Prediction; My Top Four Teams at the End of the NBA Season

The 2014-2015 NBA season is only half way over and despite what people say, it’s been filled with surprises. No one thought that half way through the season the Hawks would be ranked first in the league or that the top three wouldn’t include the Cavs or the Spurs. The way LeBron and the Cavs looked early gave everyone a reason to doubt and the Thunder weren’t to far behind them. Almost no one would’ve thought that the Grizzlies would be in the top three the entire first half of the season and the Spurs would be second last in their division with a 33-19 record. The surprises continued all throughout the first half of this incredible season and will continue to pile up as the second half starts. What might surprise people the most however, is that the common may be the most surprising in the second half.

In the second half of this long NBA season many teams may need a reality check and many may be bouncing out of one. I don’t see the top four teams staying the same for much longer. Even though I’d like to. As of All Star Weekend the top four teams in the NBA are the Atlanta Hawks, the Golden State Warriors, the Memphis Grizzlies, and the Houston Rockets. Although these four teams have put on a tremendous first half, I only see half of them in the top four at the end of the year.

My Top Four Teams at the End of the Season

1. Golden State Warriors

Coming into the midway point at 41-9, the splash brothers have kept the Warriors atop the NBA. Fortunately for the Warriors, Klay Thompson and Stephen Curry are capable of keeping them number one for the rest of the season. Unfortunately for the Warriors is that they aren’t going to be able to win a championship without any help. Steve Kerr has done an outstanding job constructing a winning team that revolves around Thompson and Curry, but the players he’s surrounded them with don’t always perform. Besides rebounds, the splash brothers lead the team in every category.  Good news for the Warriors is that these two are able to put up outstanding numbers every night and are talented enough to score 50 points in a game in order for the team to win. Although the Warriors have lost both meetings when facing the number two team in the league, they win all the others. Golden State will remain number one for the remainder of the season, and with some help the splash brothers may be able to bring a championship to the Golden State.

2. Atlanta Hawks

The Hawks have produced a 43-10 record with nothing but fundamentals. Through the first half of the season the Hawks haven’t shown they have any player that is the next best thing or the quick star. What they have done is shown that they’ve worked to get to this point over the last few years. Each season you hear of the Hawks starting off strong but then diminishing into a 5 or 6 seed in the playoffs. This year they started just as strong, the difference is that they have the ability to do it all season. Behind the insane shooting of Kyle Korver, the Hawks have swiftly moved past opponents without blinking an eye. No one on the team puts up high numbers and besides Korver most people forget about the rest of the team. The best part about the Hawks this season is that they quietly win. They went 17-0 in the month of January but were looked over by the Cavs’ 11 game win streak. Being able to win without much attention may be the biggest part of the Hawks success and they may be able to finally finish the season they way they started.

3. Cleveland Cavaliers

No I’m not jumping on the Cavs’ bandwagon and I don’t think just because they won 11 straight means they’re the best team in the league. What I am jumping on is that they’re starting to figure out how to work together. Before the 11 game win streak, the Cavs lost 6 in a row and against teams like the 76ers. They haven’t shown they know how to win yet but they’re starting to.  LeBron, Kyrie, and Love finally realized that they don’t need to all put up 40 points a game to be successful and that everyone knows there’s three stars on the team whether they put up huge numbers or not. The best thing that happened to the Cavs, which looked like the worst in the beginning, was the trade to acquire J.R. Smith and Iman Shumpert. These two have given the Cavs the added depth they needed and the team is finally able to give their stars rest. The biggest thing for the Cavs now is to watch LeBron take control of the second half of the season and the playoffs and show Cleveland what they want to see. Although the Cavs may not win a championship this season, the city of Cleveland finally has something to smile about.

4. San Antonio Spurs

Mid way through the season 33-19 will usually have you sitting in first place of your division and near the top of the conference. However, for the San Antonio Spurs that record has them sitting 4^th in the conference and back 5.5 games to the division leading Grizzlies. Through the first half of the season the Spurs have done everything they can to keep their aging stars rested and have proven that they are capable of winning while they do so. Frequently, the team has sat Tim Duncan, Manu Ginobili, and Tony Parker to make sure they stay healthy for the end of the season. The best part for Spurs fans is that it hasn’t made an impact on their success. Most games, win or loss, the Spurs do not have the leading score or rebounder. Kwahi Leonard, the team’s leading scorer, only averages 15.6 points a game. What the Spurs do excel in is spreading the playing time. 16 players have played in more than 25 games this season and 11 have played in more than half of the games. The Spurs stars have proven they can win championship, and their depth is talented enough to carry them to the end of the season. Expect the Spurs to be a true threat towards the end of the regular season and into the playoffs.

Outside Looking In

5. Memphis Grizzlies

The Grizzlies had a brief shine this season atop the league and beating Golden State. Unfortunately for the Grizzlies, that’s all their going to get. Besides Jeff Green and Marc Gasol the team doesn’t have enough healthy firepower to be a serious threat. The Grizzlies do have some of the same characteristics as the Spurs and the Hawks but they don’t have the talent to achieve what the other teams do. The biggest problem for the Grizzlies is that they play in Southwest conference with three other teams that are championship contenders. Without any big named players, the Grizzlies may only be a top team for a little longer.

6. Oklahoma City Thunder

The Thunder have dealt with injuries all season in their superstars. Durant missed the first six weeks of the season with a foot injury and Westbrook has missed 17 games this season due to a hand injury. Because of that the Thunder started the season 5-12, but have since bounced back. Since Durant and Westbrook’s return the team has managed to pull off a 27-25 record and have moved into second in their conference. Although the Thunder look impressive with their stars in action, they don’t have enough back up to make the top four by the end of the season. As long as Durant and Westbrook stay healthy, the Thunder are a serious threat for the second half of the season. However, the amount of minutes the two stars have to play due to lack of talented depth makes it difficult for them to stay healthy. If Durant and Westbrook aren’t able to stay injury free, the Thunder won’t be anything but a team looking into the top four at the end of the season.