NBA: Ranking teams by tiers for 2019-20 season

(Photo by Bill Baptist/NBAE via Getty Images)
(Photo by Bill Baptist/NBAE via Getty Images) /
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Tier 4: Western Conference Playoff Teams

Dallas Mavericks, Portland Trail Blazers, San Antonio Spurs

The strength of the Western Conference is such that all of their playoff teams deserve to be ranked higher than any but the very best Eastern Conference teams; the disparity is massive and every team in the West will be fighting for its life no matter which intra-conference foe they face.

For those keeping track at home, adding three teams from Tier 4 gives the Western Conference nine playoff teams. Barring an impossibly quick change to the playoff structure that is mathematically impossible, you might say. I therefore invite you to keep one of these teams out.

San Antonio Spurs fans have seen their team play postseason basketball for 22 straight seasons, a mind-boggling number that has stretched beyond the end of Tim Duncan‘s career. At some point the residual culture he cultivated will wear out, but until then we have a team that won 48 games a year ago and will get back a talented young guard in Dejounte Murray.

Are you betting against Gregg Popovich?

In the Pacific Northwest, the Portland Trail Blazers are yet again the trendy pick to miss the playoffs, yet every year Damian Lillard makes the final eight no matter his supporting cast. After making the Western Conference Finals this team upgraded at center (over Enes Kanter and Meyers Leonard, since Jusuf Nurkic missed the entire postseason) and shuffled its wing rotation.

Are you betting against Lillard?

The team that may not be present on everyone’s playoff list is the Dallas Mavericks, yet they look every bit the playoff lock of the other two. Last season they had the point differential of a 39-win team and they are adding an All-Star big man in Kristaps Porzingis who fits seamlessly with Luka Doncic.

Seth Curry and Delon Wright are solid additions around those two ball-dominant stars and this team goes 12 deep with reliable rotation players. Head coach Rick Carlisle is ready to coach a playoff team again.

Are you betting against “Cool Hand” Luka?

Which one of the teams with a Hall of Fame head coach, strong team culture and proven track record are you knocking out? One of the aforementioned teams will miss the postseason, most likely due to a catastrophic and meaningful injury to one of the star players.

If Steph Curry misses significant time it could be the Golden State Warriors; if it’s Lillard or LaMarcus Aldridge or Doncic then it will be one of these squads. At expected strength, each of these teams would be a solid candidate for home-court advantage in the Eastern Conference. Expect all of these teams to be good.