As March Madness is winding down in College Basketball,
professional basketball is just about ready to battle it out in the playoffs.
Currently Atlanta, Cleveland, Chicago, Toronto, and Washington have all secured
5 playoff spots within the Eastern Conference. There are 3 spots left meaning
Milwaukee, Miami, Boston, Indiana, Brooklyn, and Charlotte are all in needs of
wins.
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| Jabari Parker Earlier in the season. |
I would
definitely say that this season has not been good for the Eastern Conference.
The quality of the teams has been lower than usual this year as winning
percentages are significantly lower. Although the Atlanta Hawks and Cleveland
Cavaliers are doing well, many of the teams fighting for a playoff spot have
lousy records. One team that I want to see make a comeback this season is the
Indiana Pacers. The team is extremely close to making it in to the top 8. Since
losing Paul George, the team has not done well. If he is able to play, will it
be worth it for maybe 4 playoff games? Or should the Pacers save him for next
season and hope for a full recovery?
Do I
believe that the Heat deserve a spot? Undecided. They still have a chance to
make it to the playoffs, but I do not believe that they are ready for them.
Ever since the dramatic loss of LeBron James and Chris Bosh, Dwayne Wade has
not been able to keep his team together. Although Wade is still playing at a
high level, the team is clearly in a transition stage. I think that they need
time to regroup and draft new players to get the organization back to (or at
least semi-back to) their old playing game.
Milwaukee
is another team in close contention to make it into the playoffs this season.
The team needs Brandon Knight, but they are now settling with Michael
Carter-Williams, which has definitely not helped them win games. However, I
think that this team is an up-and-comer, and it is promising that 6 out of
their final 7 games are against losing teams. The team may catch a break for
the 2015 playoffs but need some definite work over the off-season.
The playoff
race is coming down to some final crucial games. Although 5 spots are secured,
there are still 3 worth fighting for.