When Does Uk Play Again in the Ncaa Tournament
The 2022 Play-In Tournament won't be lacking in star power if the Nets and Lakers are in it.
• Play-In Motion picture
The NBA Play-In Tournament is a calendar month away from providing suspense, and much like last season's debut, at that place's a flurry of activity among a number of desperate teams sitting on the fence.
That includes the Los Angeles Lakers, in case you've spent the last few months without the internet and cable.
Yes, it'southward true: L.A. and LeBron James are in strange and uncomfortable territory as they endeavour to scrub the crud of 2021-22 off their jerseys and collect themselves and their hobbling egos in time to save their season, or what'south left of it.
Should the Lakers finish in the No. vii-10 range in the Western Briefing standings, the Play-In Tournament volition suddenly have an unexpected bonus and volition surely become must-watch Television set, if simply to see how the Lakers respond to a possible one-and-done state of affairs.
The chase for a playoff spot volition also insure that the Lakers, and other teams in their position, won't rest their stars too much, if at all, between now and then. This will continue LeBron in the tight race for the NBA scoring title, then the Play-In has unintentionally created an boosted scrap of intrigue.
Otherwise, the drama being produced here in the stretch run makes for heavy involvement at a time when, in the past, the concluding month of the season was rather mundane for the most part.
Hither's a closer exam of where the play-in situation stands at the moment in both conferences, the teams involved, forth with the cardinal players, and where it might be heading.
Eastern Briefing
Cleveland Cavaliers: The Cavs take gone 4-6 since the All-Star break after beingness the surprise team through the first one-half-season, when they were 35-21 at i point and sent a pair to the All-Star Game. Injuries to those young stars, Jarrett Allen and Darius Garland, didn't assistance, but that'south only part of the consequence. The Cavs but haven't kept pace with the teams in their company. Equally a outcome, their lack of staying power — non unusual for overachieving teams over an 82-game season — has them teetering on the protective meridian-six cutline. They demand to recapture the magic and prevent a gratuitous-fall, and even more, promise their Play-In pecking club isn't decided in the final week of the regular season. Worth noting: three of their final 4 games are against the Nets, Bucks and 76ers.
Our experts take a closer await at how the Celtics, Nets, Cavs and Hawks might fare equally the rest of the season plays out.
Toronto Raptors: A midseason eight-game winning streak put the Raptors on solid ground and squarely in the Play-In conversation. During this time, Pascal Siakam rediscovered his touch while All-Star guard Fred VanVleet and rookie Scottie Barnes maintained their consistency. Gary Trent Jr. dropped 42 points on the Suns and, suddenly, Toronto is feeling frisky most its chances of sneaking into the safe oasis of the top half dozen. They just need OG Anunoby to heal upwards and for their overall defense to better.
Brooklyn Nets: Hear those footsteps? Everyone in the East does, and they're aware of the push button by Brooklyn to escape the Play-In scenario birthday. Kevin Durant is healthy and able to drib a 50-piece if necessary — he gave 53 to the Knicks on Sunday — but evading the Play-In is no lock for the Nets. Kyrie Irving even so tin't play dwelling games (still) — he'due south scheduled to miss 10 of Brooklyn'due south last 13 games — and in that location's no timetable for Ben Simmons' debut. But the schedule does favor Brooklyn in another sense equally six of the last eight are confronting teams with losing records. Well-nigh likely, the Nets will demand the vaccine mandate to exist lifted and for Simmons to return very soon in order to escape the Play-In.
Despite the ups and downs, Brooklyn'south ceiling looms every bit the postseason approaches.
Charlotte Hornets: This team was interesting for a minute, until a February swoon dropped them into Play-In territory. Now, they're trying to avoid the No. ix-x spot. They do have five straight at domicile upcoming, starting Wednesday against the Hawks (7 ET, NBA League Laissez passer), and they'll need a strong stand to keep from faltering. Poor defense is dooming the Hornets, and spoiling otherwise decent offensive efforts by LaMelo Brawl and Miles Bridges.
