There a lot of teams within striking distance of the 8th seed in both conferences, and the Trailblazers, Nuggets, Timberwolves, Hawks, and Suns all have opportunities this week to move up the standings.
Pelicans (6-17) versus Trailblazers (10-15)
The Western conference is currently not holding itself to its normal high standards. Normally dominant over its Eastern counterpart, the West’s 8th seed is under .500, and the 10-15 Portland Trailblazers are only 1.5 games back from being in the top eight.
Damian Lillard has been a star this year, as expected, but the real revelation for Portland has been C.J. McCollum. McCollum exploded onto the scene this year to provide Portland with a second scoring punch behind Lillard, and the two are the by far the biggest threats for the Trailblazers.
This young Portland team has been inconsistent over the last couple of weeks, playing well against some top teams and dropping some tough games they probably should have won. But they are still in the thick of things in the West, and a successful week could propel them into a playoff spot.
Their opponent is the struggling Pelicans, who remain an interesting team to watch simply because they employ Anthony Davis.
Nuggets (9-14) versus Timberwolves (9-14)
The Nuggets and the Timberwolves also surprisingly find themselves 1.5 games back of the 8th seed, and they face off on Tuesday in a match up that could determine who draws closer to the top eight and who starts to fall.
The two teams actually played each other last Friday as well, with the Nuggets squeaking out the victory in OT. Danilo Gallinari has been playing very strong of late for Denver, and Kenneth Faried has been solid, but the biggest concerns for the team have been the struggles of Emmanuel Mudiay. Mudiay has had a rough start to the year, and was a nonfactor against Minnesota on Friday, recording only two points and one assist. Mudiay is the future for Denver, but his lack of progress so far has to be at least a small concern for the Nuggets.
The Timberwolves started strong, but have gone 1-6 in their last seven games. The young core of the team has continued to play solid, and Kevin Martin has remerged as an offensive force, but the Timberwolves are coming back to the mean and what was expected of them this season. A win against the Nuggets though could be a good way to bounce out of their funk.
76ers (1-24) versus Hawks (14-11)
The Hawks are 14-11. Normally that would be good enough to comfortably be in the playoffs in the East, but this year is different. That is why the Hawks are currently on the outside looking in with the 9th seed, although they are tied with the Pistons who hold the 8th.
This year’s version of Atlanta isn’t much different than last year, but they are off to a much cooler start. They are still balanced offensively, with five players scoring in double digits, but their offensive rating has dropped by four points since last season. The departure of DeMarre Carroll has hurt their wing depth, although Thabo Sefelosha and Kent Bazemore have stepped up in that regard.
A win against the dreadful Sixers, who still remain interesting to watch to see Jahlil Okafor’s progress, will help the Hawks vault up the standings.
Pelicans (6-17) versus Suns (11-14)
The Suns are also right in the conversation in the middle of the Western standings, as they so often are. Only .5 games out of 8th, the Suns are led by their high-powered backcourt duo of Eric Bledsoe and Brandon Knight. Knight was a major gamble for Phoenix, but it looks to be paying off. He has been on fire from three, recently bombing 7-14 from downtown against the Timberwolves in their most recent win. But Phoenix is still under .500 and on the outside looking in for the Western playoffs, but a visit from the Pelicans could be another opportunity for them to pull closer to a winning record and a higher seed.
The Pelicans are really struggling to find a consistent offensive option outside of Davis, but when it comes to viewing pleasure one does not need to look past the Pelicans’ big man.
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