NBA Playoff Seeding Predictions - Western Conference

Want to know who will make the playoffs and who won't? No need to wait until April, I have your answers right here. Utilizing some of the greatest minds in the world of basketball, mines included, here are the eight seeds you will see playing in the Western Conference playoffs this summer.

1. Phoenix Suns - Offense wins games in the regular season, and the Suns have plenty of it. They also have one of the deepest benches in the league and that is why I expect them to outlast everyone else in the race for the #1 seed. Let's just pray that my prediction is right and that they will face the Golden State Warriors in what will be the highest scoring playoff series in the history of the NBA!

2. Dallas Mavericks - Dallas seems to have gotten their swagger back, and I think they will be playing some great basketball down the stretch. Afterall, this is basically the team from last year that ran through the league, and if they can play anywhere close to that for the remainder of the season

3. New Orleans Hornets - Unbelievably, as of January 24, 2008, the New Orleans Hornets are in first place. It's hard to imagine that a team that wins 75% of their road games will do much worse than 3^rd place in the conference, and that's exactly where they will finish.

4. Portland Trailblazers - The Spurs will have a better record than they will, but the Trailblazers will in their division to steal the 4^th seed from the Spurs and the Lakers. Enough said.

5. San Antonio Spurs - The Spurs slow start will cost them home court in the playoffs. Will the champions be able to overcome and win in the playoffs?

6. Los Angeles Lakers - Losing Andrew Bynum really hurt this team. While I still don't think they would have garnered a #1 seed, there was a strong possibility that they finish ahead of the Spurs or Hornets. But without Bynum, 6^th is the best they'll do.

7. Utah Jazz - The Jazz have too much talent in Boozer and Williams alone, and I think that will prevail them past the likes of Nuggets and Rockets.