As the NBA season winds to a close, teams are putting on late season surges to solidify their playoff spots. While for many a mere berth into the postseason must be viewed as a success, for others the chase for the championship is what it is all about.
While the Charlotte Bobcats and Washington Wizards will be able to boast of a playoff appearance; it will likely be a short lived feeling of euphoria as their first-round exit is fairly inevitable. For others though the dream of playing for the title is far more realistic.
Lets take a look at just who the pretenders are among the playoff teams and who are the true contenders.
Eastern Conference
Contenders - There are really just two teams here in the ‘Leastern’ Conference who have true title aspirations and they are the Indiana Pacers and the Miami Heat. Both teams are balanced and deep enough to make a run at the title and of course each team has their respective superstars in Paul George and LeBron James who are surrounded by star-studded supporting casts.
The Heat and Pacers will in all likelihood playoff for the Conference Championship. While each team will face some resistance along the way, there won’t be any significant challenges in dispatching the competition and so long as they remain healthy we will be treated to a the third installment of this rivalry.
Pretenders - With the Heat and Pacers having such a clear cut advantage over the rest of the conference; each of the remaining playoff teams could be considered pretenders. But getting right down to it we can identify the Toronto Raptors and Chicago Bulls as teams who are likely to advance out of the first round but eventually succumb without so much as a whimper.
The Raptors are just too inexperienced and while they have been exciting to watch this season, they lack the interior toughness to matchup against the Pacers and Heat. They should get through their first round opponent but that will be as far as they go.
For the Bulls they have the makings of a championship team; however, they are of course without their star in Derrick Rose who brings it all together. The Bulls have the interior toughness to match up well; however. the back court is where it is lacking and without superior guard play they too will see their championship dreams come to an end in the second round.
Western Conference
Contenders - There is no doubt that the Western Conference boasts of a deeper playoff pool than the East. In reality any team here is capable of running the table and claiming a conference title; in practicality though there are really just a couple teams who are truly looked upon as being title contenders here.
The Oklahoma City Thunder lead the way in terms of talent and title potential. They have the dynamic duo of Russell Westbrook and Kevin Durant and they have a much better supporting cast as well as the muscle in the paint to defend center-dominant teams. The lack of roster depth for the Thunder could be a detriment; however, the bench only becomes a factor when they have Durant and Westbrook out of the game and that won’t happen often come playoff time.
The other title contending team out of the West is the Los Angeles Clippers. The Clips have a balanced roster, great floor leadership in Chris Paul, the multifaceted Blake Griffin, the defensive prowess of DeAndre Jordan and a bench that is stacked with role players who are ready to fill in when called upon.
Pretenders - At the risk of being wildly unpopular among many I have to put the Golden State Warriors on the wannabe list. On paper the Warriors should be a title contender, on the court however they are lacking in many areas. Stephen Curry is an all-world talent; however, he can’t do it all by himself. Andre Iguodala was brought in to ease some of the burden and he just hasn’t performed up to standards. Iggy is now injured and with a lingering concern over knee tendinitis heading into the postseason it doesn’t bode well.
This can’t all be put on Iggy though as Harrison Barnes has not progressed this season the way many thought he would. Barnes hasn’t stepped his game up and even with starter-like minutes and occasional starts he has failed to find a rhythm this season and has been a non factor. Compounding the playoff miseries of the Warriors is the fact that Andrew Bogut is down with yet another injury and his status moving forward is very much in doubt.
As much as I don’t see the San Antonio Spurs getting the job done in advancing to the finals; they sometimes find a way to get the job done when it counts most. I’m not prepared to discount their experience, coaching or desire to make another title run. Instead, I’m staying in the State and moving down the road to Houston.
The Rockets will get a mid seed heading into the playoffs and they could conceivably find themselves matched up against a team like Portland in the first round. The Rockets just don’t yet have that team chemistry and experience to make a deep run in the playoffs. Dwight Howard cannot carry a team when it counts as he can’t be on the floor in a close game due to the foul shooting woes. James Harden can keep the Rockets in almost any game; however, one man will wear down and ultimately so will the Rockets.