NBA: 5 Questions

The NBA is entering their dog days of the season.It’s always fun to step back and take a scan around the league at some of the storylines that have developed. With over 2,400 games in a season, new storylines are developing almost daily that affect a team, a conference, and even the whole league. As we get deep into January, the grind of the season is starting to affect some players, especially rookies who are playing more games than they ever have in a season.With playoff and awards pictures starting to take shape with more than half the season over, we can start to separate the contenders from the pretenders and use the next month and a half to see and guess what cream will rise to the top. With that, let’s take a tour through the league and see what questions we can answer.

#1 Are the Raptors For Real?

DeMar DeRozan has upped his play and has the Raptors as the chief competition to the Cavs.

The Toronto Raptors currently sit at 30-15, second in the Eastern Conference and 2.5 games behind the Cleveland Cavaliers. They have a four-game cushion on the third place Atlanta Hawks, as they carry a nine-game winning streak into their game vs the New York Knicks on Thursday.

They have been playing their best ball of the season, despite starting small forward out until late March for sure, as they have used DeMar DeRozan or Kyle Lowry to play with a bench that is much improved from last season. While Lowry has been impressive, getting voted into the All-Star game as a starter, DeMar DeRozan’s continued improvement has the Raptors really excited about the playoffs.

What is really giving the Raptors fans hope that the team’s regular season success will finally result in a playoff series win or two is their teamwide improvement on the defensive end. After struggling mightily on defense last season, coming in at 24th in defensive efficiency, they have improved by four points per 100 possessions and now rank 9th in the league.

This improvement should help them when the playoffs roll around and the game slows and is the main reason I have them as the top competitor to the Cavs in the East.

#2 Handicapping the West\'s 8th Seed

Gordon Hayward is going to lead his team to the playoffs.

Currently, there are five teams within 3.5 games of the Western Conference’s 8th seed, and after years of winning close to or above 50 games, it is more than likely the West will have a playoff combatant under .500. Currently, the Portland Trail Blazers hold the eight seed, with the Sacramento Kings and Utah Jazz mere percentage points behind them, but both the Kings and the Jazz have one less loss than the Blazers.

Meanwhile, the Denver Nuggets and New Orleans Pelicans are hanging around 3.5 games back from the three teams. With how erratic these teams can be, it is anyone’s guess as to who will emerge at the end of the season.

As I currently see it, the Jazz have consistently been the best team of the five, posting the only positive scoring margin and net rating. They have been beset by injuries all year, especially to big men Rudy Gobert and Derrick Favors.

The Kings and the Blazers have been severely up and down, but are currently riding twin 6-4 records to have them in the thick of the race. While the Nuggets have been a nice story, I only see the Pelicans as the other team with a realistic shot of cracking into the playoffs as they sport the best player of the five teams in Anthony Davis.

Call me boring but I am going to side with the most consistent team, the Jazz, to make the playoffs, unless Boogie Cousins of the Kings or Damian Lillard of the Blazers catches fire and carries their respective teams.

#3 Blake and the Clippers

Blake Griffin’s broken hand is going to make the next month and a half for the Clippers.

With news coming out about Blake Griffin’s altercation with an equipment manager and a broken hand while the team was in Toronto, the Clippers are in more disarray than they have been all year. The team has given a timetable of 4-6 weeks, but with a broken shooting hand, I find it hard to believe that Blake will be back in four weeks.

So the Clippers must traverse at least the next month without Blake, including tilts vs the Warriors and the Spurs, and will have to lean on their defense more than ever, as they did in an 85-83 win vs the Hawks on Wednesday.

Almost immediately after the news broke, some people started speculating if the Clippers should look to move Griffin, which I am here to say is not the move whatsoever. Blake was and is the best player on the team, despite them having Chris Paul who is fabulous as well.

Trading Blake would not only leave a massive whole in their front line, it would also deprive them of their young superstar, and someone who could carry the team as Chris Paul moves deeper into his 30s. Yes, the Clippers have played well without Blake the past two years, but they have no shot at the Warriors and Spurs without him.

#4 Handicapping the East Lower Bracket

The Atlanta Hawks will start to create some distance between themselves and the rest of the East’s mediocraty.

The teams currently slotted 3-8 in the Eastern Conference are separated by a mere three games, while there are four other teams within 2.5 games of the eight seed. Plain and simple, the East is a jumble of mediocrity, and it seems like we won’t know who will make the playoffs until the final week. Here is my best guess of how it shakes out.

Hawks – The Hawks will start to play better and end up comfortably as the three seed.

Celtics – Brad Stevens is a wizard and is somehow coaxing a top five defense despite one above average big on defense. They charm their way to the four seed.

Bulls – Everyone tries to act like they are the best shot to beat the Cavs but I don’t see it. Just another Bulls team that leaves you wanting more with the five seed.

Heat – Maddeningly inconsistent for a veteran team, I see Bosh and Wade righting a struggling ship right now and locking up a six seed.

Pistons – If their bench plays consistent, they can reach as high as the six seed. However, I think next year is they time they can make a real move into the upper half of the bracket as they settle for the seventh seed this year.

Pacers – Paul George will heat up again, but with C.J. Miles regressing and little contribution from Monta Ellis, they will only secure the eight seed.

Hornets – It will be interesting to see how the adjust to Michael Kidd-Gilchrist’s comeback. My guess is it cramps their spacing and causes them to fade.

Knicks – Somewhat surprising they are playing as good as they are, but their horrible defense from their guards won’t allow Porzingas’s star to shine in the playoffs.

Wizards – Fighting like hell to get back into the playoff picture after a terrible start. John Wall has been playing magnificent, but another Bradley Beal injury will be their undoing.

Magic – Too young and don’t quite have a good enough player to get them over the hump. Next year will be very interesting.

#5 Race for the Number One Pick

The Lakers are my pick to finish with the worst record.

As always, the NBA always has teams that are horrendous and begin the season firmly entrenched in the race for the top pick, while being almost assured of a top 3 pick. With the Philadelphia 76ers in year three of super tank mode, they were once again the front-runners of for the number one seed, and they haven’t disappointed so far, with the worse record in the league at 7-40.

However, since they have gotten Ish Smith, aka a real NBA point guard, the Sixers are 6-10 and threatening to leave the cellar. They are now only two games back of the floundering Lakers, who are 1-9 in their last 10 and counting the days until they don’t have to go out and play for Byron Scott.

The Brooklyn Nets are next in line at 12-34, but they seem to have just enough where they won’t fully bottom out and sink any lower than third. The team to keep an eye on is the Phoenix Suns, who have more or less quite on trying this season and are getting blown out more and more of late.

Making matters worse, or better depending on perspective, is their 10 point loss on the road to the 76ers. However, at seven games ahead of the 76ers, I don’t see them falling all the way to worse in the league. My prediction is the Lakers finish with the worse record, followed by the 76ers and then the Suns.