NBA Western Conference Semifinals – Preview and Prediction

The conference semifinals are coming up and WagerBop is here to analyze both East and West matchups. This article will be about the West and two explosive matchups ahead of us. We have the Phoenix Suns and the Dallas Mavericks on one side and the Memphis Grizzlies and the Golden State Warriors on the other.

Phoenix Suns (1) vs. Dallas Mavericks (4)

Both teams had problems with the injuries of their best players. Devin Booker had to skip a few games in the Suns’ series against the New Orleans, while on the other side, Luka Doncic also missed some clashes against the Utah Jazz. Luckily, these two superstars will be ready to face one another and lead their respective teams in this matchup.

The Suns eliminated the Pelicans in six games, experiencing certain trouble without Booker, who was their leading scorer in the playoffs with 23 points. Though Chris Paul was there to replace him when needed, and the veteran posted 22.3 points in these six events with 11.3 boards. Not only that, Ayton and Bridges got their share of the action, proving that the Suns can cover up for any player because they play as a team.

And in the West, Phoenix has to watch out for Dallas. The Mavericks have enough offensive firepower to upset the Suns!

— Earvin Magic Johnson (@MagicJohnson) April 29, 2022

Meanwhile, the Mavericks’ fans are talking about one guy, and his name isn’t Luka Doncic. Jalen Brunson is the man right now in Texas because he not only showed impressive skills, but also that it is possible for the Mavs to play and win in the playoffs without Luka on the field. Brunson scored 27.8 points per game and was the leader on the court even with Doncic available.

During the regular part of the season, the Suns swept the Mavs, beating them three times. That won’t happen now, but we are sure that Monty Williams’ unit has enough power to eliminate the Mavericks in six games.

Pick: Suns in 6

Memphis Grizzlies (2) vs. Golden State Warriors (3)

The Grizzlies once again rallied following a 10-point deficit to beat the Minnesota Timberwolves. This time, they managed to do that at Target Center, which meant that the Timberwolves were eliminated. Memphis had to go through hell to earn the semis, and they were tested heavily against Minnesota.

Last-second baskets, tough defenses, offensive fireworks, comebacks… all these and more were seen from Taylor Jenkins’ boys. By the way, we need to say that Jenkins deserves the NBA Coach of the Year award. What he did in Memphis is fantastic.

The Memphis Grizzlies defeat the Timberwolves and advance for a date with the Golden State Warriors 👀 pic.twitter.com/apTLVWhDsk

— ClutchPoints (@ClutchPoints) April 30, 2022

Meanwhile, we all know everything about the Warriors. Compared to the previous years, they have Jordan Poole, who is ruthless on the offensive side of the ball as Curry or Thompson, sometimes even more. He provides a high tempo in the attack even with both of the Splash Brothers out. In five games against the Nuggets, Poole averaged 21 buckets, but with 54.8% of shooting and 48.4% behind the arc.

The Warriors are our pick here because of the experience and better players on the defensive side of the court. Green, Wiggins, Payton II, Porter Jr, etc, there aren’t such guys in Memphis. Therefore the pick here is the Warriors in six.

Pick: Suns in 5