The Western Conference of the NBA has been historically competitive, and it’s often a nail-biter watching teams vie for playoff positions. Teams such as the Los Angeles Lakers and Golden State Warriors have dominated proceedings over the last couple of decades. The former were initially led by the late, great Kobe Bryant before LeBron James took over when he made the move to Crypto.com Arena in 2020. For the latter, it was the Splash Brothers of Steph Curry and Klay Thompson that led them to become a dynasty throughout the 2010s, winning four Larry O’Brien Championship trophies in seven years.
However, |this season, those two find themselves way down in ninth and 11th place respectively. In their place come three teams that no one would have expected to top the charts that have risen against the odds to top the pile: the Minnesota Timberwolves, the Oklahoma City Thunder, and the Los Angeles Clippers.
In a twist that has caught even seasoned analysts off guard, these teams are not just making up the numbers; they’re setting the pace. In fact, the latter of those three have been so impressive that basketball betting odds have made them a +450 third-favorite for a first championship in franchise history this season. But how did they – and the two teams directly above them – fare on their recent forays into the high-pressure crucible of the playoffs?
Minnesota Timberwolves
The Minnesota Timberwolves have had their fair share of struggles, oscillating between glimpses of potential and periods of rebuilding. Between 2004 and 2021, they made it to the postseason just once, and that ended in the very first round at the hands of the Houston Rockets. However, with Karl-Anthony Towns developing into one of the league’s best big men and with him receiving plenty of support from new addition Rudy Gobert, the Minneapolis side has reached the playoffs in each of the last two campaigns.
Their most recent playoff appearance came last season after securing the spot as the eighth seed. Unfortunately for them, they came up against the top seed and eventual champion Denver Nuggets in the opening round, There, Nikola Jokic and Jamal Murray would ultimately have too much for them to handle, running out 4-1 victors and eliminating the Wolves in the opening round for the second straight year.
Oklahoma City Thunder
The Oklahoma City Thunder a team with a storied past including a trip to the finals, has found themselves in a renaissance period. Throughout the 2010s, Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook made them one of the most dominant forces in the NBA, reaching the Conference Finals four times in six years. They ultimately lost three of those, but they did make it to the finals series in 2012, where they were beaten by a LeBron-James-powered Miami Heat.
The Thunder haven’t reached the postseason in each of the last three seasons and in the first two of those three years, they were the second-worst team on the West Coast. However, last season, they showed that they were on the rise and almost had a winning record, running out victorious on 40 occasions and losing 42. The emergence of Shai Gilgeous-Alexander has been the catalyst for their revival and he has been in blistering form this term, showcasing MVP-caliber numbers and topping the league in terms of steals while being behind only Luka Doncic in terms of points. If he can continue in a similar vein, the Thunder will certainly reach the postseason for the first time in four years, and who knows where beyond there.
Los Angeles Clippers
The Los Angeles Clippers, marred by untimely injuries and high expectations, have often entered the playoffs with much anticipation. They’ve assembled star-studded lineups capable of going head-to-head with the league’s elite. Yet, their recent playoff campaigns have ended with heartbreak and disappointment, never quite living up to their potential.
Throughout the 2010s, they reached the Western Conference semifinals on no fewer than three occasions, however, each of those ended disappointingly. They were dumped out by the San Antonio Spurs in 2012, before losing to the Thunder two years later and the Houston Rockets one year after that. In 2021, Kawhi Leonard powered them to the conference finals however, there they were downed by the Phoenix Suns and they remain without a single NBA finals appearance in franchise history.
This season, 2020 champion Leonard is firing on all cylinders once again sitting in fourth overall in terms of steals and third in terms of field goals. However, unlike years ago, this time around he has plenty of firepower to help him get his side over the line. All-time great James Harden joined the team late last year while Russell Westbrook is also displaying the type of form that saw him become one of the league’s finest with OKC.