Consistency has been the common denominator in the Western Conference playoffs over the last decade. While the names have shifted slightly over time, large-scale changes have been rare from season to season.
You have to go all the way back to 2006-07 to find the last time more than two of the eight West teams were new to the postseason. (By contrast, the East has had three playoff newcomers in each of the last two seasons, and that has occurred four times since 2007.)
That could be changing this season. With the Dallas Mavericks and Portland Trail Blazers suffering defections in free agency and the Houston Rockets, Memphis Grizzlies and New Orleans Pelicans off to slow starts, four of the eight teams that would make the playoffs if the season ended today are newcomers. A fifth is a half-game out of the playoffs.
With the help of the new Playoff Odds generated from ESPN's Basketball Power Index (BPI), let's assess the chances of lottery teams becoming playoff contenders in the West.