(Translator's note: The author of this article is CBS reporter Brad Botkin, the content of the article does not represent the views of the translator, and the data in the article is as of February 24, 2022 Beijing time.) ）
The All-Star Weekend is over, and then the NBA officially enters the sprint phase. Each team has 21 to 25 games left. From now until the end of the regular season, here are the top ten things to watch.
1. Harden in Philadelphia
Embiid had never had a good organizational defender before, and he now had one. In the playoffs without Simmons, the 76ers won't pose a threat of the same level on the defensive end, but they'll be even more terrifying on the offensive end. The 76ers management bet Harden was more valuable than Simmons. It's a desperate bet.
Embiid often asks for the ball in the low post. See how Harden fits with him, and how Harden performs overall, which will be crucial for the 76ers' next 24 games. Compared to the Rockets, his performance with the Nets is like two, at least not as stable as in the Rockets. The 76ers need to be closer to the Rockets' version of Harden.
2. Simmons who joined the Nets
As the other side of harden's trade, it is difficult to say whether the Nets can end with a victory. It depends on a number of factors, first and foremost, whether Simmons can get back to the top over the next seven weeks. If he does, his defense will play a huge role in the playoffs (assuming the Nets, currently eighth in the East, make it to the playoffs). But the Nets don't have any illusions about Simmons' offense.
The Nets are an outside-led team, and Simmons has plenty of room to play as a player who can break through, pass, cut in and strategize. There will be plenty of shooting opportunities around him, like his first playoff trip, when he looked like a future MVP candidate. Let's see if New York has lifted its epidemic prevention rules. If so, then the Nets' division of labor on the court is clear. Irving is a point guard. Durant was responsible for launching the attack. Simmons used to fill the void at halftime while playing a role in both defense and conversion.
Or, Simmons isn't ready to play at a high level, the rules are still in place, and Durant finally needs to do too much to save the Nets. Let's wait and see how.
3. The Lakers' last attempt
As of All-Star Weekend, the Lakers were ninth in the West with 27-31 numbers. They are five wins ahead of the Spurs, who have one less game, and six games behind the Nuggets, who are sixth in the West. It looks like the Lakers have to repeat the mistakes of the past to participate in the playoffs.
With Davis sprained in his foot, James will have to carry the burden of a single-core lead in the next three weeks in order to secure a play-off spot. hypothesis...... Make the best assumptions... Davis could come back in late March, and the Lakers could be dangerously seeded seven or eight. But they have to do it first. James has been fantastic all season, but he needs help.
The Lakers have proven before that they can rely on James not entirely. Westbrook needs a chance to prove himself to be a player who has helped the team. Munch and Reeves must play an important role in the next game. Anthony needs to come back and get back to the fiery feel. Let's see if the Lakers really want to win, or if they concede defeat in one or two tough games.
4. Celtics targeting competitors
The Celtics were the hottest team in the league before All-Star Weekend. The Celtics have won 16 of their last 21 games and nine of their last 10. They (reluctantly) jumped out of the play-offs, trailing just two wins from the top three.
Since Jan. 1, the Celtics have the highest defensive (with a big advantage) and net efficiency value in the league. Equally important, they are in the top ten offensively during this time. Their passes are more efficient. Tatum is becoming decisive — not spending much time evaluating defenders before ending with a string of dribbling moves and controversial jump shots. Straight-line breakouts are also more frequent.
The Celtics are a slow-paced team, but decisiveness at halftime is crucial. Derek White's addition helped. He made the team move. As they say, he is a connector.
When Tatum and Brown took advantage of their breakthrough advantage, the Celtics had shooters to shoot, even if their team didn't shoot high. Tatum actually deserves to be better than his 32 percent three-point shooting percentage, and he needs to prove it.
Brown can shoot three-pointers. Smart has a variety of offensive tactics (more bad than good at), but it's also quite threatening once he makes the right shots. Richardson is having a good season in peace. Grant Williams, who shoots 45 percent from three-point range, is on the verge of a 50-40-90 season.
I love Celtic. Before the season I predicted they would end up fourth in the East. When they seemed unmotivated, I also wrote that splitting Tatum and Brown could be Boston's last card. Hey, things have changed. My prophecy is back on track. I think the Celtics are a sleeping contender in the open East. I'm sure so. They will be one of the teams I will keep watching closely next.
5. Curry's shot
Curry is going through the worst shooting season of his career so far. As of All-Star Weekend, he's shooting 37.9 percent from three points and 42.7 percent overall. His performance is still great, and for anyone else, his performance from more than 12 three-point shots per game with a 38 percent shooting rate is staggering. But Curry is no one else. If Curry had just been a good other player, the Warriors wouldn't be the Warriors they are now. When Curry is different, the Warriors will be different.
