For as much as the conversation heading into the season was dominated by the notion that the West would be a bloodbath, it became apparent over the course of the year that the “stronger” conference is a glaring example of the haves and the have-nots.

The Oklahoma City Thunder, to begin their title defence, started the season 24-1 and looked somehow better than they did last season; the San Antonio Spurs, behind a supernatural stretch from Victor Wembanyama, went 30-4 over the final two-and-a-half months of the season; and the Denver Nuggets finished the year with a 122.6 offensive rating, the second-best in NBA history.

Those three teams established themselves as a tier above the rest, but the only certainty come playoff time is that nothing is certain. Luka Doncic could return from his Eurotrip to carry the Lakers through the loaded West, and Kevin Durant could find the fountain of youth. Shoot, maybe even Jalen Green can keep his Play-In Tournament rhythm going and give the Thunder a hard time.

Anything is possible this time of year, and regardless of the assumed separation between those top-tier title contenders and the rest of the pack, who claws their way to the NBA Finals is anyone’s guess.

So with the first round rearing its head and the best players in the world raring to go, here are some burning questions for every first-round series in the Western Conference.

(1) Oklahoma City Thunder vs. Phoenix Suns

Season series: Thunder win 3-2
Nov. 28: Thunder 123, Suns 119
Dec. 10: Thunder 138, Suns 89
Jan. 4: Suns 108, Thunder 105
Feb. 11: Thunder 136, Suns 109
April 12: Suns 135, Thunder 103

Series Schedule:
All times ET

Game 1: Phoenix at Oklahoma City | Sunday, April 19, 3:30 p.m.
Game 2: Phoenix at Oklahoma City | Wednesday, April 22, 9:30 p.m.
Game 3: Oklahoma City at Phoenix | Saturday, April 25, 3:30 p.m.
Game 4: Oklahoma City at Phoenix | Monday, April 27
*Game 5: Phoenix at Oklahoma City | Wednesday, April 29
*Game 6: Oklahoma City at Phoenix | Friday, May 1
*Game 7: Phoenix at Oklahoma City | Sunday, May 3

One Burning Question for the series: How do the Thunder set the tone as their title defence gets going?

Following their 24-1 start to the season, prognosticators were weighing the odds that the Thunder could usurp the 2015-16 Golden State Warriors for the best regular-season record of all time. While they cooled off from that historic pace, their status as the team to beat in the NBA never wavered. Sporting the seventh-best offence and the best defensive rating, it would take a herculean effort for anyone to stop them from their date with destiny.

Standing in their way are the Phoenix Suns, who lost to the Portland Trail Blazers in the first round of the play-in, but reasserted themselves with a beatdown of the Golden State Warriors to secure their spot. While the Suns have been a good story, moving on from Durant and enjoying strong campaigns from their cast of misfit toys — 20.2 points per game from Dillon Brooks and some clutch showings from Jalen Green — a showdown against the class of the NBA feels like too high a mountain to climb.

The Thunder opened their Finals run last year with a sweep of the Memphis Grizzlies, and while a couple of those games came down to the wire, was there doubt in anyone’s mind that OKC would come through in the end? If the Thunder can make quick work of this series and save their strength for the battles to come, it bodes well for a run at being the first back-to-back champion since the Warriors in 2017 and 2018.

(2) San Antonio Spurs vs. (7) Portland Trail Blazers

Season series: Spurs win 2-1
Nov. 26, 2025: Spurs 115, Trail Blazers 102
Jan. 3, 2026: Trail Blazers 115, Spurs 110
April 8, 2026: Spurs 112, Trail Blazers 101

Game 1: Portland at San Antonio | Sunday, April 19, 9 p.m.
Game 2: Portland at San Antonio | Tuesday, April 21, 8 p.m.
Game 3: San Antonio at Portland | Friday, April 24, 10:30 ET
Game 4: San Antonio at Portland | Sunday, April 26, 3:30 ET
*Game 5: Portland at San Antonio | Tuesday, April 28
*Game 6: San Antonio at Portland | Thursday, April 30
*Game 7: Portland at San Antonio | Saturday, May 2

One Burning Question for the series: How does Victor Wembanyama look in his first taste of playoff action?

It’s about time the world witnesses Wembanyama on the biggest stage. After a couple years of injury management and strategic losing, the Spurs are finally ready to compete in the era of the alien.

No one has appeared to enjoy the competition more than Wembanyama, who elevated the All-Star Game with his effort and has shown genuine emotion in every win or loss this season. It’s good to have a superstar who cares and wears it on his sleeve. Those emotions should be more present than ever under the bright lights of the post-season, and his play — already at an MVP level — could reach new heights.

