Chaos in the west? The Clippers strive for the first place, and the Nuggets secretly rise!
Now in the middle of the season, the balance of strength of the Eastern teams is becoming more and more obvious, the Celtics have an absolute advantage, the Bucks, Philadelphia, Knicks and other teams, all performed quite well, even after seven losses, they are still ranked 7th. For the West, the difference in strength is not very large, especially the fourth-ranked team in the East, which is likely to enter the end of the season.
This season, the Thunder are the youngest team, and they have shown their quality in surprising ways. This team, which was once considered the underdog of the West, has completely changed under Alexander's coaching, with great talent in every position, and everyone is physically good, and everyone is talented. If they continue that momentum, they will be the leaders of the Eastern Conference.
In the second half, the Thunder went all the way, while the Timberwolves, who were originally at the top of the Western Conference standings, were in danger of being left behind. Now that Nottingham Forest have secured a spot to make the playoffs, it's unlikely that they will win. Of course, it's no surprise that the Timberwolves could make changes to their starting lineup in order to secure a playoff spot.
Although the Nuggets have not had a great record this season, no team dares to underestimate them. Denver has the absolute upper hand in any of them, whether it's Jokic, outside shooter Murray, Porter or Gordon. And for the Nuggets, if they can make it to the next round, then they will have a lot of confidence, because the championship is not to be underestimated.
In order to enter the NBA, the Los Angeles Clippers did not hesitate to spend a huge price to exchange Harden, and after a period of running-in, the strength of the three has been greatly improved. Harden is the core of the whole team, he constantly passes the ball to his teammates, and with Harden's help, Leonard is more efficient, while George can be more easily blue.
The current Clippers are not only very good starters, but their bench players are also very good players. After actively playing on the bench, Wei Shao is now in the top six in the Clippers, and Powell's shot is also the tactical core of the team. Regardless of the composition"Big four small"or"Death five small"The Clippers can take their tactics to the extreme, and that's where they are most competitive in the entire West, and even in the league as a whole.
Compared to the young Thunder, the Clippers, who have more skills and more experience in the game, are the biggest competitors. If they take the top spot in the East, then they can have more home-court advantage in the playoffs, which is undoubtedly a huge boost for the three giants. And now, the Clippers' goal is to win the championship, and they certainly can't pass up such a good opportunity.