It’s playoff time in the NBA, starting on Saturday, and if the NBA championship betting odds are to be believed, only five of the 16 teams have a serious chance to win the championship and three of those five stand above the class.
The NBA regular season is in the books, and it’s time to review how the NBA win futures turned out—how each team performed against its Over/Under win expectation in Las Vegas at the start of the season.
TheSportsNotebook has spent this week running a series of articles looking at the big picture and the strengths and weaknesses of the contenders. This post has all those articles consolidated into a single place for your convenience.
… this may very well be “the year” for the Clips—they’re 37-18 and sitting in the #4 spot in the Western Conference, a tightly packed race when ending up anywhere from #2 to #6 is well within reach. But there’s also some issues that can cause disappointment come playoff time again if not rectified.
The Portland Trail Blazers have been one of the big surprises in the NBA this season. A team that didn’t even make the playoffs in 2013, the Blazers have played well all year this time around and bring a 36-17 record into All-Star Weekend in New Orleans. It’s good enough to be tied for third in the Western Conference. Let’s take a look at how they’re doing it and whether it can sustain now that the season is about to get serious.
The Golden State Warriors got off to a slow start, but they’ve started to find their rhythm, and as we reach the All-Star break the Warriors are 31-22 and in the 8-spot in the NBA’s Western Conference. Given the current trend, you have to like Golden State’s chances to eventually pass at least Dallas and Phoenix (whom they trail by just a half-game) and move as high as #6. Let’s take a closer look at the team who advanced into the second round and then threw a scare into the San Antonio Spurs in 2013.
The Houston Rockets have been the NBA’s big mover and shaker each of the last two offseasons, getting James Harden prior to the 2013 season, and then adding Dwight Howard for this year. The results are showing up on the floor. Houston brings a 36-17 record into the All-Star break, good enough for #3 in the Western Conference.
The San Antonio Spurs have, in a unique way, defined NBA basketball for 15 years. They haven’t been a dynasty in the sense of the Shaq-Kobe Lakers or LeBron’s Heat, all of whom have won consecutive titles in that timeframe. The Spurs have just churned it out, winning four titles and nearly taking a fifth last June in Miami before Ray Allen ripped their hearts out. The Spurs are at it again, with a 38-15 record coming into All-Star weekend in New Orleans.
The Oklahoma City Thunder have been…well, thundering through the NBA’s Western Conference as we reach this weekend’s All-Star break in New Orleans. The Thunder are sitting on a 43-12 record, good for a four-game lead for the top seed in the West, and narrowly ahead of the Indiana Pacers for the NBA’s best overall record. What’s more, Kevin Durant is emerging as the odds-on favorite to be the MVP.
The Miami Heat will finish up their pre-All-Star break schedule late tonight, with a road game against the Golden State Warriors (10:30 PM ET, NBA-TV). The Heat are sitting on a 36-14 record, 3 ½ games back of the Indiana Pacers for the top spot in the Eastern Conference and a game and a half behind the Oklahoma City Thunder, a potential NBA Finals opponent. TheSportsNotebook takes a closer look at how the Heat’s bid for a third straight NBA title is faring.
The Indiana Pacers play their final game before the All-Star break tonight when the host the Dallas Mavericks. The Pacers come into the game riding high at 40-11, 3 ½ games ahead of the Miami Heat for the #1 seed in the NBA’s Eastern Conference, and percentage points of the Oklahoma City Thunder for the league’s best record overall. TheSportsNotebook takes a closer look at how the Pacers are doing it as we get set for the weekend festivities in New Orlean
The smart money has narrowed the championship race to three teams, and not surprisingly those are the Miami Heat, the Indiana Pacers and the Oklahoma City Thunder. The value of experience is seen in the NBA championship betting odds.