing first round matchup. The Warriors, considered one of the most inconsistent teams in the West, will bear down and lock up the eighth spot. This team is too talented and exciting to not make the elite eight. Watch out for Monta Ellis who wants to avenge his ugly 2007 playoff performance.

[Reach columnist Maxwell Helman at sports@thedaily.washington.edu.]