With only a month left in the NBA regular season, teams around the league prepare for the final stretch in hopes of a playoff berth. Games get tougher, players fight harder and fans cheer louder. Young stars aim for the postseason spotlight, while anxious veterans wonder if this will finally be their year. Competition is at an all-time high, as every play, every basket and every win has led to right now: the postseason race.
In the East, the Atlanta Hawks have locked up a playoff spot, mostly thanks to a 19-game win streak earlier in the year. With exceptional team chemistry, the Hawks have been able to fend off tough opponents since day one. Though Atlanta has been known to choke in the postseason, a conference championship seems promising. Atlanta hasn’t looked this good since Hall of Famer Dominique Wilkins was in uniform.
However, the second-place Cleveland Cavaliers are nipping at their heels. Though 11 games back in the conference standings, Lebron James and Kyrie Irving plan to lead the Cavs deep into the playoffs. The addition of J.R. Smith earlier in the season seems to have paid off, as Smith provides a nice shooting touch with the ability to steal a couple balls. Cleveland’s leading rebounder, Kevin Love, retains the versatility to hurt an opponent in the paint and outside the arc. It seems a strong bet that Cleveland and Atlanta will clash in the conference championship, with the winner advancing to the NBA Finals.
The Chicago Bulls, Toronto Raptors and Washington Wizards remain as threats in the East.
However, with Derrick Rose and leading scorer Jimmy Butler going down with injuries, the Chicago Bulls need to keep their playoff hopes alive through All-stars Joakim Noah and Pau Gasol. Rookie Nikola Mirotic has been providing help as well. Mirotic has been on a torrid stretch in March, scoring 20.3 points per game while coming off the bench.
Toronto started out the season hot, but lost their place once shooting guard DeMar DeRozan went down with a knee injury. Now that he’s back in action, the Raptors will look to find their groove again. With the fifth-highest scoring offense in the league, putting up points has been no problem for Toronto. It’s their defense that has been the main struggle.
The Wizards seem the best bet to go up against the Cavs or the Hawks. Washington owns a skillful backcourt with John Wall and Bradley Beal, complimenting a tough frontcourt with Marcin Gortat and the never-aging Paul Pierce. Washington plays with tremendous ball movement, which can help beat down a resilient defense.
In the West, the Golden State Warriors have also captured a playoff spot, backed by the sharp-shooting “Splash Bros” composed of All-stars Stephen Curry and Klay Thompson. The Warriors own the highest-scoring offense in the league, along with a 30-2 home record. So if they’re going to be beat in the playoffs, it won’t be at the Oracle Arena, where the screams of thousands of reinforcements echo throughout.
The rest of the Western Conference is as packed as a highway during rush hour.
The Memphis Grizzlies sit in second place, and rightfully so. Memphis owns one the best frontcourt duos in basketball with Marc Gasol and Zach Randolph. Point guard Mike Conley is no joke either. However, the Grizzlies rank in the bottom half of the league in points per game. Where they really excel is on defense, as they hold opponents to the lowest average of points per game. High-scoring offenses, such as Golden State, will undoubtedly have trouble against the Grizzles given the chance they face off in the playoffs.
Right behind Memphis lays the Houston Rockets. MVP-candidate James Harden has been as explosive as ever this year, bolstering his Houston offense to eighth in the league in points per game. While star center Dwight Howard says that he is “close” to returning from his nagging knee injury, forwards Terrance Jones and Donatas Motiejunas have done more than enough to help fill the void. If Howard can come back and play at near-perfect health, it would be no surprise to see Houston making a deep run in the postseason.
The Portland Trail Blazers stand in fourth place in the Western Conference, just a half game behind Houston. All-stars Lamarcus Aldridge and Damian Lillard have scored heavily for the Blazers throughout the season, and will continue to do so in the postseason. Though shooting guard Wesley Matthews just recently tore his Achilles tendon, trade victim Arron Afflalo has filled in nicely. Though the Portland offense is hot, their bench lacks depth, which is a viable asset when it comes to postseason play. However, Portland’s ability to crash the boards and defend the ball leads them to be a terrifying team to their opponents.
The Los Angeles Clippers and the Dallas Mavericks are tied for fifth in the West. As the Clipper’s point guard Chris Paul facilitates the offense, frontcourt players Blake Griffin and DeAndre Jordan slam the ball home. Shooters JJ Redick and Jamaal Crawford pose a threat on the wings, nailing threes more often than not. The Clippers offense stands as one of the best in the league, but their ability to lock down defenses isn’t quite up to par.
The Maverick’s starting five composes of several offensive weapons. After leaving the Boston Celtics, point guard Rajon Rondo has been an appreciated asset to Dallas. Big men Tyson Chandler and Dirk Nowitzki provide several rebounds, while Monta Ellis and Chandler Parsons score in bunches. The Dallas offense bears as much as a threat as the Clippers’, and with a stronger defense and a deeper bench, the Mavericks seem poised for a conference championship run.
Bringing up the back end of the top eight in the conference are the San Antonio Spurs and the Oklahoma City Thunder. Though the Spurs are back-to-back Western Conference Champions, a third title seems out of reach. Age has finally hit their stars, as Tim Duncan and Tony Parker no longer seem like their dominant selves. Younger players like Kawhi Leonard, Tiago Splitter and Danny Green will look to be the faces of the franchise in the coming years. However, this year looks gloomy for San Antonio.
For the Thunder, the story is all but the same. Though sitting in the eight spot, Oklahoma City have been a spectacle to watch on the court. Russell Westbrook seems to be the favorite to land MVP honors, as he continues his commanding play, averaging a triple-double in the month of March. With reigning MVP Kevin Durant set to return from a knee injury in the near future, there’s no telling what the team could do. However, power forward Serge Ibaka is set to undergo surgery on his knee and sit out “for a few weeks” according to ESPN.com. Young studs Mitch McGary and Ernes Kanter plan to continue providing good minutes, filling in for Ibaka’s absence.
Don’t miss out on the intense action as teams around the league race for postseason contention.
