The NBA Western Conference is more competitive and fierce than it has been in years.
It has been a long time since so many teams have been clamoring for the top spot and have been so close in wins and losses.
There are a number of teams who could go all the way this year and make it to the NBA Finals but these are a few of the most surprising contenders who are putting the rest of the league on notice.
3. Memphis Grizzlies
The road to making the Memphis Grizzlies ready for the NBA Finals has been a long one.
After years of toiling towards the bottom of the Western Conference, the Grizz are ready for primetime.
Ja Morant has has something to prove and has been producing 24.1 points, 6.8 assists, and 5.6 rebounds a game.
Even with Morant out because of injury, Desmond Bane, Jaren Jackson Jr., and Dillon Brooks have turned Memphis into one of the fastest, showiest teams in the West.
Jaren Jackson Jr. last 10 games:
20.3 PPG
5.3 RPG
50 FG%
38 3P% on 6.6 attemptsThe Grizzlies have won 6 of their last 7, all without Ja Morant. pic.twitter.com/vShSHMRWYf
— StatMuse (@statmuse) December 10, 2021
And don’t forget about Steven Adams; the big man has been grabbing 8.7 boards a game.
The Grizzlies lead the league in steals and blocks and are second when it comes to rebounds.
They are a whole different beast than they used to be.
The fact that they are still powering through the season without Morant just shows how serious they are.
2. Golden State Warriors
In reality, it’s not that surprising that the Golden State Warriors could make the Finals.
What’s surprising is just how dominant they have been this season.
The numbers speak for themselves: first in the West, a 21-4 record, first in the league in assists, second for three-pointers made, third for field goal percentage and third for overall points.
The Warriors haven’t been this great in years and while everyone knew they’d be good again this year, they didn’t know they’d be this good.
Stephen Curry is once again in the running for MVP and the rest of the team, including a sensational Jordan Poole, Andrew Wiggins, and Draymond Green, are making this team as fierce as they were when they won their last championship.
But really, enough can’t be said about Curry since he is again playing like the best player in the NBA and creating some of the most exciting, fun, and downright jaw-dropping plays.
How is anyone supposed to guard Steph Curry?! 👀pic.twitter.com/rKSr8jibNa
— Warriors Nation (@WarriorNationCP) December 9, 2021
The Warriors are back in a big, big way.
The fact that they are picking up like they never left off is a huge surprise.
1. Los Angeles Clippers
When it was announced that Los Angeles Clippers were losing Kawhi Leonard to injury, most people assumed their chances of going to the Finals was gone.
It turns out that isn’t the case because the Clippers are doing some serious work.
It’s all centered around Paul George, who is picking up the slack left by Leonard.
George is hitting career-highs in points (25.0), rebounds (7.3) and assists (5.4) and is a front-runner for MVP along with Curry.
Meanwhile, Ivica Zubac has been claiming 8.2 boards a game, Reggie Jackson has been landing great shots, and Marcus Morris Sr. has come alive and is playing some of the best basketball of his career.
The Clippers were written off when Leonard left, and while they still have a long way to go, it’s shocking to see them doing so well despite losing such a pivotal part of their team.
Just imagine how great they’ll be once Leonard returns.
NEXT: 3 Surprise NBA Finals Contenders In The East
