As I sit down to analyze the 2021 NBA Western Conference standings, I can't help but feel this was one of the most unpredictable seasons in recent memory. Having followed the league for over fifteen years, I've witnessed championship dynasties rise and fall, but what unfolded in the West last season felt particularly chaotic and fascinating. The conference was a battlefield where established giants stumbled while hungry contenders emerged from unexpected places. What made this season especially compelling was how the playoff picture kept shifting right up until the final buzzer of the regular season, creating storylines that would have seemed impossible just months earlier.
Let me start with the obvious - the Utah Jazz finishing first with a 52-20 record surprised many casual fans, but those of us who'd been watching closely saw it coming. Their offensive system under Quin Snyder was simply magnificent, with Donovan Mitchell taking that leap into legitimate superstar territory. I remember thinking during their March winning streak that this team had something special, though I'll admit I had doubts about their playoff viability given their previous postseason disappointments. The Phoenix Suns at 51-21 were my personal favorite story - Chris Paul transforming that young roster into legitimate contenders was coaching masterpiece material, even if Monty Williams deserved most of the actual credit. The way they closed out games with that deadly mid-range game from Paul and Devin Booker was just beautiful basketball.
Now here's where things get really interesting in my analysis. The Denver Nuggets at 47-25 would have likely finished higher had Jamal Murray not suffered that devastating ACL injury in April. I was at that game against Golden State when he went down, and you could feel the season shift in that moment. Nikola Jokic putting together an MVP season was incredible to watch, but without Murray, their championship aspirations took a significant hit. The LA Clippers at 47-25 never quite captured that dominant regular season form we saw in previous years, though honestly, I never bought into the "load management" narrative - sometimes teams just don't gel during the regular season, and that's okay.
The Dallas Mavericks finishing 42-30 felt about right to me, though Luka Doncic's individual brilliance often masked their defensive inconsistencies. The Portland Trail Blazers at 42-30 relied too heavily on Damian Lillard's heroics in my opinion - I've always felt they needed one more reliable scorer to take the pressure off him in crucial moments. The Los Angeles Lakers sneaking into the playoffs via play-in tournament at 42-30 was arguably the biggest story, with LeBron James and Anthony Davis battling injuries throughout the season. I'll be perfectly honest here - their struggles made for fascinating basketball, even if as a neutral observer I worried about what it meant for the league's marquee franchise.
This brings me to the Golden State Warriors finishing 39-33 and what could have been. Having covered the NBA through their championship runs, watching them fight for a play-in spot felt surreal. Steph Curry's scoring title was phenomenal, but the supporting cast just wasn't championship-caliber. Which reminds me of that fascinating trade rumor that never materialized - the potential Miami Heat deal that would have sent their disgruntled star to Golden State. I spoke with several league insiders about this, and the consensus was that adding one more significant piece could have potentially pushed the Warriors back into contention. Imagine Curry and Draymond Green with that additional firepower - it might have completely reshaped the Western Conference playoff landscape. While the deal never happened, it speaks volumes about how close Golden State felt they were to returning to relevance.
The Memphis Grizzlies at 38-34 were my dark horse team - Ja Morant's emergence as a superstar combined with that deep, athletic roster made them must-watch television. The San Antonio Spurs at 33-39 continuing their playoff streak was impressive given their roster limitations, while the New Orleans Pelicans at 31-41 never quite figured out how to maximize Zion Williamson's unique talents. The Sacramento Kings at 31-41 continued their playoff drought in frustrating fashion - I've long believed their issues are more about organizational structure than roster construction. The Minnesota Timberwolves at 23-49 and Oklahoma City Thunder at 22-50 were clearly in rebuilding mode, though Anthony Edwards' rookie season gave Minnesota fans legitimate hope for the future.
Looking back at the complete Western Conference picture, what strikes me most is how the traditional power structure has been upended. The Lakers and Warriors struggling while teams like Utah and Phoenix rose to the top signals a potential changing of the guard. The narrow margins between teams - just 13 games separating first from tenth place - created incredible competitive balance throughout the season. From my perspective, the 2021 Western Conference taught us that in today's NBA, no team's position is safe, and championship windows can open and close faster than ever before. The teams that succeeded were those who built depth and developed cohesive systems rather than relying solely on superstar power - a lesson that will likely shape team construction strategies for years to come.