The 2014-15 NBA season is winding down and we’re starting to get a clearer idea of what the Western Conference playoff picture is going to look like. The Golden State Warriors have all but wrapped up the first seed, the battle for the last playoff spot includes three teams and the injury bug seems to be striking everyone at the wrong time of year.
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Based on what we’ve seen through about 75 percent of the regular season, each team’s big question is starting to become more obvious. Now it’s time we took a look at how each Western team in the playoff hunt needs to answer that question.
The big question that each team faces is basically a look at what the overarching goal or end result of this season is. For the contenders, it’s a question about what they need to do to win it all. For the bottom feeders on the playoff ladder, it’s a more prolonged look at the direction the franchise is heading.
We already covered the Eastern Conference yesterday, but now it’s time to take a look at nine teams — the eight currently occupying a playoff spot and one honorable mention for the team in ninth — in the West and examine the most important question each one faces.
Sorry Phoenix Suns fans, your team just narrowly missed the cut. Let’s start with our honorable mention, the New Orleans Pelicans.
Next: Oklahoma City Thunder