(Translator's Note: The source of this article is ESPN, and the content does not represent the views of the translator and the platform.) ）
The playoffs are coming! This season's championship race may be one of the most suspenseful in NBA history.
In the East, the teams' records are so similar that they differ by only 10 games from 1st to 10th. According to ESPN's statistics, this is the closest division record since the 1976-77 NBA and ABA merger.
The Heat are leading the way, followed by Tatum, Brown and the Celtics on the rise, alphabet brothers and defending champion Bucks, as well as Embiid, Harden and the rejuvenated 76ers.
We haven't mentioned the Nets yet, who are currently lurking in the playoffs after a regular season full of injuries and farce. If Durant, Irving and the Nets come out of the playoffs, other teams need to be careful.
With the playoffs and playoffs just around the corner, let's take a look at some of the highlights of the 10 teams that currently qualify, including storylines, stats, and stars you can't miss.
Eastern Chapter:
1. Butler's three-pointer mystery
Butler's three-point performance this season is as follows:
October: Averaged 1.3 shots per game and 0.5 hits
November: Averaged 2 shots per game, hitting 0.2
December: Averaged 1.3 shots per game and hit 0.5 shots
January: Averaged 2.4 shots per game and hit 0.5 shots
February: Averaged 1.8 shots per game and hit 0.2 shots
March: Averaged 2.4 shots per game and hit 0.6
Then, in April, his teammates told him to shoot three more points. As a result, he averaged 3 three-point shots per game and hit 1.3.
2) They have strong contenders for the best sixth man of the year
This season, as a substitute, Taylor Hiro has performed quite well, averaging 20.7 points, 5 rebounds and 4 assists per game. He was one of the key factors in the Heat's ability to top the First Place record in the East this season. If the 22-year-old maintains this form in the playoffs, it will be crucial to the Heat's success, especially given his poor performances in last season's division finals series against the Bucks. In last year's series swept by the Bucks, Hiro averaged just 9.3 points per game and shot as low as 31.6 percent.
3. Another surprise soldier on the bench
Max Strus exploded with the Heat this year, averaging 10.6 points per game and shooting 41 percent from three-point range. The 26-year-old proved that he can provide the team with reliable firepower when his name is called, and he can also play an important role when the Heat need to pull away space on the court. Hiro, Strus and Duncan Robinson were all able to provide the long-range firepower the team needed.
4) The Celtics have been a team since January
Before the Jan. 23 game against the Washington Wizards, the Celtics were a team with only a 50 percent win rate. But, since then, they've clearly become the best team in the East. With an average of more than 14 points per 100 possessions, rising from play-offs to second in the East and home field advantage in the first round, they have re-established their confidence in the championship.
5) They lost the defensive gate in March
Robert Williams III is one of the league's fastest-improving players this season and a key player in the league's Celtics defense. Lowe underwent meniscus repair surgery at the end of March and will not return at least in the first round of the playoffs, which will require Horford, Theis and Grant Williams to fill the gap he has created.
6. Important supplement before the transaction deadline
Derek White, who joined before the trade deadline, played an important role in the Green Army, being able to make the right decisions quickly on the pitch and being a tough defender. But with the playoffs on the way, White's three-pointer is worrying. Since joining the Green Army, he has only shot 30.6 percent from three-point range. It's worth looking forward to how he plays in the playoffs with Tatum and Jaylen Brown at the same time.
7) Smart could end DPOY's history of being ruled by big men
Smart, one of the favourites for the Defensive Player of the Year award, said his versatility was a big reason he became the first point guard to win a DPOY since Gary Payton in 1996. According to ESPN statistics, Smart has made 422 post-ball substitutions this season, the third most in the NBA. In these rounds, the Green Army averaged 0.89 points per opponent per game, compared to the league's average of 0.95 points.
8, alphabet brother played another MVP season
Alphabet brother has played a dominant performance this season, and he is likely to win his third regular season MVP trophy. He has often served as the team's offensive launch point this season and has been in the centre forward position more than ever before. He's averaging 29.9 points per game, third in the league, and he's a strong contender for the best defensive player.
