Here are the five teams that I think have a real shot at representing the Western Conference in the NBA Finals, as of April 9th.

Los Angeles Lakers: The two-time defending conference champs are not playing their best ball of the season, and while it once was somewhat of a foregone conclusion that they’d make it a third straight conference title, they’re no longer the perceived lock that they once were. Andrew Bynum could very well be a non-factor in the playoffs for the third consecutive season and the team is struggling with point guard play. The Lakers might be regretting failing to land a point guard at the trade deadline, when players like Devin Harris were reportedly available. Derek Fisher has trouble guarding anyone these days and Jordan Farmar, a solid bench player, will also have a lot of trouble with some of the great point guards the Lakers are likely to face in the postseason, such as Deron Williams, Steve Nash and Jason Kidd.

Utah Jazz: I think the Jazz could very well be the favorite to win the conference right now. They’re playing great basketball, have a well-rounded roster and are well-coached. Deron Williams is the best point guard on a playoff team and is still getting better. He’s capable of facilitating for teammates throughout the entire game and can takeover offensively at any moment. He seems to live for big moments and can be looked to as a go-to scorer in crunch time. Utah has a legitimate post threat in Carlos Boozer, who is a 20-10 machine, and has great role players surrounding Williams in Paul Millsap, Wesley Matthews, C.J. Miles and more. I really like the depth and make-up of this team and I think there’s a good chance they’re representing the West in the Finals.

Phoenix Suns: The Phoenix Suns are probably the most fun team to watch in the NBA right now, which is why NBA Playoff tickets to see them will be in major demand. Amare Stoudemire has been a different player since the All-Star break. Whether he’s playing for a new contract or a light simply went on in his head, his play has been remarkable. He’s unstoppable when he’s giving full effort and he’s been doing just that for the past few months. Phoenix might be playing the best basketball of any team in the league heading into the postseason, but will their style of play catch up to them?

Dallas Mavericks: They’ve got the make-up to make a serious run at the NBA Finals, but are they playing well enough? This prescription cialis online team went on a great run after acquiring Caron Butler and Brandan Haywood, but has regressed somewhat since. Butler could be the key to Dallas’ playoff hopes, as he’ll need to pick up the scoring slack when Dirk has an off-night.

San Antonio Spurs: Don’t count them out. They’re getting healthy just in time for the playoffs and could definitely make a run and surprise some people. Manu Ginobili has been arguably the best player in the West over the last month and Tony Parker is back on the floor. If George Hill’s ankle holds up, I think they’ve got a shot. Head Coach Greg Popovich has been resting Tim Duncan down the stretch, so he could have one more playoff run left in him.

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