The
2013-2014 NBA season has been filled with many twists and turns. There have been “interesting” hiring and
firing decisions, unlikely success stories and surprising underachievers. These developments have made for an
interesting regular season. Now, it is
almost time for the NBA Playoffs. There
are a number of teams that are legitimate NBA Title contenders—let’s discuss
those teams.
Miami Heat
Any
discussion of contenders must begin with the Miami Heat. After all, they are the two-time defending
champions. Many basketball experts have
hinted at Miami’s inevitable downfall.
They have discussed Dwyane Wade’s age, his knees are still bad, and
maybe he just does not have “it” anymore.
The first two positions advanced are true, but if you look at his
statistics, he is still an incredibly efficient player. He is averaging just over 19 points per game
and shooting 54% from the field while doing so.
Greg Oden has given the Heat spot minutes here and there. The Heat have also unveiled a potent “big”
lineup featuring Chalmers, Wade, James, Birdman, and Bosh. This lineup was developed, at least it would
seem, to battle the Indiana Pacers. Once
you include Oden in that mix, the Heat appear to have a formidable rotation of
“bigs.” Michael Beasley has been
developing quite nicely and could become an important “X” factor. In short, the Heat’s run still appears to be
in full effect. They remain the
champions until a worthy opponent defeats them—whether that happens remains to
be seen. Stay tuned.
The Indiana Pacers
The
Indiana Pacers have shown great improvement over the past few years. They have an emerging superstar in Paul George.
They have a great, defensive-minded coach and they are tired of playing
the little brother role to the Miami Heat.
That combination has proven to be formidable in the past; however, this
year they hope to get over the proverbial hump.
They have incessantly chased the number one seed in the Eastern Conference;
they believe securing this seed will ultimately determine whether they are
successful in the Playoffs. By
successful, I believe they have adopted a “championship or bust mentality.” The biggest weakness the Pacers have is
their inability to score at critical times.
Sure, George is a good player, but he is not yet able to carry a team
each and every night—he is still learning.
Once the Heat put the defensive clamps on Indiana, I predict another
Heat victory.
San Antonio Spurs
Last
season’s loss to the Miami Heat is probably still eating at the Spurs. They squandered a great opportunity. Either way, they are back with a vengeance
this year. I am always amazed by Gregg
Popovich’s ability to keep the same core, yet seamlessly place other players
into his system. I do not think there is
a better “system” in the NBA. Popovich
is truly a basketball genius; he is also an asshole (if you do not believe me,
watch some of his in-game interviews).
Tim Duncan, Manu Ginobili and Tony Parker are still in tow. These guys truly are elder statesmen in the
NBA. Despite their ages, each has
remained effective and Popovich has done a great job limiting their
minutes. I believe whether they make it
to the NBA finals will depend on whom they are paired against in the Western
Conference playoffs. Fast, disciplined
teams, such as OKC and maybe LAC could cause problems for the Spurs. Stay tuned.
Oklahoma City Thunder
Much
of this year has belonged to Kevin Durant.
He went on quite a tear just after Westbrook went down. His incredible run catapulted him into the
MVP favorite and some folks (not me) even questioned whether he had surpassed Lebron
James as an overall player. The answer
to the latter question is an emphatic ‘no.”
I like the Thunder and believe they have some nice pieces. Westbrook is back after a number of knee surgeries
and appears to be playing at a high level.
Ibaka has really improved his overall game; he is drawing serious
consideration for Defensive Player of the Year. The addition of Caron Butler might prove to
be one of the most important moves they have made. His addition will enable them to go small and
have 5 shooters on the court. In my
mind, this lineup would include Wesbrook, Fisher, Durant, Ibaka and
Butler. They would match up well against
the Heat and could potentially defeat them at their own game. However, unlike the Heat who have only one
serious competitor in the East, OKC will have three tough rounds of basketball. The amount of energy they will likely have to
expend to reach the Finals could zap their energy. We shall see.
Los Angeles Clippers
I
debated long and hard about whether to include the Clippers on the list of
contenders. I have included them for a
number of reasons. First, Blake Griffin
finally appears to have crossed the line into superstardom. He has proven this year that he is more than
a one-dimensional player. However,
basketball fans know that performing well in the regular season is completely
different than performing in the Playoffs.
I still cannot get the picture out of my mind of Zach Randolph tossing
Blake Griffin around like a rag doll. He
has a lot to prove in the Playoffs. Doc
Rivers coaches this team and he is arguably one of the best coaches in the NBA. He coaches defense and his players respect
him. Lastly, and probably the biggest
reason I believe they are contenders, is Chris Paul. He has had a string of dominant Playoff
performances that have ended prematurely.
I think he realizes that he is not competing against his contemporaries
as much as he is against all-time great players. The player he is most often compared
to—Isaiah Thomas—has two NBA Championships.
Steve Nash, Jason Kidd, and Magic Johnson each have at least one
ring. They have the right pieces in
place, so it is now on them to get it done.
We shall see.
There
are other teams that might have some Playoff success, but I think the five
teams I have identified are the forerunners.
Peace
