As April 15 draws closer, the NBA regular season is coming to an end. After the adaptation at the beginning of the season, the integration in the middle of the season, and the sprint in the late season, the teams have gradually completed the integration and assembly of the team. Compared with the situation that the Celtics in the East are dominant and almost dominated, the Western World can be described as a mixed and chaotic situation. After the recent successive losses of the Rockets, this young team that aims to rise, after biting the Golden State for a period of time, also showed the defect of lack of stamina and fell behind again.
It also makes the bite of the 1-10 places in the West officially enter the white-hot stage, although the chase is different in each stage, but these teams, in addition to breaking into the playoff stage, their common goal is to desire and chase the O'Brien Cup, which will also be their only goal and source of motivation.
The western part of the country is three-legged, and the battle for the top spot is intensifying
Timberwolves, Thunder as two young teams, this season showed extremely tenacious willpower, at the beginning of the season, the two teams occupied the top two positions, a long season, through injuries and personnel fluctuations, but the two teams are still extremely strong, even in the face of the impact of the defending champions, it seems that there is no fear, especially after the Timberwolves experienced the injury of Towns, they were still able to achieve an 11-5 record, this wave of performance to withstand the pressure, but also let the Timberwolves completely transform.
Even the playoff journey should not be underestimated, those teams who want to get on the playoffs, see such a tenacious Timberwolves, and the reunion after the return of Towns from the playoffs, it may be difficult to achieve a counterattack, and it will also make this team that has been silent for many years, driven by Finch, is expected to soar into the sky and win their own future. Therefore, no matter against the Lakers or other teams, the chances of the Timberwolves overturning in the first round of the playoffs will be slim.
As the defending champion, the Nuggets' strength cannot be underestimated, but Murray's injury has always been the biggest problem for the Nuggets, and once Murray is absent, the fact that the Nuggets' offensive ability has plummeted has made it break off its wings, so it seems that the Nuggets are the most likely to break out of the West, but in fact, the hidden dangers of the Nuggets cannot be ignored, especially in the case of going all out to compete for the first place in the West, they are still suppressed by the Timberwolves who lack Towns. A thorn in the flesh will also be the most tricky opponent to break out of the West.
As the youngest team among the three teams, the Thunder has also exposed its flaws and weaknesses in the latter part of the season, and the continuous performance of falling behind has also made the Thunder drift away, and it is very likely that they will not be able to catch up, and can only accept the fact that they are in third place, not only that, once the sixth place in the West falls on the Suns, the stage of the playoffs, the Thunder will not have much advantage, most of the players have no experience in the playoffs, what kind of weakness in the face of the experienced Suns, undoubtedly a punch on the cotton, the Thunder has also become the top three teams among the three teams, most likely to be shot down by the next gram。
To sum up, the Thunder is in third place among the three teams, and who can occupy the high position between the Nuggets and the Timberwolves, the strong dialogue between the two teams on April 11 will be the key battle to determine the first place in the West, and it will also be the Shura field of the two teams, which can be described as both decisive and deadly. But in terms of the current situation, the Timberwolves seem to have some initiative.
The fateful duel between Irving and Harden was staged in advance
When the Pelicans bit the Suns, the Mavericks and the Clippers won one after another, the 4th and 5th places also became the two teams that could not be found in the village and not in the back. The Mavericks and Clippers are the two giants in the West, although there were not too many grievances before, but the grievances and hatred between Irving and Harden, the former good friends, can be described as full of topics.
On the other hand, on the Clippers' side, Leonard's injury hazards, the attributes of Wei Shao's nerve knife, and whether Zubac can take the initiative in the restricted area, and Harden, who is not good at playing tough battles, can go against the norm and prove that he will become a key factor in the trend of the game, but in terms of star quality, the Clippers have a slight advantage, but the Clippers are too variable, and the internal strife between Harden and the team, as well as Leonard's injury management and other objective conditions, will hinder this hard-fought peak battle。
Throughout the All-Star weekend, the Mavericks are obviously in more energetic state, they are also all the way to the fifth place in the West, obviously the state and energy are more abundant, but the Clippers who have been experiencing roller coasters are not safe, even if they have the home court advantage, the Clippers are still likely to experience a round of tours, in the case of a small gap, a certain point of downturn and outbreak will change the trend and variables of the game, therefore, the Mavericks, as the next player, seem to be more stable, the deterrence of the Eastern European combination's continuous transformation, and better chemistry, all make it more capable of breaking through, so the Clippers are very likely to make a wedding dress for others, and once again empty joy, busy for a season, for this ambitious team, will eventually lose to the details, maybe put the bet on Leonard, doomed the Clippers to nothing.
