5 X-Factor Players in the Western Conference Playoff Race
The Western Conference in the NBA is filled with teams striving to make the playoffs, with only the Oklahoma City Thunder and Houston Rockets seemingly out of the picture.
The Utah Jazz, Phoenix Suns and Los Angeles Lakers are expected to be the most consistent and talented roster to headline the conference. Aside from that, there are sizeable question marks across the rest of the NBA roster.
Notable players are making their returns from injury in the 2021-22 NBA season, others will need to step up in the absence of teammates, and some young players are looking to cement their role/standing in the NBA.
The Sacramento Kings, Minnesota Timberwolves, New Orleans Pelicans, San Antonio Spurs, and Memphis Grizzlies will all need things to go their way in order to secure a spot in the play-in tournament and then the playoffs. Their X-Factors will have to shine through and allow the team to reach unexpected heights with their production levels.
Here are five players who are X-Factors in the NBA's Western Conference playoff race.
#5 - Marvin Bagley
Anyone who follows the NBA is well aware that the Sacramento Kings elected to select Marvin Bagley with the second overall pick in the 2018 NBA Draft over Luka Doncic. It might still haunt former general manager Vlade Divac, and it certainly has not left the mind of the Sacramento fanbase.
Throughout his three seasons wearing royal purple, Bagley has been the definition of injury prone. In his rookie campaign, knee sprains plagued him, but he still appeared on 62 occasions and made the All-Rookie first-team.
In year two, the big man suffered a devastating right thumb fracture in the very first game of the season. He returned for eight games before suffering a mid-foot sprain, sitting out for the next eight, and then re-aggravating that same sprain after four games of playing time. That would keep him out for the rest of the year.
In 202-21, Bagley participated in 43 total games before going down with a random fracture in the fourth metacarpal of his left hand. No repeat injuries for the 6'10" big man, but it's really just a stretch of dreadful luck.
While healthy, Bagley averaged 14.1 points and 7.4 rebounds while shooting 50.4 percent from the field and 34.3 percent from three. He is understandably accused of having empty numbers at times, but his combination of fluidity, size, and athleticism still makes for an intriguing mold at just 22-years-old.
If Marvin Bagley can find some consistency and remain healthy in the 2021-22 NBA season, the Sacramento Kings could find themselves greatly benefiting from what is currently an unknown on their roster.
#4 - Jaren Jackson Jr.
Jaren Jackson Jr. heard his name called just minutes after Marvin Bagley III as the fourth overall selection in the 2018 NBA Draft. While Jackson has undeniably shown more throughout his short NBA career than Bagley, last season was a substantial stepback.
A torn meniscus in his left knee kept Jackson watching his Memphis Grizzlies teammates from the sidelines for nearly the entirety of the 2020-21 NBA season. He participated in three of the four closing regular-season games and averaged 24.4 minutes throughout eight postseason showings.
Jackson clearly, and understandably, was not back at full strength and NBA game speed throughout those games. When healthy, Jackson has shown the ability to be one of the best shooting big men in the NBA, evident by him knocking down 39.4 percent of 6.5 attempts per game in 2019-20.
Coming out of Michigan State, Jackson's defensive ability was highly touted and that has yet to come to fruition in for the Grizzlies. Growth in that aspect, while also supplying ideal spacing for Ja Morant, could significantly increase the Grizzlies' postseason chances.