With the NBA playoffs right around the corner and the field set for the most part, seeding is about all there’s left to wrap up in the regular season (if you’re not the Miami Heat).
One knock on the NBA — relative to other sports — is that there is not a lot of turnover. The playoff bracket in the East is set, with only Brooklyn replacing Philadelphia from last year.
The West will be looking a little different this year — especially with the Lakers coming in at the bottom of the bracket — as Golden State and Houston, having distanced themselves from the Lakers and Jazz, have settled into the field as the Nos. 6 and 7 seeds.
Rockets’ GM Daryl Morey, one of the most creative minds in basketball today, was answering questions via twitter this afternoon and is preparing to play the Los Angeles Clippers in the first round of the playoffs.
At 48-22, the Clippers are bunched together with the Denver Nuggets (48-22) and the Memphis Grizzlies (47-23). All play different styles, but one thing is for sure: a Rockets-Clippers matchup will be one of the most exciting of the first round.
There are the names: Chris Paul, James Harden, Blake Griffin, Jeremy Lin, Chauncey Billups and so on.
But the up-and-down, fast break, 3-point firing nature of this series is what will draw fans in and make for an excellent series.
In two meetings this season, both have been high scoring affairs with the Clippers prevailing each time. Each saw 10-plus players score in double-figures. The two will meet again on Saturday for the final time before the playoffs.
The Rockets are first in the league in points per game and fifth in assists. The Clippers are eighth in points, fourth in assists and fourth in points allowed. Both teams rank in the top seven in terms of offensive efficiency as well.
As both teams look to hit their stride heading into the playoffs, look for Saturday’s matchup to be a good indictment of what to expect in a seven game series.
Ben Baroff is a basketball journalist who blogs for SheridanHoops.com. Follow him on Twitter here.
” The playoff bracket in the East is set, with only Brooklyn replacing Philadelphia from last year. ”
Not true, Bucks will replace Magic.