Prime 10 Storylines for the 2021-22 NBA Season’s Closing Week

Top 10 Storylines for the 2021-22 NBA Season's Final Week

AP Picture/Ashley Landis

As the ultimate week of the 2021-22 NBA common season begins, every kind of questions stay. Most of the main award races are nonetheless unsettled, and far concerning the seeding and first-round matchups is not practically as locked in because it normally is by this time of 12 months.

With that in thoughts, listed here are 10 issues to control down the house stretch.

Will the Lakers Really Miss the Play-In?

With this weekend’s losses to the New Orleans Pelicans and Denver Nuggets, the Lakers fell to 31-47, two full video games out of the tenth and ultimate spot within the play-in group. Out of their 4 video games remaining, just one is in opposition to a crew whose season is successfully over (the Oklahoma Metropolis Thunder). They play the Denver Nuggets, who’re preventing to remain within the prime six, in addition to the Golden State Warriors and the top-seeded Phoenix Suns.

They will probably must win a majority of these video games to make the play-in, and it is going to be a troublesome street. Anthony Davis returned to the lineup Friday, which ought to assist, however the Lakers not management their future and wish the San Antonio Spurs, who’re two video games forward of them, to do some shedding.

The almost certainly situation is that the Lakers will find yourself lacking the playoffs fully in two out of the primary 4 years of the LeBron James period, a situation that was unthinkable when he signed there in 2018 coming off eight straight Finals appearances in Cleveland and Miami.

Can LeBron Shut Out the Scoring Title?

AP Picture/Gerald Herbert

Whatever the Lakers’ fortunes, James nonetheless has one thing to play for from a person standpoint: his second profession regular-season scoring title and first since 2007-08. He must play in two extra video games to qualify for the crown and is holding a slender lead at 30.3 factors per recreation, simply edging Giannis Antetokounmpo (30.1 factors) and Joel Embiid (30.2 factors).

If James had been to win it at age 37, he would grow to be the oldest scoring champion in NBA historical past (Michael Jordan holds that distinction after profitable it at age 35 in 1997-98). He can have gained it as an up-and-coming phenom at age 23 and as an elder statesman in his late 30s, which is about as robust a distinction in his longevity-based case for the GOAT title as he can get, in need of profitable one other MVP. 

Ever aware of his legacy and place in historical past, James is nicely conscious of what a scoring title this late in his profession would imply, and you may guess he is centered on getting it, if solely to salvage one thing lasting from what is going to go down as one other misplaced Lakers season.

The Race to the Backside

The underside three groups within the league, those who share the 14 p.c odds of touchdown the No. 1 total decide in subsequent month’s lottery, are principally set as a gaggle: the Orlando Magic, Detroit Pistons, Houston Rockets and Oklahoma Metropolis Thunder. Behind them are the Indiana Pacers and Portland Path Blazers, all of whom have been mathematically eradicated from playoff competition with lower than every week to go within the season. 

The Sacramento Kings are technically nonetheless alive for a play-in spot, however they face an uphill battle to muscle their means in; it is extra probably they fall into this group earlier than the season ends.

This group of groups are all centered on touchdown the most effective draft decide potential, so anticipate a number of lineup shenanigans, phantom accidents and, um, fascinating rotation choices of their remaining video games as they try and wrap up their finest lottery odds. 

The introduction of the play-in has reduce down on the variety of groups actively trying to lose for a greater draft decide, however that component of the league nonetheless exists and can stay in play within the ultimate week.

Who Finishes Sturdy within the MVP Race?

AP Picture/Aaron Gash

The MVP race remains to be not settled. 

ESPN’s latest (and usually dependable) straw ballot means that Nikola Jokic has a decent-sized edge, however it is not so huge that Giannis Antetokounmpo or Joel Embiid could not shut the hole throughout this ultimate stretch. 

Antetokounmpo already made nice strides in that division final week, together with a dominant efficiency in opposition to the Nets, and Embiid put up 29 factors, 14 rebounds and 6 assists in Saturday’s blowout win over the Charlotte Hornets.

The ultimate seeding could come into play too. If Denver falls to the play-in, it could be onerous for some to justify voting for Jokic. In the meantime within the Jap Convention, Milwaukee is tied with Philadelphia. 

There’s a lot that has but to be settled, and a few voters may wait till the tip of the season to make up their minds when usually the race is determined by now. There hasn’t been a set of three front-runners this robust for the reason that Russell Westbrook-James Harden-Kawhi Leonard pool in 2017, and whoever wins this 12 months will discover some controversy from those that felt one of many different two deserved it.

Injured Stars Getting Ramped Up

Throughout the previous week, Paul George has returned to the Clippers’ lineup from an elbow harm, whereas the Lakers have gotten Anthony Davis again after an 18-game absence due to a foot setback. 

They are not the one huge names whose well being can swing the playoffs. Denver nonetheless hasn’t dominated out returns for Jamal Murray (torn ACL) and Michael Porter Jr. (again), whereas Brooklyn is not fully closing the door on Ben Simmons making his season debut as he continues to take care of again points. Even Kawhi Leonard hasn’t been formally dominated out for the season as he recovers from final June’s ACL tear, as unlikely as it’s that he’ll truly play every week earlier than the playoffs.

Getting Davis again drastically helps the Lakers’ probabilities of staying within the play-in race. No matter what occurs with Leonard, the return of George makes the Clippers much more fascinating as a possible first-round spoiler for both Phoenix or Memphis in the event that they make it out of the play-in. 

