It is apparent as to which teams are the dominant forces in the league so far. With that being said, here are the top five championship contenders, based on what I have seen around the prior to All-Star Weekend:
Chicago Bulls
Last year, the Bulls were unable to get past Miami in the Eastern Conference Finals. This year, they may redeem themselves. Despite LeBron James being able to guard Derrick Rose on the defensive end last spring, I don’t believe Chicago will fall to the Heat this year, or at least should pull off more than one win. The Bulls have the most solid starting-five in the league, with Rose scoring 20-plus each night, at least 15 from Carlos Boozer and Luol Deng, and Joakim Noah is capable of recording a double-double. Although their key addition, Richard ‘Rip’ Hamilton has spent much of the season injured, he has the playoff experience and scoring capability to be a key player in a potential deep playoff run.
Dallas Mavericks
The aging Mavericks are a year older and they lost Tyson Chandler to free agency, who was a major piece of their championship team last season. However, they still pose a major threat in the Western Conference, and come playoff time, most teams won’t be able to get by them in a best-of-seven series. Early in the season, Dirk Nowitzki appeared to have lost his footing, averaging only 15.1 points per game (PPG) in January, but he looks to be back in form. They may be lacking a big man with skills in the post, but they are giving up the fewest amount of points in the West. Along with that, the Mavs average 41.9 PPG. Any team that can call Vince Carter a third-stringer has great depth.
Miami Heat
Any year that the Miami Heat does not win a championship, is a failure for them. It could arguably be argued that they have the top two players in the world, LeBron and Dwyane Wade. How could they not win it all? With a year under their belts, the Miami big three, consisting of LeBron, Wade and Chris Bosh, and Bosh is not a third wheel, may be hoisting up the Larry O’Brien trophy by season’s end. If they can get by the Bulls, then this may very well be their year. Despite having among the least-productive benches in the league, LeBron is having yet another outrageous year. It is very possible that Miami’s season will not turn out to be a failure.
Portland Trailblazers
I am going to take a long shot by saying that Portland is a serious contender for the set of rings this year. Although posting an average 18-16 record, the Blazers have shown that they can defeat any team in the league. Despite lacking a superstar player, they are an all-around solid team. Being led by the scoring ability of LaMarcus Aldridge and the veteran leadership of former Minuteman Marcus Camby, Portland is playing far better than its record shows. They have a deep bench and the most efficient front court in the West. Aside from Aldridge and Camby, they also have two of this year’s top-ten small fowards, Gerald Wallace and Nicolas Batum, as well as two very solid shooting guards, Jamal Crawford and Wesley Matthews. Look out for the Blazers to put on a show in the playoffs.
Philadelphia 76ers
Philadelphia has surprised everyone this year as the top team in the Atlantic division. Although lacking a superstar, the 76ers have shown that they have the greatest depth in the NBA. They have the best defense in the league so far, and their bench is scoring 43.3 PPG, which is 46% of the team’s total scoring.
Honorable Mention – Oklahoma City Thunder
Oklahoma City is tied for the best record in basketball, so why didn’t they make the top-five? Honestly, I almost placed the Thunder as the number two team after Chicago, but deep down, I don’t see a team winning a championship while leading the league in turnovers. They may have two of the game’s best players, and I do believe that they will be the number one seed in the West, but if they don’t start improving their ball control, they will get torn apart in the playoffs, as teams with more maturity will take advantage of their mistakes.
Taylor Snow can be reached at [email protected].
