The X-Factor For Each Western Conference Team Heading To Orlando

Yesterday, I wrote an article titled the same exact thing except I did the Eastern Conference. This time around, it's the same concept except I'll be breaking down the X-Factor for each Western Conference team heading to Orlando. Let's get right into it.

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Los Angeles Lakers: JR Smith

Avery Bradley recently announced that he will be skipping the NBA's restart and the Lakers signed JR Smith in his absence. Now, Smith has not stepped on a professional basketball court in almost two years which should immediately raise red flags. However, Smith has an absurd ability to "get hot" with just a couple of shots. Smith can create his own opportunities and he's an incredibly "tough shot" maker. Smith may not provide much other than scoring but his ability to get hot, his shooting, and his experience will certainly help the Lakers this postseason.

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Los Angeles Clippers: Ivica Zubac

One of the biggest issues with the Los Angeles Clippers at the moment is rim protection or more specifically, size. However, Zubac could potentially be the fix to both of those issues. Zubac weighs in at about 245 pounds and stands at seven feet tall. He's, at the very least, a big presence on the court. He's not an incredible defender as he's only 66th in defensive win shares but he can hold down the fort and his sheer size will be very key. The Western Conference is filled with great big men like Anthony Davis, Nikola Jokic, and Rudy Gobert that Zubac will likely be given the task to defend and he's going to need to do it well if the Clippers have any hope of winning the NBA Finals.

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Denver Nuggets: Will Barton

With the Denver Nuggets, you know what you're going to get. Nikola Jokic is the unquestioned first option and Jamal Murray is the 2nd option. Jokic and Murray both stepped up their play tremendously in the playoffs last year. However, the Nuggets lack a true 3rd guy. This could go to realistically anyone on their roster but I decided to go with Will Barton. Barton had an awesome year where he averaged 15 PPG and 6 RPG while shooting 45/38/77. His head coach Mike Malone even said that he should've been the Nuggets second All-Star. If he can prove himself as a reliable third guy for this squad, they could really challenge the top teams out West.

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Utah Jazz: Royce O'Neale

Bojan Bogdanovic is going to miss the remainder of the NBA season and Joe Ingles is still a question mark at this point in time. However, they have one guy who can help fill their shoes is Royce O'Neale. O'Neale has been great in the past two postseasons and I expect that to continue this year with an increased role. He's a terrific defender who can guard four positions and shoots the ball extremely well from deep. The Jazz are viewed by many, including myself, as a first round exit. However, if Royce O'Neale proves to be one of the Jazz's most consistent players than they could be a lot better than most fans expect.

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Oklahoma City Thunder: Steven Adams

The Oklahoma City Thunder have had an extremely successful season so far due to Chris Paul's leadership, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander's emergence, and the rest of the team filling their roles to perfection. One guy that has seen a bit of a drop off in stats is Steven Adams. He hasn't had as big of a role with the team but he's still been a great "dirty work" guy and is still extremely impactful. The Thunder are currently on pace to either play the Jazz or the Nuggets in the first round, two teams that have great centers. Adams' is going to need to be extremely physical with these guys because if he can manage to get them off their rhythm, the Thunder are going to win the first round with EASE.

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Houston Rockets: Robert Covington

RoCo is going to need to be a two-way monster if the Rockets want to win the championship. Offensively, he shouldn't be asked to do anything but hit open three pointers. However, he'll need to have a big impact defensively. He's going to have to matchup with guys like LeBron, Kawhi, and maybe even Anthony Davis and try to shut them down. Covington is the key to the small ball lineup and without him, the Rockets' title chances may go down the drain. It sound crazy, but Covington make a huge difference for the Rockets.

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Dallas Mavericks: Tim Hardaway Jr

Similar to the Nuggets, you know exactly what you're going to get with this team. Luka Doncic is the clear cut number one guy, and Kristaps is the number two. However, Tim Hardaway Jr has proven himself to be a true third option on a playoff team. He's always been a very inefficient scorer with mediocre shooting abilities. If he can prove that this type of play can translate to the playoffs, he'll be viewed as a legitimate third option on a high level team.

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Memphis Grizzlies: Ja Morant

This is a very interesting one but I truly believe that Ja is the X-Factor for this team. The team revolves around him completely and it's remarkable how well he handles that at such a young age. However, Ja has never seen real playoff basketball or even high pressure NBA ball before. He's going to need to play at the same level as he did in the regular season because his play elevates others around him. If Ja were to crash-and-burn, then the Grizzlies will likely fall apart as well.

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Portland Trailblazers: Carmelo Anthony

The last time we saw Carmelo Anthony in the playoffs, he was absolutely miserable. This was during his short OKC stint and against the Utah Jazz, he averaged 11.8 PPG on 38/21/73 shooting splits to go along with terrible defender. Damian Lillard and CJ McCollum are the clear cut first and second options but after them, it's a real mystery. Melo has played like a third option however it's only been the regular season. The Blazers will need him to either step up his game or at least play at the same level as they hope to earn a playoff spot this year.

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New Orleans Pelicans: Lonzo Ball

The Pelicans are in a great position right now. They've got three great go-to scorers and arguably the easiest schedule in basketball. One guy that could really help the Pelicans a lot would be Lonzo Ball. He doesn't have to be a tremendous scorer but he's going to need to set up these others guys, play excellent defense, and hit open three pointers. If he can do all that, the Pelicans should be a lock for the 8th seed.

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Sacramento Kings: Buddy Hield

I think the Sacramento Kings have a MUCH better chance of getting the 8th seed then a lot of people think but a lot of things have go right. One of the biggest things is that Buddy Hield has to be focused. This year, he was poor defensively and whined about his role on the team/getting benched but he's still a long range sniper and an elite scorer. If he can just focus in on playing basketball, he'll be terrific for this team whether he;s in the starting lineup or not.

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San Antonio Spurs: DeMar DeRozan

The Spurs have absolutely zero chance of doing anything in Orlando, especially with Lamarcus Aldridge out. However, this could be a chance for DeMar to show how good of a leader he truly is. If the Spurs can somehow manage to go 4-4 or better, I think we can attribute a ton of credit to DeMar DeRozan.

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Phoenix Suns: Ricky Rubio

Rubio has been sensational for the Phoenix Suns this year. Finally, Devin was given a good point guard and he was able to be much more efficient. Rubio has been a great passer and defender this year. With Kelly Oubre out with injury, they need a true third offensive option and Rubio could be that guy to step up for them this year.

If you have any thoughts or concerns, make sure to email us or DM me on Instagram @_mr.sideline with any questions.