Poll: Which Western Contenders Will Miss Playoffs?
Three teams in the Western Conference have clinched playoff berths, with the Rockets, Warriors, and Trail Blazers likely locked into the top three seeds, in that order. However, after those top teams, the race for the conference’s final five postseason spots remains hotly contested.
The Spurs (45-32) are ostensibly in the driver’s seat for the No. 4 seed and home-court advantage in the first round, but a late-season slide could still put their playoff spot in jeopardy. San Antonio has back-to-back road games against the Clippers and Lakers on tap this week, followed by home games against Portland and Sacramento, and a regular season finale in New Orleans. While it’s still possible that Kawhi Leonard could return for one or more of those games, the club isn’t counting on that.
While the Thunder (45-33) remain in contention for the No. 4 spot too, they’re also one bad week away from slipping out of the playoff picture, particularly since they hold virtually no tiebreakers against their Western competitors. You can probably pencil OKC in for a win at home vs. Memphis next Wednesday, but before that game, the Thunder will have to deal with the Warriors at home, and the Rockets and Heat on the road.
The Jazz (44-33) have won 27 of their last 34 games, but that hasn’t been enough to pull away from the pack in the West. A home-and-away set against the Lakers this week bodes well, but Utah will also have to host the Clippers and Warriors before finishing the season in Portland. Holding tiebreakers over the Spurs, Pelicans, and Clips could come in handy.
The Timberwolves (44-34) could badly use Jimmy Butler in their lineup down the stretch, and he’s still expected to be back before the end of the season, but his exact return date remains up in the air. Home-and-away games against Denver may ultimately decide Minnesota’s playoff fate, though the Wolves will also face a pair of lottery teams in the Lakers (road) and Grizzlies (home). Minnesota’s tiebreakers over the Thunder, Jazz, Pelicans, and Clippers look big now.
The Pelicans (43-34) have lost four straight games, putting their playoff spot at risk, but those losses came against four very good teams. They’ll have a chance to turn things around this week when they host the Grizzlies and visit the Suns. After that, the schedule gets tough again — the Pelicans close out by visiting the Warriors and Clippers before hosting the Spurs.
If any of those five teams falter, the Nuggets (42-35) and Clippers (41-36) will be ready to take advantage, though neither team has it easy down the stretch. In addition to facing Minnesota twice, the Nuggets also host the Pacers and Trail Blazers. The Clippers have one road game left in Utah, and will host the Spurs, Pelicans, and Lakers. The Nuggets and Clippers will also face one another in L.A. on Saturday.
Got all that? Great. Now, we want to know what you think. How will the season’s final nine days play out? Which two of the top 10 teams in the West will end up missing the playoffs? Vote below in our poll and jump into the comment section below to share your thoughts!
Which teams will miss the playoffs? (choose two)
-
Los Angeles Clippers 44% (769)
-
Denver Nuggets 29% (508)
-
New Orleans Pelicans 13% (232)
-
Minnesota Timberwolves 7% (117)
-
Utah Jazz 3% (49)
-
Oklahoma City Thunder 2% (38)
-
San Antonio Spurs 2% (27)
Total votes: 1,740
Trade Rumors app users, click here to vote.
Poll: Will The Spurs Make The Postseason?
While the Eastern Conference’s eight playoff teams are close to becoming locked in, the race for the postseason in the Western Conference has only intensified in recent weeks.
The Rockets and Warriors have a stranglehold on the top two seeds and are in no danger of missing the playoffs. The Trail Blazers, winners of 10 straight games, have been one of the league’s hottest teams and currently have a small cushion for the No. 3 seed. After Portland, the Thunder, Pelicans, and Timberwolves round out the top six.
A game and a half behind Minnesota and New Orleans, four teams are currently tied in the standings, with the Clippers (36-29) holding a slight edge over the Jazz (37-30), Nuggets (37-30), and Spurs (37-30). Based on current tiebreakers, Denver and San Antonio are on the outside of the playoff picture looking in, for now.
