5 big questions in the NBA
Some teams that were the favorites, such as the Los Angeles Lakers and Brooklyn Nets, have had difficult seasons and are not even assured of a playoff berth. The Milwaukee Bucks look solid, but not unstoppable. The Golden State Warriors seem to be deflating in the West.
Ready?
1- Why is no one talking about a rematch between the Milwaukee Bucks and Phoenix Suns in the Finals?
I think it’s a reflection of the trend of the season. There is no reason to talk about a Bucks-Suns rematch… or any other Finals showdown at this point. Unlike in recent times with the Golden State Warriors dynasty and in the early 2010s with the Miami Heat, there is no solid Finals contender in an unpredictable season. Two of the early title contenders – the Los Angeles Lakers and Brooklyn Nets – are in the play-in zone right now and who knows if they could make a full and healthy playoff run to spoil the party for the Suns or Bucks in a first- or second-round series. The Bucks are in a good spot and the Suns are in a great spot since the season started and a Finals rematch shouldn’t be ruled out. But there is a long way to go.
2- Are the Heat the team to beat in the East with Victor Oladipo coming off the bench?
Miami Heat has become the team that, like it or not, is always in contention to win it all. Quiet, making little noise (or no more than necessary) and leaving no detail to chance, they never disappoint their fans.
The present finds them in first place in the East with a good cushion of games ahead of the Philadelphia 76ers. And they have built it without the presence of Victor Oladipo, so considering that the point guard’s return makes them the team to beat is totally false, because the Heat had already taken the top spot in the East standings before his return.
In any case, it can be said that with Oladipo healthy and productive, Eric Spoelstra’s team solidifies its bench and makes it deeper, which is no small feat. This team has a defined identity, knows what it plays, knows its strengths and how to exploit them, as well as has identified its weaknesses and how to disguise them. They have earned the right to be called the team to beat in the East and are still considered an uncomfortable opponent for anyone.
Miami Heat is a great candidate to win it all. With or without Oladipo. Although it’s always better to have a player like that available to help the cause.
3- The most reliable duo entering the playoffs:
While Joel Embiid and James Harden are the duo of the moment, and Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving continue to excite for what could be, look no further than the duo that ended up hoisting the trophy last season – Giannis Antetokounmpo and Khris Middleton. Sure, the potential of Embiid/Harden and Durant/Irving is just as high (nothing is higher than the championship), but with the key word being “reliable,” I don’t think we can rank them above the Bucks duo.
We know what Antetokounmpo and Middleton bring to the table, how they complement each other and their ability to play with each other without letting individualism get in the way of the end goal.
4- Grizzlies or Warriors, which team will be No. 2 in the West?
With one month left in the NBA regular season, one of the most hotly contested spots is the No. 2 seed in the West. Grizzlies and Warriors will have this battle on the court for the number two spot because the first place has an owner: the Suns.
Memphis and Golden State have 15 games left on the schedule and the outlook couldn’t be more competitive.
The Warriors have seven games left at home and eight away. As of today, nine of their opponents have losing records and six have winning records. The Grizzlies have 8 home and 7 away games remaining, also with six teams with positive records and nine with negative records.
With such a tight schedule and such a narrow gap between the two teams, second place could be decided in the Grizzlies-Warriors game on March 28 in Memphis.
And the season record (two wins to one) puts the Grizzlies as favorites to beat the Warriors and take over second place. Will Stephen Curry allow it?
5- Do you see the Lakers playing in the playoffs?
Yes, the Los Angeles Lakers, who by that time will be able to count on Anthony Davis, will qualify for the playoffs first. What is the playoffs? It is the new postseason format that allows the ninth and tenth place in each conference to have a chance to challenge the seventh or eighth.
For example, if the season ended today, the Lakers currently occupy ninth place in the Western Conference. They would face the 10th-place Pelicans first – in this case, the Pelicans – and if they win, they would challenge the loser of the seventh vs. eighth-place game. If they win again, they advance to the playoffs.
That’s where I understand the Lakers don’t give them enough to knock off teams at the top of the standings like the Suns, and whoever gets the second seed between the Warriors and Grizzlies. But who knows. Maybe Russell Westbrook accepts a role coming off the bench and James-Davis, on his best night, will beat anyone. But realistically, these Lakers aren’t good enough to make it past the first round of the postseason. Another wasted year for LeBron James, who is looking for that fifth ring to match Kobe. Moreover, his second with the Lakers, a city accustomed to titles.
