Ranking Every Western Conference Playoff Team

No. 1 Oklahoma City Thunder

Throughout the entire season, the Oklahoma City Thunder have proven to be the best team in basketball. OKC raced its way past the competition. The Thunder have the most double-digit wins in NBA history en route to 68 total victories on the season, which is a franchise-best and historic mark.

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander is the front runner for MVP, Jalen Williams made his first All-Star game and the Thunder enjoys the deepest, most talent-rich team in the league. OKC's spot at No. 1 is solidified heading into the postseason.

No. 2 Los Angeles Lakers

Swinging for Luka Doncic on Feb. 1 launched the Lakers to this spot. The three-headed monster of Doncic, LeBron James and Austin Reaves is enough to give opposing teams nightmares in preparation.

Sure, the lack of a frontcourt is a concern, but the Lakers have been able to manage down the stretch of the season. It is a taxing style to play but with a championship on the line, the Purple and Gold should be able to pull it off.

On top of the star power, the Lakers have more than capable role players with Gabe Vincent, Dorian Finney-Smith and Rui Hachimura providing a massive punch to ensure success.

No. 3 Denver Nuggets

Admittedly, I am too high on Denver based on what they showed on the court this season. However, it is a tale as old as time that the best player in the world can drag teams further in the playoffs than they should make it on paper.

Nikola Jokic alone is worth a couple of wins in a race to four and all Denver needs past that is a couple of stellar Jamal Murray outings and its supporting cast to step up. The concern? One of the players the Nuggets have to lean on is Russell Westbrook in 2025, who has in large part played his role perfectly in the regular season –– with a few bumps in the road –– but the postseason is a different ball game.

That latter hope and the inexperience on the sideline allows anyone to be within their right to drop the Nuggets to No. 4, but this scribe will take his bets with the best player in the world and home court advantage.

No. 4 L.A. Clippers

The Clippers are playing some of the best basketball in the NBA down the stretch of this season. It has been a masterful job by Ty Lue and company to navigate this 82-game season through injuries and making it to the postseason healthy.

L.A. has the formula with the star power of Kawhi Leonard and James Harden, coupled with elite defense and capable role players such as Norm Powell and Derrick Jones Jr.. The only thing keeping them from passing Denver on this list is the reservation around surviving a playoff series without cluttering the injury report and not having the best player in the world.

No. 5 Minnesota Timberwolves

It was a year ago that the Timberwolves made a run to the Western Conference Finals. Now? They get to play the underdog card against the Los Angeles Lakers.

The Wolves series against the Purple-and-Gold will include the most chess matches of them all. Will Minnesota impose its size on the Lakers lack of a front court? What if the Timberwolves fight fire with fire and go small with a big Naz Reid series? While Los Angeles is the favorites, this series is a true toss up.

Anthony Edwards has proven to take his game to the next level on stages such as this but the questions about his supporting cast pushes his squad out of the top four.

No. 6 Golden State Warriors

The Golden State Warriors fended off a rally from Memphis to earn the No. 7 seed in the NBA Playoffs. This sets up one of the most thrilling series on the first-round slate. Ultimately, the Warriors earn the respect for past success and, more importantly, the clear-cut scoring options that they have with Steph Curry and Jimmy Butler.

Make no mistake, of all teams, the Rockets can hound and harass the Warriors' bucket getters better than almost anyone. But even a slowed-down version of Curry and Butler is better than their counterparts in this series, which gives them a slight edge.

The Warriors lack of depth and supporting cast in big moments, leaves them lower on the list.

No. 7 Houston Rockets

The Rockets might deserve to be higher on this list, but the lack of a true No. 1 scoring option scares this scribe away from overvaluing the No. 2 seed in the Western Conference. With that said, it's suffocating and physical defense, Houston can protect home court and win a series against the Golden State Warriors, but not much more than that on paper.

No matter how the postseason ends for the Rockets, this season should be considered a massive success. Houston made tangible and significant strides this season that can not be discounted and allows the Rockets to feel good about flushing out its roster heading into the Summer.

Ultimately, the deciding factor to leave the Rockets below the Warriors and resting at No. 7 was the lack of a true scorer. Everyone should trust Houston's defense and ability to play in close games, but who will get them over the hump? Proceed with caution.

No. 8 Memphis Grizzlies/Dallas Mavericks

The Memphis Grizzlies will battle the Dallas Mavericks on Friday to determine the No. 8 seed in the West. Neither team is capable of beating the Thunder in the first round of the playoffs as each owns flaws that led to this point, some self-inflicted.

Oklahoma City should enjoy a short series, making this ranking the easiest of them all. Memphis' depth is in question, along with their ability to finally beat a good team. For Dallas, the injuries have piled up and the lack of a true table setter hurts.

The NBA Playoffs are always fun, but this year it projects to be the most memorable in recent years. Everyone from 1-7 are capable of at least winning a series, which makes for drama, heartbreak and joy all bundled into a three month stretch.