The Spurs’ spot in the standings isn’t a huge surprise — the team has been without All-NBA forward Kawhi Leonard for all but nine games, and outside of LaMarcus Aldridge, the rest of the roster isn’t exactly brimming with star power. It makes sense that the club has struggled. Still, the Spurs haven’t missed the playoffs since 1997, so one of the sport’s most impressive streaks is in danger of coming to an end this spring.
The Spurs are coming off a brutal stretch of the schedule which saw them play road games in Golden State, Oklahoma City, and Houston. The team lost all three of those of those contests, and things won’t get much easier down the stretch.
According to Tankathon.com, the Spurs have the NBA’s fifth-hardest schedule for the rest of the season, with games against the Rockets, Warriors, Trail Blazers, Thunder, Timberwolves, Wizards, Jazz, Bucks, and Pelicans (twice) still on tap. For their part, the Spurs veterans know that they’ll have their work cut out for them if they want to extend their streak of postseason experiences.
“Been winning for a lot of years,” Tony Parker said on Monday, per Tim MacMahon of ESPN. “Since I’ve been in the league, I’ve made eight conference finals, five NBA Finals. We’ve been winning a lot. But this year, there’s been a lot of injuries. We just have to find a way to try to qualify for the playoffs.”
Of those injuries alluded to by Parker, Leonard’s quad issue has been the most devastating, but there’s a chance the Spurs will get him back in their lineup later this week. While a meeting with Gregg Popovich will determine whether Leonard’s return is imminent, he’s aiming to get back on the court on Thursday. (Update: he’ll be out through Thursday).
Having a healthy, productive Leonard available down the stretch would improve San Antonio’s playoff chances significantly, but it remains to be seen how effective the star forward can be in the season’s final weeks.
What do you think? Is this the year the Spurs’ playoff streak comes to an end, or will they find a way to extend it to 21 straight appearances? Vote below in our poll and then jump into the comment section below to weigh in!
Will the Spurs make the playoffs?
-
Yes 68% (423)
-
No 32% (197)
Total votes: 620
Trade Rumors app users, click here to vote.
Poll: Will James Harden Win MVP?
A year ago, Russell Westbrook made NBA history by becoming the first player in over five decades to average a triple-double for an entire season. Despite the fact that his Thunder were only sixth in the Western Conference, Westbrook earned MVP honors.
This season, Westbrook’s Thunder sit in fifth in the West, and the star point guard is nearly averaging a triple-double again, with 25.3 PPG, 10.4 APG, and 9.5 RPG. This time around though, Westbrook is an afterthought in the MVP discussion — he finished seventh in a recent poll of NBA reporters conducted by Tim Bontemps of The Washington Post.
Westbrook’s triple-double average was at the center of his 2016/17 MVP case, but it wasn’t the only point in his favor. He also led the NBA in scoring, and the fact that he wasn’t playing alongside an established star like Paul George buoyed his case. Still, the contrast between the general perception of last year’s performance and this year’s is an indication that MVP votes often rely on a narrative as much as anything.
In 2017/18, James Harden‘s narrative is the one gaining momentum. The best player on what has been the league’s best team, Harden has led the Rockets to a 44-13 mark and has posted staggering numbers in the process. He’s leading the NBA with 31.3 PPG, and has also contributed 9.0 APG, 5.1 RPG, and 1.8 SPG on .448/.384/.865 shooting.
Harden’s excellent season earned him the top spot on 91 of the 100 ballots Bontemps received in his informal MVP poll earlier this month. Only one of the 100 writers polled left Harden out of the top two. Those figures suggest that the race isn’t close, but should it be?
ESPN’s Zach Lowe suggested earlier today that you could make a real case for Giannis Antetokounmpo as a co-favorite in the MVP conversation. Antetokounmpo, who is averaging 27.8 PPG, 10.4 RPG, and 4.8 APG with a .540 FG%, is putting up monster numbers of his own, and his on/off-court numbers are striking — the Bucks have a +5.6 net rating when he plays, and a rating of -9.7 when he sits.
