With LA, Portland, Pheonix, Dallas and Denver more than likely to take a playoff spot, that leaves 3 open slots in the west. I also see San Antonio eventually picking it up like they always do and probably even moving ahead of some of the teams on the list. So really, thats 2 spots: - Utah - Oklahoma City - New Orleans - Houston - Sacramento Those are the 5 teams (IMO) that'll be fighting for the last 2 spots. I see Oklahoma and Houston taking those last 2 spots. Anyone else?
The Thunder have a chance because they are quickly becoming one of the best defensive teams in the league. They're currently ranked 8th in defensive efficiency and 6th in defensive rebounding.
And lets say they face a team like Dallas or Pheonix in the first round. I actually believe they might have a shot at taking them out. Of course, Harden's development and improvement throughout this year is detrimental.
They would match up well against Dallas with all the fire power and speed on the roster. Dallas has a history of mental breakdowns in the post season and I could see an upstart Thunder team upset them in similar fashion to what the Warriors did a few seasons ago. Thunder have a flexible lineup to give Dirk a lot of different looks to frustrate him and prevent him from finding a rhythm. When Dirk struggles the Mavs have real issues.
And i'm not gonna lie, a Denver-OKC matchup sounds intriguing. I fully expect them to pick up more big bodies if they do make a playoff run by february.
Houston and OKC are my choices as well for the last 2 spots. Gonna be fun to watch towards seasons end.
This will be the key for them. They made a run at Tyson Chandler last year late to make a push and set the team up with a quality big man. They have plenty of assets to deal and teams out of the playoff race will be looking to firesale players. Marcus Camby would be a nice fit.
With a win over the Heat tonight, they're now 7-6. I've gotta give it to this team, they've been extremely resilient. And to top it off, they're top 10 in the NBA in defensive efficiency. Thats unusual for a team so young. And Shape, I really like the team acquiring Marcus Camby. Who would they have to give up though? :S