NBA Western Conference 2021 play-offs first-round assessment: LA Lakers are in a tricky series, while LA Clippers have it all to do

After all the Covid-19 regulations the 2021 NBA play-offs are finally underway. The stacked Western Conference has displayed that multiple teams are capable of winning going to the NBA Finals.

As a result, TIBS News looks into each team on this side of the bracket in the post-season.

Los Angeles Lakers

The LA Lakers were expected to secure a play-off spot earlier on in the season as the reigning champions. However, injuries became a major threat to the team as Anthony Davis strained his calf in February. He initially was reported to be out for a month but instead took double that to return.

Lebron James missed six games due to an ankle injury, quoting that he doesn’t believe that he will get back to 100 per cent because of the toll of his long career beginning to wear on his body. The Lakers had to battle through the play-in tournament as the No 7 seed, narrowly beating the Golden State Warriors. Despite the injury worries it cannot be denied that the duo partnership of Davis and James is a force capable of winning back-to-back championships.

The Lakers did improve their squad depth adding the likes of Marc Gasol and Montrez Harrell, but the key lies in the fitness of Davis and James. Their first-round encounter with the in-form Phoenix Suns is currently tied at 1-1 with Game 3 on Thursday night at the Staples Center.

Los Angeles Clippers

The LA Clippers still have their doubters and critics after last season’s play-off performance when they exited in round two against the Denver Nuggets. In last season’s playoffs, they were one of the favourites to win – an expectation that led to head coach Doc Rivers being fired.

It has been a common theme for the Clippers to fall short and they were arguably being quite unlucky not to win a ring with the infamous ‘lob city’ team. This season’s head coach Tyronn Lue – who was Rivers’ assistant last year – carries lower expectations from fans, but spectators are still predicting a deep play-off run.

Paul George last year came under fire as he performed poorly on multiple occasions leaving a heavy burden on Kawhi Leonard which he could not carry. For the Clippers to succeed they need to have a continuation of their current form. They were the best three-point shooting team in the NBA, but tend to crumble under pressure.

Players such as George need to be confident in their abilities to perform, rather than falling victim to online hate. Leonard needs to take on more responsibility and lead the team off the court, not just on the court in terms of points scored. However, they have it all to do against the Dallas Mavericks after losing the first two games of the best-of-seven series.

Phoenix Suns

This season the Phoenix Suns surprisingly rose to the No 2 seed in the West. In last season’s NBA bubble, the Suns narrowly missed the play-offs but they are back and much improved this year.

Chris Paul has had an MVP-like impact on the team serving as a backcourt partner for Devin Booker. To win the championship, Paul has to remain injury-free.  Booker’s playoff performances are an unknown factor as this will be his first time playing in the post-season.

Deandre Ayton needs to be much more aggressive to prove why he was the 2018 No 1 pick. He has been labelled as ‘soft’ by many fans because he has only averaged 14.4 points this season despite his high potential of being a 20 point-per-game centre. However, he is showcasing his potential against the Lakers, averaging 21.5 points and 13 rebounds across the two matches so far.

Utah Jazz

The Utah Jazz are arguably the biggest surprise of the season after they managed to secure the No 1 seed – a feat only managed because of the depth the squad has. Both Jordan Clarkson and Joe Ingles were in the final three for the Sixth Man of the Year award – with the former winning.

Every player within the Utah Jazz has excelled in their roles. Rudy Gobert is once again one of the favourites to win the Defensive Player of the Year. Donovan Mitchell has also proved that he can consistently play at a high level.

However, for the Jazz to win it all he must reach the same levels of performance he did against the Denver Nuggets in the bubble last year. It was a historic series, which Utah won 4-3, with Mitchell putting up two 50-point games tying the record of Michael Jordan and Allen Iverson. He is currently averaging 25 points in their series with the Memphis Grizzlies, which is currently tied at 1-1.

Dallas Mavericks

The Dallas Mavericks are looking to better their first-round playoff exit of last season to the LA Clippers. Some fans may argue that it was unlucky as Kristaps Porzingis was wrongly ejected in Game 1, resulting in a loss. His bad luck didn’t end there as he suffered a lateral meniscus tear in his left knee ruling him out for the rest of the series against the Clippers.

For the Mavericks to return to NBA victors Porzingis needs to remain fully fit. In every game, Luka Doncic will perform well, but basketball is a team sport. He needs to rely on his supporting cast to match his stats. Tim Hardaway Jr has come into this series on a hot streak which he hopes to continue throughout the playoffs.

So far the team from Texas are duly performing as a team as they lead the Clippers 2-0.

Portland Trail Blazers

Just like the Mavericks, the Portland Trail Blazers exited the play-offs in the first round last year against the Lakers. This season, Damian Lillard has continued to display great performances consistently averaging 28.8 points-per-game. Despite injuries to CJ McCollum and Jusuf Nurkic, the Trailblazers managed to secure a late play-off spot in the last couple of days of the regular season.

Nurkic must step up and return to his upward trending form which saw many fans question whether he could be the important piece to reward Lillard’s loyalty. However, Enes Kanter has proved himself to be a great bench option, recording 30 rebounds versus the Detroit Pistons.

Either way, Portland are set for a tight series against the Denver Nuggets – which is currently poised at 1-1.

Memphis Grizzlies

The Memphis Grizzles managed to gain a play-off spot through the play-in tournament.

Their appearance has seen Ja Morant make his playoff debut, with the hype around the athletic point guard often taking away the light from his team-mates. Jonas Valanciunas is a criminally underrated centre who can both attack and defend. The main two options of the Grizzlies are surrounded by a young sufficient squad who have shown their ability to defend as a unit.

The play-in win against the Golden State Warriors displayed this. Often Stephen Curry was forced to give the ball up as he was double-teamed from half-court. That is something they need to do more of to prevent the likes of Mitchell and his Jazz team-mates from closing out games if they are to win that series.

Denver Nuggets

The Denver Nuggets are looking to outdo their 2020 play-off performance which saw them lose 4-1 in the Conference Finals to the LA Lakers. Throughout the season Nikola Jokic has been performing at MVP level averaging 26 points, 10 rebounds and eight assists. He is the favourite for the award, battling the likes of Joel Embiid and Giannis Antetokounmpo. His sensational level of play led the Nuggets to the third seed, with many fans predicting an NBA finals appearance. However, the season-ending injury to Jamal Murray has severely dented their hopes.

For the Nuggets to put together a long play-off run, and potentially win it, Michael Porter Jr needs to step up. Jokic is a consistent performer but his team-mates typically aren’t. Porter Jr is on the right trajectory as he was third in the most improved player award. The new addition to the team, Aaron Gordon also needs to prove his worth. He was traded away for Gary Harris, rookie RJ Hampton and a protected 2025 first-round draft pick. This was a perfect example of team-building around ‘the Joker’. Jokic needs a lot of support from his team-mates, allowing him more freedom on the court to create plays and score.

Currently, the Nuggets are tied 1-1 against the Portland Trail Blazers but they have struggled to contain Lillard as he has scored 34 and 42 points. Jokic and his supporting cast remain favourites though as he is currently averaging 36 points in the series.

By Layton Ryan-Parson