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Everyone enjoys competitive games whether it’s between the teams at the top of the table or the ones languishing at the bottom. History states that the Western Conference has always been more competitive than its counterpart. This season is no different!
Yeah, the Eastern Conference has 5 teams who could potentially make it to the Conference Finals, but we are talking about the whole Conference here. The top 5 you talk about- Chicago, Indiana, Miami, New York and Brooklyn are all title contenders in their own right but the gap between them and the rest of the teams is huge.
Let me make it simpler.
Heading into the Playoffs last season, all but one team had a record below .500. The 8th seed in the east, the Milwaukee Bucks with a record of 38-44 (.463) while in the west, the Dallas Mavericks who capped off the regular season with a record of 41-41 were the 10th seed. You get what I mean?
We have agreed on the West being more competitive, now let’s talk divisions.
We are not seeing any competitive ball in the Pacific division with only two teams in the Los Angeles Clippers and the Golden State Warriors competing to be crowned the division champions. Have a look at past conference standings and you will always see the Southwest faring better than the Northwest. Keeping in mind the offseason changes made to the teams and their pre-season form the Southwest seems to be the better division once again.
Let’s have a closer look as to why and where the teams in this division would finish at the end of the regular season.
San Antonio Spurs
San Antonio Spurs
The team has maintained its core set of players for a final title run. We say every year that it will be their last shot at the championship, but let’s face it, they have consistently performed year in and year out and I would never count them out heading into a season as long as Greg Popovich is their coach and they have Tim Duncan on their roster.
Despite their 2-4 pre-season record, the key addition of Marco Bellinelli helps their perimeter shooting even further. You can trust this team to peak at the right time ,they start favorites to win the division and you can definitely expect another long playoff run from this consistent team.
Houston Rockets
Houston Rockets
They are the newest super team in the league. They rank second on the basis of their impressive 6-1 pre-season record and the exceptional talent they have at their disposal on the roster. With super teams comes the pressure and expectation of winning and the Rockets have done so successfully in the pre-season.
But the regular season is a 6 month grind and the Rockets will be expected to finish the regular season with the home court advantage, let’s see how they fare. They could surprise many by winning the Division.
Looks like the Texas showdowns just got more interesting this season!
Memphis Grizzlies
Memphis Grizzlies
Their team is built on a defensive system that is led by the duo of NBA Defensive Player of the Year Marc Gasol and a 2 time selection to the All-NBA Defensive first team Tony Allen. The contribution of Zach Randolph, Mike Conley and Tayshaun Prince cannot be taken for granted.
They would look to be consistent in the regular season from the first game to get the important home court advantage, come Playoff time. Here is another team who peaks at the right time in the regular season to gain momentum heading into the Playoffs, so don’t be too harsh on their 3-4 pre-season record. They are not favoured to win the Division title but will create a lot of noise in the Playoffs.
New Orleans Pelicans
New Orleans Pelicans
Bolstered by the back court acquisitions of All-Star Jrue Holiday and Rookie of the Year 2010 Tyreke Evans to assist No.1 overall pick of the 2012 Draft Anthony Davis in the offseason, the New Orleans Pelicans have been impressive in the pre-season with a 7-1 record losing only to the 2 time defending champions Miami Heat.
New Orleans fans would finally have something to cheer about after finishing a disappointing 14th last season. Their playoff appearance is totally on them. With three division champions in the West assured places in the Playoffs, they battle with the remaining two teams in their division ranked above them to make the Playoffs. As good as their pre-season performance and as talented as they are, having a better record than any of the three teams listed is a stiff task.
Dallas Mavericks
Dallas Mavericks would hugely depend on Monta Ellis and Jose Calderon to bring positive changes to Dallas.
Jose Calderon and Monta Ellis, acquired in the offseason, have certainly added firepower to the Dallas back court and alongside franchise player Dirk Nowitzki they would look to make the playoffs and would look to take the Mavericks franchise back where they belong- in the Playoffs.
They had an average pre-season finishing with a record of 4-4. Although the Mavericks fans would look forward to the post-season coming to Dallas in April, the Mavericks have just not been the same 2 years removed from their title. Looking at their starting line-up you would think making the Playoffs shouldn’t be a tough task, but the Mavericks bench is just not the same and might end up being a major reason for concern.
