2008 Western Conference Playoffs Set

The Western Conference playoff matchups have now been set in one of the most competitive races ever. Kobe Bryant's Lakers managed to capture the top spot in the West, and Phil Jackson has the hardware to show for it. Read more about Kobe's West playoff chase here. LA's first round opponent will be the Denver Nuggets who edged out Golden State as the season wore down. Kobe may be on his way to MVP award numero uno, but will the Lakers be on their way to the Finals?

A very intriguing matchup pits the New Orleans Hornets against the Dallas Mavs. Both teams will be hungry, Dallas has the experience, but New Orleans has Chris Paul who's been part of MVP talk all season long. Paul gets to go head to head with one of the all-time best at his position, in Jason Kidd, a recent acquisition via trade with the Nets.

In a playoff rematch, the Phoenix Suns, who now have the services of big man Shaq, will face the world champion San Antonio Spurs. It's tough to call this series yet, and it will be interesting to see if Duncan or Shaq prevails.

The Houston Rockets who had one of the most impressive win streaks in all of sports in some time, will open against the Utah Jazz, who nearly made the NBA finals last year.

Another interesting note here is despite the West being so competitive, the top 2 records in all of the NBA belong to Boston and Detroit respectively. As the playoffs go on it will now be seen which West coast teams have what it takes, and which trades really payed off. The Lakers added Gasol, Mavs added Kidd and Suns added Shaq, all to stay competitive out in the West. San Antonio will once again have a lot to prove to all the teams gunning for them.