The NBA season has started and it is never too early to start talking about playoffs. For the NBA Playoffs, the three division winners get the top three spots and then the next five playoff spots go to the best five records that are left. There are a total of eight playoff spots. I will be doing my best to pick eight teams in the western conference that I believe will make the playoffs. I will order these teams by eighth seed to the number one seed.

8th Seed: Minnesota Timberwolves

The Minnesota Timberwolves last year went 29-53, which earned them the 13th seed in the conference. They also finished fifth in their northwest division. They missed the playoffs, as they were one of the west's weaker teams. Last year was also Kevin Garnett's last season in the league because he retired after the season ended. With a already great young core of Zach Lavine, Andrew Wiggins, and Karl Anthony Towns they added Kris Dunn out of Providence, who is arguably the best point guard in last year's draft. Having the last two rookie of the year players with Lavine and Dunn, the future looks bright for Minnesota. I see Minnesota making the playoffs this year as the eight seed but will be a very good team in the future.

7th Seed: Oklahoma City Thunder

The Oklahoma City Thunder finished the regular season with a 55-27 record, which earned them first place in their division and third place in the conference. Last year, they made it to the western conference finals against the Warriors. They had a 3-1 lead in the series but the Warriors came back to win the series to advance to the NBA finals. During the off-season, Kevin Durant back stabbed OKC and decided to sign with the Golden State Warriors. The Thunder also traded away Serge Ibaka to the Magic and got Victor Oladipo in return. With Kevin Durant joining Golden State, all eyes are on potential MVP candidate, Russell Westbrook, to see how he responds this season. The Thunder will struggle without KD's scoring so Westbrook will basically have to do most of the scoring. I expect the Thunder to be one of the lower seeds in the west without KD. Hopefully we see a Golden State vs OKC playoff match-up this year.

6th Seed: Utah Jazz

Last year, the Utah Jazz finished with a 40-42 record as they were third in their division and ninth in the conference and they barely missed the playoffs. This Jazz team is on the rise as players like Derrick Favors, Gordon Hayward, Rodney Hood, and Rudy Gobert get better. I see this team being a somewhat competitive team this year while they battle through a tough western conference.

5th Seed: Portland Trailblazers

Last year, the Trailblazers went 44-38 and finished second in the Northwest divisions and fifth in the conference. It was the first season without LaMarcus Aldridge and many people including me expected them to miss the playoffs. With improved play from Allen Crabbe, Al Faroq Aminu, Mason Plumlee, and the NBA's most improved player CJ McCollum, they finished fifth in the west. They also beat the LA Clippers in the first round after Chris Paul and Blake Griffin were knocked out of the series with injuries. In the off-season, they signed former Celtics player Evam Turner and former Warriors player Festus Ezeli to boost their team. They will be a dangerous team in the west as long as Damian Lillard is healthy.

4th Seed: Memphis Grizzlies

Last season, was a very weird season for the Grizzlies. They finished 42-40 which got them third in their division and seventh in their conference. The whole season was riddled with injuries which eventually caught up to them, as they got swept by the Spurs in the first round. In the off-season, they signed a much needed small forward in Chandler Parsons and drafted Wade Baldwin IV. Signing Chandler Parson helps fill a need that the Grizzlies have been weak at for a while. Expect the Grizzlies to be the same old tough grit team they have always been but with now an upgrade at small forward they got even better.

3rd Seed: Los Angeles Clippers

Last season, the Los Angeles Clippers finished 53-29 which got them second in the division and fourth in the conference. Last year Blake Griffin injured his hand during an altercation with a Clippers equipment manager. This caused him to get suspended and miss even more with the injury. Then they got knocked out of the first round by the Trailblazers after Chris Paul and Blake Griffin were knocked out of the series with injuries. This year is a very important one for the Clippers because after this season Chris Paul and Blake Griffin will be free agents. There is a possibility that one or maybe both players could leave the franchise behind to get a fresh start. I see this team being a top 10 team in the league when healthy. A lot of decisions ride on this season as a lot of teams will definitely be interested in CP3 and Blake if they decide not to return to LA.

2nd Seed: San Antonio Spurs

Last season, the Spurs finished 67-15 which won them their division and second in the conference. Last year was their last season with Tim Duncan, as they made it to the west semi-finals but got eliminated by the Oklahoma City Thunder. When Tim Duncan retired, it didn't take long to find a reliable replacement. They signed former Bulls and Lakers player, Pau Gasol, to a contract to fill in Duncan's shoes. This season, they look to move on from Duncan as they look to defensive star Kawhi Leonard and post master LaMarcus Aldridge to lead the team. Even without Tim Duncan, the Spurs will quietly be one of the best teams in the NBA as they always are.

1st Seed: Golden State Warriors

Last season, the Warriors broke the 95-96 Bulls record of most regular season wins by finishing the season 73-9. They won their division and were the best team in the conference. They had a 3-1 series lead on the Cleveland Cavaliers, but LeBron James willed his team to Cleveland's first NBA championship. After that, they signed Kevin Durant which made fans around the NBA furious. Adding KD made them a super team. In order to get Durant, they traded away Andrew Bogut and letting players like Festus Ezeli, Harrison Barnes, and Brandon Rush walk away to a different team. With Golden State adding another MVP to their team the pressure is on them to win a championship because anything else would be unacceptable. They will definitely be one of the top two teams in the league but what can they win a championship? That is the question people will be asking until they win one.

Those are the teams I expect to make it to the playoffs in the east this year. Let me know what you guys think about these teams. Next week, I will be writing about why the Golden State Warriors will NOT win the NBA championship this year. Make sure you guys stay tuned!