With Phoenix looking to runaway with the Western Conference title, our experts delve into whether or not the Suns can be chased down.
Stopping Chris Paul and Devin Booker is going to be hard, but there are a few teams who can pull it off. .
Western Conference Championship Prediction
Phoenix Suns
The obvious pick for the Western Conference Championship is the Phoenix Suns.
Sitting 6.5 games clear of second place Golden State has the Suns in the prime position to romp away as the best team in the Western Conference.
It is no wonder the Suns are so far ahead of their rivals in the West, given how well Chris Paul and Devin Booker have combined this season.
CP3 and Booker have been one of the best duo’s since Mario and Luigi.
They both know exactly what their roles despite being superstars of the NBA.
Paul with eloquent passing and laser-like vision, Booker with his freakish jump-shot ability and game-winning prowess.
CP3, as he usually does, leads the league in assists with an average of 10.7 per game, however, Paul is going to be missed for the better part of 6-8 weeks with a thumb injury.
It is going to be left to coach Monty Williams to find a way to navigate the next two months without him.
What bodes well for the Suns is the way their system on the court holds up.
For all the individual accolades the Suns boast, the team itself, has a fantastic mix of offence and defence.
Phoenix ranks as the sixth best defence in the league conceding only 105.5 points per game, while its offence ranks third.
Not only are the Suns the ones to beat in the Western Conference, but they are the ones who look most likely to go all the way to the NBA Finals.
Western Conference Championship Prediction
Golden State Warriors
The Splash Brothers are back!
Stephen Curry and Klay Thompson have got the band back together and could very well lead the Golden State Warriors back to the top.
There are no better three-point shooters in the NBA than these two and with Thompson slowly finding consistency since returning from an ACL and achilles tear, we are witnessing a return of the 2015 to 2018 days.
When people think Golden State Warriors, it would be right to assume they believe this squad is an offensive beast.
While that may be the case, defensively is where they are underrated.
The hustle and tone set by Draymond Green on the defensive end has the Warriors ranked fourth in the league for points conceded.
He is a favourite for defensive player of the year for a reason and will be a massive factor in this Warriors push for the Western Conference title.
Western Conference Championship Prediction
Memphis Grizzlies
Not many would have picked Memphis to be as high as it is in the Western Conference, but here we are.
The Grizzlies have had a big winning season to date and it has been on the back of a career-best season from Ja Morant.
Few have posted the numbers Morant has throughout the latter stages of 2021 and for nearly all of 2022.
His 26.8 ppg, 6.8 apg and 5.9 rpg, has ensured the Grizzlies maintain their tag as a huge threat in the Western Conference.
There is no better offence in the league at the moment based on the numbers.
With an average of 113.8 ppg, the Grizzlies’ offensive pieces can lead them in the hunt for glory.
Western Conference Championship Prediction
Utah Jazz
If there is one team which knows how to go on a massive winning streak, it is the Utah Jazz.
We only have to date back to last season to see what the Jazz is capable of after it went 20-1 through a 21-game stretch to help set up its first-place finish in the Western Conference.
This year has been a bit of challenge due to injuries and COVID, but the Jazz is still in the hunt.
Offensively, the Jazz rank top three in the NBA with Donovan Mitchell playing a massive part.
Efficiency is also a huge part of the Jazz’s game with guard Mike Conley help setting easy shots for his team mates with crafty play-making.
The Jazz shoot at 47.3% from the field which has them ranked third in the league.
Then comes the defensive aspect of Utah, which is an integral part of its success.
Rudy Gobert is the best rebounder in the league and the best defensive big man in the league.
He averages a league-high 14.8 rebounds per game and ranks second in the NBA for blocks with 2.3 per game.
His role as a defensive wall is the reason Mitchell and Conley can go to work on the offensive.
Write Utah off at your own peril.
