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Authored by Jason M. Williams - 20th March, 2007 - 3:06 am
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While the West already has five teams locked and loaded for the playoffs this season, there are still three remaining invitations yet to be mailed out. Seeding is also very important in the Western Conference playoffs because the Big Three consists of arguably the three best teams in the NBA: the Dallas Mavericks , Phoenix Suns , and San Antonio Spurs . Since the NBA does not re-seed the teams after each round of playoffs, a team that finishes as the 6th or 7th seed will potentially have to go through all three of these superpowers to reach the NBA Finals, assuming they can even advance past one. With that understanding, perhaps it is better to be the 8th seed in this year’s second season.
This column will focus on those fighting to gain entrance into the Western Conference playoffs. Since the Houston Rockets are currently the 5th seed and 7 games ahead of the L.A. Lakers , we will assume that the top five teams won’t hit a major cold streak or suffer a major injury; therefore, this study will analyze the second tier of seven teams battling for the 6th through 8th seeds. Note that GB stands for Games Back (of the 8th and final playoff spot), while GA stands for Games Ahead. Here they are by their current positions as of today:
6. L.A. Lakers (35-32) – 3.5 GA – 15 games remaining (8 home, 5 vs. +.500 teams)
With Kobe Bryant carrying the team with 115 points over his last two games, the Lakers will have to battle through the nagging aches and pains that this season’s injuries have prevented them from being a 45-50 win team. They have the softest schedule remaining of these seven teams with more than half of their games at the Staples Center and only 5 of their last 15 games vs. teams with a winning record. They have also finally regained their full compliment of roster players now that Lamar Odom and Luke Walton have come back for the playoff push. The fire in Kobe Bryant’s eye will not allow this squad to miss the playoffs this season. The only question that remains is whether or not Phil Jackson can carry them past the Big 3 out West.
7. Denver Nuggets (33-31) – 3.0 GA – 19 games remaining (6 home, 11 vs. +.500 teams)
With a season surrounded by turmoil and unfulfilled expectations, the Nuggets have seen it all. They first lost their rugged power forward Kenyon Martin for the season. They have also battled key injuries to Nene Hilario and Marcus Camby. Then they were involved in the brawl against the New York Knicks at Madison Square Garden, which forced them to play without superstar Carmelo Anthony and thriving J.R. Smith for a large portion of the season. Then they traded floor general Andre Miller to the Philadelphia 76ers for superstar Allen Iverson. They also traded sparkplug scorer Earl Boykins to Milwaukee for Steve Blake, to give them a pass-first point guard. They struggled to find chemistry on the court with Iverson and the newcomers, and have finally been starting to put it together. They are currently on a four game winning streak which includes a thunderous 131-107 obliteration of the Phoenix Suns , a game which they led by as many as 40 points. With the firepower the Nuggets have in Anthony, Iverson, and Smith, they can definitely be a tough out for any team in the league. Nugget fans have dealt with a roller coaster ride of a season, but they can also take solace in the fact that George Karl is rallying his troops for war at the best possible time in the season.
8. Golden State Warriors (32-36) – 0 GB – 14 games remaining (7 home, 9 vs. +.500 teams)
After years and years of increased hopes and failed expectations, the Warriors may finally be poised to capture a playoff spot in the West. They made a very bold trade earlier in the season, swapping Mike Dunleavy and Troy Murphy for Al Harrington and Stephen Jackson. Not only did this rid the franchise of Chris Mullin’s two biggest blunders as a General Manager, but it also brought in two playoff-experienced athletic veterans. Since the team has gained full strength following the injury plagued season, the starting five of Baron Davis, Jason Richardson, Stephen Jackson, Al Harrington, and Andris Beidrins can compete with any team in the league. Since Baron Davis returned from injury, the Warriors have won all six games they have played. With 9 of their final 14 games against winning teams, including 7 against the top five teams in the West, this will be a very difficult road for head coach Don Nelson to navigate. However, now that Baron Davis seems to be playing with a chip on his shoulder, one can only hear beer bottles clicking together, as David Patrick Kelly chants “Waaaarrrrrriiiorsss, come out to pla-ay!”