Stephen Curry and Kevin Durant, the first two runners-up in Bontemps’ poll, are both having big seasons for the Warriors, and LeBron James should be part of the MVP discussion too, especially if he and the new-look Cavaliers have a strong finish. The Raptors and Celtics are the top two teams in the East right now, so DeMar DeRozan and Kyrie Irving shouldn’t be written off either. And the way Jimmy Butler has led the Timberwolves this year has been impressive.
In other words, there are no shortage of worthy candidates for this year’s Most Valuable Player award, so should Harden be considered the overwhelming favorite to win it, as the results of Bontemps’ poll suggest?
What do you think? Will Harden be this year’s MVP? Who is his biggest threat to claim that award? Vote below in our poll and jump into the comment section so share your thoughts!
Will James Harden win the 2018 MVP award?
-
Yes 70% (571)
-
No 30% (244)
Total votes: 815
Trade Rumors app users, click here to vote.
Poll: Which Team Will Earn No. 1 Seed In East?
Like the Rockets in the Western Conference, the Raptors entered the All-Star break on a hot streak that allowed them to claim the No. 1 seed in the East. With Toronto on a seven-game winning streak and Boston having lost three in a row, the 41-16 Raps now have a two-game cushion on the 40-19 Celtics.
While the Raptors currently hold the top spot in the East, they’re not a lock to hang onto it the rest of the way. The Celtics figure to bounce back, particularly when Marcus Smart returns to their lineup. And the Cavaliers aren’t going anywhere either — after a midseason swoon, a series of deadline-day trades have revitalized the Cavs, who have won four in a row to increase their record to 34-22, 6.5 games back of Toronto.
It would take a major slump for the Raptors to give up a 6.5-game lead with just 25 to play, but if that slump happens, we probably shouldn’t rule out teams like the Wizards (33-24), Pacers (33-25), and Bucks (32-25) either. Still, those clubs are very long shots for the No. 1 seed. The race for the top spot in the East looks like it will come down to three teams — and possibly just two if the Cavs dug too deep a hole during the first half.
Unlike in the West, where the Rockets and Warriors have been just as successful on the road as at home, a pair of top Eastern contenders have been much better when they’ve had home-court advantage. The Raptors have an NBA-best 24-4 mark at home, compared to 17-12 on the road. The Cavs, meanwhile, are 20-7 in home games and having a losing record (14-15) as visitors. Claiming the No. 1 seed and gaining home-court advantage throughout the playoffs could be a huge factor for those teams.
What do you think? Will the Raptors hang onto the No. 1 seed? Will the Celtics reclaim it? Will the new-look Cavs go on a hot streak to get back in the race to the top? Vote below in our poll and then jump into the comment section to share your thoughts!
Which team will finish as the No. 1 seed in the East?
-
Toronto Raptors 49% (1,411)
-
Boston Celtics 31% (908)
-
Cleveland Cavaliers 16% (473)
-
Another team 3% (98)
Total votes: 2,890
Trade Rumors app users, click here to vote.
Poll: Which Team Will Earn No. 1 Seed In West?
Before the All-Star break began last week, the Rockets won their 10th straight game while the Warriors lost for the fourth time in their last eight contests. Houston’s hot streak, combined with Golden State’s (relative) cold streak, moved the 44-13 Rockets into the No. 1 seed in the Western Conference by a half-game over the 44-14 Warriors.
It’s not the first time the Rockets have sat atop the West this season. Houston opened the season on a 25-4 run and had a leg up on Golden State until about Christmas Day. Now, Mike D’Antoni‘s squad has reclaimed the No. 1 seed.
The Rockets and Warriors have each been about as successful on the road as they’ve been at home, so the two teams may not go all-out down the stretch to claim the No. 1 seed. Still, with the Warriors looking to come out of the West for a fourth consecutive season, the Rockets appear to be the biggest threat to knock them off since Kevin Durant arrived in the Bay Area. If the Western Conference Finals come down to these two clubs, home-court advantage could be a factor.
No other Western Conference team is within nine games of either the Rockets or Warriors in the standings, so this looks like a two-team race, and we want to know what you think.
