5. Phoenix Suns
Record: 32-27 #4 in the west
The Phoenix Suns added Kevin Durant at the trade deadline, making them the ultimate midseason winners this year. They are the team to beat now in the Western Conference and anything less than a title will be considered a failed season for them. Seeing Durant on the floor with Chris Paul, Devin Booker and Deandre Ayton will be quite the sight to see, yet the Suns still have some holes they will need to fill with Mikal Bridges and Cameron Johnson being traded. Josh Okogie stepping up in recent games is a good sign for the Suns. They have one of the more underrated bench units in the league with Damion Lee, Cameron Payne and now veteran Terrence Ross joining the team after being bought out by the Magic.
4. Philladelphia 76ers
Record: 39-17 #3 in the east
This season, the key for the Philadelphia 76ers is keeping the momentum they have found and not letting up on their opponents. This year, they must constantly tell themselves that they can be better and we have seen this kind of energy throughout the regular season. Adding Jalen McDaniels was a good move for the 76ers, as he will supply this second unit with another lengthy scoring option. This is a Top-5 team in the NBA right now and when they lock in defensively, they are extremely hard to defeat.
3. Denver Nuggets
Record: 40-18 #1 in the west
Nikola Jokic is making a very strong case to win his third consecutive MVP award this season and the Denver Nuggets have been rolling. Denver has been the best team in the Western Conference all season long and if it was not for some injuries, they could be riding a ten-game win streak right now. Denver’s offense is extremely hard to stop, but they can be susceptible to fouling at times, an area opposing teams will have to try and exploit in the postseason. I like the Nuggets and think they deserve a ton of credit for what they have achieved this season and for likely claiming the 1-seed when all is said and done.
2. Milwaukee Bucks
Record: 40-17 #2 in the east
Giannis Antetokounmpo is the best player in the world and continues to prove this every game the Milwaukee Bucks play. There is no way to stop him and overall, I truly believe that the Bucks have the best roster in the NBA. They have shooting depth with Grayson Allen, Pat Connaughton and Joe Ingles, they have a great frontcourt with Brook Lopez and Bobby Portis alongside Giannis and they recently added Jae Crowder to help bolster what the league’s third-best defensive team is. Milwaukee has no flaws, and it seems like they are on a collision course with the team ranked ahead of them to reach the Eastern Conference Finals this season.
1. Boston Celtics
Record: 41-17 #1 in the east
Since the first game of the season, the Boston Celtics have been the best team in the NBA and they continue to hold this title heading into the All-Star break. Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown have been the league’s best duo on both ends of the floor and the Celtics proved that they have what it takes to win a title the other night when they lost to Milwaukee in overtime. Without Jayson Tatum, Jaylen Brown, Marcus Smart and Al Horford, Boston forced overtime against Milwaukee, who had all their starters. Derrick White and Malcolm Brogdon are the best bench duo in this league right now, and only a couple of teams in this league display the way the Celtics play as one cohesive unit. Boston is a real title contender this year.
0 Comments