Seeding the 2019 NBA Western Conference Playoffs

LeBron James has changed the paradigm in the NBA by heading to the Lakers, but how much effect does he have on the Western Conference playoff standings? With the caveat that there are still a lot of moves to be made by the time everything has shaken out, here’s what I’ve got for how the Western Conference playoffs will be seeded at the end of the regular season next year.

1. Warriors

Adding DeMarcus Cousins matters more for the playoffs than the regular season, where he’ll be out till after the New Year.

It’s a tossup about whether to put the Warriors or the Rockets as the top seed here. Houston finished seven games ahead of Golden State this past season. This is basically a guess that a) Steve Kerr warns the Warriors that they were down big at halftime of Game 7 of the Western Conference Finals and extracts more regular season urgency out of them, and b) the Rockets pace Chris Paul more to hopefully keep him healthy at the time they need him.

2. Rockets

The Rockets were 65-17 this past season. I dunno, I just don’t see them maintaining that torrid pace. As I just alluded to in the Warriors section, they should use Chris Paul like the Astros used Roger Clemens in 2006. Like, let him sit the whole first half of the year and pray that his legs are working when it’s time to have the rematch with the Warriors in late May.

3. Jazz

It’s hard to say a team that lost in the second round this year and will probably lose in the second round again next year is going to make a Leap, but I think Donovan Mitchell is going to want to prove his rookie campaign was not a fluke and this is just a team that will give it all for all 82 games.

4. Thunder

The Thunder have a lot of feel-good momentum stemming from keeping Paul George when everyone and their mom thought he was headed to Tinseltown. This was an affirmation of Russell Westbrook as a teammate that few pundits saw coming. They will have addition-by-subtraction when they waive Carmelo Anthony to save on the luxury tax payment. Love or hate Russell Westbrook, he brings it every night.

5. Lakers

I see the LeBrakers struggling out of the gate and causing a not-inconsiderable amount of anxiety amongst its fan base as they take a bit to gel. LeBron played all 82 games for the Cavs last season, but they were still such a jumbled mess that they had to totally revamp their team at the trade deadline.

It goes without saying that the Lakers are going to be must-see-TV whether they are good or bad. The collection of personalities they’re assembling around LeBron — Lance Stephenson, Rajon Rondo, JaVale McGee, and we haven’t even gotten to LaVar Ball still hanging around if Lonzo Ball isn’t traded — is going to be damn compelling. They’re almost certainly not done making moves either.

How fun a first round series would Thunder-Lakers be?

6. Spurs

Obviously, the lurking variable here is what happens with Kawhi Leonard. Do the Spurs move him, and if so, who do they get back in return? If they don’t trade him, it’s really hard to see him following through on his threat to hold out. One, if he’s healthy there’s no way he could just sit out. Two, if he did sit out how could the Lakers make a major financial commitment to him when he hasn’t played in two years?

Even with Kawhi playing in just nine games last season, the Spurs went 47-35. They’ll be a year older and they can’t do this forever, but I’m not going to bet on a Gregg Popovich team missing the playoffs until I see that happen.

7. Pelicans

The Western Conference sure is stacked. We’re entering the phase where the teams that will be scratching and clawing to even make the playoffs would easily be penciled in for the top half of the Eastern Conference bracket. The Pelicans made a big move to bolster the team around Anthony Davis in signing Julius Randle. But if they can’t get out of the first round of the playoffs this upcoming season, how much longer can they hold onto the Brow?

8. Nuggets

The bottom three seeds of this bracket are a function of three spots for the Spurs, Pelicans, Nuggets, Blazers, and Timberwolves. I dunno if there’s any right answer right now for which of those two teams are left on the outside looking in.

Denver felt good enough about their core of Jamal Murray, Nikola Jokic and Paul Millsap to think they had a legitimate pitch to LeBron. While this was an unrealistic idea, it’s a talented roster that I’ve got eking it into the playoffs.