Editorial: NBA title up for grabs
The 2012 NBA season is finally coming to an end. The playoff picture is becoming clearer on a daily basis.
As of right now, there are four teams in each conference that have the best chances of hoisting the championship trophy. Three from each conference are obvious front-runners, but I threw in a dark horse just to make it interesting.
Eastern Conference
The Chicago Bulls are an obvious pick to win it all. Not only did coach Tom Thibedeau’s Bulls find a way to go 15-7 without the help of reigning MVP Derrick Rose, but they beat the reigning Eastern Conference Champion Miami Heat twice.
In Miami, Lebron James is having a historic season statistically., but nothing he does in the regular season will matter if he doesn’t win a ring.Dwayne Wade struggled with nagging injuries. That pretty much sums up the Miami Heat’s 2012 season.
The Boston Celtics led everyone to believe they were too old to be contenders earlier in the season. But, the Celtics 17-7 run in the second half of the season and unleashing of Avery Bradley’s fresh legs on the rest of the league has revitalized the team.
Limping all the way to the finish, Carmelo Anthony and the New York Knicks looked revitalized under interim coach Mike Woodson. If Amare Stoudemire comes back by the playoffs and Iman Shumpert continues to excel as a replacement Jeremy Lin, the Knicks could make a run.
Western Conference
Even after three straight losses, the Oklahoma City Thunder will remain a favorite for one reason. The chemistry this team is starting to develop after being built through the draft is slightly frightening for any other team in the league.
It’s been hot in San Antonio. The Spurs are on their second 11-game winning streak and are starting to get healthy at the right time. Mix in a pinch of finely-aged Greg Popovich and you may have yourself a winning championship recipe.
The Clippers have spent much of 2012 getting to know each other and mourning the loss of Chauncey Billups. That being said, they have won nine of their last 10 games and are looking like the makings of a championship squad.
The minor shin injury Kobe Bryant suffered may have been a blessing in disguise. It gave Kobe some much needed rest after a heavy workload for much of the season. The Los Angeles Lakers squad, plus a fresh Kobe Bryant heading into the playoffs is a matchup nobody would want to face.
The 2012 playoffs are setting up to be quite a doozy. I think it is safe to say that the championship is attainable by any one of the teams listed.