Time flies, and it’s mid-April, with less than 30 days left until the end of the regular season. In the remaining 27 days, both the East and West will enter a brutal position battle mode. Among them, the Pacers, who have the most games remaining, have 18 games left to improve their record, while the Clippers , which has the fewest games, only have 15 games left. . Although the situation in the league may still change a lot in a month, it is obvious that the ranking situation this season has gradually become clear.
[Western Chapter]
First: Jazz
The Jazz, currently ranked first in the Western Conference, are currently 1.5 games ahead of the second-place Suns and 4 games ahead of the third-place Clippers. Their performance has always been very stable. But today Mitchell unfortunately suffered an ankle sprain. When the playoffs come, the Jazz will definitely protect Mitchell strictly. Mitchell averaged 26.5 points, 4.4 rebounds and 5.3 assists per game this season. He averaged 20.6 shots per game, fourth in the league, with a usage rate of 30%. He is the absolute core of the Jazz's offense. Therefore, the lack of offensive arrows will inevitably lead to The Jazz's offensive firepower has declined. But fortunately, the Jazz have one of the top three defenses in the league. At the same time, the Jazz's upcoming schedule is also very easy, so they are very hopeful to get the No. 1 spot in the Western Conference.
Second: Suns Third: Clippers
The Suns received Paul this season and ushered in a qualitative change. They have been in hot form recently, winning 11 games in 12 games. During this period, Ayton's performance became more and more stable, averaging 17.1 points and 10.3 rebounds per game, with a shooting percentage of 68.7%! But next, the Suns will face teams in the playoffs for 8 consecutive games, which will be a severe test for them. However, the Clippers behind them are full of injured soldiers. Adjusting the state, recharging the troops and running the lineup are the most important things for the Clippers at the moment. Coach Tyronn Lue has never cared about the regular season ranking. After all, this team The Clippers' goal has always been a championship.
Fourth: Nuggets Fifth: Lakers
At present, it seems that the Nuggets and Lakers, the teams in the Western Conference Finals last season, will most likely meet in the first round. After experiencing the Western Conference Finals, Jokic and Jokic have made great progress this season and have become the most powerful contenders for this year's MVP. As Embiid continues to make the final sprint for MVP, Jokic is bound to devote all his efforts to the remaining games. Although Murray 's return date has not yet been determined, even if Gordon's joining makes up for the shortcomings of the Nuggets' forward line, Porter's amazing offensive talent can also make up for Murray's scoring to a certain extent, so he is 2 games ahead of the Lakers. Under this situation, the pressure on the Nuggets to stabilize fourth place is not great.
As for the Lakers, the days when the camp has been full of injured soldiers have finally ushered in the dawn, and AD, who has been injured for more than 2 months, is about to return. After AD returns, the inside combination of Davis + Drummond and the substitute players who have performed well recently can help the Lakers get back on track quickly. At the same time, the fourth and fifth players in the Western Conference can avoid running into the Clippers in the first and second rounds. This is a very ideal position for the Lakers who have not had a complete lineup this season, so once the Lakers have a tendency to be surpassed, James He will also return quickly to help the Lakers regain stability. Whether the final ranking is fourth or fifth is of little significance to the Lakers, so with Vogel's ranking guaranteed, he can boldly adjust the lineup at the end of the season, allowing the new players to find a tacit understanding with his teammates and integrate into the team in a timely manner.
Sixth: Trail Blazers Seventh: Mavericks
Lillard's recent sluggish state has also directly led to the Blazers losing 5 of the 9 games since April, missing the best opportunity to catch up with the Lakers. However, Lillard has always been a superstar. The more critical the game, the more heroic his performance. In the 8 regular season games in last year's rematch, Lillard averaged 37.6 points, 4.3 rebounds, 9.6 assists and 1.4 steals per game, and McColler Tom and Powell's offense is also terrifying. Therefore, with two wins ahead of the Mavericks, the Trail Blazers are unlikely to be overtaken by the Mavericks to enter the play-offs. Likewise, Lillard is not afraid to face his old enemy George again!
and Doncic suffered a lot from the Clippers last year. The experienced little Morris constantly harassed and provoked Doncic, causing the usually friendly European boy to lose control of his emotions. This season, with Rondo coming to the Clippers, the young Mavericks are even more reluctant to meet him. In the past week, Doncic, Carlisle and Cuban have all publicly complained about the play-off rules. It seems that they are ready to compete in the playoffs as the seventh seed in the Western Conference.
Eighth in the West: Warriors Ninth: Grizzlies 10th: Pelicans
The Warriors have recently ushered in a 4-game winning streak, and Curry has also started the "Mamba" mode, although the Warriors' bench sometimes still It's hard to make a difference, but Green's condition is getting better and better. He scored 18 points in the game against the Nuggets and sent 16 assists in the game against the Thunder. Under the leadership of Curry and Green, the Warriors' confidence and enthusiasm for winning have reached unprecedented heights. What's more advantageous is that the Warriors' remaining schedule is the easiest among these teams. Therefore, fans are looking forward to whether Curry, who has a historical level of offensive firepower, can lead the Warriors to eighth place.
The Grizzlies will next face the Bucks, Nuggets, Clippers and Trail Blazers. Currently, they are only 32 games ahead of the Spurs. But the Spurs' game is not easy. Their remaining 16 games are Only three opponents are not in the playoffs. The Grizzlies will have games against the Magic, Timberwolves, Raptors and Kings. Their players are also younger and hungry, so there is no doubt that the Grizzlies are more competitive than the Spurs.
The Kings have not won a game in April and have lost nine games in a row. After Holmes was injured, the Kings have never been able to find a way to limit the opponent's scoring. Walton has nothing but to complain about Fox again and again. Other methods. Therefore, the competition for the last playoff spot is between the Pelicans and the Spurs. The Spurs only won 3 out of 10 games in April, and only 4 out of the last 16 games. They are showing signs of collapse due to lack of skills. At the same time, their remaining schedule is also the most difficult in the league. In comparison, the Pelicans' season is much less difficult. Zion, who has recently started holding the ball, is even more comfortable and in hot form. Although he lost to the Wizards today, it also played a role in paying tuition for the young Zion. Taking into account the upcoming schedule, with Zion's efficient performance and England's scoring ability, the Pelicans may win more victories than the Spurs just by relying on offense. But it must be mentioned that the previous record of the two teams was one win and one loss, so whoever can win in the next three battles will have an advantage in the rankings. From today's perspective, The Pelicans would be the more likely one. But neither the Pelicans nor the Spurs are likely to defeat the Grizzlies, whose lineup is more reasonable and more tacit, in the play-offs.
The Lakers avoid the Clippers, and the two teams will not meet before the Western Conference Finals; "cousin" Lillard meets "general" George again, it is not enemies who will not meet; "Mamba" Curry leads the team to counterattack all the way, Breaking into the top eight; it seems that every story is expected and happening. Let us wait and see in the next month to see which direction the playoff situation will take!
(Director Li)
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