Within the unlikely occasion that Simmons can play, he’ll make an already impossible-to-figure-out Nets crew much more intriguing as a low seed that the highest groups within the East do not wish to face after the play-in spherical.

Does Evan Mobley Have the Rookie of the Yr Trophy Wrapped Up?

Jason Miller/NBAE by way of Getty Pictures

For a lot of the 12 months, it has been assumed that Rookie of the Yr was Evan Mobley’s award to lose. His day-one affect as a frontcourt defender introduced comparisons to Tim Duncan, and the Cleveland Cavaliers had been the largest shock of the primary a part of the season.

Mobley will nonetheless in all probability win the award, however two different contenders have emerged as robust challengers because the season closes. No. 1 total decide Cade Cunningham has begun to appear to be a future star after a gradual begin to the season, and Scottie Barnes’ Toronto Raptors have overtaken Cleveland within the standings.

Mobley, in the meantime, is out with an ankle harm and won’t play in any extra regular-season video games, so if any voters are holding out till the tip to make their choices, Barnes and Cunningham can have a higher alternative to make up floor within the ultimate week than Mobley will to carry his place. 

He is nonetheless the favourite, however it may find yourself being a more in-depth race than anyone thought it might be two months in the past.

Can the Nets Get It Collectively?

Kyrie Irving gained his standoff with town of New York’s COVID-19 vaccination mandate and is now in a position to play in dwelling video games. However the Brooklyn Nets have not been dominant to shut out the season, blowing a nine-point result in lose in additional time to Milwaukee final week regardless of Kevin Durant’s continued world-class play. The Nets have not dominated out Ben Simmons’ franchise debut this 12 months, however head coach Steve Nash advised reporters Saturday that he has but to progress to one-on-one work. The concept that he may go from barely with the ability to do on-court work to taking part in in high-leverage video games within the subsequent week is hard to check.

The Nets’ precise place within the play-in can also be unsure. They’re primarily in a lifeless warmth with Charlotte and Atlanta for the Nos. 8-10 spots, which is able to decide whether or not Brooklyn performs at dwelling or on the street within the first play-in recreation, in addition to whether or not it must win one or two video games to make it to the playoffs. 

Any crew with Durant on the courtroom shall be favored in one among these video games and shall be a troublesome out for whichever prime seed they presumably get within the first spherical, however the Nets nonetheless have some inquiries to reply earlier than we get there.

Jockeying on the Prime of the East

AP Picture/David Dermer

The highest 4 groups within the East—Miami, Milwaukee, Boston and Philadelphia—are separated by simply 2.5 video games heading into the ultimate week. This can make for an fascinating race to observe on a lot of ranges. For one, whether or not the Bucks or 76ers end with the next seed may issue into some voters’ alternative between Antetokounmpo and Embiid on their MVP ballots.

However extra importantly, we may see a type of groups try to remain out of the highest two to keep away from the potential of having to face Brooklyn within the first spherical, ought to the Nets advance previous the play-in. Tanking to recreation the matchups is at all times a dicey proposition, however you would be naive to suppose it is not going to think about someplace on this ultimate week with the prospect of Durant on the opposite facet being a reward for top-seed standing.

Who Falls to the seventh Play-In Spot within the West?

Simply two video games separate the fifth-place Denver Nuggets, sixth-place Utah Jazz and seventh-place Minnesota Timberwolves. Minnesota is 2 again within the loss column from Denver, which might a lot somewhat have the week of the play-in video games off to doubtlessly give Michael Porter Jr. (again) and Jamal Murray (knee) extra time to get wholesome. 

The Jazz have been surrounded by hypothesis for months that if their run ends early, it may imply the tip of the Rudy Gobert-Donovan Mitchell group, in order that they’d do nicely to keep away from the play-in. Whoever does find yourself in seventh must face the Clippers, with a wholesome Paul George, within the first play-in recreation.

Minnesota, which did not come into the season with actual playoff expectations, is in an excellent place regardless and may be ok with its future. No one thinks the Timberwolves will win a first-round sequence in opposition to Phoenix or Memphis, however they’re going to nonetheless be a troublesome out. They usually have an actual likelihood, if Denver or Utah stumbles within the ultimate week, to climb excessive sufficient that they will not need to face a type of prime two groups within the first spherical.

Will the Warriors Cease Their Free-Fall?

After a dominant run, the Golden State Warriors have succumbed to accidents down the stretch. Stephen Curry’s sprained foot shall be reevaluated after the tip of the common season; if he is wholesome, Golden State’s possibilities at making an actual run are alive. If he is not at peak type, these chances are high primarily lifeless within the water.

The Warriors aren’t in any hazard of falling into the play-in, however it’s potential they’re going to fall out of the highest 4 and lose home-court benefit within the first spherical. They’re clinging to a small lead over Dallas for the No. 3 seed within the West, however they’re solely three video games out of fifth and three-and-a-half out of sixth. They’ve misplaced 4 in a row with Curry out. 

Due to their pedigree and the title fairness the Curry-Draymond Inexperienced-Klay Thompson core has constructed, they’re nonetheless a crew to take severely as soon as the playoffs begin. However they don’t seem to be coming into the ultimate week of the common season trying just like the juggernaut they seemed to be after their scorching begin.


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