Mavs Viewed As Most Likely To Fall Out Of West Play-In Race

With Spurs center Victor Wembanyama’s season ending prematurely, the Western Conference playoff picture has suddenly turned into a mad dash. Right now, there are 11 teams vying for 10 spots, meaning one is going to be left out of the postseason party. Will it be the Mavericks?

Anyway, while the top seven — the Thunder, Grizzlies, Nuggets, Lakers, Rockets, Clippers, and Timberwolves — are seen as locks, the remaining spots are up for grabs.

That leaves the Mavericks, Warriors, Kings, and Suns fighting for their postseason lives. As relayed by ESPN’s Tim Bontemps, the Warriors, especially with the potential addition of Jimmy Butler, are likely safe after their impressive wins over the Kings and Mavs this past weekend.

But the other three? They’re in serious danger.

“Phoenix, which is wild to say,” one Western Conference executive said, via Bontemps. “They look like they can’t stand being around each other.”

That’s the sentiment echoing around the NBA as the Suns continue to struggle with chemistry and consistency despite their star power.

“I don’t trust the Kings,” said a West scout. “I think Dallas is the biggest threat to drop, thanks to all the injuries and the timelines for all of them to come back.”

The Mavs’ hopes of staying afloat rest on whether their stars can get and stay healthy, which is a huge question mark at the moment.

But one thing is clear — the West race is going to be chaotic, and it might come down to who can weather the storm of injuries and inconsistency better than the others.

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