Four weeks remain in the regular season with little separation between the Western Conference’s fourth and 12th seeds. No cream of the crop has risen to top after a handful of superstars were redistributed to contenders.
Barring collapse, the Denver Nuggets, Sacramento Kings and Memphis Grizzlies have secured one of the top three seeds. The rest are up for grabs and the contenders neck-and-neck — a win can shoot one team up three spots, a loss can push one out of the playoff picture.
The Warriors’ bizarre 7-28 road record has kept them in the middle of that jam. And their hopes to avoid the play-in have stayed alive with stellar play at Chase Center along with the Phoenix Suns, Dallas Mavericks and Los Angeles Lakers’ blockbuster acquisitions missing time or not quite having the shifting impact expected.
Can Golden State keep out of the play-in tournament? Here’s a look at the biggest contributing factors.
West injuries and lack of rhythm
Stars pull their teams ahead at the finish line. And the West is rife with stars from Kyrie Irving and Luka Dončić in Dallas to LeBron James and Anthony Davis in Los Angeles — Kawhi Leonard and Paul George there, too — and Kevin Durant, Devin Booker and Chris Paul in Phoenix.
But injuries and inconsistencies have kept all teams from pulling ahead.
Durant is out at least two weeks, including for Monday’s game against the Warriors, with a fluke ankle sprain suffered during a routine warm-up. On top of the knee sprain he brought with him to the Phoenix Suns from Brooklyn, Durant has had some trouble staying healthy. The Suns gave up depth in Mikal Bridges and Cam Johnson for Durant, so they could be playing thin for most of what remains in the regular season. But Booker, Paul and Deandre Ayton should keep them consistent.
Irving and Dončić haven’t found their chemistry as a dynamic backcourt duo quite yet. The Dallas Mavericks are 5-6 since Irving’s arrival, plus he and Dončić will miss time with a foot injury and thigh strain, respectively. Their 120.3 defensive rating since acquiring Irving (trading their better defender in Dorian Finney-Smith in the process) is among the worst in the NBA over that span.
The Los Angeles Lakers have one of the easiest remaining schedules among the contenders and have plenty of chemistry going even with LeBron James out a few more weeks with a foot injury. As of Monday …read more
Source:: The Mercury News