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.
Southwest Division
Houston Rockets: The Rockets not only have the best record in the Southwest Division; they also enter the second half of the season with the best record in the NBA. The Rockets are winners of ten straight and it shouldn’t be a surprise the Rockets are in the top ten in several categories including offensive and defensive efficiency. They shoot nearly 50 triples a night on just over 100 possessions per 48 minutes. Of the 25 games remaining on the Rockets regular season schedule 18 of them come against teams with a .500 record or better but that won’t matter much as they are 22-9 against teams with .500 records or better.
Prediction: The Rockets when fully healthy are the best team in the West. If they stay healthy they easily win the Southeast and finish the regular season as the top seed in the West.
San Antonio Spurs: Spurs All Star Kawhi Leonard has been MIA for most of the season but the Spurs are doing Spurs things winning games and proving the doubters wrong. Currently the Spurs are second in the Southeast and third in the West and as usual are top ten in defensive efficiency and assists. Unlike the Rockets the Spurs are in the bottom five in three pointers attempted and enter the second half of the season on a three game losing streak. Of their remaining 23 games 17 games are against teams at .500 record or better; the Spurs are just 12-19 against winning teams and that could place their run of 20 consecutive playoff appearances in jeopardy.
Prediction: If Kawhi Leonard doesn’t return by March 1st the Spurs might go in tank mode. If they do they still finish second in the Southeast. If they don’t and Leonard returns they still finish second in the Southwest and sixth seed in the West.
New Orleans Pelicans: The Pelicans took a major hit on January 26th when Boogie Cousins tore his Achilles tendon and was lost for the season. Since then the Pelicans have tumbled from 12th in the NBA to 17th overall in several categories. For the season the Pels are in the top ten in offensive efficiency and top 20 in defensive efficiency but that might look a bit different when they play out the remaining 25 games on their schedule. The Pelicans enter the second half on a three game winning streak and of those remaining 25 games 10 of them are against teams with losing records. The Pels are 16-8 against teams with losing records and 15-18 against teams with winning records.
Prediction: The Pelicans may have won three straight but their schedule is too difficult for them to hold the eighth seed.
Memphis Grizzlies: The Grizzlies have reached the playoffs seven consecutive seasons and that’s going to end as the Grizzlies are clearly in tank mode. Grizzlies leader Mike Conley was lost for the season with a heel injury and quite frankly the Grizzlies weren’t all that good when he was playing. The Grizzlies used to be a top ten defensive team but this season has fallen to number 20. The Grizzlies have 26 games remaining this season and for you tankapalooza watchers 16 of those games are against teams with above .500 records.
Prediction: The season of disaster will continue for the Grizzlies and I would be surprised if the Grizzlies win eight of their last 26 games.
Dallas Mavericks: The Mavericks had one of the most difficult first half schedules in the NBA; 40 of their 58 games came against opponents with .500 or better records and as their record indicates they didn’t do very well going 11-29 against those teams. They haven’t fared that much better against below .500 teams either winning just seven out of eleven. 14 of their last 24 games are against teams over .500 and while they may not win many more games this season hopefully the Mavs turn Dennis Smith Jr loose otherwise the Mavs are unwatchable.
Prediction: Dallas has a horrible second half schedule and they will probably end up with the worst record in the NBA.
Next up: The Pacific Division!
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