Western Conference playoff picture heading into 2021 NBA Playoffs

The 2021 NBA Playoffs are rapidly approaching as the regular season heads into its final month. The playoffs are expected to begin on May 22 following the play-in tournament, which will begin on May 18. Seeds 7-10 in the Western Conference will partake in the revamped play-in tournament, which was conceived inside the NBA Bubble in Orlando last year.

The playoff picture in the Western Conference is fairly unclear at this point. It’s not like last season when we saw the Los Angeles Lakers run away with first place. There are three teams with a realistic shot at taking the No. 1 seed in the West: the Utah Jazz, Phoenix Suns and Los Angeles Clippers. Hell, the Denver Nuggets aren’t too far behind those three teams and the Lakers will eventually get LeBron James back. Chances are the Lakers will be grouped outside the top 4 in the conference, toward the back-end of the playoff picture along with the Dallas Mavericks, Portland Trail Blazers and Memphis Grizzlies.

Here we’re going to be tracking the standings in the Western Conference and providing a look into how the playoff picture is shaping up.

* represents teams who are currently in position to participate in the play-in tournament.
X represents teams who have clinched a playoff berth.