duncan228
01-27-2009, 02:36 PM
Roundtable: West race a dogfight (http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2009/basketball/nba/01/27/writers.roundtable/index.html)
SI.com NBA writers analyze the latest news and address hot topics from around the league each week. (All stats and records are through Monday's games.)
1. The Lakers lead the Western Conference by six games. The next eight teams -- San Antonio, Denver, New Orleans, Portland, Houston, Phoenix, Dallas and Utah -- are separated by five games. The trade deadline could change some fortunes, but as of now, which team is most likely to miss the playoffs?
Ian Thomsen: Dallas (24 road games played) and Houston (26) have the most accommodating schedules over the latter half of the season. At the other end are the Spurs, who play 10 of their next 11 games on the road, including the annual eight-game trip (which starts next Monday and stretches past the All-Star break) they use to bond and define their team in a boot-camp kind of way. They're used to that rhythm, so don't worry about their schedule.
We can talk all we want about all of the different reasons one or another team will fail, but injuries and trades will define the race. Utah has been hurting all season, and for the moment I'm thinking the Jazz without Carlos Boozer are the most likely outsiders among the contenders.
Jack McCallum: The Spurs, Hornets and Rockets are too good not to make it. In the old days, meaning last season, the Nuggets would've been a mortal lock for the "out" spot, but Chauncey Billups has solidified that team. The Jazz will get going when they get healthy. Brandon Roy won't let the Trail Blazers just miss this time. And the Suns' old pros -- Steve Nash, Shaquille O'Neal and Grant Hill -- won't allow them to slide to the dreaded ninth spot. That leaves the Mavs to lose out to the Suns or Jazz by a narrow margin.
Chris Mannix: I'm going with the Mavericks. If blowout losses like the ones to Milwaukee and Boston last week begin to add up, look for owner Mark Cuban to pull the trigger on a deal (perhaps for Josh Howard) and begin the process of retooling the Mavs for next season.
Steve Aschburner: Dallas. This team's expectations have been so lowered over the past two years that scraping into the postseason won't provide much in the way of inspiration down the stretch. Phoenix could be in trouble, too, but the Suns seem more stubborn about making things work, while the inconsistent Mavs look more ready for a thorough overhaul.
SI.com NBA writers analyze the latest news and address hot topics from around the league each week. (All stats and records are through Monday's games.)
1. The Lakers lead the Western Conference by six games. The next eight teams -- San Antonio, Denver, New Orleans, Portland, Houston, Phoenix, Dallas and Utah -- are separated by five games. The trade deadline could change some fortunes, but as of now, which team is most likely to miss the playoffs?
Ian Thomsen: Dallas (24 road games played) and Houston (26) have the most accommodating schedules over the latter half of the season. At the other end are the Spurs, who play 10 of their next 11 games on the road, including the annual eight-game trip (which starts next Monday and stretches past the All-Star break) they use to bond and define their team in a boot-camp kind of way. They're used to that rhythm, so don't worry about their schedule.
We can talk all we want about all of the different reasons one or another team will fail, but injuries and trades will define the race. Utah has been hurting all season, and for the moment I'm thinking the Jazz without Carlos Boozer are the most likely outsiders among the contenders.
Jack McCallum: The Spurs, Hornets and Rockets are too good not to make it. In the old days, meaning last season, the Nuggets would've been a mortal lock for the "out" spot, but Chauncey Billups has solidified that team. The Jazz will get going when they get healthy. Brandon Roy won't let the Trail Blazers just miss this time. And the Suns' old pros -- Steve Nash, Shaquille O'Neal and Grant Hill -- won't allow them to slide to the dreaded ninth spot. That leaves the Mavs to lose out to the Suns or Jazz by a narrow margin.
Chris Mannix: I'm going with the Mavericks. If blowout losses like the ones to Milwaukee and Boston last week begin to add up, look for owner Mark Cuban to pull the trigger on a deal (perhaps for Josh Howard) and begin the process of retooling the Mavs for next season.
Steve Aschburner: Dallas. This team's expectations have been so lowered over the past two years that scraping into the postseason won't provide much in the way of inspiration down the stretch. Phoenix could be in trouble, too, but the Suns seem more stubborn about making things work, while the inconsistent Mavs look more ready for a thorough overhaul.