NBA Basketball Power Rankings: Projecting the Top 8 Playoff Seeds in the West

The current Western Conference standings are a jumbled mess, with just one-and-a-half games separating second place from ninth place.

It's a wide open race in the wild, wild West this season—whoever emerges will likely earn a date with either the Miami Heat or the Chicago Bulls in the NBA Finals.

Now let's take a look at how things will shake out come late April.

8. Utah Jazz (36-30)

The Utah Jazz squeak into the West's eighth-and-final playoff spot, barely edging out the Houston Rockets, Memphis Grizzlies and Minnesota Timberwolves.

Led by one of the most formidable frontcourt duos in the NBA in Al Jefferson and Paul Millsap, the Jazz make it to the postseason by winning four of their last five games—with all four wins coming in Utah.

7. Portland Trail Blazers (37-29)

The Portland Trail Blazers finish one game ahead of the Utah Jazz to earn the Western Conference seventh seed.

Led by perhaps the most underrated player in the NBA in LaMarcus Aldridge, the Trail Blazers will be a tough out in the first round—a result of their huge home court advantage in the Rose Garden.

6. San Antonio Spurs (38-28)

The San Antonio Spurs welcome the return of superstar guard Manu Ginobili just in time as they lock down the sixth seed in the West.

This could be the Spurs' final shot at a title with their version of the "big three" still intact.

5. Denver Nuggets (40-26)

The Denver Nuggets just miss out on the fourth seed after losing their final two games of the season at Oklahoma City and at Minnesota.

The Nuggets are one of the deepest teams in the entire NBA and a prime dark-horse candidate to emerge out of the West.

4. Los Angeles Lakers (42-24)

Los Angeles Lakers GM Mitch Kupchak makes two trades right before the deadline that ignite a huge winning streak to close the season.

The Lakers go 12-2 in April to secure the fourth seed in the West and are once again the team that no one wants to play.

3. Dallas Mavericks (44-22)

The defending champion Dallas Mavericks are peaking once again as they enter postseason play in 2012.

As a result of earning the No. 3 seed, they avoid a second-round matchup with the Lakers.

2. Los Angeles Clippers (47-19)

That's right, folks, CP3 and the Blake Show earn the No. 2 seed out West, as they lead the Los Angeles Clippers to a 47-19 record.

The Clippers face an extremely difficult first-round matchup against the Portland Trail Blazers.

Will they be able to rise to the occasion under the bright lights of the NBA playoffs?

1. Oklahoma City Thunder (50-16)

Led by MVP candidate Kevin Durant and emerging point guard Russell Westbrook, the Oklahoma City Thunder still manage to win 50 games in the lockout-shortened season.

A second-round matchup with the Los Angeles Lakers awaits—will this finally be the year the Thunder get over the hump?