Atlanta Hawks: Wasn't this team in the conference finals a season ago? Seems similar forever. It's been a bleed on the Hawks, to face up that perplexing reality, to see themselves fighting for their playoff lives at the moment. A spate of injuries helped create this, but honestly, the Hawks haven't seen an uptick among their collection of young talent (Trae Immature excepted) and never adult much bite defensively. The lack of action at the trade borderline didn't bring anyone to the rescue, either.
Western Conference
Minnesota Timberwolves: Very quietly, the Wolves are starting to prove maturity and the evolution that was anticipated once Karl-Anthony Towns joined D'Angelo Russell and were gifted Anthony Edwards. This Babe Big 3 is jelling, with recent wins over the Warriors, Cavs and Grizzlies equally proof, and information technology's not out of the question that 7th-place Minnesota makes a push to climb into top-six protection. Given their frigid history of making the playoffs, period, the Wolves will take what they tin get.
Our experts take a closer await at how the Lakers, Mavs, Wolves, Pelicans and Spurs might fare equally the rest of the flavor plays out.
LA Clippers: In a sense, the Clippers seem blessed to even be at this point, with a solid chance of being in the Play-In. That's especially true when you lot consider the flavour-long absence of Kawhi Leonard and the flavor cameo past Paul George (both due to injury). Assuming neither returns to the lineup in the regular flavour, the Clippers must continue to make do with Reggie Jackson, Marcus Morris and the refreshing emergence of Luke Kennard. The goal is to make the playoffs, then their cross fingers and hope their stars heal in a hurry.
Los Angeles Lakers: Well, well, well. Didn't LeBron in one case say that whomever came up with the Play-In thought should exist fired? Well, that NBA executive, in hindsight, probably gave LeBron a 2021-22 life preserver and deserves a heighten. Because at this point, the only manner the Lakers can salvage a disastrous season is by leveraging themselves in the Play-In. Their chances of qualifying for the tournament seem decent, and now they just need a return by Anthony Davis and some stabilization from Russell Westbrook to punch their playoff ticket. Once in that location — and this is a all-time-instance scenario for the Lakers — they can at least put a scare into whomever they come across in the commencement round.
Are the Lakers essentially destined for a Play-In Tournament spot?
New Orleans Pelicans: The trade that brought CJ McCollum at the deadline probably spared the Pelicans from a total waste of a flavor. McCollum has been terrific since arriving in New Orleans, teaming up nicely with Brandon Ingram, and the Pelicans responded favorably initially, with a pair of four-game winning streaks. Of class, they're also decumbent to a tough stretch, too, and then there'southward the ongoing guessing game with Zion Williamson and will-he or won't-he stride on the court this flavor. Either way, the Pelicans will be disadvantaged in the Play-In.
Portland Trail Blazers: Y'all have to wonder if Portland even wants to exist in this situation, sitting precariously on the Play-In fence with a run a risk to extend their season, however briefly. Subsequently trading McCollum, that indicated this team was broken-hearted to get a spring on rebuilding. And it doesn't help that Anfernee Simons is dealing with injury. It'll take an unexpected surge merely for the Blazers to grab the 10th spot, which seems unlikely.
San Antonio Spurs: At least Gregg Popovich secured the all-time wins past a bus, correct? Well, and so, at to the lowest degree the Spurs achieved one goal this season. They're not totally eliminated from the play-in bubble, but they don't seem terribly motivated to plow their way into it, either. This is a transitional year that saw Pop achieve basketball immortality and Dejounte Murray reach stardom. Otherwise, the Spurs are decorated sifting through a young and mainly inexperienced roster to encounter who sticks around beyond this flavour.
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Shaun Powell has covered the NBA for more than 25 years. You tin can e-mail him hither, find his archive here and follow him on Twitter.
The views on this page do not necessarily reflect the views of the NBA, its clubs or Turner Broadcasting.
Source: https://www.nba.com/news/11-teams-to-watch-as-play-in-chase-enters-final-month
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