Column: Western Conference playoff race tight at the bottom

Similar to that of the NBA’s Eastern Conference, the Western Conference playoff race is all… Similar to that of the NBA’s Eastern Conference, the Western Conference playoff race is all but decided at the top. But what will keep fans interested through the remainder of the season is who will make the final cut.

The Oklahoma City Thunder and San Antonio Spurs have the No. 1 and 2 seeds, respectively, all but wrapped up. With a month left in the season, nine teams each have a claim to one of the remaining six seeds.

As we all know, the Thunder dominated the league this year. Their record of 34-12 overall and 15-8 on the road both lead the conference in those categories.

Kevin Durant, a candidate for Most Valuable Player, leads the Thunder in rebounds with 7.9 per game and ranks second in the league in scoring at 27.5 points per game. Point guard Russell Westbrook — with his averages of 23.9 points per game and team-leading 5.4 assists per game — pairs with Durant to form arguably the best perimeter duo in the league.

With perhaps the best defensive frontcourt in the league in Kendrick Perkins and Serge Ibaka — who leads the league in blocks at 3.3 per game — the Thunder look like the favorites to finally break through and make their first NBA Finals appearance.

In second, the ageless San Antonio Spurs lead the Southwest Division by four games and are gearing up for yet another deep playoff run under coach Gregg Popovich. Point guard Tony Parker has taken the Spurs from power forward Tim Duncan in the twilight of Duncan’s career.

Averaging 20 points and 8 assists per game, Parker is the engine that keeps the team running, and he’ll match up worthily with the league’s best point guards in the playoffs.

Currently in third and leading the Pacific Division by just a game and a half over the fourth-place Los Angeles Clippers, the Los Angeles Lakers need to resolve some issues before the playoffs this season.

Kobe Bryant leads the league in scoring with 29.7 points per game, and Andrew Bynum was named Western Conference Player of the Week last week to add to his list of accomplishments compiled during the first NBA season he has not been injured (knock on wood). In addition, a recent trade to acquire lightning-fast point guard Ramon Sessions from the Cleveland Cavaliers fills a hole the Lakers needed to address.

Despite the Lakers’ conference-best home record of 19-3, the team owns a 9-15 record on the road. In the playoffs, especially without home-court advantage, teams need to win on the road, regardless of whom they play. The Lakers proved this year that they do not show up to play every night, especially against lower-tier teams (e.g., road losses to Detroit and Washington).

In fourth, the Clippers nip at the Lakers’ heels. The trade to acquire point guard Chris Paul has paid out large dividends, the biggest being a likely playoff berth for the first time since 2006. Paul ranks fourth in the league in assists, at 8.4 per game, while Blake Griffin leads the team in scoring and rebounding with 21.2 points and 10.9 rebounds per game.

The defending champion Dallas Mavericks currently hold the fifth seed and are separated by only two games from the final playoff spot. Below the Mavericks are the Memphis Grizzlies, Denver Nuggets and Houston Rockets in tthe sixth, seventh and eighth places, respecitvely.

The team I expect to fall out of the playoff race here is the Houston Rockets. Missing their starting backcourt, guards Kyle Lowry and Kevin Martin, the Rockets are playing poorly and slipping out of the race. Both players’ timetables are up in the air, and it’s possible neither will return in enough time to salvage the Rockets’ playoff hopes.

The team I expect to move up among these three is the Memphis Grizzlies. With the return of power forward Zach Randolph, the Grizz have arguably the best power forward on their team and best frontcourt tandem with him and Marc Gasol. The Grizzlies upset the No. 1-seeded Spurs last season in the playoffs and I expect them to wrench the No. 5 seed from the Mavs.

Three teams sit on the fringe of the playoff race: the Utah Jazz, the Phoenix Suns and the Minnesota Timberwolves.

Of these three, I think the Jazz will make the playoffs, simply because they are the best team. Phoenix is lucky even to be in contention, while the Timberwolves just do not have enough offensive firepower without Ricky Rubio to keep up with the other teams.

The Jazz have athletic wing players, a solid point guard in Devin Harris and three frontcourt players in Paul Millsap, Derrick Favors and rookie Enes Kanter that could cause matchup problems for any team they face in the playoffs.