We’ve reached the home stretch! Teams are jockeying for playoff position, gearing up for potential championship runs and doing all they can to prepare for the “real" NBA season. Some of these teams have more to prove than others, and are starting to play like it.
The Golden State Warriors and Atlanta Hawks have wrapped up their conferences, so they won’t make an appearance on this list. The teams with the most to prove ending the season are those that are either fighting for their playoff lives, trying to prove they are legitimate title contenders, or are returning key players at the right time. Let’s take a look at the five teams with something to prove ending the NBA’s regular season.
Chicago Bulls
The Chicago Bulls have had a very tumultuous season in 2014-'15. There were rumors that head coach Tom Thibodeau was on his way out, several players were injured, and Derrick Rose simply could not stay on the court. As the season winds down, the Bulls still find themselves in the fourth spot of the eastern conference playoffs, but they were essentially written off six weeks ago when Rose was injured yet again.
Well, don’t look now, but the Bulls have Rose back and have just enough time to get him back into game shape. Chicago needs to prove that if they are healthy, they are capable of making the run that many expected going into the season. Nikola Mirotic has broken out and become a stud, and Jimmy Butler is back from his elbow injury as well. If Chicago can play well and Derrick Rose can actually stay healthy, this team could be dangerous, and that is what they have to prove before the playoffs begin.
Boston Celtics
The expectations for the Boston Celtics going into the season were low, which still might be an understatement. They hovered around mediocrity for a while, but thanks to a midseason trade for Isaiah Thomas, as well as improved play from guys like Evan Turner, Jae Crowder and Avery Bradley, this team currently sits seventh in the east. If the Celtics make the playoffs this year, it might be one of the best coaching performances in Celtics history by Brad Stevens. He took a roster that was essentially devoid of playoff talent, then traded away its best player (Rajon Rondo). Despite expectations being lowered even further, Stevens turned them into a playoff-contending team. The Celtics need to prove that they can make the playoffs, and that the rebuild is on its way to being an unmitigated success.
Memphis Grizzlies
Memphis was considered a title contender throughout a majority of the season. Between Zach Randolph and Marc Gasol, the Grizzlies had two of the best frontcourt players in basketball. However, their performance tapered off over the past month, and now they are in a tight battle with the Houston Rockets for the second seed in the West. The midseason addition of Jeff Green has had mixed results, but the bottom line is Memphis has to play better to prove it is a legitimate title contender. Playing average basketball is not going to get it done in the playoffs, especially considering how potent all eight teams in the West will be this year. If Tony Allen can get healthy before the playoffs start, the narrative will change. For now, this team has a lot left to prove.
San Antonio Spurs
It seems crazy that the Spurs, the reigning champions, have anything to prove. For a while, though, they were slogging through the year and looked nothing like the Spurs of old. Much of that had to do with the health of Tony Parker and Kawhi Leonard, who finally look healthy. With that, San Antonio looks like a title contender once again. However, they are still only sixth in the Western Conference, and are looking to prove they are the team to beat in the West. Tim Duncan has been a rock all season, and now with Parker and Leonard back in top form, they too are looking to prove their postseason prowess. With Gregg Popovich at the helm, nothing seems to be out of reach for the San Antonio Spurs.
New Orleans Pelicans
With the battle for the final few playoff spots in the east taking center stage of the playoff battle conversation, it can be easy to overlook that the eighth seed in the West is very much up for grabs. New Orleans currently sits in that slot, but they are neck and neck with the Oklahoma City Thunder. New Orleans is looking to prove that they are the favorites to seal the deal, led by MVP candidate Anthony Davis and Tyreke Evans. The seeds were sewn on this team a few seasons ago, and the rewards might finally be reaped. However, they still have to prove they can handle the big guns of the West to hold off Russell Westbrook and the Thunder. A blowout loss to the Memphis Grizzlies doesn’t help, but New Orleans still controls its fate. If they can pull it off, their playoff appearance will go down as one of the bigger surprises of the season.