The most tragic playoff card battle is about to appear in the West, with more than 20 games left, 10 teams competing for 8 positions, and 6 teams at risk of being eliminated at any time.
The regular season is about to enter March, the last full month, and the season is about to enter the final stage, the playoffs in the West are very intense, with 10 teams with a record of more than 50%, and in terms of records, they are basically divided into three regions, the upper half, the lower half and the play-off zone.
The top four teams, the Timberwolves, Thunder, Nuggets and Clippers, have all topped the West this season. The difference in the number of losses between the four teams is only two, and the position is difficult to determine, but the difference with the team behind them has reached 5 games, which has opened up a significant distance.
The Timberwolves have played an extreme defensive efficiency this season, and they have a talent advantage against 90% of the teams in the league, which they should have done last season if it weren't for Towns' injury.
The Thunder are the most eye-catching youth force this season, with a 24-58 record in the 21-22 season, two seasons, two leaps, and a direct entry into the top, and the record this season is expected to be no less than 58-24.
The Nuggets are the defending champions, the core lineup has not changed, they are all in their playing years, they have experienced the test of the playoffs, and the true strength of the defending champions should be higher than the rankings.
The Clippers are the traffic team, and after six consecutive losses, they have played the best overall record in the league, and this year is a very good year.
The embarrassment of the top four in the West this year is that in addition to the home court advantage, there is almost no first-round advantage in the rankings, because the back ranking is more anxious than the front, unable to select opponents, and because of the play-offs, there is no way to predict, the 8th place is likely to be one of the Lakers and the Warriors, and every round of the game is not easy to play.
The second half of the region is also four, Pelicans, Suns, Kings and Mavericks, the difference between the four teams is only one, the past four days, take turns to do the 5th place day, it can almost be said to be close hand-to-hand combat, today you are the 5th in the West, after a loss, you may fall directly to the 8th in the West to face the risk of being eliminated from the play-offs, you can imagine how fierce the competition for the name will be.
The Mavericks were one of the biggest winners at the trade deadline, acquiring Gafford and P.J. Washington, bolstering the team's No. 4 and interior depth, with Irving averaging 27 per game in FebruaryWith six points, 55 percent shooting from the field and 48 percent from three-point range, the Mavericks look like a multi-giant team with a more reasonable configuration.
The Suns harvested Royce O'Neal on the deadline day, and Vogel has been pulled to play center, but there is still no suitable candidate for the small ball No. 5 position, Beal is still playing stop-and-go, and the basic handicap is still Durant and Booker.
The Pelicans' record in February is much better than in January, and it is worth mentioning that the two core Yingge and Fat Tiger both increased their average assists per game to 7 in February, and obviously they all know what this team is missing, and if it weren't for the Thunder, they would have been the best youth team in the West.
The Kings are a riskier team in the top 10, not to underestimate them, but in comparison, the offensive league is 15th, the defense is 20th, the main hitter is hand-to-hand, pass-through, dual-core offense is strong and the defense is weak, and it is not an absolute hard hand, and the miserable environment in the West is a bit insufficient.
The bottom half of the zone is the most competitive area, and the relationship between winners and losers has become the key, and since the name of the play-off system is very different, no team wants to play one or two more games to decide the effort of a whole season.
If you think this is the end, then you are wrong, the highlight of the West is the name, the Lakers and the Warriors, they have opened up with the Jazz and the Rockets in the number of negative games, strictly speaking, they are clinging to 5 to 8 places, there is every possibility of moving forward, ideally, they can also kill 5th, this is actually the fierce battle for the Western card position.
The Warriors, in particular, are likely to squeeze into the top 8 with their current form.
This is the most intense year in recent seasons, not only because of the scorching record, but also because of the similar strength, even if the Lakers and Warriors are famous, if they really play in the playoffs, no one will think they are weak teams. It's definitely a good thing for the fans, and the West has been the focus since the play-offs, not to mention the first round this year.