The battle of the west! Teams to look out for in the NBA Western Conference

Now the NBA All-Star break has passed, the business end to the NBA season will start to take shape.

The recent trade deadline has sent shockwaves throughout the basketball world, leaving one of the conferences in the NBA with all to play for.

Making it out of the NBA Western Conference is up for grabs for any team from tenth to first, with only seven wins separating Memphis in second and the LA Lakers in tenth.

The West is already the home of LeBron James and Steph Curry, but with the recent movement of Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving, it looks as though no one can predict who will win the battle of the west!

Let's look through some of the teams from top to bottom, striving to make a deep playoff run!

The Los Angeles Clippers sit fifth in the Western Conference and provide the NBA with one of its greatest duos, Paul Geroge and Kawhi Leonard. Despite that, injuries have hampered the duo's time together on the floor.

While keeping their heads just above .500 for the majority of the season. The Clippers have brought former MVP Russell Westbrook into their ranks, and with George and Leonard looking to be 100% fit for the postseason, They might make a deep playoff run.

The Phoenix Suns have made a habit of making deep playoff runs in the last couple of years, losing in the NBA Finals to the Milwaukee Bucks in 2021 and reaching the Western Conference semi-finals last season.

The Suns have managed to keep their all-star level core Chris Paul, Devin Booker, and Deandre Ayton in the ranks while bringing in another NBA superstar – Kevin Durant. With the vast experience they already possess and the addition of Durant, Phoenix is a serious title contender.

The reigning champion Golden State Warriors have had a mediocre season this year, struggling to stay above .500 with the same core that has won four NBA Championships.

Star man Steph Curry has been hampered with injuries this year, including a leg injury he sustained in early February. According to en.as.com, the Warriors guard will look to make a comeback when his knee is healed by the end of the season. When Curry is back, The Warriors are back.

Dallas star man Luka Doncic nearly carried his side to the NBA Finals last season, losing to the eventual winners Golden State Warriors in the conference finals.

If Doncic can take his team to the conference finals, where will his team go with the acquisition of Kyrie Irving? Mavs owner Mark Cuban has put together the most effective guards in the NBA, and with that comes the expectation that the Mavs have their best chance ever to win.

The Los Angeles Lakers sit tenth in the Western Conference, but with their star additions of D'Angelo Russell, Jarred Vanderbilt, and Malik Beasley in the trade market, The Lakers may have got the perfect pieces to play with LeBron James and Anthony Davis.

The Lakers are one win short of the play in spots, winning four of the last five since they pieced together their new-look team. The signs look good for the Lakers, but one could hold them in their tracks. LeBron James looks set to miss multiple weeks with a foot injury.

The Sacramento Kings have the longest active playoff drought in the NBA, missing the postseason for the last 17 seasons. Despite that, it looks like things are about to change.

The King's dynamic duo of De'Aaron Fox and Domantas Sabonis has been the catalyst to their success so far this season, sitting third in the West. They may not be the most experienced team in the West, but they will be one to look out for when the postseason comes around.