So the NBA starts at the end of the month, and the fans are going wild all over the world because of this. Lack of basketball games makes then anxious, and they can’t wait for the show to start.
The restart of the NBA will bring some changes, with 10 teams, three from the West, and seven from the East finishing its season right away. All those teams don’t have any chances of seeing the playoffs, which is why the league and its task force decided not to involve them in further action.
Only the ones who have theoretical possibilities to reach the 8th spot in their respective conferences are summoned to Orlando, where the restart begins. Five teams outside the top 8 in the West, and just the Washington Wizards in the East.
Yet we won’t be speaking about them, but instead the biggest candidates for the Larry O’Brien trophy, and of course, Houston’s chances of getting it.
World Sports Network (WSN) knows that three teams are standing above all others when talking about this matter – Milwaukee Bucks, Los Angeles Lakers, and the Los Angeles Clippers.
Bucks, and the Duo From LA the Biggest Favorites for The Title
The Bucks have Giannis, who is the absolute favorite for winning the back-to-back MVP honors, and they are the No.1 team in the league, which would allow them to have the home-court advantage in the possible finals. The reigning champions, the Toronto Raptors are second, and with theoretical chances to reach Bucks.
Meanwhile, the Lakers and the Clippers are at the top two spots in the West, with the note that the Lakers have a 5.5-game advantage over the local rivals. The Denver Nuggets and the Utah Jazz are behind, and the OKC Thunder ties the fifth place with the Rockets, who are 2.5 games behind Denver and one game behind Utah.
With eight games to go until the end of the regular part of the campaign, a lot of things might change, and we could see some big movements in the standings.
The Rockets decided to switch to small-ball basketball during the season, trading their only big fella Clint Capela, to the Hawks, and getting more versatile players on the market. So far, we haven’t seen some spectacular performances from Mike D’Antoni’s crew, but on the other hand, they weren’t bad either.
It could be possible that the Rockets hide all of their tactical thoughts for the playoffs, and now rehearse for those clashes. D’Antoni is perceived as a head coach who knows how to surprise with some unconventional strategies, which is why he decided to play small-ball basketball in the first place. Why wouldn’t we see something else stunning in the playoffs from his side?
Injury Factor
What is very important for the team from Toyota Arena is the fact that they had a chance to completely heal during the hiatus, Over the previous years, the Rockets had various problems due to injuries, and they lost playoff series because of that.
Now, both Westbrook and Harden had three months of rest, which is very important for both of them because of the way they play. We know that these guys spend a lot of time on the court and that they play high-intensity basketball every night.
If everything goes well with their health, the Rockets’ chances to go all the way are dramatically increased. This would be the first time both of the former MVP’s play together in Houston during the post-season, which is completely different from before.
We all know the difference in their approach when it comes to big games, and with D’Antoni’s guidance, the Rockets have the solid chances to make a surprise and finally win the title.