Final Standings Prediction: Where Will Suns Land?

How will the playoff picture in the West shake out?

Apr 7, 2024; Phoenix, Arizona, USA; Phoenix Suns forward Kevin Durant (35) as he shoots against New / Allan Henry-USA TODAY Sports

PHOENIX -- The top 10 teams in the Western Conference are set in stone.

The Golden State Warriors clinched a spot inside the top 10 yesterday after the Houston Rockets succumbed to a late surge by the Dallas Mavericks.

Now, only seeding is in play. Phoenix holds a tenuous pole position just outside of the dreaded play-in tournament after dropping the contest to the New Orleans Pelicans (the Suns would have essentially built a three-game lead with a victory).

The next four games will tell more about the Suns than any other stretch this season - how will they finish? What will the first round matchup or perhaps play-in matchup be?

Our prediction on final seeding below:

1. Denver Nuggets

2. Minnesota Timberwolves

3. Oklahoma City Thunder

4. Los Angeles Clippers

5. Dallas Mavericks

6. Phoenix Suns

7. New Orleans Pelicans

8. Los Angeles Lakers

9. Sacramento Kings

10. Golden State Warriors

The Nuggets will secure the number one seed in the conference - three of the four remaining games for them are pitted against lottery-bound squads in the San Antonio Spurs, Utah Jazz, and Memphis Grizzlies.

Minnesota will secure the number two seed as they have a game advantage built-in over OKC currently.

Oklahoma City is virtually locked into no worse than the number three seed - and the franchise appears totally fine with that fate.

The Clippers and Mavericks appear to be destined to face off in yet another playoff series - the pitting of Luka Doncic/Kyrie Irving against the Clippers' star-studded infrastructure will make for an immensely intriguing viewing experience.

The Suns ultimately should be in line for the six seed - if they are to go at least 2-2 in the final week of the season.

New Orleans will stay slightly ahead of the Lakers - which will set up for a showdown between Anthony Davis and his former team in the city where it all began for the star.

Sacramento and Golden State will be the 9/10 matchup in the play-in - NBA fans will be treated to arguably the best first-round series in last season's playoffs in a win-or-go-home scenario this season.

The 2024 NBA playoffs are setting up to be phenomenal - and we are less than two weeks out from the official start on April 20.

This article was written by Kevin Hicks