The 22-year-old had a stellar campaign, averaging 25 points, 11.5 rebounds, 3.1 assists and 3.1 blocks per game, but did so playing the fewest minutes per game, 29.2, of his young career. His per-36 numbers are ridiculous, reaching 30.9 points, 14.2 rebounds, 3.8 assists and 3.8 blocks, and it feels unlikely he plays any less than that throughout the post-season. His hunger is undeniable, and there’s no better stage to show it off than this one.

Pair his prowess with the growth of 2025 Rookie of the Year Stephon Castle, the steady guard play of De’Aaron Fox, the three-point shooting of Devin Vassell, Julian Chamagnie and Keldon Johnson, and the late-season rise of second-overall pick Dylan Harper, and the Spurs could cut the Thunder dynasty short as they force their own window open.

(3) Denver Nuggets vs. (6) Minnesota Timberwolves

Season Series: Nuggets win 3-1
Oct. 27, 2025: Nuggets 127, Timberwolves 114
Nov. 15, 2025: Nuggets 123, Timberwolves 112
Dec. 25, 2025: Nuggets 142, Timberwolves 138 (OT)
March 1, 2026: Timberwolves 117, Nuggets 108

Game 1: Minnesota at Denver | Saturday, April 18, 3:30 p.m.
Game 2: Minnesota at Denver | Monday, April 20, 10:30 p.m.
Game 3: Denver at Minnesota | Thursday, April 23, 9:30 p.m.
Game 4: Denver at Minnesota | Saturday, April 25, 8:30 p.m.
*Game 5: Minnesota at Denver | Monday, April 27
*Game 6: Denver at Minnesota | Thursday, April 30
*Game 7: Minnesota at Denver | Saturday, May 2

One Burning Question for the series: After career-best regular season, can playoff Jamal Murray take another leap?

At long last, Kitchener’s finest had himself an all-star-worthy regular season. Jamal Murray, in his age-28 campaign, looked like the best version of himself, averaging 25.4 points, 4.4 rebounds and 7.1 assists while shooting 48.3 per cent from the field and an eye-watering 43.5 per cent from three-point range. That three-point shooting mark was the highest in the league among players to shoot at least six per game.

But the best thing about Murray is his ability to take his game to another level come playoff time, best evidenced by the Nuggets’ championship run in 2023, when the Canadian scored 26.1 per game throughout the playoffs and looked like one of the best players in the world in the Western Conference Finals against the Lakers, averaging 32.5 a night.

Minnesota is certainly no slouch, however, as the side possesses the eighth-best defence in the NBA, spearheaded by point-of-attack nightmare Jaden McDaniels, who will surely be matched up with Murray throughout the series. The T-Wolves also have a big-game riser of their own in Anthony Edwards, who is the last person in the NBA to duck any sort of smoke. After bringing his side to the Western Conference Finals in two straight seasons, Edwards and the T-Wolves surely won’t be satisfied with a first-round exit.

(4) Los Angeles Lakers vs. (5) Houston Rockets

Season Series: Lakers win 2-1
Dec. 25, 2025: Rockets 119, Lakers 96
March 16, 2025: Lakers 100, Rockets 92
March 18, 2025: Lakers 124, Rockets 116

Game 1: Houston at Los Angeles | Saturday, April 18, 8:30 p.m.
Game 2: Houston at Los Angeles | Tuesday, April 21, 10:30 p.m.
Game 3: Los Angeles at Houston | Friday, April 24, 8 p.m.
Game 4: Los Angeles at Houston | Sunday, April 26, 9:30 p.m.
*Game 5: Houston at Los Angeles | Wednesday, April 29
*Game 6: Los Angeles at Houston | Friday, May 1
*Game 7: Houston at Los Angeles | Sunday, May 3

One Burning Question for the series: Can LeBron James hold out long enough for Luka Doncic’s return?

Luka Doncic’s hamstring strain couldn’t have come at a worse time for both him and the Lakers. In the 13 games prior to his injury on April 2, the Slovenian superstar was averaging an earth-shattering 39.8 points, 7.8 rebounds and 7.3 assists per game while leading his side to a 12-1 record, brushing aside doubts that this team could be a genuine force. While he’s had some time to heal up and get treated for the issue in Europe, hamstring problems tend to persist, hampering the movement of whoever’s unlucky enough to deal with them. Though it’s tough to bet on Luka returning to that run of form, the guard has been known to work miracles before.

What matters now for the Lakers is staying alive long enough for Doncic to give them a chance.

That duty falls on the shoulders of LeBron James, who will have to carry a roster perhaps worse than that of the 2018 Cavaliers, when he was flanked by J.R. Smith, a slow-footed Kevin Love, George Hill and a 36-year-old Jose Calderon, among others. It’s hard to see the current cast of Deandre Ayton, Rui Hachimura and Luke Kennard faring much better.