9, the letter brother in the key moments of the performance is better
When the game starts, Alphabet Brother will be at his best right away. This season, he played 526 minutes in the fourth quarter and scored 528 points, making him one of the five players who have averaged more than 1 point per minute in the fourth quarter since the 1996-97 season. He also became the first player in the past 25 years to average eight points per game in a single season with at least 55 percent shooting in the fourth quarter.
10. Brooke Lopez returns in time
Bucks starting center Brook Lopez has played just 11 games this season after being sidelined for a long time due to back surgery last December. But he returned just in time for the playoffs to start, and when he did, the Bucks' opponents shot just 30 percent (12-of-40) in the box. Last season, Lopez ranked second in defending the opponent's interior shooting percentage, only below the Warriors' forward's dream.
11. The Bucks' defense is declining
During the 4-year tenure of head coach Mike Budenholzer, defense has been the Bucks' label. But this year, their defense has slipped, falling outside the top 10 for the first time in four years, only 14th. Last year's championship season, the Bucks' defense rose from 9th in the regular season to first in the playoffs, can they still replicate last year's trajectory this year and successfully defend their titles?
12 When Harden and Embiid are on the floor at the same time, the 76ers are unstoppable
Philadelphia got former MVP Harden at the trade deadline, and his partner with Embiid looks very dominant. When they're on the floor at the same time, they average 15.9 points per 100 possessions than their opponents, ranking second in a duo of at least 600 minutes this season.
13. Maxi is the biggest beneficiary of Simmons' transactions
While Simmons was waiting to be traded, Teres Maxi took control of the team's offense as the team's starting point guard. He did a great job. He averages 17.4 points per game and shoots 43.3 percent from three-point range. The improvement in his projection ability, combined with his speed, makes him a huge gain for the 76ers in the 2020 draft, and he also becomes an important piece of the puzzle for the team's future.
The 14th and 76th people's change of defense was terrible
According to ESPN statistics, since Harden joined the 76ers at the trade deadline, they have made their opponents shoot 64.9% after changing defenses, the worst in the league in the same period. By the trade deadline, the figure was 55.7 percent, ranking 20th.
15. Substitute center issue
In the Ben Simmons trade, center Drummond went to the Nets. Head coach Rivers had to sort out the problem of the backup center in a variety of ways, usually with Jordan Jr., even though he didn't play in the game against the Bucks at the end of March but on Millsap. When Embiid came off the field, the two veterans struggled with their performances on the pitch. When the two of them are on the floor, the 76ers concede 12 more points per 100 possessions.
16, the Raptors have benches, but they don't
Today, when managing the health of players is becoming more and more important, the Raptors still insist on letting the starter play for a long time is simply against the trend. Each of the Raptors' starters — VanVleet, Siakam, Anunoby, Barnes and Trent Jr. — are all in the top 30 in the league in terms of average playing time per game, with VanVleet and Siakam at the top with an average of 37.9 minutes per game. Interestingly, in the playoffs, when other teams use their starting lineups for as long as the Raptors, do the Raptors have room to adjust?
17, Barnes is really great
The only reason scotty barnes, the No. 4 pick of 2021, if he doesn't get the best rookie of the year, is that this rookie is too strong. Cavaliers' Evan Mobley and Pistons' Cade Cunningham also played well enough to win the award. There is no doubt that Barnes will certainly be the biggest hit. The 6'7-inch forward has averaged 15.4 points and 7.6 rebounds per game this season, and he's playing with energy and power. Few rookies like Barnes can make it to the playoffs in their first year, and it remains to be seen what kind of performance he can play on the larger stage of the playoffs.
18, the Raptors... Found a way out (line from the movie Jurassic Park)
In January, during the Raptors' home game against the Suns, Suns player Devin Booker complained to the referee that the Raptors' home mascot interfered with him when he made a free throw. In this year's playoffs, who can take over Booker's mantle and continue to entangle with the Raptors?
