A new season of sports
Halfway through the regular season, the competition between the teams in the East is gradually becoming clearer, the Celtics are far ahead, and the Bucks, Philadelphia, Knicks and other teams have also maintained a stable record, even the Heat, who have lost seven in a row, are still ranked seventh in the East. On the other hand, in the West, the gap between the teams is not large, especially the top four positions in the West, which are more likely to be determined at the end of the regular season.
As one of the youngest teams in the league, the Thunder have been pleasantly surprised by the quality they have shown this season. The team, once seen as the belly of the West, has been given a new look under Alexander's leadership, and there are plenty of potential players in all positions, and the players are working well with each other and in excellent health. As long as they can maintain that momentum, then the Thunder have a good chance of making the playoffs as the No. 1 in the West.
The Thunder made a strong effort in the second half of the season, and the Timberwolves, who have dominated the first place in the West in the first half of the season, are likely to fall behind the team. Now that the Timberwolves have basically determined a playoff spot, and there is a high probability that they will not slip too much, under such a premise, what the Timberwolves need most is to ensure the health of their core players. It wouldn't be a surprise if the Timberwolves were to rest their main players while securing playoff eligibility.
As the defending champions, the Nuggets' results this season have been unremarkable, but no team has dared to take the Nuggets lightly. Whether it's Jokic on the inside, Murray on the outside, or Porter Jr. and Gordon on the front, the Nuggets have opponents with certain advantages in every position. For the Nuggets, as long as they qualify for the playoffs, they are confident that they will continue to maintain their advantage in the playoffs, after all, the strength of the defending champions cannot be ignored.
The Los Angeles Clippers spent a lot of effort to trade Harden in order to be able to challenge for a championship, and after a painful run-in period, the Clippers Big Three also showed strong dominance. Harden, as the team's tactical initiator, used passes again and again to connect the Clippers' offense, and with Harden sharing the organizational pressure, Leonard has become extremely efficient on the offensive end, and George has more opportunities to score easily.
The Clippers are strong now, not only because of the strength of their starting lineup, but also because their rotation lineup has enough advantages. Wei Shao has become the Clippers' best performing sixth man since he took the initiative to play off the bench, and Powell's projection ability is the key to the Clippers' tactical power. Whether playing one big or four or five dead, the Clippers are able to put out a very tactical roster, and this is the most advantageous part of their game in the West and the entire league today.
Compared with the young Thunder, the Clippers, who are far superior to their opponents in terms of strength and experience, will be the most powerful contender for the first place in the West. If they can finish first in the West, then the Clippers will have an absolute home-court advantage in the playoffs, which will greatly help the physical reserves of the Big Three. The Clippers, who have already set their sights on competing for a championship, are clearly not going to let go of this opportunity easily.