Will the Warriors, who haven’t lost more than 15 games in a regular season since 2013/14, finish the season on a hot streak and claim the No. 1 seed? Or will, the Rockets, who are 28-1 when James Harden, Chris Paul, and Clint Capela are all in their lineup, hang onto their lead in the West and grab the top spot heading into the postseason?
Vote below in our poll and jump into the comment section to share your thoughts — including whether or not home-court advantage will make a difference for these two clubs.
Which team will finish as the No. 1 seed in the West?
-
Golden State Warriors 54% (680)
-
Houston Rockets 46% (573)
Total votes: 1,253
Trade Rumors app users, click here to vote.
Poll: Who Will Win Slam Dunk Contest?
After focusing on this weekend’s Three-Point Contest on Thursday, we’re turning our attention today to Saturday night’s main event: The Slam Dunk Contest.
While 2018’s Three-Point Contest will be headlined by Klay Thompson and Eric Gordon, the two most recent winners of the event, this year’s Dunk Contest features a group made up almost entirely of first-time participants — and no former winners.
Rookies Donovan Mitchell and Dennis Smith Jr. are, of course, participating for the first time, as is Larry Nance Jr., who had campaigned for his inclusion in the past. The only contestant who has any previous Dunk Contest experience is Victor Oladipo, who was the runner-up to Zach LaVine in 2015.
Despite his experience in the contest, Oladipo is currently viewed as the underdog in this year’s event. Gambling site Bovada.lv gives the Pacers guard the longest odds to win, and only one of ESPN’s 17 experts picked him in the site’s All-Star Saturday predictions.
Smith Jr., the Mavericks’ point guard, is considered the favorite by Bovada, and Ben Golliver of SI.com also tabbed the rookie to take home the crown on Saturday night. However, he’ll have his work cut out for him.
Mitchell, who has the second-best odds from Bovada, is viewed as a strong candidate to win the event, despite being a late addition after Aaron Gordon had to pull out. Mitchell was picked by eight ESPN experts — only five members of ESPN’s panel chose Smith Jr.
Nance Jr., who received three votes from ESPN’s panel, also shouldn’t be ruled out. As Golliver observes, the new Cavaliers big man will be looking to live up to the legacy of his father, Larry Nance Sr., who won the league’s first ever Dunk Contest back in 1984. A longtime Laker, Nance Jr. may also have something of a home-court advantage in Los Angeles, despite being traded last week.
What do you think? Who do you expect to win this year’s Slam Dunk Contest? Vote in our poll, then jump into the comment section below to share your two cents!
Who will win this year's Dunk Contest?
-
Larry Nance Jr. 39% (421)
-
Donovan Mitchell 23% (248)
-
Dennis Smith Jr. 20% (213)
-
Victor Oladipo 18% (200)
Total votes: 1,082
Trade Rumors app users, click here to vote.
Poll: Who Will Win Three-Point Contest?
Stephen Curry, the NBA’s most renowned long-distance shooter, won’t be participating in this Saturday’s three-point contest in Los Angeles, but the last two winners of the event will be looking to bring home another three-point title.
Curry’s teammate Klay Thompson (.455 3PT%), the 2015/16 champion, is the favorite to come out on top in this year’s event, according to betting site Bovada.lv. Right behind him is Rockets guard Eric Gordon (.334), who will be looking to defend his three-point title after winning last year in New Orleans.
While Thompson and Gordon are the only former three-point contest winners in this year’s field, the group includes several noteworthy challengers. According to Bovada’s odds, Devin Booker (.383) and Paul George (.432) are the next most likely to take home the crown, followed by Southeast sharpshooters Wayne Ellington (.387) and Bradley Beal (.370).
Bovada gives the longest odds to Kyle Lowry (.389), who will be participating in the event for a third straight year, and to Tobias Harris (.402), a first-time participant.
Although Thompson, a former three-point champion who is currently the NBA’s leader in three-point percentage, looks like the best bet, the contest generally comes down to which players gets hot at the right time — and which one can sink his moneyballs.
What do you think? Who’s your pick for this year’s three-point contest winner?
