BY ANDREW GHARIB – FAN FUEL BLOGGER
With another month left in the 2012-13 NBA regular season, here is a preview of potential playoff teams:
The West: Easy teams to pick like Oklahoma City and San Antonio will be atop the Western Conference come season’s end; teams like Utah, Golden State and Houston will fight for playoff positioning and a chance to face the powerhouses in the first round. The Clippers are clicking and have great team chemistry. There is of course the Lakers, but will they make it in? There is time to catch up, but Mike D’Antoni will have to pull out a pretty big rabbit to make that happen.
Denver is a solid team defensively and offensively but they lack the depth to make it past the early rounds. Golden State is a team to watch, while Memphis seems to be adjusting just fine to life without Rudy Gay. Is that a trade that worked out for both teams?
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San Antonio is a well-oiled machine, and Oklahoma City will try to win it all. Can they do it without James Harden? They haven’t lost a step since his departure.
The East: This conference is just as ripe with powerhouses such as Miami and New York. The Knicks are absolutely the real deal this year; expect them to head to the Eastern Conference finals. Indiana is the most underrated team in the East, and have a well balanced attack, and defensive capability that will give the Heat a run for their money.
Atlanta is the team to watch, while Boston is falling off but will likely make the playoffs. Toronto could conceivably make the playoffs and have been a very good team since the arrival of Rudy Gay. He gives them someone that can create his own shot and come up in big game situations – something the Raptors haven’t had since Vince Carter left.
There are still roughly 30 games left in the regular season – enough time for teams like Boston to fall off, and Toronto or the Los Angeles Lakers to come on strong.
Finals prediction: Miami vs. Oklahoma City in a repeat where the Thunder come out on top.
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