2010 NBA Playoff Predictions: Who Will Claim The No. 2 Seed In The Wild West?

The Los Angeles Lakers will begin the 2010 NBA Postseason as the number one seed in the Western Conference, but after the Lakers, every other spot is up for grabs with at least four teams who have a legitimate shot at claiming the second seed.

The Utah Jazz are currently 51-27 and hold a half game lead over Dallas, Phoenix, and Denver, who all share identical 50-27 records, and all have five games remaining on their schedules.

Utah only has four games remaining, but a glance at their schedule with road games in New Orleans, Golden State, Houston, and at home against Phoenix reveals what appears to be the easiest path to the number two seed.

If the Jazz can manage to win out, then they will open the postseason in the second position, but if they should slip over the course of the final week of the season, the results could be crippling.

The Dallas Mavericks who are currently in third, may have the best chance to eclipse the Jazz in the standings, because their final five games could be viewed in a favorable manner as well.

Dallas ends their season with road games against Portland, Sacramento, and the Los Angeles Clippers, and they return home to face the Memphis Grizzlies and San Antonio Spurs.

The Mavericks are capable of winning each contest, and even if they should slip against the Trail Blazers on the road, they could still claim the second seed if they won the rest of their games and Utah falters.

The journey up the Western Conference standings will be harder for Denver and Phoenix who must each face four playoff participants in their next five games, in addition to finishing their seasons on the road.

Phoenix will face San Antonio, Houston, and Denver at home, and will complete their season with road games against Oklahoma City and current second seed Utah.

Denver will face the Lakers, San Antonio, and Memphis at home and will battle Oklahoma City on the road, in addition to a final game at Phoenix, which could go a long way towards determining seeding.

I have barely mentioned San Antonio and Oklahoma City, who are currently tied for sixth in the West and only sit three and a half games out of the second seed themselves.

This is important because there is a realistic chance the Spurs could move up the standings based on the blistering pace they have recently established, and the fact that Tony Parker has returned to the fold.

The final postseason pairings will likely be determined on the very last day of the regular season, and for each of these teams one loss could mean the difference between the second seed and the sixth seed.

Most of these teams are in no hurry to face the Lakers in the first round, and the motivation of avoiding them should set up a spectacular race to the regular season finish line.

Parity has been the keyword for teams in the Western Conference the past few years, and this season may prove to be the closest playoff chase in the history of the NBA.