There are six weeks left in the NBA regular season, which means teams will begin to rely on their reserve fuel to boost them towards the playoffs. With the aftermath of the trade deadline and wavier claims having settled into place, a number of teams are poised to make a run.
Heatin' Up
Portland Trail Blazers
No team in the NBA is hotter than the Blazers. Rip City went 9-2 in the month of February, led by Damian Lillard, who tied Stephen Curry with seven 30-point games in that span. The Blazers have won three straight games and 14 of their last 16.
Terry Stotts was named Coach of the Month of February and is making a subtle case for Coach of the Year. The Blazers were nine games under .500 on January 8 and, since then, have gone 18-4. Only the Golden State Warriors and San Antonio Spurs have a better record over that span. C.J. McCollum is the leading candidate for Most Improved Player and has brought the Blazers backcourt into the discussion among the best in the league.
Other role players such as Meyers Leonard, Allen Crabbe, and Maurice Harkless have had their impact and will be crucial to the Blazers' run toward the postseason. They are currently tied with the Dallas Mavericks for sixth in the Western Conference and are an astonishing three games back of the fifth seed.
Miami Heat
After Joe Johnson was bought out by the Brooklyn Nets, the Heat quickly emerged as the favorites to land the 14th-year small forward. They did just that and Johnson followed a 12-point performance in his debut with a 24-point performance in a win against the Chicago Bulls.
On a Heat team that has been riddled with injuries throughout the season, Johnson appears to be the player who can spark a run to the end of the season. The uncertainty of Chris Bosh's future is largely in question, but other players have stepped up in his absence. Luol Deng has come alive lately, averaging 16.5 points-per-game and 7.9 rebounds-per-game since the beginning of February. Hassan Whiteside continues to dominate the post without Bosh and has notched a double-double in six straight games.
Goran Dragic has also returned to form after missing eight games due to injury. A game and a half back of the Boston Celtics for third place in the Eastern Conference, the Heat will need a steady dose of their bench to finish out the season. If Bosh is to miss the rest of the season, as his physicians are encouraging, several players could play determining roles, including rookie, Justise Winslow, and 13-year veteran Amar'e Stoudemire.
Boston Celtics
The Celtics are another hot team, currently riding an 11-game home win streak. The Green Team has won three straight and are winners of 17 of their last 23, dating back to January 12. The Celtics struggled out of the gate after the All-Star break, but have since regained their footing and are now amidst a stretch of eight home games out of their next ten contests.
The health of backup center, Kelly Olynyk, is a primary concern and the C's will have to rely on Tyler Zeller and Jonas Jerebko for two-to-three weeks until Olynyk returns from a shoulder injury. Brad Stevens, who was named Coach of the Month of February, has one of the youngest, most well-balanced rosters in the league. Led by first-time All-Star, Isaiah Thomas, the Celtics continue to claw out wins by relying on every player doing his part.
The Celtics have had five or more players score double-figures in four of their six games since All-Star Weekend. They will certainly be battled-tested down the stretch, facing the second-toughest schedule among Eastern Conference teams.
Charlotte Hornets
Currently situated in sixth place in the East, the Hornets have quietly resurrected their season. They are 31-28 and a game behind the Atlanta Hawks for fifth place. Steve Clifford's team has the easiest remaining schedule in the NBA. Their opponents have combined to win just 43 percent of their games and the Hornets will be home for 13 of their last 24 contests. Al Jefferson is back in the lineup, but has not yet returned to form. Should he get back to scoring in the mid-20s with 10 or more rebounds, the Hornets outlook could change drastically.
As it stands, Kemba Walker is the top dog, while Nicolas Batum and Jeremy Lin continue to provide quality minutes. Marvin Williams occasionally explodes for a big double-double. The Hornets did well at the trade deadline, acquiring Courtney Lee from the Memphis Grizzlies. Lee is a great two-way player whose veteran leadership will help tremendously down the stretch. The Hornets have been much better at home than on the road this season. And could potentially come away with home court advantage in the playoffs should the Heat falter.
Bubble Teams
Washington Wizards
Having struggled for a large portion of the 2015-2016 season, the Wizards have surprisingly put themselves in contention. They have a record of 6-2 since the All-Star break, just a game and a half behind the eighth-seeded Pistons in the Eastern Conference. The Wiz Kids have one of the easiest schedules remaining, but are also tied for the most road games remaining.
With such a road-heavy schedule, Randy Wittman and Co. will need to improve their 13-14 road record. The biggest X-factor, however, will be Bradley Beal. After a hot start to the season, Beal has missed 21 games due to injury. The third-year guard has not been the same since suffering his fourth fibula injury in as many years and has failed to reach the 20-point mark in a game since February 9.
Marcin Gortat is averaging a double-double on the season and will have to carry the load with John Wall if the Wizards hope to make the postseason. Even the slightest run could get the Wizards into the top eight.
Detroit Pistons
The Pistons were one of the more active teams at the trade deadline and have an improved roster as a result. Since being traded by the Orlando Magic, Tobias Harris has averaged 17 points and five rebounds in six games for the Pistons. The trade thinned out the bench for the Pistons, which subsequently lost Stanley Johnson to a shoulder injury.
The rookie has played very well in 57 games and the team will need him healthy to finish out the season. The Pistons recently jumped into a tie for seventh place in the East with the Indiana Pacers, just a half-game ahead of the Chicago Bulls in the standings. A game and a half separates the eighth seed from the fifth seed in the East and the Pistons could make some noise down the stretch. Led by Andre Drummond and Reggie Jackson, a healthy Detroit team could wind up in the playoffs.
Heavy Hitters
Cleveland Cavaliers
The Cavs have barely floated above .500 since the All-Star break and finished the month of February having lost three of their last five. Over the past week, Kyrie Irving dispelled rumors that he wants out of Cleveland, while LeBron James rested against the Washington Wizards, a game which the Cavaliers lost. Still, the fact remains that the defending Eastern Conference Champions are, again, favorites to go to The Finals.
While they are clinging to a two-and-a-half game lead over the Toronto Raptors for first place in the East, they have not relinquished that lead since gaining possession of first early on in the season. The remaining teams on the Cavaliers' schedule combine for a win percentage of .469. Kevin Love and J.R. Smith have been key contributors this season and will play large roles in the Cavs finishing out the season on top.
San Antonio Spurs
At 50-9, the Spurs have flown under-the-radar for much of the 2015-2016 season and could wind up with one of the best regular season records in NBA history by season's end. As special as the Warriors have been, the Spurs are almost as remarkable. The 2015-2016 could potentially feature two of the best teams in NBA history, both of whom are currently undefeated at home.
The Spurs are 28-0 at AT&T Center, but will host the Warriors twice before the end of the regular season. No team has ever gone undefeated at home for an entire season and the 1986 Celtics have the best home record in NBA history at 40-1. The Spurs have the toughest remaining schedule in the NBA, but no team is better equipped to power through it than a Gregg Popovich-led Spurs team.
Golden State Warriors
If 54-5 isn't enough of a run, then you need to rethink your definition. I mean, c'mon. The defending champs have already clinched a spot in the 2016 postseason and are one game shy of tying the NBA record for most consecutive wins at home (44). Their remaining schedule is the most home-favorable in the NBA, as they will play 17 of their final 24 games of the season at Oracle Arena.
They don't need a run to finish out their season, but you can bet your bottom dollar they will make one. Nothing is enough for this Warriors team, which always feels there is something to prove. Their goal at the start of the season was to break the 1996 Bulls' regular season record. Not many people would be surprised if they do just that.