The Western Conference is an absolute war. Four teams have a real shot of capturing that third spot. Only 1.5 games separate third place and sixth place. Here’s who’s most likely to get it!
1. Denver Nuggets
They, in my opinion, have the best shot to get that third spot in the West. It seems weird to pick them because they’ve had an underwhelming stretch after starting 20-6. Despite the rocky 21-21 stretch that ensued after, there’s a good reason to choose them.
The first reason is the benefit of the doubt. When you have the best player in the world, Nikola Jokic, and have a championship pedigree, you expect them to figure it out at some point. To a certain degree, they really have.
The loss to the Los Angeles Lakers was a brutal one. That would’ve placed Denver at fourth, being right behind a reeling Houston Rockets team. Even with that loss, they are only one 1.5 games back of third. The two teams face off against one another in back-to-back games. Los Angeles or Houston will have to give up a game.
Meanwhile, for the Nuggets, they have a nice little stretch. In the next four out of their next five game, Denver faces the Philadelphia 76ers without Joel Embiid, the Portland Trail Blazers, the Dallas Mavericks, and the Utah Jazz. It’s not an exaggeration to say they could be in that third spot in the West at the end of this stretch.
Denver is also peaking at the right time. They are nearly at full strength and came off impressive wins over the Rockets and the San Antonio Spurs. The Lakers game still showed how resilient this bunch is. With those reasons, they have the best shot for third in the west.
2. Los Angeles Lakers
The Lakers had a bit of a rough stretch to end February. They, however, have turned it around in March and have to be taken seriously as contenders. They have changed my mind on how dangerous they are with their recent play.
In March, Los Angeles has gone 7-1. Three of those wins were over legit teams like the Nuggets, Minnesota Timberwolves, and New York Knicks. The one loss was a seven-point loss in Denver.
It’s fair to say the Lakers are not just picking on the bad teams. They’ve shown they can compete against the other teams in that 3-6 group in the West.
The purple and gold are the current holders of that third spot. The reason I have them at number two is due to their brutal schedule. Of the four teams mentioned above, Los Angeles has the highest strength of schedule remaining.
The schedule does them no favors, but with where the team is right now, coupled with their play, the Lakers deserve to be the second favorites. They are certainly the best team right now of the four. Will it sustain against the elite teams like the Oklahoma City Thunder and the Detroit Pistons?
Minnesota Timberwolves And Houston Rockets
The Timebwerwolves and Rockets feel like the same team at times. They both have stretches of brilliance followed by stretches of maddening frustration. Unlike the Nuggets, they don’t get the championship benefit of the doubt of figuring it out as the season progresses.
Minnesota won six straight games to close out February. They then kicked off March with an impressive win in Denver, and then won two more games to extend their winning streak to nine.
The Timberwolves then lost 119-92 to the Orlando Magic, and things went sideways. Minnesota lost both its Los Angeles games, getting beaten by the Lakers and then blasted by the Los Angeles Clippers 153-128. A few days later, they were dominated by the Thunder and are now in the midst of losing four of five.
It’s hard to consistently rely on this team. You don’t know what you are getting from Minnesota night in and night out, and that’s a problem. Houston is no different.
While the Wolves ebbed and flowed between greatness and self-destruction, the Rockets were more consistently disappointing. They were a squad that finished in second place last year and added Kevin Durant in place of Jalen Green.
Houston hasn’t been close to their 2025 counterparts. They also can’t beat quality teams. Struggling against the Thunder and Spurs is one thing, but being 1-5 against the Lakers, Nuggets, and Wolves spells trouble. They have a chance in the upcoming days to fix that with back-to-back games against Los Angeles.
Overall, it’s been an underwhelming season for both teams.
End Of My Western Conference Rant
It’s going to be a fun race for third in the West. Four teams have a legitimate chance to claim that spot.
Who will prevail in this race?
