West contenders face big questions in sprint to playoffs: Which teams have fatal flaws?
In a Western Conference defined by depth and volatility, nearly every contender enters the stretch run balancing championship upside with a potentially fatal flaw. The race is less about who looks best on paper and more about whose weaknesses can be masked for two months in the spring.
At the top, the elite offenses have to prove they can win when the game slows down. Several star-driven teams can score in bunches during the regular season but still wobble in half-court execution, especially in crunch time when whistles tighten and transition chances disappear. The question is whether their primary creators can consistently generate good looks against playoff scouting and switching defenses, or if late-game droughts will resurface at the worst possible moment.
On the other side of the spectrum are the defensive juggernauts that sometimes struggle to keep up on the scoreboard. These clubs can suffocate opponents for long stretches, yet their own spacing, shooting variance, and lack of secondary playmaking raise concerns. In the postseason, when opponents ignore non-shooters and dare role players to beat them, even a top-tier defense can be undone by a few stagnant possessions.
Health and depth loom as universal variables. Several Western contenders lean heavily on aging stars or thin rotations; one ill-timed injury or extended slump from a key starter could swing an entire series. Bench units that feast on regular-season second units often see their edge vanish when rotations shorten and every possession is targeted.
Then there are the chemistry and identity questions. Some talented rosters are still sorting out pecking order, late-game roles, and how to blend multiple ball-dominant stars. Others must prove that their regular-season intensity and connectivity will translate when opponents have days to scheme away pet actions.
In a conference this crowded, the margin between a parade and a second-round exit may come down to which contender turns a glaring weakness into a manageable inconvenience, and which one watches a small crack split wide open under playoff pressure.
At the top, the elite offenses have to prove they can win when the game slows down. Several star-driven teams can score in bunches during the regular season but still wobble in half-court execution, especially in crunch time when whistles tighten and transition chances disappear. The question is whether their primary creators can consistently generate good looks against playoff scouting and switching defenses, or if late-game droughts will resurface at the worst possible moment.
On the other side of the spectrum are the defensive juggernauts that sometimes struggle to keep up on the scoreboard. These clubs can suffocate opponents for long stretches, yet their own spacing, shooting variance, and lack of secondary playmaking raise concerns. In the postseason, when opponents ignore non-shooters and dare role players to beat them, even a top-tier defense can be undone by a few stagnant possessions.
Health and depth loom as universal variables. Several Western contenders lean heavily on aging stars or thin rotations; one ill-timed injury or extended slump from a key starter could swing an entire series. Bench units that feast on regular-season second units often see their edge vanish when rotations shorten and every possession is targeted.
Then there are the chemistry and identity questions. Some talented rosters are still sorting out pecking order, late-game roles, and how to blend multiple ball-dominant stars. Others must prove that their regular-season intensity and connectivity will translate when opponents have days to scheme away pet actions.
In a conference this crowded, the margin between a parade and a second-round exit may come down to which contender turns a glaring weakness into a manageable inconvenience, and which one watches a small crack split wide open under playoff pressure.