Who will win this year's three-point contest?
-
Klay Thompson 33% (490)
-
Devin Booker 22% (322)
-
Eric Gordon 11% (158)
-
Wayne Ellington 10% (153)
-
Bradley Beal 8% (120)
-
Paul George 8% (118)
-
Kyle Lowry 5% (69)
-
Tobias Harris 4% (63)
Total votes: 1,493
Trade Rumors app users, click here to vote.
Poll: All-NBA First Team Race
Perhaps one of the more underrated metrics in evaluating an NBA player’s legacy, an All-NBA First Team selection is generally reserved for the best of the best the NBA has to offer. Among current players, LeBron James is tied for first all-time with 11 All-NBA First Team selections, while Kevin Durant and Dwight Howard are tied for 19th all-time with five, and Dirk Nowitzki and Chris Paul are tied for 26th all-time with four.
Other current stars such as Stephen Curry, Kawhi Leonard, Anthony Davis, Dwyane Wade, and Russell Westbrook have two such selections, while MVP front-runner James Harden has three. Barring an injury, it sure looks like Harden will get his fourth this season to tie him with Nowitzki and new teammate Paul, as Harden is putting up 31.4 points, 5.0 rebounds, and 9.0 assists per game on a .449/.385/.866 shooting line, while leading the Rockets to a 44-13 record into the All-Star break.
Other prime candidates this season include the aforementioned James, Durant, Curry, Westbrook, and Davis, plus potential first-timers Giannis Antetokounmpo, Kyrie Irving, and Joel Embiid. Ultimately, the first team spot for center will probably come down to Embiid, Davis – who has made it once as a center and once as a forward – and Karl-Anthony Towns, while the forward position will likely come down to a choice of two amongst three candidates – James, Durant, and Antetokounmpo.
Meanwhile, in what generally has become the most difficult spot to make, only two guards can be selected to the All-NBA First Team. As mentioned previously, it is difficult to envision Harden being left off this season, leaving one spot for Curry, Westbrook, or Irving.
So what do you think? Is Harden a lock to make his fourth All-NBA First Team? Will a newcomer like Antetokounmpo receive a spot or will perennial stalwarts James and Durant lock him out? Vote in our poll below, and remember that you must vote for two guards, two forwards, and one center, and Davis can be voted as a forward or center.
First Team All-NBA
-
G - James Harden 18% (1,706)
-
F - LeBron James 17% (1,603)
-
F/C - Anthony Davis 13% (1,236)
-
F - Giannis Antetokounmpo 13% (1,173)
-
F - Kevin Durant 11% (1,022)
-
G - Stephen Curry 9% (798)
-
G - Russell Westbrook 7% (687)
-
G - Kyrie Irving 5% (469)
-
C - Joel Embiid 4% (385)
-
C - Karl-Anthony Towns 3% (273)
Total votes: 9,352
Trade Rumors app users, click here to vote.
Poll: Which Team Will Finish Last In NBA?
While the NBA’s trade deadline and buyout season have given several contending teams a chance to load up for the stretch run, they’ve also given a number of teams at the bottom of the NBA’s standings to prepare for a run of their own — with two months left in the 2017/18 season, the race for the league’s worst record is on.
It’s not unusual for lottery-bound teams to be incorporating young players into their lineups and positioning themselves for a run at the No. 1 pick in the draft at this point in the season. But the sheer number of clubs in contention for that top spot in our reverse standings this year is a little out of the ordinary.
Currently, the Kings (17-38) are in pole position in the race to the bottom, but the Suns (18-40), Hawks (18-39), Mavericks (18-39), Magic (18-38), Grizzlies (18-37), and Nets (19-39) are all within one game of them in the standings. The Bulls (20-36) and Knicks (23-35) aren’t currently part of that logjam, but both teams have essentially given up their playoff hopes and wouldn’t mind getting into the conversation for that No. 1 pick down the stretch too.
Those teams all have between 24 and 27 games left in the regular season, which means that any victory from here on out could have a legitimate impact on a team’s lottery odds. It’s hard to imagine any team with more than six or seven wins the rest of the way having a real shot at finishing the season with the NBA’s worst record.