(Translator's note: Because of Canada's epidemic prevention policy, the Raptors' home game was held empty at that time, and the home team mascot was the only "spectator" allowed to enter. ）
19 DeRozan is the new king of the fourth verse
Thanks to his best performances at key moments, DeRozan helped the Bulls win several games close to the score. A pivotal moment in the season — defined as a five-point gap between the two teams in the final minutes of the fourth quarter or overtime — he scored 157 points from 53.5 percent shooting, becoming the fourth player in the last 10 years to do so, joining Lillard last season, James in 2017-18 and CJ McCollum in 2016-17.
20. The Bulls can't beat playoff teams
The Bulls briefly led the Eastern Conference's record table this season, but have since declined because they can't win against potential Playoff teams in the East. The Bulls have a 1-14 record against the top four eastern conference teams this season, the second-worst win rate of eastern conference playoff teams against the top four eastern conference since 1984. Only the 2019-20 Magic were worse than them, with a record of 0-14 against the top four in the East.
21. Ball's long pass
One of the reasons the Bulls got off to a hit early in the season was because of Lonzo Ball's long-range passing, which usually followed with Zach Lavine's violent dunks. According to ESPN statistics, Ball is third in the league in terms of at least 40 yards of long pass assists and one of the most interesting and watchable elements of the Bulls offensive end. But with Bauer out of the squad for a left knee injury, that's all gone, and he's not coming back this season.
22, the Bulls' three-point problem in the second half of the season
With Ball's injury sidelined, the Bulls exposed two outstanding problems in the second half of the season — defensive slippage and three-point shooting ability. The Bulls have the fewest three-point shooting in the league this season, but their three-point shooting percentage is in the league's top five. However, after the All-Star Game, they not only averaged the fewest three-point shots per game, but also dropped to 23rd place in shooting. On the defensive end, they also dropped from 10th in early January to 23rd.
23, the Nets on the defensive end of the problem
Durant and Irving are the NBA's most explosive scorers on the offensive end in recent years, and they can score whenever they want to. They continued to play dominant scoring performances, as exemplified by Durant scoring 55 points in the game that lost to the Hawks in early April, while Irving scored 60 points in the game of victory over the Magic in March. But is their offensive talent enough to fill the team's holes on the defensive end? The Nets' defense was good at the start of the season, but they are now 112.3 defensively efficient, slipping to 20th.
24. Will Simmons play?
Head coach Nash has made it clear that even if three-time All-Star Ben Simmons doesn't play all season, there won't be any problems. While Simmons is unlikely to play in the playoffs, the door to his appearance at some point in the playoffs hasn't been completely closed. Sources told ESPN that Simmons could make his Nets debut sometime in the playoffs first round.
25. Bruce Brown's importance to the Nets
The 25-year-old forward , known for his performance on the inside — has performed well over the past March, averaging 14.7 points, 5.5 rebounds and 3.7 assists per game. He also gave the Nets tough defense, and he publicly said last season's Eastern Conference semifinals series against the Bucks became a powerful motivator for him to try to improve himself in the summer.
26, the second round of the show to pick up the treasure
Kessler Edwards, who has played well with the Nets this season, finally got his first official NBA contract with the two-way contract player. The 2021 second-round pick from Pepperdale University not only has height and athletic talent, but also shot a whopping 47.4% three-point shooting rate in 12 games in March.
27, knights deserve more respect
What is one of the reasons why the Cavaliers have far exceeded expectations? They have three players in the frontcourt who are over 6'10" tall (Jarrett Allen, Laurie Markkanen, Evan Mobley). According to the NBA's advanced statistics, when all three are on the floor at the same time, the Cavaliers score an average of 7.9 points more than their opponents per 100 rounds. When all three of them started at the same time, the Cavaliers' record was 22-14, or 61.11 percent.
28 Don't go to the knight's inner line
With Allen and Mobley on the Cavaliers' interior, the Cavaliers' interior defense is as good as the NBA's best teams. Opponents accounted for only 60.5% of shots in the reasonable collision zone when playing against the Cavaliers, the lowest in the league. According to Second Spectrum statistics, despite Allen's low block rate, when he was the team's closest defender within 5 feet, his opponents shot just 51 percent from the field, ranking fifth among all players who interfered with at least 200 shots.
