NBA 2nd Half Outlook

Let's take a look at the Eastern Conference as whole at this time during ALL-STAR Weekend. As the standings have taken a much mature form, it's evident that 5 teams are elite in the East, that being the Celtics, Heat, Bulls, Magic, and the Hawks. After that it looks to be a steep drop off in talent with the Knicks being the closest (6 games behind Atlanta). Creating strong evidence the East is still JV compared to the West.

EASTERN		W	L	PCT	GB

1

Boston

40

14

.741

-

2

Miami

41

15

.732

-

3

Chicago

38

16

.704

2

4

Orlando

36

21

.632

5 ½

5

Atlanta

34

21

.618

6 ½

6

New York

28

26

.519

12

7

Philadelphia

27

29

.482

14

8

Indiana

24

30

.444

16

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Charlotte

24

32

.429

17

Milwaukee

21

34

.382

19 ½

Detroit

21

36

.368

20 ½

Favorite to win East : It has to be the Boston Celtics, very hard to go against the defending Conference champs. The emergence of Rajon Rondo as a superstar rather than a role player has without a doubt bolstered this ageing squad of veterans and in the process creating a nice mix of youth and experience, no wonder they're at the top of the Conference.

Donato's Prediction: The Miami Heat started the season 9-8 and looked like a selfish group of superstars thrown together on a court. Since that time they've gotten their act together going 32-7. All they needed was some time to gel, what team doesn't? The pure talent of Lebron, D-Wade, and the highly overrated Chris Bosh, should put the Heat in the finals despite the ongoing circus act taking place in Dade County.

Dark Horse: The team nobody has been alluding to throughout the entirety of the season, yet they sit comfortably at 3rd in the Conference, just 2 games behind the Heat and the Celtics. The Chicago Bulls seem to be quietly relishing the disrespected underdog role. This could make them extremely dangerous in May and June. Derrick Rose, who has been quietly winning the MVP race, has carried the Bulls for most of the 1st half with injuries to the supporting cast, notably Joakim Noah. A healthy Bulls team down the stretch could mean Chicago's first return to the Finals since the days of Air Jordan.

Surprise Playoff Team: The Knicks seem to be ever closer to bringing Carmelo to New York, despite conflicting reports about New Jersey now having the upper hand. If the Knicks can land this colossal star, they sure as heck won't be an easy out come playoff time. The combination of Amare and Carmelo would be scary good, and thus have the Knicks poised to make a playoff run.

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The Western Conference is bit more grouped together in terms of the talent of the teams. Despite this, the Spurs seem to be running away with the top seed, raise your hand if you saw that coming....exactly. This is only the tip of the Iceberg of surprises that make up the West. That includes the Lakers who look bored and discombobulated up to this point, as well as the Dallas Mavericks who have been wise as to the construction of their team, which is paying dividends now allowing them to also be a pleasant surprise.

WESTERN

W

L

PCT

GB

1

San Antonio

46

10

.821

-

2

Dallas

40

16

.714

6

3

LA Lakers

38

19

.667

8 ½

4

Oklahoma City

35

19

.648

10

5

Portland

32

24

.571

14

6

New Orleans

33

25

.569

14

7

Denver

32

25

.561

14 ½

8

Utah

31

26

.544

15 ½

__________________________________

Memphis

31

26

.544

15 ½

Phoenix

27

27

.500

18

Golden State

26

29

.473

19 ½

Houston

26

31

.456

20 ½

Favorite to win West: Could it be anymore obvious? The Spurs own the league best record at 46-10 and   appear to steamroll their competition night in and night out. Tim Duncan shows he still is dominant big man and an absolute force in the paint, while Manu Ginobili and Tony Parker continue to be EXCELLENT compliments to the squad.

Donato's Prediction: The Los Angeles Lakers, we go through this every single year. Will the Lakers return? blah blah blah. Yes they will. Kobe Bryant is the fiercest competitor in the NBA and nothing will stop him from trying to tie Jordan's legendary 6 rings. The Lakers appear dull right now, unsatisfied with inferior competition, more than not it has to do with the fact they're just itching for the playoffs to start, the defending champs will be back in the finals.

Dark Horse:  The Dallas Mavericks, Dirk Nowitzki having another stellar season but it's not just him. Just like Tim Duncan, Jason Kidd is showing he also is still capable of performing at a high level. Couple that with the rebounding ability of Tyson Chandler and the Mavericks look pretty damn good, not to mention the impressive young player from France Rodrigue Beaubois makes this squad even more deadly.

Surprise Playoff Team: The Oklahoma City Thunder. Many thought last year they might have been able to upset the Lakers in the first round, that didn't come to fruition however. This year, Kevin Durant, Russell Westbrook, and Serge Ibaka are all one year older and have taken the Northwest Division by storm. Sitting at 4th in the Conference and a home playoff series awaiting them, the Thunder may have gotten the spring board they need to shock the NBA world.