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Jogo · 10-24-2017, 07:39 AM

Mid Season Recap

As we’re nearing the All-Star break and trade deadline, the season’s main storylines are starting to unfold. Let’s have a quick recap of what’s been going on so far.

WESTERN CONFERENCE

The Rockets, Warriors, Spurs and Thunder all find themselves atop the Western Conference. No real surprises there. If they can all stay healthy, we could see an exciting battle for the finals in june. The Warriors are still favourites, but it won’t come easy for them.

The Jazz find themselves in 5th place and still look like a very strong team, even with Hayward gone. The Blazers have done a lot better than most expected and follow in 6th place.

After that, it’s anyone’s game really.

The Wolves are currently 7th, but KAT will likely miss the entire regular season and Wiggins is out a few months as well. Do they have enough key players left to hang in there and stay to course for that play-off spot they so dearly desire?

Meanwhile, the Pelicans’ season is rapidly spiraling out of control. They’ve dropped down from 4th seed to 8th after losing their main superstar Anthony Davis to a season-ending injury, and their future doesn’t look much brighter. Solomon Hill is sidelined with injury as well and will definitely leave them scarred at their already lacking SF position.

The Pelicans’ play-off hopes are hanging in the balance and with AD gone, the same can be said for their Fire & Ice experiment. With big man Demarcus Cousins set to become an unrestriced free agent this summer, the question is: do they hang on to him and risk losing him for nothing after this season? Or do they make a move and try to get some value in return for him? A trade may be looming on the horizon, if not imminent at this point.

With Minnessota and New Orleans both in trouble, the play-off race in the West is wide open. The Grizzlies, Clippers, Nuggets and who knows even the Mavs, Lakers or Las Vegas could all still make a run for that final play-off spot. Do any of those teams make a splash before the trade deadline? Or have they already initiated tank mode and further race to the bottom?

EASTERN CONFERENCE

The East is pretty entertaining so far. While nothing compared to the madhouse that is the West, injuries have seriously shaken up the hierarchy of the conference.

The Cavs, Raptors, Wizards and Bucks are no strangers to the top of the standings. But there’s some surprise. The Sixers - yes, you read that right, the Sixers!! - have been outperforming all expectations and remained healthy all season. They climbed up the rankings and find themselves contending for the number 1 seed even!

Then there’s the Knicks who are currently ranked 6th. How? Nobody knows! Let’s see where that goes …

The Celtics have been somewhat of a disappointment so far. The Kyrie injury probably had a lot to do with that. But there’s still plenty of time to fix that. They are battling it out with Miami, Detroit, Indiana and Charlotte for the final play-off spots.

Down in the G-League, the Bulls, Magic, Hawks and Nets are having a fierce competition for this year's lottery picks.

10-24-2017, 07:39 AM	#36
Jogo Rookie OVR: 0 Join Date: Oct 2015	Re: Roll The Dice - A Las Vegas Dynasty Mid Season Recap As we’re nearing the All-Star break and trade deadline, the season’s main storylines are starting to unfold. Let’s have a quick recap of what’s been going on so far. WESTERN CONFERENCE The Rockets, Warriors, Spurs and Thunder all find themselves atop the Western Conference. No real surprises there. If they can all stay healthy, we could see an exciting battle for the finals in june. The Warriors are still favourites, but it won’t come easy for them. The Jazz find themselves in 5th place and still look like a very strong team, even with Hayward gone. The Blazers have done a lot better than most expected and follow in 6th place. After that, it’s anyone’s game really. The Wolves are currently 7th, but KAT will likely miss the entire regular season and Wiggins is out a few months as well. Do they have enough key players left to hang in there and stay to course for that play-off spot they so dearly desire? Meanwhile, the Pelicans’ season is rapidly spiraling out of control. They’ve dropped down from 4th seed to 8th after losing their main superstar Anthony Davis to a season-ending injury, and their future doesn’t look much brighter. Solomon Hill is sidelined with injury as well and will definitely leave them scarred at their already lacking SF position. The Pelicans’ play-off hopes are hanging in the balance and with AD gone, the same can be said for their Fire & Ice experiment. With big man Demarcus Cousins set to become an unrestriced free agent this summer, the question is: do they hang on to him and risk losing him for nothing after this season? Or do they make a move and try to get some value in return for him? A trade may be looming on the horizon, if not imminent at this point. With Minnessota and New Orleans both in trouble, the play-off race in the West is wide open. The Grizzlies, Clippers, Nuggets and who knows even the Mavs, Lakers or Las Vegas could all still make a run for that final play-off spot. Do any of those teams make a splash before the trade deadline? Or have they already initiated tank mode and further race to the bottom? EASTERN CONFERENCE The East is pretty entertaining so far. While nothing compared to the madhouse that is the West, injuries have seriously shaken up the hierarchy of the conference. The Cavs, Raptors, Wizards and Bucks are no strangers to the top of the standings. But there’s some surprise. The Sixers - yes, you read that right, the Sixers!! - have been outperforming all expectations and remained healthy all season. They climbed up the rankings and find themselves contending for the number 1 seed even! Then there’s the Knicks who are currently ranked 6th. How? Nobody knows! Let’s see where that goes … The Celtics have been somewhat of a disappointment so far. The Kyrie injury probably had a lot to do with that. But there’s still plenty of time to fix that. They are battling it out with Miami, Detroit, Indiana and Charlotte for the final play-off spots. Down in the G-League, the Bulls, Magic, Hawks and Nets are having a fierce competition for this year's lottery picks.