29 Garland will be a big problem for other teams
As a rookie for the 2019-20 season — Garland played just five games at Vanderbilt University before entering the NBA — he played almost the worst of any player who played enough time. However, just 2 years later, he became an All-Star, and it was on his own home. Garland quickly grew into a master of blocking tactics, and he was able to shoot three-pointers, kill inside the box, and arrange for teammates to move on the field.
30. The Cavaliers' injuries
The Cavaliers have had their first season with more than 50 percent wins since James left Los Angeles, but injuries have hit them too hard. No one in the Cavaliers starting lineup has played more than 68 games, including Sexton and Rubio, who bid farewell to the season early due to injury. After the team's All-Star Player Allen was absent due to injury, their record was 7-11, which sent them straight to the play-off zone.
31 The Hawks are ready to shock the NBA again
Last season, the Hawks reached the Eastern Conference Finals as a dark horse, shocking the entire NBA. This year, can they surprise everyone again? To do that, they first need to win 2 games to emerge from the play-offs. The Hawks have a very high winning percentage at home this season (they have the third-highest number of wins at home) and any team with Trae Young has a chance to move forward in the playoffs.
32. Tiny's record of Trey Young
Trae Young's total number of points and assists this season has been the most in the league, and another player in league history to do so was Knight Archibald, nicknamed "Tiny the Elf" in the 1972-73 season. At the end of the season, Trae Young surpassed DeRozan in total points and surpassed Paul in total assists. Trae Young has averaged 28.4 points and 9.7 assists per game this season, ranking 4th and 3rd respectively.
33, the Eagle's three points are very powerful
Trae Young, known for his three-point shooting and range, has averaged eight three-pointers per game this season, ranking sixth in the East and shooting 38 percent from the field, but he's not the Hawks' only three-point shooter. In three-point shooting percentage, the Hawks rank second in the league (37.4 percent). They have 10 players who have shot more than 100 three-pointers this season. The lowest shooting percentage among them is Timothy Rowau Cabaro's 36.1 percent, which is better than the 19 teams in the NBA this season.
34 The Hawks' poor defense could get them out early
The Hawks have averaged 113.7 points per 100 possessions this season, ranking 26th, but they still have positive efficiency (good offense). This season, the Hawks have made his opponents shoot 47.1 percent from the field and 36.4 percent from three-point range, making them one of the league's worst 10 teams.
35. A big step for Lameló Bauer
In his second season, Ball was named an All-Star, becoming the fourth youngest All-Star in NBA history, behind Kobe, James, and Magic. It would be unfair to expect Bauer to reach these three, but his future is bright.
36. The progress of Rozier and Bridges
In the 2020-21 season, Miles Bridges played in 66 games, starting 19 of them, when he had shown his scoring ability. This season, he's averaged 20.2 points per game, making him the Hornets' leading scorer. In his season on the verge of becoming a restricted free agent, his possessions rose to a career-high 23 percent. Despite his poor shooting percentage outside the three-point line, his shooting percentage on the inside is good, and his future will be a big attraction in this offseason. After losing Gordon Hayward, Terry Rozier's performance was crucial to the Hornets' ability to reach the play-offs. After a slow-hot start, skepticism followed about the four-year, $97 million contract he signed last summer. But he played well in March, averaging 21 points per game, shooting 43 percent from three-point range and shooting 97 percent from the free throw line (33-of-34). If Rozier can have such a shooting percentage in the play-offs, then opponents, be careful!
37. The sound of the pass resounded throughout the field
This season, the Hornets have averaged 28.1 assists per game, the league's first. In terms of 2-pointers, the Hornets have the third-highest assist rate in the league, behind the Nuggets and Warriors. Ball is of course key, but the Hornets have 5 players (Ball, Rozier, Bridges, Hayward, Plumlee) who are able to average at least 3 assists per game, with only 3 teams having more to do.
Compilation: Nanshan