So what can a 41-year-old do? It’ll help that opposing old-guard superstar Kevin Durant is questionable for Game 1 after suffering a knee contusion in practice. But the Rockets are young and athletic, with players like Amen Thompson and Tari Eason more than willing to show James that the future is now, old man. If this series turns into a footrace, there may not be much James can do, but if the Lakers manage to hold steady at home, it’s anyone’s guess.

Last year’s first round of the Stanley Cup playoffs was relatively chalky. Only two lower-seeded teams — Edmonton and Florida — advanced to the next round (and ultimately the Stanley Cup Final).  

As evidenced by the six new teams in this year’s field, there is an element of unpredictability that has been missing recently. Here are three lower-seeded teams that can pull off first-round upsets: 

Opponent: Pittsburgh Penguins 

Odds of winning series: 55.1 per cent 

The eighth edition of the “Battle of Pennsylvania” is certainly the unlikeliest, as neither team was predicted to make the playoffs at the start of the season. 

Pittsburgh, which is back in the playoffs for the first time since 2022, was an offensive powerhouse during the regular season, finishing third in scoring and fifth in expected goals. But Philadelphia, making its first post-season appearance since 2020, was one of the league’s top defensive teams this season, especially after the Olympic break. From Feb. 25 to April 16, the Flyers were third in expected goals against per 60 minutes (2.69). 

More specifically, the Flyers shut down their opponents off the rush following the Olympics, allowing the fewest rush scoring chances per 60 minutes (4.99) and fewest total rush goals (eight). The Penguins, meanwhile, generated the fourth-most rush chances per 60 minutes (7.03) and scored 71 rush goals in the regular season, tied for second most. That will go a long way in determining who wins this series. 

There is also the question of whether Penguins goaltender Stuart Skinner can put his shaky playoff performances from his days in Edmonton behind him. Skinner made 16 quality starts in 27 tries (59.3 per cent) for the Penguins following the trade last December, but he posted a quality-start rate of just 46 per cent (23/50) for the Oilers in the playoffs. 

Opponent: Vegas Golden Knights 

Odds of winning series: 52.9 per cent 

On the surface, it seems odd that the playoff-inexperienced Mammoth are favoured against the battle-tested Golden Knights, who are 7-0-1 since John Tortorella replaced Bruce Cassidy as head coach late last month. 

Vegas has continued playing excellent defence under Tortorella, leading the league in expected goals against per 60 minutes since March 30. And now the Golden Knights are getting outstanding goaltending as well. Carter Hart is 6-0-0 with 5.3 goals saved above expected (GSAE) since Tortorella took over behind the bench. He has allowed 10 goals in his six starts (1.66 goals-against average).

Despite the recent improvement in net, however, the Golden Knights finished the regular season with the worst goaltending in the league based on GSAE. If Vegas’ goaltending reverts back to its pre-Tortorella form, then Utah has a path to win the series. 

The Mammoth have a host of dynamic skaters, starting with captain Clayton Keller, whose 417 slot-driving plays (passes and carries) ranked sixth in the league during the regular season. Dylan Guenther led all forwards with 177 one-timer attempts, and he scored 17 of his team-high 40 goals in that fashion. And Nick Schmaltz is an incredibly effective net-front player, scoring 23 of his 33 goals this season from the inner slot, tied for sixth most in the league.

Defensively, the Mammoth are no slouches, either. Their defensive-zone denial rate of 49.9 per cent led the league, right ahead of the Golden Knights at 49 per cent. 

Opponent: Carolina Hurricanes 

Odds of winning series: 45 per cent 

This is the Spider-Man pointing meme of first-round playoff series. Carolina and Ottawa share many similarities. For one, they are two of the top teams in the league at tilting the ice. The Hurricanes (54.4 per cent) and Senators (54 per cent) ranked fourth and fifth, respectively, in expected-goal share at five-on-five during the regular season. (In all situations, Ottawa finished second in expected goals against per 60 minutes, while Carolina finished fifth.)

The Hurricanes won at least one playoff series in each of coach Rod Brind’Amour’s first seven seasons and can become the third team in league history to extend that streak to eight by defeating the Senators. But despite leading the league in shot attempts on an annual basis, Carolina has had difficulty scoring at times in the post-season. In the Hurricanes’ 10 series wins under Brind’Amour, they have averaged 3.47 goals per game. But they have scored only 2.03 goals per game in the seven series they have lost. 

Ottawa has what it takes defensively to frustrate Carolina. One key to a Senators upset will be the play of their shutdown line, which is anchored by Selke Trophy candidates Michael Amadio and Shane Pinto. The linemates generated 54.9 per cent of the expected goals at even strength during the regular season despite starting only 17.7 per cent of their shared shifts in the offensive zone. (Amadio and Pinto will surely get acquainted with the Hurricanes’ top line of Andrei Svechnikov, Sebastian Aho and Seth Jarvis.)

Senators goaltender Linus Ullmark is also entering the playoffs on a bit of a roll. He saved 5.8 goals above expected over his final six starts of the regular season.