NBA Playoffs 2012: Handicapping Title Chances of Western Conference Contenders

Despite the uncertainty of the NBA playoffs, many feel the Eastern Conference will come down to the Chicago Bulls and the Miami Heat once again.

Over in the Western Conference, it's a little more complicated. While the No. 1 seed San Antonio Spurs and No. 2 seed Oklahoma City Thunder certainly have the tools necessary to make a run through the West, don't be surprised if they fail to do so.

With that being said, let's handicap the Western Conference race and take a look at who exactly has the best odds of reaching the NBA Finals.

Los Angeles Clippers

The Clippers have played very well down the stretch, winning 14 of their past 17 games, and they still have a chance of winning their first division title in franchise history.

With Chris Paul playing at a high level, the Clippers certainly have a chance to make a run at the Western Conference title. Unfortunately, their high-flying Lob City offense isn't built for the postseason. 

Teams that can execute in a half-court offense and get defensive stops when they need them typically have the most playoff success.

I don’t know if the Clippers are that type of team just yet.

Odds to Win the West: 50-to-1

Memphis Grizzlies

The Grizzlies showed last season that they are capable of having postseason success. This year’s Memphis team is even better than last year’s team, and they have something that they didn’t have last year: Rudy Gay.

Memphis can compete with any team in the West, but to advance to the NBA Finals, they will have to win three tough series, likely without home court in any of them.

I don’t expect them to reach the NBA Finals, but I expect them to make some noise along the way.

Odds to Win the West: 25-to-1

Los Angeles Lakers

This Lakers team has flaws, but they still have Kobe Bryant, Andrew Bynum and Pau Gasol, and I’ll take my chances with that trio.

They don’t have the depth of a championship team and lack consistent perimeter shooting (26th in NBA), but if Bynum’s head is screwed on straight and the Lakers make a point of feeding him and Gasol on offense, not many teams can deal with that length on the inside. 

That alone should carry them deep into the postseason. 

Odds to Win the West: 10-to-1

Oklahoma City Thunder

The Thunder starting out as the No. 2 seed doesn’t bother me at all. Even if they have to go to San Antonio for the Western Conference Finals, this team has proven that it can win on the road, going 21-12 on the season.

I have all the confidence in the world that Kevin Durant can carry the Thunder to a title, but Russell Westbrook scares me. There are times that the Thunder need him to be a pass-first point guard, and I still don’t know if he can succeed in that role when the situation calls for it. 

If Westbrook starts chucking up too many shots, I like Oklahoma City’s chances less and less, considering he’s only shooting .384 from the floor in the month of April, compared to .492 in March.

Odds to Win the West: 4-to-1

San Antonio Spurs

The Spurs are the Western Conference’s No. 1 seed and have as good of a chance to reach the NBA Finals as any team.

Their unselfishness and depth should carry them deep into the playoffs, and they have something to prove following last season’s early exit at the hands of No. 8 seed Memphis.

San Antonio is an impressive 28-5 at home and has won 19 of their past 21 games. No team in the NBA is entering the playoffs playing better basketball.

Although Tony Parker is having an MVP-type season and San Antonio is the favorite, it won’t be easy. Much like last season, they have a bullseye on their back.

Nonetheless, the Spurs have a great head coach in Gregg Popovich and have the perfect mix of experience and youth.

Odds to Win the West: 2-to-1