NBA 2018-19: 3 teams in danger of missing out on the Western Conference playoffs
This year's Western Conference is gearing up to be one of the most competitive in the history of the NBA. While the Eastern Conference consists mostly of teams that are stuck in multi-year rebuild projects, the West is the home of franchises that want to compete now.
Aside from the abysmal Phoenix Suns, every other team in the West has a realistic shot at making the 2019 postseason, and this has contributed to an incredibly exciting season so far.
Every franchise in the West has already won at least 13 games (except the Suns), and the 8th placed Portland Trail Blazers are currently just 3.5 games back from the Conference-leading Denver Nuggets.
With the West more competitive than ever, a few notable teams are set to miss out on the postseason. Here are the three biggest franchises that may not feature in the 2019 playoffs.
#3 Utah Jazz
After a difficult start to the 2017-18 NBA season, the Utah Jazz were able to pull themselves together, as the team embarked on an impressive run which was enough to secure an unlikely 5th place finish. The Jazz were even more impressive in the postseason, and their performance led many NBA experts to predict that the team could soon become a threat to the Warriors and the Rockets.
However, despite the hype surrounding Donovan Mitchell and the Jazz this season, they have struggled for consistency and are currently 12th in the standings, with a win rate of just 483. The team are struggling offensively, and their once formidable home advantage has evaporated, as they are currently 5-6 when playing at the Vivint Smart Home Arena.
The Jazz's offense will need to step up soon, or the most impressive team from the 2017-18 season will find themselves left out of the postseason.