9. L.A. Clippers (30-36) – 1 GB – 16 games remaining (8 home, 9 vs. +.500 teams)
The Clippers received a huge blow to their playoff hopes when rising star Shawn Livingston went down with one of the more gruesome knee injuries the league has ever seen. Not only are Clipper fans wishing the best of luck to him for a quick and full recovery, but so are the rest of the league and its fans. Perhaps one of the bigger disappointments in the league, the Clippers were on the brink of reaching the Western Conference Finals a year ago. With the entire team returning, with only a swap of Vladamir Radmonovic for playoff hero Tim Thomas, the Clips were poised to force themselves into the top five in all of the NBA. However, they have not clicked as they did last season, the slow handing over of the point guard position from Sam Cassell to Livingston may have altered the team chemistry and the continued rumors swirling around Corey Maggette have robbed the team of the cohesiveness they experienced a season ago. Now they are a game out of the final playoff spot in the West with a manageable schedule with only two games remaining vs. the Big Three, and 3 of their final 4 games at home vs. teams with losing records. Watch for the Clips to sneak into the 8th seed with the weak ending to the regular season schedule.
10. NO/OkC Hornets (30-37) – 1 GB – 16 games remaining (8 home, 7 vs. +.500 teams)
Like all of these teams on the fringe of the playoffs, the Hornets have experienced their fair share of injuries this season. Missing only Peja Stojakovic, who has been lost for nearly the entire season, the Hornets have still struggled recently to forge ahead in the standings. They have lost 7 of their last 9 games, and although they only have 7 games remaining vs. teams with a winning record, 5 of those are against the Top Five in the West. It will take a strong push by the Hornets to gain entrance into this year’s playoffs, but they have plenty of weapons to make a serious run for the final spot.
11. Sacramento Kings (29-38) – 1.5 GB – 15 games remaining (9 home, 9 vs. +.500 teams)
It has been a very up-and-down season for the Kings, and it appears their string of 8 straight seasons reaching the NBA’s second season will come to an end. After surging to the forefront of the playoff picture in early March with a 4 game winning streak, they have since dropped 6 of their last 7 games, including a shattering 23 point loss to the Atlanta Hawks . With 9 of their remaining 15 games vs. teams with a winning record, it may be a long off season for potential free agent and franchise icon Mike Bibby to consider opting out of his contract to explore a setting where he can return to the Conference Finals, where he once was a shot away from leading his squad to the Finals. However, do not forget that the acquisition of Ron Artest last season transformed this Kings unit into one of the scarier first round opponents. Can Artest fuel the royal surge down the stretch again this year?
12. Minnesota Timberwolves (28-37) – 2.5 GB – 17 games remaining (9 home, 8 vs. +.500 teams)
These Wolves are wounded and limping into the final stretch of the season, losers of 10 of their last 13 games. This could be the final stretch of Kevin Garnett’s illustrious career in Minnesota, especially if the team continues to fail to live up to the expectations that KG wants out of his team. He has been a fierce competitor for his entire career and consecutive seasons without a chance to shine in the postseason could be the final straw for Garnett to walk away from his $22M next season to pursue a championship on a contending squad. With 2.5 games separating them from the 8th seed, and 8 tough games remaining in their final 17 games, the future seems bleak for the Wolves. Hopefully, Kevin McHale will honor his warrior and deal him over the off season to finally cash in on one of this generation’s best players. Of course, Garnett just might have enough left in the tank to propel these hungry predators into the playoffs, but once they get there, who will step up to aid him in his hunt for NBA Glory?
It would take a miracle:
13. Seattle Sonics (26-40) – 5 GB
14. Portland Trailblazers (26-40) - 5 GB
Praying that Oden and Durant declare for the draft…(oh wait, am I going to be fined now?):
15. Memphis Grizzlies (18-45) – 11 GB
With the NBA season coming to a rapid close, the fans can expect a great finish to an already great season. With seven teams separated by only 6 games for 3 playoff spots, there are no guarantees at this point in the Wild Wild West.
Feel free to contact Jason M. Williams with your thoughts and predictions on which of these teams will reach the playoffs. He can be reached at Jason.Williams@RealGM.com for comments. |
