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2021 NBA Predictions: Semi-Educated Guesses on the Upcoming Season (Western Conference)
Why not write some words about possible outcomes for every Western conference team for this upcoming NBA season? It’s fun to take semi-wild guesses instead of studying advanced statistics and probabilities.
West
1 LAC
8 DAL
4 LAL
5 HOU
3 POR
6 UTA
2 DEN
7 PHX
- Los Angeles Clippers
Tyronn Lue is a modern player’s coach. Tough love is not part of his approach. Doc Rivers is a player’s coach from a previous era. Tough love is very much part of his approach. Coaches are often given too much credit and too much blame. Doc Rivers did not create the Orlando bubble environment and Doc Hearing his public comments, Rivers did not initially know how to help his team through the isolation and mental grind of that bubble. It was a perfect storm for the Clippers. Kawhi and PG came home to LA and the combination of new teammates, injuries and mid-March hiatus through their season into a blender. From a chemistry standpoint, they were vulnerable. Kawhi is a quiet leader. He isn’t a KG-type igniter. He was perfect in San Antonio and Toronto, where motivation was not an issue. When Montrezl Harrell’s grandmother passed away and left the team, the team’s spark was gone.
