The first half of the NBA season has ended! Man, was that fast. At this point in the season NBA teams are either trying to win games in order to get into the playoffs or lose games in order to get a higher pick in the 2018 NBA Draft. Please join us as we take a division by division look at the NBA and what you might be able to expect for the rest of the regular season.
Northwest Division
Minnesota Timberwolves: If you had said at the beginning of the season the Timberwolves would be a top of the Northwest Division at the All Star Break folks you would’ve been crucified but that’s where they sit heading into the second half of the season. More surprisingly is that a Tom Thibodeau coached team is 28th in defense and third in offense. The T-Wolves are also 29th in three point attempts and fifth in free throw attempts. The T-Wolves are 22-15 against winning teams and that bodes well for them in the second half as 12 of their remaining 21 games are against above .500 teams.
Prediction: The Timberwolves should win the Northwest and enter the playoffs as the three seed in the West.
Oklahoma City Thunder: The Thunder acquired Paul George and Carmelo Anthony in off season trades and everyone and the mother figured they would roll through not only the Northwest but possibly the entire Western Conference. That hasn’t exactly been the case and the Thunder finds themselves number two in the Northwest and the fifth seed in the West. The Thunder are in the top ten in offensive and defensive efficiency and first in both steals and offensive rebounds. Ten of their remaining 23 games are against opponents with below .500 records and that bodes well for a Thunder team that is 14-11 against those teams.
Prediction: The Thunder are too inconsistent to catch the T-Wolves and will enter the playoffs as the fifth seed in the West.
Denver Nuggets: The Nuggets enter the second half of the season on a three game winning streak and are 7-3 over their last ten games. Denver has a top ten offense, bottom five defense and are 20-18 in western conference play. Denver is a young hungry team that plays hard every night under Coach Mike Malone and are currently third in the Northwest and if the playoffs began today would be the sixth seed. Of the 24 remaining games on the Nuggets schedule ten of them are against teams with under .500 records; the Nuggets are 18-7 against these teams but only 14-19 against teams with winning records.
Prediction: The Nuggets are going to find a way to beat a couple of those winning teams and reach the playoff for the first time in five seasons.
Portland Trail Blazers: Over the past couple of seasons the Trail Blazers were better known for the high scoring backcourt of Damian Lillard and C.J. McCollum and the very real fact the dynamic duo didn’t have much interest in the defensive side of things. Portland was 21st in defensive efficiency in 2017 and has raised it to number ten in 2018. In fact the Blazers this season are a better rebounding team than in 2017 yet with such a highly skilled backcourt they are dead last in assists. The Blazers better share the ball a bit better as 14 of their last 24 games are against winning teams; the Blazers are 13-21 against winning teams this season and could be in danger of missing the playoffs.
Prediction: The Blazers will barely make the playoffs and wind up either the seventh or eighth seed.
Utah Jazz: The Jazz come into the second half winners of 11 straight and are a top 12 offense and top three defense. The Jazz play at the slowest pace in the NBA and make their money with solid defense and 8.9 steals per game. The Jazz also has possible Rookie of the Year candidate Donovan Mitchell leading all rookies in just about every category imaginable and we have the makings of a possible playoff team. Of the 24 games remaining on the Jazz schedule 13 of them are against teams below .500; the Jazz are just 11-7 against below .500 teams and 19-21 against winning teams so the Jazz do have work to do to make the playoffs.
Prediction: The Jazz are playing great basketball, the schedule is favorable and the Jazz are going to reach the playoffs!!
Thanks for reading this series and enjoy the second half of the season!!
Follow Phil @Flashtennis31 and The Phil Naessens Show.
