The second half of the NBA season is about to get going. With so many elite-level teams out there, it’s hard to pick out who are the best of the bunch. After all, seven teams in the Western Conference alone are at least 15 games over .500.
The Golden State Warriors are currently the league’s best (in terms of record) at 42-9. This puts Steve Kerr’s squad on pace to win 68 games. Back east, the Atlanta Hawks are dominating the weaker of the two conferences with a 43-11 record. Though, LeBron James and the Cleveland Cavaliers have started to make a strong push. In any event, let’s check in on our top-five teams around the Association heading into the stretch run.
1. Golden State Warriors (42-9)
Courtesy of USA Today: Stephen Curry has his Warriors playing at a near-record clip.
Some say that the Warriors have hit a rough stretch of play recently, but the team is still 7-3 in its last 10 games and is coming off a brutal travel schedule that included four games in five nights—both on the east coast and the west coast.
Here’s a team that is averaging over 110 points per game and is winning by an average of nearly 11 points per game. Golden State isn’t just dominating at home (23-2), it’s also a ridiculous 19-7 on the road. Led by All-Stars Stephen Curry and Klay Thompson, Golden State also boasts the bench of a true title contender. The likes of Marreese Speights, David Lee, Leandro Barbosa and Shaun Livingston are playing some great basketball off the bench. Potentially a third Splash Brother, defensive stalwart Draymond Green could have also received All-Star consideration. He’s averaging 11.1 points, 8.3 rebounds, 3.6 assists and 1.6 steals per game this season. Those are some mighty impressive numbers.
Now 8.5 games up in the Pacific Division, Golden State’s going to turn its attention to playoff seeding. With a tough slate of games upcoming against the San Antonio Spurs, Washington Wizards, Cleveland Cavaliers and Toronto Raptors, the Warriors will most definitely be tested post All-Star break. If this team can somehow get into March and an easier slate of games maintaining a huge division lead, all eyes will start to turn to how Steve Kerr utilizes his deep rotation in preparation for a championship run.
2. Memphis Grizzlies (39-14)
Memphis may not boast the second-best record in the Association, but there’s little doubt that it is the second-best team in the NBA right now. That much was made clear when this team defeated the Atlanta Hawks leading up to the All-Star break. In possession of a 14-3 record in their last 17 games, it appears that the Grizzlies are starting to find their groove.
In terms of what this team brings to the table moving forward, the front-line duo of Marc Gasol and Zach Randolph is going to cause some major issues for the top teams in the Western Conference, most notably Golden State. The two are combining to average 35.1 points, 20.1 rebounds and about two blocks per game. Equally as important, both are shooting near 50 percent from the field. However, it’s the continued progression of Mike Conley that could put this team over the top. Not only has the former lottery pick become the team’s third scorer, he’s playing great defense in front of the big men. That’s going to be huge for Memphis moving forward.
3. Atlanta Hawks (43-11)
Courtesy of USA Today: Jeff Teague leads an impressive all-around group in Atlanta.
It’s hard to give a team that plays in the Eastern Conference too much credit, but Atlanta definitely deserves to be mentioned with the best teams in the Association. This is a team that’s still 15-4 against the Western Conference, including wins against Golden State, Dallas, Portland and the Los Angeles Clippers. To take them less seriously because of the conference they play in would be a major mistake.
With four All-Stars and a scheme that spreads the ball to take advantage of the players’ skill sets, Atlanta has done a tremendous job getting the most out of the roster. Jeff Teague may be the face of the team, but Paul Millsap and Al Horford upfront have made Atlanta one of the most well-rounded teams in the Association. Those two are combining for 32.4 points, 15.3 rebounds and over six assists per game. Their interior presence has also made it possible for Kyle Korver to put up one of the best shooting seasons (52 percent from beyond the arc) in the history of the Association.
About seven games up on Toronto for the top seed in the Eastern Conference, it’s likely that Atlanta will have home-court advantate throughout the playoffs. And at 25-3 at home, that’s a scary proposition for other Eastern Conference contenders.
4. Portland Trail Blazers (36-17)
With LaMarcus Aldridge back and slated to play through an injury for the remainder of the season, Portland is in a great position to earn one of the top seeds in the ultra-competitive Western Conference. While the Blazers are struggling a bit recently (6-9 in their last 15 games), they did enter the All-Star break winners of four of their last five.
With Aldridge and fellow All-Star Damian Lillard packing one of the best one-two punches in the game, it’s the play of centers Robin Lopez and Chris Kaman that’s going to be a major key moving forward. At the top of their game, this big man tandem can create a tremendous mismatch against other Western Conference contenders. Thus far this season, Lopez and Kaman are combining to average 18.8 points, 14 rebounds and nearly three blocks per game. If they keep this up, Portland will make a deep run in the playoffs.
Though, the biggest issue here for Portland is seeding. As of right now, it would be the No. 3 seed in the Western Conference playoffs, and picking up seven games on Golden State in the second half seems nearly impossible. If the Blazers do end up as the third seed, their 13-12 road record come be a major issue when all is said and done.
5. Houston Rockets (36-17)
Courtesy of USA Today: Harden’s performance this season has been eye-opening.
Even without the services of Dwight Howard, the Rockets have excelled in nearly every category this season. Led by MVP candidate James Harden, Houston finds itself firmly in the conversation for one of the top seeds in the Western Conference. Not only is Harden average a league-high 27.4 points per game, he’s also putting up a ridiculous 6.8 assists and 5.7 rebounds per outing. Joining Harden with stellar overall performances, seven other Rockets are averaging at least nine points per game. Obviously, the additions of Josh Smith and Corey Brewer have helped as it relates to depth.
With all this said, Houston has to be seen a tier below Golden State and Memphis in the conference. Including an 0-4 record against the Warriors, this team is 2-5 against the top two teams in the west. It will be interesting to see how Houston performs against some of the league’s best, especially without the services of Dwight Howard for the foreseeable future.
Photo: USA Today