Phoenix SunsĪfter coming up short in the 2021 NBA Finals, the Phoenix Suns find themselves in a position to fall victim to a championship hangover, despite not actually hoisting the Larry O’Brien trophy. If he can return to even 80% of his former self, along with replicated play by Stephen Curry that we saw from last season, then the Warriors may be able to regain that level of aura that we saw from their 2015-16 run. As one of the best shooters in league history, his shooting stroke is something that should not have left him during his absence. He does not have to dribble much, and he is not getting up to dunk over near seven-footers all that often. Looking at Klay’s game, he does not rely on his speed or athleticism too heavily. While the Golden State Warriors made plenty of moves around the margins, bringing back Andre Iguodala, signing Otto Porter Jr, and drafting rookie upstart Jonathan Kuminga, Klay Thompson’s return is going to direct this team whatever avenue they go. Golden State WarriorsĪfter two long seasons away from basketball, the other half of the Splash Bros will rejoin Stephen Curry as Klay Thompson finally returns to play after rehabbing both a torn Achilles and a torn ACL in subsequent seasons. While they have improved greatly on paper, the next step is assuring a lengthy postseason run before the window closes in Utah, however soon that could be. As constructed, this team is a great regular-season club, one that will give fits to any opponent on a nightly basis. They have two franchise stars in Donovan Mitchell and Rudy Gobert, an All-Star point guard in Mike Conley, and plenty of volume, versatility, and two-way prowess in their supporting cast. The Jazz are one of, if not the deepest team in the NBA. The Jazz also acquired Eric Paschall from the Golden State Warriors for dirt cheap, adding another level of productivity off the bench. They combated this issue by bringing in veterans like Hassan Whiteside to back up Rudy Gobert, as well as signing Rudy Gay to provide some additional scoring off the second unit. The Jazz held the best record in the NBA a season ago, but once again came up short in the postseason. Sitting at the top of the 2021 NBA Western Conference standings is the Utah Jazz. 2021 NBA Western Conference Standings Predictions 1. Here are the NBA Western Conference Standings predictions for the 2021 season. The 2021 NBA Western Conference standings could look very different to last season’s with a combination of fresh faces being added to championship-caliber teams, young stars taking substantial leaps to the next tier, and in specific cases, certain players returning after long absences. While the 2021 NBA offseason may not have been as active as it has been in previous seasons, it certainly shook up the playoff picture in both conferences for the upcoming season.

2021 nba eastern conference standings