One big reason is that we still don't know if Clay will get back to his original form in the playoffs. Klay looks pretty good on the offensive end, but his defense is a major factor in the Warriors' recent plunge on the defensive end. By the time it came to the playoffs, Green had to come back, but we don't know when. The Warriors need Curry even more to bring the record-breaking performance of the All-Star Game to the intense closing stage.
6. Is the MVP Jokic, Alphabet Brother or Embiid?
The MVP race feels like a three-player game, unless Curry regains his fiery touch for the rest of the game and the Warriors somehow overtake the Suns to become the Number One seed. But even so, if the three men maintain a steady play, then some of them will pocket the trophy. It's going to be a compelling game.
As far as I'm concerned, Jokic is the best player of the season and deserves MVP at the moment, but if I had to guess who the fans would vote for, I'd say Embiid. I think Simmons' deal upset the balance between him and Jokic. It's similar to the year Westbrook won MVP, when Durant left him for the Golden State Warriors. Simmons' departure put Embiid in a bind, but the 76ers remain in third place, just one or two wins behind the first two.
Alphabet Brother is also among them. Voters have some aesthetic fatigue, plus the bucks have some grooved performance. But so far, you can't give this award to Alphabet Brother because embiid has led his team to better results in worse situations with role players. Although this may change. That could all change. It's a far-off race.
7. The Sun Without Paul
Would Paul's broken thumb bless the sun? It sounds inexplicable, but listen to me: The Suns are in first place in the league with a seven-win lead over the second-place Warriors — who have the remaining schedule for the third-hardest game before heading into All-Star Weekend. They may not even need to play 50% of the remaining games to keep their rankings. They were good enough without Paul.
Now, assuming they do, this injury almost ensures that Paul is healthy enough to make the playoffs. Reassessment after about 6-8 weeks. The regular season ended seven weeks later. Of course, Paul has to get his rhythm and form back, Paul was one of the most unfortunate injured stars of his time, and if this injury can effectively protect Paul before the playoffs, I think the Suns will always do that. The risk of Paul getting injured at the wrong time is a hidden danger for this team. Now he can't get hurt in civilian clothes. Unless the injury doesn't heal, the Suns will surely welcome back a healthy Paul in the first round.
8. Crazy East
Five teams are close to the Eastern Conference first in three wins: Bulls, Heat, 76ers, Cavaliers and Bucks. At the other end, the fifth-placed Bucks are just one win ahead of the seventh-place Raptors in the play-off zone.
Can you imagine that the defending champion has to pass through the playoffs to make it to the playoffs?
The Cavaliers are one of the teams to watch. They have the league's third-easiest remaining schedule and are only two wins behind the number one seed. No one thinks the Cavaliers are competitors. To put it bluntly, I am one of them. But with seven weeks to go before the playoffs start, the Cavaliers are there.
For me, it's fantastic. The NBA is always too easy to predict, but no one this season is honest with you that they don't know what's going to happen. The Nets are currently a play-off team and they can actually win everything. If there are many possibilities for the Eastern Conference title race, it would be an understatement. The Eastern Conference playoffs will be a big event, and booking seats are now open.
9. Try to avoid swinging eagles
For the Eagles, it may or never be rotten. A team that is just two wins away from reaching the Finals will fall into the lotto zone next season, which will be a disaster. The Eagles are on the brink of disaster. The Hawks entered All-Star Weekend with the no. 10 seed and the final playoff spot, one win ahead of the eleventh-ranked Wizards.
We know the Hawks trade. They are top-notch offense and slotted defense. The Hawks are a lot like the Lillard McCollum Trail Blazers, and if they can get their team defense to average, they're a team that's always dangerous. That's why they were successful in last year's playoffs, but there's also a part of the reason for the opponents. Their playoff opponents, the Knicks and the 76ers, are two teams with big flaws on the offensive end. The Hawks' defense in the game isn't as good as they look.
But they're not too bad either. Capela has to continue his defensive performance, and he has the ability to do it. I'd like to see Okonwu with Trae Young or the offensive squad for longer. Collins needed to recover from a foot strain and have a good finish.
Schult has been doing well. Hunter should make a difference defensively. These players are important to the Hawks. I'm not the only one calling them competitors this season. They haven't had a full facelift this season, but still have a chance. If the Hawks can get back in form and win the playoffs at the end of the season, the No. 1 or No. 2 seeds, who are so susceptible to injuries, won't want to meet them in the first round
10. Take the Nuggets of wild cards
The Nuggets have the easiest remaining schedule, and they are three wins behind the Third Seed. It becomes quite interesting when you consider that Murray and/or Porter might return before the playoffs. If the two guys come back and get back to where they were before they were injured, there's a good chance the Nuggets will win the Western Conference championship and compete for the championship. As far as I'm concerned, Jokic has been the MVP so far. No one is talking about the Nuggets. If they move up the remaining games and welcome back their second and third core players, that will change.
Original: Brad Botkin
Compilation: Poetic