NBA: Which Team is Up, Which is Down
By Teodoro Medina Reynoso
PhilBoxing.com
Thu, 23 Jan 2025
If the current trend continues, we may be looking at a different cast of teams in the post season playoffs for both the Eastern and the Western Conference of the current NBA season.
This is particularly so in the West where two previous also ran teams---the Houston Rockets and the Memphis Grizzlies--- are presently running second and third behind Conference leader, the Oklahoma City Thunder.
In the East, last season's tailender Detroit Pistons are currently at seventh, inside the magic eight.
Now that we have the new insiders, which teams have fallen off thus far making room for their entry?
Let us first take a peek at the current standings.
In the East, we have Cleveland Cavaliers at first with a league topping 36-6. Defending champion Boston Celtics come second, 6.5 games behind at 30-13. New York Knicks third at 29-16, Milwaukee Bucks fourth at 24-17, Indiana Pacers fifth at 24-19, Atlanta Hawks sixth at 22-20 Detroit Pistons seventh at 22-21 and Orlando Magic eighth at 23-22. Also still in the running are Miami Heat at 21-21 and the Chicago Bulls at 19-25.
But former regular contenders, the Philadelphia 76ers at 15-27, have a lot of catching up to do to even vie for the play-off for the last two spots in the post-season.
Apparently already out of contention are the Brooklyn Nets at 14-30, Charlotte Hornets at 11-28, Toronto Raptors at 11-32 and the last placer Washington Wizards at 6-38.
Now in the running, Detroit's current 22 wins is already way above the total 14 victories it tallied in placing dead last 15th in the Conference last season. Contributory to the team's surge is the arrival of Tobias Harris ironically from Philadelphia and the breakout season of Cade Cunningham, the tall guard who was the #1 draft pick in 2021.
In the West, Oklahoma City Thunder is firmly in the lead at 37-7, also 6.5 games ahead of the overachieving Houston Rockets second at 28-14 followed by the resurgent Memphis Grizzlies third at 28-15, Denver Nuggets fourth at 27-16, Los Angeles Clippers fifth at 24-18, Los Angeles Lakers sixth at 23-18, Dallas Mavericks seventh at 23-20 and the Sacramento Kings eighth at 22-20.
Still in the running potentially at least for the playoff's for the 7th and 8th spots in the post season are the Minnesota Timberwolves at 22-21, the Phoenix Suns and the Golden State Warriors both at 21-21 and the San Antonio Spurs at 19-22.
The Portland Trailblazers at 15-28, the New Orleans Pelicans at 12-32 and the Utah Jazz at 10-31 bring out the rear.
The poor performances of New Orleans and the erratic showings of Minnesota, Phoenix and Golden State may appear to have given way for the entries of Houston and Memphis.
But the truth is the Rockets have been where they are now as the product of a long rebuilding process that has transformed their once youthful crew into a cohesive, fighting unit with veterans Fred Van Fleet and Steven Adams providing leadership and steadiness.
The Grizzlies on the other hand are boosted by the return and gravity defying play of their star guard Ja Morant.
Dallas is awaiting the return of Luka Doncic to improve their current precarious place. Minnesota may have been led to a bad deal that sent talented big man Karl Anthony Towns to New York in exchange for Julius Randle and Donte DiVinzenzo. Phoenix and Golden State obviously are in need of trades that would dramatically boost them in their final push for post season slots.
Tingnan natin ang mga mangyayari kasi mahaba haba pa ang season.
The author Teodoro Medina Reynoso is a veteran boxing radio talk show host living in the Philippines. He can be reached at teddyreynoso@yahoo.com and by phone 09215309477.
Click here to view a list of other articles written by Teodoro Medina Reynoso.
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