It’s a crucial turning point of the NBA season for teams that are still hoping to contend. This weekend will be a litmus test for these 6 teams to determine where they are in their development.
Are we contending for a title? Will we be able to win a few rounds in the playoffs? Can we even make the playoffs?
These are the questions teams are asking themselves at this point in the season. They have to decide what’s realistic and start building towards that. We’re in for a fun weekend.
FRIDAY NIGHT:
JAZZ @ CLIPPERS (10 PM on ESPN)
This game will be missing Mike Conley JR, Kawhi Leonard, and Paul George. However, that didn’t stop the Clippers from putting up a fight on Wednesday Night.
We previewed Jazz-Clippers on Wednesday night with Merekat, Ty B, Dunny and myself.
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCf9-g5LyUCga5UpKa541ggg
Even without the Clippers superstars, the importance of this matchup can’t be understated. These two teams are the most credible threats to the defending champion Lakers.
So, which one will have the upper hand by the end of the season? These games could go a long way in determining who has to play the Lakers before the Conference Finals.
SATURDAY NIGHT:
HEAT @ LAKERS (8:30 PM on ESPN)
The Miami Heat and the Los Angeles Lakers have found themselves at a crossroads in his shortened NBA season. Last year, these two teams dueled in an epic 6-game NBA Finals. It was one of the most unique environment we’ve ever seen in the history of professional sports.
We wondered what kind of mental and physical impact playing in the bubble would have on these teams. Not only did they play longer than any other team, but they also have had the shortest turnaround to this season.
That has put a lot of roadblocks in front of both of them to get back to last year’s glory.
So let’s start with the Miami Heat. Miami comes into this matchup at 12-17 and currently sits outside of the playoff race at 11th in the East. But they have yet to really have a chance to play with their full squad this year.
In turn, the Heat looks like they have been sleepwalking through the beginning of the season.
Now, Jimmy Butler is back and healthy after missing most of the beginning of the season. And it’s about damn time.
He hasn’t played that well in his return, but they need his energy and effort to have a chance to make a run back into a playoff spot.
Bam Adebayo has looked like his usual excellent self, but he is not the type of player to carry the team in Butler’s absence.
It also seems as though Herro and Robinson might have been given too much of a role on this year’s team.
Last year’s bubble performance might have added unnecessary expectations on the two young guards. We will see if they can turn into the impact players they were before once the playoffs roll around.
For the Lakers? They have just shown up to their crossroads.
While the beginning of the season seemed to play out smoothly for an older team coming off an NBA title, the effects of the quick turnaround are now being felt.
Anthony Davis will be out for the next month at least with Tendonosis in his left leg. It is an injury that has affected him all year long, which might explain why he is having some of the lowest offensive output of his young career.
We won’t know if this is a lingering issue until Davis steps back on the floor. My educated guess? This is something that won’t be completely healed until the offseason. That means that the Lakers shouldn’t expect Davis to be playing at this normal MVP level when they get him back.
So of course, the onus falls on the 36-year-old LeBron James. We have seen James carry lesser rosters to playoff prominence in the past. Can he do it one more time while his superstar running mate is sidelined?
Last night’s 109-98 loss to the Brooklyn Nets showed that it’s going to take some tinkering to make sure that the Lakers can replace the offensive output of Davis. This team needs to tread water.
With Phoenix right on their tails, Utah blowing away the competition, and those pesky Clippers keeping pace, the defending champs have their hands full out west.
SUNDAY SUNDAY SUNDAY
BOSTON @ NEW ORLEANS (3:30 PM ON ABC)
Doesn’t it feel like the Celtics own the Sunday afternoon slot when the NBA starts taking over for the NFL on Sundays? I feel like they ALWAYS play in these games.
Nonetheless, the pressure is on in Boston and this team could be at a breaking point. They miss Marcus Smart’s defense and versatility dearly, but the issues for the Celtics go beyond that.
Unfortunately, Kemba Walker has not returned to his all-star form upon returning from injury. The Celtics were counting on him to be a star again because they desperately need scoring from somewhere on the roster other than the two Jay’s.
It’s hard to believe that both Tatum and Brown can be averaging over 25 PPG while this team is still middling around .500.
Still, it feels like the Celtics hoped those two could mask the deficiencies of this roster. But they haven’t been able to do it in a way that can carry the Celtics to the East’s elite.
New Orleans on the other hand, is one of the most confusing teams in the league. The talent is there. Zion Williamson continues to show flashes of brilliance, but what is he going to be in the NBA?
Can he be a small-ball 5? Can he play a traditional wing position? It doesn’t seem like the Pelicans have this answer, and its indecision on what type of team they want to be is stunting their collective development.
Can Brandon Ingram and Zion succeed on this roster together? I don’t think that they’ve been able to fully answer that question yet.
Right now, it looks like no. But they have invested so much into these two young stars that it makes sense that GM David Griffin is going to let its team play through their struggles.
However, missing the playoffs again this year would be a major disappointment for a franchise that had so much excitement around it just a year ago, shortly after Zion debuted.
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