The playoff push from the top teams in each conference over the next two months is probably the race more worthy of attention, but the race to the bottom will be fascinating, and the stakes are significant — barring some major changes on lottery night, the teams that finish with the NBA’s worst records will have a shot to draft a potential star like Luka Doncic, Deandre Ayton, Mohamed Bamba, or Marvin Bagley III. Whereas a team that goes on a hot streak the rest of the way might end up with the eighth or ninth pick, missing out on that group of possible franchise-changers.
Of course, one team whose end-of-season results will be especially fascinating is Brooklyn. The Nets are the only club of those listed above who won’t have their own pick available in this year’s draft — Cavaliers fans figure to be monitoring Brooklyn games almost as closely as Nets fans in the coming weeks.
What do you think? Which team will finish with the NBA’s worst record? Which teams will come closest? And which of the clubs above do you expect to ultimately miss out on a top-five pick? Vote below and join our discussion in the comment section!
Which team will finish with the NBA's worst record?
-
Sacramento Kings 28% (491)
-
Phoenix Suns 20% (350)
-
Atlanta Hawks 19% (345)
-
Brooklyn Nets 8% (151)
-
Dallas Mavericks 8% (140)
-
Orlando Magic 5% (93)
-
Chicago Bulls 5% (86)
-
Another team 5% (81)
-
Memphis Grizzlies 2% (42)
Total votes: 1,779
Trade Rumors app users, click here to vote.
Poll: Team LeBron Vs. Team Steph
The NBA changed its All-Star format this year, naming the top two vote-getters as team captains and then letting them select their rosters in a fantasy draft format, rather than simply pitting the East against the West. LeBron James and Stephen Curry picked their All-Star rosters on Thursday, drafting in a private conference call rather than in a televised event.
While the behind-closed-doors nature of the draft left many fans disappointed, some fun storylines were still created as a result of the picks themselves. James’ team is headlined by Kevin Durant, with LeBron believed to have snatched up the reigning Finals MVP before Curry had a chance to select his Warriors teammate. Elsewhere on the roster, Kyrie Irving will reunite with LeBron, while Russell Westbrook will once again team up with Durant. James also kept multiple current teammates together, adding the Pelicans frontcourt and the Wizards backcourt to his roster.
On paper, James’ team looks like the more talented squad, particularly when comparing frontcourt players. However, Curry is pleased with his roster, suggesting that he had a particular strategy in mind entering Thursday’s draft, as Mark Medina of The Bay Area News Group relays.
“I got something different, a different style,” Curry said. “Just trying to find some scorers and some guys who can spread the floor and all that. I’m pretty sure [Mike] D’Antoni will be the coach. So next-level thinking. I got to give him a lineup that he can coach and play up tempo and spread the floor and shoot a lot of threes.”
Here are the full rosters:
Team LeBron:
- Starters:
- LeBron James, F
- Kyrie Irving, G
- Kevin Durant, F
- Anthony Davis, F/C
- DeMarcus Cousins, C
- Reserves:
- Russell Westbrook, G
- John Wall, G
- Bradley Beal, G
- Victor Oladipo, G
- Kevin Love, F
- Kristaps Porzingis, F/C
- LaMarcus Aldridge, F/C
Team Steph:
- Starters:
- Stephen Curry, G
- James Harden, G
- DeMar DeRozan, G
- Giannis Antetokounmpo, F
- Joel Embiid, C
- Reserves:
- Kyle Lowry, G
- Damian Lillard, G
- Klay Thompson, G
- Jimmy Butler, G/F
- Draymond Green, F
- Al Horford, C
- Karl-Anthony Towns, C
What do you think? Which team will pull out the victory on All-Star weekend? Vote below in our poll and jump into the comment section to share your thoughts on the game, the format, or the draft.
Which team will win the NBA All-Star Game?
-
Team LeBron 65% (782)
-
Team Steph 35% (413)
Total votes: 1,195
Trade Rumors app users, click here to vote.