NBA Season of Déjà vu Season of Déjà vu - Part two
by Dan Salem and Todd Salem (12-6-13)
[Part one - Season of Déjà vu]
TODD:
Picking a surprise team from the East is tricky. On the surface, someone like Toronto would qualify. They are below .500 and have been struggling. But because of the division standings, they are currently fourth in the conference...not much of a sleeper. I really liked what the Hawks and Pistons did in the offseason so they are teams to keep an eye on. Twenty games in is a quality sample size but not enough to mark a team as dead. Look for the Pistons and Hawks to both battle for one of those top four seeds to secure home court advantage in the first round.
Although the Boston Celtics have pretty much the same record as these teams, I don't see the playoff sleeper potential here. If anything, they've been playing over their heads. It made too much sense for them to tank this season. Scratching out a seven or eight seed now doesn't help them long term. There isn't enough talent on the roster to surprise anyone in the playoffs.
DAN:
Yeah, I was grasping for a glamour pick with the Celtics as sleeper. Let's just face it, the Eastern Conference is not very good. Every team is average and lacks a reason for a casual fan to watch them. I'll move on to the West.
In the Western Conference all of the top eight teams are over .500; what a contrast to the East! I'm pulling hard for Portland to hang on and lead the pack. And there is serious upset potential come playoff time. The Lakers and Grizzlies are lurking over the final playoff spots, as is Phoenix, and I say at least one of them snags a spot from Dallas or Denver. So will anything change from last season? Yes, yes it will.
Last year the Spurs and Thunder held on well into the post season, mainly because several other young teams didn't have enough experience yet to match up with them for the long haul. I believe Golden State gets over that hump this season. They are no longer a surprise and will move one step further this year. I'm not ready to put them in the NBA Finals, but I'm damn close. I also love Houston's potential late in the season to knock off the former big boys. The East may be business as usual, but out West things will get interesting and expectations dashed. I WANT to pick the Clippers to take a step forward, but unfortunately they are stuck in the same spot.
TODD:
The Spurs and Thunder are still the favorites, but Portland has clearly established themselves as a team to be reckoned with. A record of 16-3 is no joke. If anyone is going to be that third team challenging for the Western Conference Finals, it's the Blazers. Golden State still seems flawed to me. They could obviously make a playoff run if their shooters get hot. It is pretty easy to imagine. However, I feel more confident in a post scorer like LaMarcus Aldridge and a point guard who gets to the hoop like Damian Lillard on Portland, than I do catching fire from behind the arc with the Warriors.
Houston and the Clips are interesting because they both seem like they are one player away from competing, and that one move could come if they trade with each other. Omer Asik does not fit on Houston. Everyone knew that the second they signed Dwight Howard. He is going to be moved. If Los Angeles can scrap together something Houston wants, or perhaps involve a third team, Asik is just the type of player the Clippers need to solidify their front line.
Let's revisit the standings around Christmas, when the soul of the NBA season kicks off. Hopefully one of these contenders has made a move by then. Give me some trades.
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