The NBA All-Star break is the unofficial mid-point of the season, and is a great time to not only reflect on the first half of the year, but also to look ahead at the stretch run to the playoffs. LayupDrill.com takes a look at the 5 biggest headlines that will dominate the remainder of the regular season, along with some bold predictions.
5. Will the Oklahoma City Thunder make the playoffs?
Behind the dynamic duo of Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook, OKC has been one of the biggest surprises in the league this year. The franchise formerly known as the Sonics currently sit with the identical record (30-21) as the Spurs, good for 6th in the West. With just 1 game separating the 5 seed(Spurs) from the 8th seed(Blazers), there will be plenty of movement in the coming weeks. When the dust settles though, the Thunder won’t fall flat, and will secure their first playoff birth in OKC history.
4. Will the Lakers rest Kobe?
The Lakers are sitting atop the Western Conference at the All-Star break with a 5 game lead over the Denver Nuggets. While their lead in their own conference seems somewhat secure, Kobe’s crew is 2 games behind Lebron James and the Cavs for best overall record in the league, and home court in the NBA Finals should those two teams meet. Knowing how important homecourt can be in June, I expect the Lakers to put on a full court press in the first 3 weeks after the break, in an attempt to string off their own 8-10 game winning streak. Saying that, I don’t believe the Lakers will end up catching Cleveland for the best record overall, so Phil Jackson should end up with some time down the stretch to rest number 24.
3. Should the Cavs trade for Amare Stoudemire?
The talk around the league is that before the trade deadline, Cleveland will look to land Suns forward Amare Stoudemire. Already sporting the best record in the NBA, Cavs brass must not feel comfortable enough to think that the front line of Shaq, J.J Hickson and Big Z will be enough to overtake their Eastern conference foes, let alone Andrew Bynum and Pau Gasol in June. Is Amare the answer though? I’m not convinced, if Shaq is around. It may work short term(three-four months), but this is a HUGE gamble to take. Anything short of a NBA title will once again cost the Cavs, and likely Mike Brown, big time.
2. Are the Nets the worst team in NBA history?
It’s amazing that it wasn’t that long ago the Nets were representing the East in the NBA Finals. Now, the 4-48 Nets seem to be counting the days until the season is over, and the free agent season begins. New Jersey will have a sure top lottery pick in this years draft, along with lots of money to spend in the free agent market, but who will really want to play for them? The odds of the Nets landing the likes of Lebron or Dwyane Wade are slim and none. I don’t see Chris Bosh or Amare going there either. Would Joe Johnson really leave the Hawks(a contender) to head to NJ for a few extra million? If the Nets set the record for futility this year, that would do even more damage to their campaign to bring a big name in this summer.
1. So, Who is your NBA Finals pick now?
I haven’t made an NBA Finals prediction since last summer, where I said the Lakers would once again see the Boston Celtics in the championship round. Since then, we have seen Boston get old pretty quick, and Lebron take his game to new heights. Though the Orlando Magic still pose a true test to Cleveland, it is tough to go against the Cavs with homecourt advantage throughout this year. In the West, the Lakers road to their third straight NBA Finals will be somewhat tougher than last year, as the Nuggets are better, and seem to matchup very well. If L.A can stay healthy, they SHOULD be able to advance.
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