2030-31 NBA Playoffs - Western Conference
Boozer, Kings Looking for the Crown
Record: 57-25
Head Coach: Mike Brown
Sacramento is the team that no one saw coming, but everybody should have expected. Being led by two-time All-Star Cayden Boozer (20.5ppg), the Kings feel like their time is now. Sacramento didn’t fall lower than second in the Western Conference standings this season. They were neck and neck with Portland and managed to finish the season winning 7 of their last 10 games to clinch the top spot in the West. The Kings have the second best road win record of any team in the playoffs, with 27 wins, and it may serve them well on the road to the NBA Finals as the team is on the hunt for their first championship since 1951.
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Trail Blazers Need to Tighten Up Defense to Advance
Record: 54-28
Head Coach: Chauncey Billups
The Portland Trailblazers have always played well throughout the regular season, but manage to find themselves falling flat in the post season. In 2029, they entered as the number one seed in the western conference, boasting a record of 51-31, but ultimately lost in 6 games to the 8th seed Phoenix Suns. The next season saw them seeded lower at number five, but they fared better as they edged by Las Vegas and Houston in 7 and 6 games, respectively, only to lose to the Nuggets in Game 7 of the Western Conference Finals. This season, they are back in the top half of the standings, holding the number two seed and again facing the Las Vegas Venom.
Despite being ranked number two in the Western Conference, their defense is lacking. They are a high scoring squad, averaging 97.3ppg, but the defense is lacking. They’ve allowed their opponents to score 93.9 for a point differential of only 3.4ppg. The Sacramento Kings and the Brooklyn Nets have outscored their opponents by an average of twice that. Portland will have to tap into another gear if they plan to make it past the first round.
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Spurs Overcome Injuries to Earn 3rd Seed in the West
Record: 53-29
Head Coach: Mitch Johnson
San Antonio got off to a very hot start this season, winning 33 of the first 43 games of the season before the injury bug hit. Brandon Ingram, Andre Iguodala II, Keldon Johnson, and Frank Ellis all went down at different points during the season. Iguodala (14.2ppg) missed 20 games this season, while Ellis (10.8ppg) missed 15 games this season. But everyone is back and ready to start the post season. Anchored by leading scorer and All-NBA Second Team member, Cooper Flagg (16.1ppg), the Spurs are hoping to go deep in the playoffs.
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Phoenix Clicking at the Right Time
Record: 50-32
Head Coach: Monty Williams
After competing as the 8th seed in 2029 NBA Playoffs, where they upset the number one seed Portland Trail Blazer in the first round, to missing the playoffs last season, Suns head Coach and Assistant Jarret Jack have managed to bring the team back as the fourth seed. The Suns have managed to stay healthy this season with most of their key players not missing more than four games this season. Phoenix is being led by Kristaps Porzingas (16.7ppg, 7.3rpg), who is playing his third season in the desert. Ace Flagg has improved his three point shooting this season, shooting 45% from beyond the arc on the season, up from last season’s 42%. Finishing third in voting for 6th Man of the Year, Scoot Henderson will be looked at to provide a boost to the Suns as their second leading scorer with 13.3 points per game.
While both Flagg brothers have the privilege of being in the playoffs, both teams would have to make it to the Western Conference Finals in order to face each other.
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Denver’s 13-Game Win Streak Save Season
Record: 44-38
Head Coach: Mike Malone
The Denver Nuggets have not looked like the team that went 12-5 in the first three rounds of the Playoffs to make their way to the NBA Finals last season. Derrick Norman has all but carried this team, averaging nearly 21 points per game this season, with the second highest scorer being Kiyan Anthony, averaging 12 points per game. DeAaron Fox missed 15 games this season, but managed to average 11 points a night. Newly minted Nugget Andrew Wiggins is currently playing with shin splints. Wiggins was traded to the Nugget in exchange for Michael Porter, Jr. at the end of January. His efforts were definitely appreciated as Denver went on a 13 game win streak in March to improve their position in the playoffs from non-existent to fifth seed.
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Golden State Warriors 6th Seed, Despite Rocky Season
Record: 43-39
Head Coach: Steve Kerr
This season has been rocky for the Warriors, but they are still standing at the end of it all. They suffered a 10-game losing streak in November, but managed to find themselves sitting at .500 right before the All-Star break to keep them hovering between the 6th and 8th spot in the West for the second half of the season. They managed to right the ship just in time behind the duo of Derrick Lively and Lamar Hardin. Lively, who signed a one-year deal with the Warriors midway through the season, averaged a double-double 17.9 points and 10.5 rebounds over 37 games played. Hardin, who was drafted by Golden State in 2024 and is now in his seventh season with the franchise and is looking to return the team to prominence. Despite losing Steph Curry to the Mavericks in Free Agency in 2025 after missing the playoffs for several seasons, Golden State was number one in the Western Conference in 2027 and 2028. They’ve found themselves back at the bottom of the rankings in the playoffs for the last two seasons, but they’ve moved up one spot this year with the hopes of making a run.
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Venom Return to the Playoffs
Record: 41-41
Head Coach: Ethan Nicholson
The Las Vegas Venom stayed below the radar for most of the season. They just kind of hung around in 9th place in the West before taking this up a notch to slide in as the seventh seed in the Western Conference and earn a playoff spot for the second year in the franchise’s four years of existence. The Venom don’t have a clear cut scoring leading just yet with 5 players averaging double-digit scoring. Jalen Hood-Schifino is averaging 10.7 points per game, and small forward Jaxon Bass is their leading scoring with 15.6 points per game. Without teams being able to zero in on a particular player, the Venom may be able to surprise Portland.
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Jazz End Season with 4-Game Win Streak to Steal Eighth Seed
Record: 40-42
Head Coach: Gabriel Webber
The season has been quite the rollercoaster ride for the Utah Jazz. They lost Trae Young for a month with a broken leg, Jarred Vanderbilt is currently out with a bruised knee, but is expected to return for Game 2 against Sacramento. And to top it all off, Donovan Mitchell is considering retirement after only 14 seasons. Drafting Thomas Mills out of Purdue was a true bright spot for the Jazz as the rookie took home 6th Man of the Year honors, a feat that hasn’t been accomplished since 2005 when Ben Gordon won as a member of the Chicago Bulls. Mills had an impressive season as the Jazz’s leading scorer averaging 19 points per game in 80 appearances. He was officially named a starter near the end of March. A 4-game win streak allowed Utah to lock up the eighth seed. The Sacramento Kings are the reward for their efforts.
