­For the first time in six seasons, the Western Conference will be won by a franchise not led by Steph Curry or LeBron James.

Unless the Los Angeles Clippers stave off two elimination games and break a 50-year conference finals drought, a new era of superstars is set to break through in the West. Nikola Jokic, Devin Booker, Donovan Mitchell and Luka Doncic are all under the age of 26.

If you’re not convinced we’re in a new age of basketball, Mitchell has averaged 28.5 points per game after the first round (the lowest of the four) yet he ranks 11th in scoring. If you rewind to five years ago, he would’ve led the league in playoff scoring.

Vegas clearly thought the old guard would persevere as they gave the two L.A. teams the shortest odds to win the West (Lakers +225, Clippers +240). Here’s a snapshot of the before and after Western Conference futures as of Friday afternoon:

Pre-playoffs odds:

Utah Jazz +300
Phoenix Suns +800
Denver Nuggets +1300
Dallas Mavericks +2000

Present day odds:

Utah Jazz +110
Phoenix Suns +225
Denver Nuggets +600
Dallas Mavericks +1000

All of these up-and-coming teams faced their fair share of skepticism throughout the season and once again are proving the haters wrong. Each squad wins games in their own unique ways and should set fans up for some fireworks in the second round.

Here’s a deeper look at the teams that’ve clinched as of Friday afternoon.

UTAH JAZZ

Current championship odds, +350

Odds to win second round series, TBD

How they won the first round:

Utah went 4-0 with Mitchell in the lineup, 0-1 without him. That’s a lazy oversimplification but his dynamic playmaking changes everything for this read-and-react offence. 111.2 offensive rating in Game 1, 126.4 in Games 2 through 5.
While Rudy Gobert’s presence would suggest the Jazz are a defence-oriented team, it was their offence that shined against the Grizzlies. Utah had the second-best offensive rating in the first round, only behind Brooklyn.
The Jazz broke the record for most three-pointers made per game this season (16.7) and continued that strategy in the playoffs. The other 15 playoff teams averaged 12.3 made threes, Utah averaged 16.8.

Upcoming series preview:

2-1 versus Los Angeles, 2-1 versus Dallas
After first round, 2nd-ranked offence, 7th-ranked defence

Keys to victory:

Utah shot 26 per cent from three in their Game 1 loss. If the Jazz shooters go cold, can their offence get Gobert more involved or will Mitchell need to switch on beast mode to match one of Kawhi Leonard or Doncic.
Utah shockingly allowed the most points in the paint (58.8) after the first round and was third worst in opponent points off turnovers and 2nd chance looks. As the third-rated defence during the regular season, they’ll need to tighten up versus their next opponent. 

PHOENIX SUNS

Current championship odds, +550

Odds to win second round series, -425

How they won the first round:

Chris Paul will likely finish with more MVP votes than Devin Booker, but during these playoffs, it’s all about ‘Book’. The man who registered a 70-point performance as a 20-year-old is showing the world why he’s one of the league’s most dangerous playmakers. Booker wrapped the first round shooting 49-43-94 leading to 29.7 points per game.
CP3’s influence is clearly seeping into their offence. The Suns ranked first in assist percentage against the Lakers and consistently got easy looks in the paint or for their shooters beyond the arc.

Upcoming series preview:

1-2 versus Denver during the regular season
After first round, 12th-ranked offence, 3rd-ranked defence

Keys to victory:

Phoenix needs Paul to be healthy. Due to his injury, he’s sparingly looked for his own shot and the Lakers were leaving him unguarded beyond the arc. His ability to penetrate the paint will help elevate Ayton’s offence, putting pressure on Jokic.
Who wins the battle between Booker and Mitchell? Last playoffs, Mitchell and Murray went off with tandem 50-point performances. This series sets up to produce similar fireworks and Booker will need to be that guy especially with CP3 not 100 per cent.

DENVER NUGGETS

Current championship odds, +1200

Odds to win second round series, +325

How they won the first round:

Portland had no answer for Jokic in the post. Jusuf Nurkic fouled out in half of their games and Enes Kanter was so ineffective, he became a DNP in Game 6.
With Jamal Murray and Will Barton out, Denver has leaned on Michael Porter Jr. to be their second scoring option. He’s quite the polarizing player. In their Game 4 loss, he played 23 minutes and went 1-for-3 from the field. In their series clinching win, he dropped 22 points in the first quarter.
They limited turnovers. Denver had the highest assist-to-turnover ratio and were third in total assists.

Upcoming series preview:

2-1 versus Phoenix during the regular season
After first round, 3rd-ranked offence, 13th-ranked defence

Keys to victory:

Even though Deandre Ayton has improved as a defender, Jokic will inevitably be an enigma. In three games against Phoenix this season, he averaged 25.6 PPG and 8.3 APG. The key will be how he locks down Ayton on the defensive end, who averaged 22 PPG (a full seven points above his season average).
The Nuggets have the weakest defence of the remaining teams. There’s really no one to stay in front of Devin Booker; coach Michael Malone better have some defensive scheme ready to limit their team’s deficiencies.