The battle for the last ticket has entered a white-hot stage
After the Mavericks and Clippers almost locked the 4th and 5th places, the battle for 6-10 places in the West has also entered the most tragic stage, and the Suns are currently temporarily in the sixth place in the West in a slight way. The Pelicans have the same record and are temporarily in seventh place in the West, while the Kings lack Monk and Huerter are one win behind the Suns and Pelicans and temporarily occupy the eighth place in the West. After losing to the Timberwolves and suffering from Davis's injury, the Lakers returned to their original form again, 1.5 wins behind the Suns and Pelicans, temporarily in the ninth place in the West, and returned to the hot potato.
For these five teams, the Warriors almost lost the opportunity to compete for the last playoff ticket, the Lakers lost to the Timberwolves, and gradually drifted away, and the sixth place in the West will almost be produced among the Suns, Pelicans, and Kings. The Suns still occupy the initiative, but in the next four games, the Suns will face the Clippers, Kings, and Timberwolves respectively, which can be called the devil's schedule, which also makes the Suns a little careless and is still expected to lose the status of the top six in the West. It also made the battle for the last ticket enter the fierce white-hot stage again.
As a team in the 9th or 10th place, the two teams in the play-offs must have an injury, even if they can break into the playoffs, it will be one of the two, and there is a high probability of facing one of the two teams of the Timberwolves and Nuggets, no matter which team, there is no absolute advantage over the Lake, and the Nuggets are completely crushing the two dynasty teams of the Lake, so the expected counterattack will hardly appear, and the struggle of the Lakers is nothing more than looking for a weak field for their poor self-esteem, and there is no other possibility.
For the 6, 7, 8 three teams, can be described as confused, the Pelicans, the King suffered from injuries, even if the schedule is relatively easy, but the lack of core stars, but will be blocked by the Lakers, as well as the civil war between the strong teams, so, it is not easy, the lack of soldiers and major generals, will be the biggest difficulty for the two teams to counterattack, and the Kings are 1 win behind, and it will be the best ending to be able to stabilize the eighth place in the West.
On the contrary, the Suns' devilish schedule will also be the biggest obstacle to the Suns winning the sixth place in the West. To sum up, for the three teams, there is a certain degree of difficulty in competing for the last playoff ticket, as well as their own thorny problems, but through the recent performance of the three teams, it seems that the Suns are most likely to break through, but whether Booker can give up his obsession and make a wedding dress for others in a bad state will be the only salvation for the team to stand out, and it will also be whether the Suns can win the last early playoff ticket, the only goal, but compared to the injury troubles that the other two teams cannot make up, if the Suns can change their attitude and method, they are still expected to take the lead in breaking through and finishing sixth in the West, lock in the playoffs in advance, and start the journey to the championship.
Summary: The Thunder is likely to sit in the third place, but the first round of the playoffs will be out of the game, their immaturity and lack of experience will make them pay the price, just as the Thunder three less, the two teams in the City of Angels, the probability will become cannon fodder, the Lakers after falling out of the top eight, whether they can win the playoff tickets, undecided, it is difficult for the Clippers to break through the control of the Mavericks, after all, the Clippers have too many troubles, and the uncontrollable factors are more tricky, so the City of Angels is very likely to be the first to withdraw from the championship ranks. The Suns are likely to lock up the sixth place in the West, and are expected to achieve a counterattack after the tempering of the devil's schedule, and advance to the stage of the division semifinals for the first time. The Pelicans, Kings, and Warriors are likely to become cannon fodder on the road to the championship for the Nuggets and Timberwolves.
Therefore, on the stage of the division semifinals, there is a high probability that it will be the Mavericks, Suns, Nuggets, and Timberwolves, whether it is against the Nuggets or the Timberwolves, the Suns will not fall into the disadvantage, as long as Booker can fit the matter and take the initiative to give up, the Suns are unlimited, and the Nuggets, as a team restrained by the Suns, in addition to Murray's injury, Nurkic's restrictions on Jokic will also become the biggest killer feature of the Suns, so the Suns are still not to be underestimated, on the contrary, once the Timberwolves face the Mavericks, they still have an absolute advantage. Therefore, on the stage of the Western Conference finals, the absolute hope of the Suns and Timberwolves is greater, no matter who wins or loses, the West will usher in a new division of kings and a new era.