Worst first-round opponent for each NBA Western Conference playoff team

With far more threats and many different matchup possibilities, the NBA’s Western Conference is sure to see its share of mismatched battles.

Even with only these eight games remaining in the 2019-20 regular season, unpredictability reigns supreme in the Western Conference.

Only 2.5 games separate seeds three through seven. Just about every one of them has the makings of a second-round team. As it goes, only four spots are available, two if we lock in both Los Angeles squads.

Which teams will leave the bubble earlier than expected isn’t just about those who boast superior talent. The layout of the conference semi-finals is very likely to come down to the teams who find themselves in a favorable first-round matchup.

That could mean an opponent one side has a psychological hold over, similar to LeBron James‘ grasp over the Toronto Raptors all those years in Cleveland. Perhaps a team has a tactical advantage over another, a size difference that can be exploited or the perfect personnel to combat an opponent’s weakness.

A Los Angeles Lakers/LA Clippers conference finals might be in the cards. That doesn’t mean we can’t enjoy the journey that gets us there, one to be determined if only partially by the bracket structure that sets up how it will play out.