Three teams could very well come out of this division and compete in the playoffs. Two teams that will struggle this season are the Phoenix Suns and Sacramento Kings. Most likely, both will end up with losing records.
Last Season
In 2019-2020, the Los Angeles Lakers were the number one team in the Western Conference. As the top seed in the West, the Lakers beat eight-seed Portland 4-1 in the First Round, four-seed Houston 4-1 in the Western Conference Semifinals, and three-seed Denver 4-1 to take the Western Conference title. They met the Miami Heat in the NBA Finals and beat them four games to two to win it all. The LA Clippers were second in the Pacific Division finishing 3.5 games from the Lakers and garnering the second seed in the West. In the First Round, the Clippers beat the Dallas Mavericks 4-2. LA then lost to the Denver Nuggets in the Conference Semifinals in seven games.
The three other teams in the Pacific Division missed the postseason. The Phoenix Suns finished 19 games out of first place in the division. They were 10th in the Western Conference. The Sacramento Kings, who were 21.5 games out of first, were fourth in the division and 12th in the West. Finally, the Golden State Warriors ended the season 34 games away from the top of the heap. They were last in both the Pacific Division and the Western Conference.
NBA Pacific Division Preview 2020 – 2021 – Teams
Golden State Warriors – The team is healthy and ready to resume yet another hunt for another championship title. Stephen Curry is ready to go, and it’s expected that Draymond Green will be healthy too. Coach Steve Kerr knows how to get the job done. It’s hard to find a weakness on this team.
LA Clippers – This team is solid on both ends of the court. Their starting frontcourt is formidable, but there’s little depth coming off the bench to relieve those in the paint. The Clippers have a new head coach, Tyronn Lue. Lue worked closely with LA’s last head coach Doc Rivers. Now, as the top man, he has to get his players on the same page and winning.
Los Angeles Lakers – Frank Vogel joined the Lakers as head coach last season, and Los Angeles did something they haven’t done in nine years, they won the NBA title. This team is loaded with some of the best players in the league, including LeBron James, Anthony Davis, and Marc Gasol. Plus, they have a deep bench.
Phoenix Suns – Point guard Chris Paul joins the Suns, which should help on both offense and defense. Phoenix center Deandre Ayton is a major talent, but he has to stay out of trouble and must remain healthy. The Suns feature fine passing and top-notch free-throw shooting. But this team has to find more rebounds and overall defense.
Sacramento Kings – Luke Walton came to the Kings as head coach in 2019. He’s a fine mentor who focuses on basics such as defense, three-point percentage, and up-tempo play. This team features a fine frontcourt, but in order to reach its full potential, power forward Marvin Bagley must remain healthy. The bench includes very fine frontcourt men. They must score more than they did last season.
NBA Pacific Division Preview 2020 – 2021 – Projection
Our NBA Pacific Division preview 2020 – 2021 envisions the following outcome:
- Los Angeles Lakers*
- Golden State Warriors*
- LA Clippers*
- Phoenix Suns
- Sacramento Kings
*Playoff team
Pacific Division – Pluses and Minuses
- Warriors have a fantastic team
- Golden State must leave last season behind
- Clippers Kawhi Leonard is a premium player
- LA could use better ball movement and fewer turnovers
- Lakers took it down last season
- Los Angeles cannot be complacent
- Suns backcourt of Paul and Booker can get it done
- Phoenix frontcourt needs to come together
- Kings starting front men and bench bring quality to the court
- Sacramento Point guard De’Aaron Fox must be consistent
NBA Pacific Division Preview 2020 – 2021 – Final Word
This NBA Pacific Division preview 2020 – 2021 acknowledges that at least two of the teams in this division, the Lakers and Warriors, have an excellent chance of making the playoffs. Additionally, the LA Clippers look to have the stuff to get to the postseason. Certainly, Los Angeles is favored to win it all again. But don’t count out Golden State. They will be in the mix to the very end. It will take a huge effort for Phoenix or Sacramento to be competitive enough to qualify for postseason play.
