I have the map of the United States in my head. The reason is none other than to locate the 16 franchises that will make up the exciting 2015 NBA playoffs. The one from last year will no longer serve us.
If you had marked cities like Charlotte, Indianapolis (Pacers) or the finalist Miami in the Eastern Conference last year, you can already swap them for Cleveland, Milwaukee and Boston in this playoff. In the West we have to do the same with Oklahoma City for New Orleans.
The truth is that the regular season has left us with both pleasant surprises and big disappointments. Without a doubt, the Warriors deserve admiration and respect wherever they go. The disappointments have been the two franchises that have won the most titles. The Lakers have had the worst season in their history, while the Celtics will play in the round of 16, but without being a clear title favorite.
But we’ll focus on the teams that want to win this year with the Larry O’Brien and the NBA championship rings.
The 2 favorites
The statistics show two clear candidates for the final. The Atlanta Hawks had an excellent start to 2015 and were the best team in the competition in January. From December 28, 2014 to February 1, 2015, they had an impressive series of 18 wins and no losses. Paul Millsap’s team was the best in the East, with good team play.
On the other hand, in the West is the best team of the regular season. At the beginning of the season, nobody believed that the Warriors could put up the excellent numbers they achieved during the course, the best season in their history. A piece of information: in the Oracle Arena they have lost only 2 of the 41 games they have played so far. They are now riding a winning streak of 18 games at home. Spurs and Bulls have managed to beat them on the most reliable court in the NBA. Leader? Stefan Curry. The sensational base of the Californians has left games that will occupy several minutes in the summaries of the season. In addition, he is a firm candidate to be crowned MVP of the competition.
The 5 candidates
In terms of numbers, they should be the two seconds and the two thirds of the conferences. But I won’t do it that way. The defending champions, Parker and Duncan’s Spurs finished the last part as the fittest team. This is shown by the 11 wins in the last 12 games. In the last game of the regular season, they relaxed and fell on their court to the Pelicans, who were fighting for a place in the playoffs (103-108).
In Texas we find the other candidate from the West. Yes, the Houston Rockets. With Harden, Howard and Co. on the track, the Texans change that from “Houston, we have a problem” to “We are Houston! You have the problem!” And that is the most famous beard in American basketball. As he continues to average 27 points that have made him the second highest scorer, rivals have a serious problem stopping him.
Cleveland and Clippers also finished very strong, with both franchises making their title bid. Those from Ohio have gained points in the race to the Finals. And it is that a team that has LeBron James, Irving or Love is a safe bet to show and raise the O’brien.
The second candidate we propose from the East is the Canadian representative. Those of Toronto do not seem to finish so strong compared to the beginning. But a playoff automatically recharges the batteries to 200%. The Raptors were one of the best scorers of the season, which helped them win the Atlantic Division title.
We would like to
If you’re convinced that this block consists of the Chicago Bulls and Memphis Grizzlies, there’s only one thing you can do: thank your crystal ball for its shooting ERA. And take the opportunity to store it in a drawer because it’s become a safe bet.
We’ve already seen the Gasol brothers high jump in the purest Felix Baumgartner style, only a little more earthly. But the photo also went down in history: the two brothers from Barcelona during the opening jump of the 2015 All Stars. What more could you ask of them?
In fact, we want to see them play the NBA Finals. Both have had excellent training. Pau and Chicago’s Mirotic have given a Bulls fan the illusion of seeing possibilities beyond just qualifying for the qualifying rounds. Plus, this part has Rose stepping in after his injury, which increases the possibilities.
Gasol’s midfielder has managed to make Memphis a strong, solid and reasonable team when it comes to playing good basketball. The Grizzlies’ 33 were the great benchmark for his team, which, with the help of Randolph, Lee and Co., was a very tough nut to crack for the remaining 29 NBA teams. They were the second best championship defense. They are one of the best teams in the regular season, so it would be absurd not to believe in them as candidates.
The 3 Surprises
Dallas Mavericks, Washington Wizards, Milwaukee Bucks. The other Texan team in the competition, the one from Dallas, wants to surprise the West. The 2011 winning franchise wants to try the feat of yesterday again. They have quality with Rondo, Ellis, Nowitzki or Chandler. His role will certainly not be participatory.
The two candidates that will surprise the East are the Wizards and the Bucks. Two good templates, competitive, but without the necessary plus to stand out too much. In addition, they ended the regular period a little tired.
The 4 Bombs
In the West, two teams that want to break these playoffs: Portland and New Orleans. The Blazers, like the Pelicans, had very good games, but they finished the season exhausted, so we don’t think they can reach the conference finals.
Let’s move on to the numbers. This conference is the most open. In the last week of the regular season, 6 teams were fighting for 3 playoff spots. The 2014 finalists, the Miami Heat, are close to being eliminated. Only a good carom would give them the pass. The position still up for grabs seems to go to the Nets for now. The Bostonians took their pass to the playoffs in their penultimate game. They have improved considerably. For now, their first playoff tie would be against the Cavaliers, who they beat twice in the last week, once in Ohio and once in Boston.