Top five West teams
Dallas Mavericks
The Dallas Mavericks could shift down a tier next year, but it’s likely, with MVP Luka Doncic, and a bounce-back season from Kristaps Porzingis, that they will still sit in the top six teams in the West. Doncic is only going to improve as he enters his fourth season, and with sniper Tim Hardaway Jr locked in on a new deal, alongside three and d wing Reggie Bullock, they have a team that can win around 50 games in the West.
LA Clippers
The Clippers, similar to other teams with injured players like the Nuggets and Warriors, will rely heavily on their other star player, Paul George, in the 2022 season. With MVP candidate Kawhi Leonard likely to be sidelined for much of this season, Nicolas Batum, Reggie Jackson and Marcus Morris will play key roles for a team that will likely float between the 4th and 7th seeds in the West.
Phoenix Suns
The Phoenix Suns, fresh off their epic NBA Finals run, will likely be one of the best teams in the league again in the 2022 season. With Chris Paul and Devin Booker rivaling the Blazers for the best backcourt in the league, the Suns will bring one of the more exciting cores back to try and go one better in 2022.
Utah Jazz
The Utah Jazz finished with the best record in the entire NBA in the 2021 season, and even if they didn’t make it count in the post-season, they are still one of the most consistent regular-season teams. With young star Donovan Mitchell and perennial defensive player of the year candidate Rudy Gobert both locked into long-term contracts, this Jazz team wants to contend right away.
They will likely be a top-four seed in 2022.
Los Angeles Lakers
The Los Angeles Lakers added Hall-of-Fame guard Russell Westbrook to the superstar duo of LeBron James and Anthony Davis in the off-season. Though some may question the fit of Westbrook with these two, there is no doubt that they will amass large amounts of regular-season wins.