According to the NBA's schedule this season, on April 11, Beijing time, the regular season will officially end. After a 1-day break, the playoffs will take place. Wait until April 17, Beijing time, this season's playoffs will also kick off. So it is calculated that in the next 20 days, it will be the final sprint stage of the regular season for each team.
So, which injured soldiers will have an impact on the situation at the end of the season during this time?
Trailblazers - Lillard
On March 22, Beijing time, the Blazers officially announced that damien Lillard, the core of the team's backcourt, will not play in the team's remaining regular season games, ending the season's journey ahead of schedule.
A very important reason for the Blazers' poor performance this season is Lillard's injury. In mid-November, Lillard was sidelined with an abdominal injury. Lillard has since stopped until mid-January, when he underwent surgery. Although the Blazers have always expressed their hope that Lillard can return to the field this season, before the mid-season trade deadline, they have sent away key players such as Covington, Powell and McCollum, and basically announced that they have given up this season's competition. So now that Lillard has completely bid farewell to the season, it is also a premonition.
On the day Lillard announced his farewell to the season, the Blazers beat the Pistons on the road by four points to claim their 27th win of the season. At the same time, the gap between himself and the Pelicans, who are 10th in the West, has been narrowed to a distance of 2.5 wins. If they still have the desire to fight, there is still a chance to compete for a place in the play-offs. However, with Lillard announcing the season reimbursement, this basically reflects the current mentality of the Blazers, who are likely not to be desperate in the final sprint stage for this play-off spot.
Pelicans - Zion Williamson
Zion's physical condition is like "another boot" hanging over the Pelicans' head. Now, the boots finally landed on the ground, making the muffled sound they expected. According to US media reports, Zion will not come back this season, and recuperating and recovering from injuries will be his main tasks for some time to come.
Ever since the Pelicans picked Zion 3 years ago, "waiting" has been something the team has done in almost 2/3 of the time. In his rookie season, Zion played only 24 games with a knee injury. Last season, he did a good job of staying fit, playing 61 games all season. Although the appearance rate is not high, Zion's efficiency and dominance on the court still make the Pelicans have high expectations for him.
However, this season, Zion has been on suspension since the beginning of the season due to a foot injury. Reports of his injuries went back and forth, one saying he had made significant progress and the other saying that his injuries had reciprocated. Now, as Zion says goodbye to the season once and for all, the tug-of-war between him and the Pelicans will come to an end.
Although Zion hasn't played all season, the Pelicans are still in the 10th place in the West with a record of 30 wins and 42 losses. In front of them, the Lakers lead by 1 win, and the Spurs behind them are also 2 games away. So even without Zion, the Pelicans still have a good chance of keeping a ticket to the play-offs.
And the Lakers in front of the Pelicans, because the 12th Blazers in the West basically gave up, the 11th Inc. Spurs in the West had no desire, so they could basically ensure a play-off ticket.
Nuggets - Jamal Murray & Porter Jr
Under Jokic' leadership, the Nuggets have been relatively stable in the previous games this season, but the recent successive losses to the Cavaliers and Celtics have gradually given them a feeling of "the end of the crossbow". At such moments, the Nuggets desperately need a fresh force to give the team a boost at the end of the regular season. Originally, Jamal Murray and Michael Potter jr., who had previously reported a comeback, were very suitable for this role. But over time, the Nuggets' hopes for this have waned.
Last week, Murray traveled to the Development League for a training session. Although Murray's physical confrontation and training programs were limited during this training, after the training, his knee, which he had injured and operated on 11 months ago, still suffered from soreness. Although this is the inevitable result of a long truce, this is a setback to the confidence of the Nuggets.
"This year, I've warned everyone on the team three times to stay calm," Nuggets coach Malone said, "as it stands, no matter which player it is, I don't see the possibility of his comeback in the short term." ”
Malone's mention of nature is Murray and Porter Jr., and combined with their recent training, it seems that the Nuggets want to welcome back the two big players in the final stage of the regular season, which is still quite difficult. In such a situation, the Nuggets will also face a lot of pressure in the last 10 games. Because the Timberwolves behind them, who have squeezed them to the 7th place in the West before, are now only 0.5 wins behind. With a slight margin, the Nuggets could have to play a playoff. On that stage where the winner or loser is decided, anything can happen.
Nets - Ben Simmons
Since getting Ben Simmons before the trade deadline, the guard who swapped owners with Harden has been holding the free card and has not played in any game for the Nets. Previously, Simmons had seen the March 19 game against the Trail Blazers as a possible Nets debut. But in the end, he postponed his comeback because of a low back injury.
Currently, the latest news shows that Ben Simmons received an epidural injection of the intervertebral disc on the lower back. How effective this treatment will be, and when Simmons will be able to return to the field, is still unknown. Still, the Nets are optimistic about Simmons' recovery, hoping he will return in at least 10 regular season games.
Although Simmons has not played for the Nets since the trade, the Nets have maintained a good performance after Durant's return from injury, and after consecutive defeats over the Blazers and Jazz, the Nets have recently won 7-6 and have climbed to the 7th position in the East.
At present, the Nets are ahead of the 11th Wizards in the East, and already have a 7.5-game advantage, basically ensuring their playoff seats. And they are behind the 6th Cavaliers in the East, there is still a 3-win gap, and it is still difficult to directly lock in the playoff tickets. So from this perspective, Ben Simmons' current situation will not have any fundamental impact on the Nets' journey in the final stages of the regular season.