5 NBA Teams That Could Play Better After the All-Star Weekend
by mattcarpenter1128Can These NBA Teams Perform Better After the All-Star?
We are getting to the best part of the NBA season. First, we will enjoy the skills of exceptional players throughout the league during the All-Star weekend. While you are watching the spectacle, you can also play top online roulette games to take the excitement to the next level.
And once the All-Star break finishes, we get to watch 30 teams fighting for playoffs. Let’s take a look at which teams could perform better after the mid-season break and discuss why we have high hopes for them!
Atlanta Hawks
Feb 5, 2020; Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA; Atlanta Hawks center Clint Capela (15) looks on during the second half against the Minnesota Timberwolves at Target Center. Mandatory Credit: Jesse Johnson-USA TODAY Sports
Trae Young is an amazing player with fantastic capabilities and even bigger potential. We do not doubt that the future of Atlanta Hawks is bright with a leader like that. The team was also very active when it comes to trades, and they were even a part of the famous four-team deal ahead of the trade deadline.
Hawks received Clint Capela, which is a reliable center with impressive athletic abilities. They also have the likes of Jeff Teague and Dewayne Dedmon, who played great during the two seasons spent in Atlanta.
It is impossible to expect that the Hawks could reach the playoffs, but their current position doesn’t seem realistic either. That is why we expect that Young and the gang will pick up the pace after the break and climb the Eastern Conference ranking for at least two or three spots.
Portland Trail Blazers
Feb 12, 2020; Memphis, Tennessee, USA; Portland Trail Blazers forward Carmelo Anthony (00) and Portland Trail Blazers guard Damian Lillard (0) during the first half against the Memphis Grizzlies at FedExForum. Mandatory Credit: Justin Ford-USA TODAY Sports
If you asked an average NBA fan before the season started, the majority of them would but the Blazers among the teams to advance to the playoffs. Although the competition in the Western Conference is fierce, the team hasn’t changed significantly from the one that reached the Conference Final in the previous playoffs.
Furthermore, the Portland Trail Blazers probably only got better. Unfortunately, injuries combined with poor form caused a poor start to the season, and they will need to fight hard for the playoffs. The good news is that Carmelo Anthony fits in well with the squad, and the eighth spot in the West is not that far away. We strongly believe that the Blazers will fight for a postseason spot until the end of the regular season, and we wouldn’t be surprised if they are the ones to make it to the playoffs.
Houston Rockets
Feb 9, 2020; Houston, Texas, USA; Houston Rockets guard James Harden (13) and guard Russell Westbrook (0) react after a play during the second quarter against the Utah Jazz at Toyota Center. Mandatory Credit: Troy Taormina-USA TODAY Sports
It’s not that Rockets have been playing bad before the All-Star break, but they are not in one of the top four spots of the conference table. We think that Russel Westbrook and James Harden would both agree that they will have to do better in the second part of the season.
If anything, Houston Rockets will be an interesting team to watch. Although they have the talented Isaiah Hartenstein and experienced Tyson Chandler, they still gave up Clint Capela at the center position. Instead, they went for two forwards – Robert Covington and Bruno Caboclo.
These trades fit into the Rockets’ philosophy of relying on three-point shooting, but it is also a big risk when it comes to their stability in the paint. It seems that the team is willing to make risky moves, and we believe that stirring things up is just what the locker room needed to move forward.
Chicago Bulls
Feb 9, 2020; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; Chicago Bulls guard Zach LaVine (8) dribbles against the Philadelphia 76ers during the second quarter at Wells Fargo Center. Mandatory Credit: Bill Streicher-USA TODAY Sports
It hasn’t been the season that Chicago Bulls were hoping for so far. Although the 10th spot in the East is not terrible, it still isn’t a position that takes you to the postseason. The Bulls’ fans were hoping to watch playoff games after missing them for two seasons in a row.
The Eastern Conference is filled with teams that are organized and play well the entire season, and that seems to be the puzzle that Chicago is missing. The talent is there since Lauri Markkanen and Zach LaVine are leading the team supported by youngsters like Coby White and experienced players like Tomas Satoransky and Thaddeus Young.
Bulls will have to give their best to take the spot of Orlando Magic or Brooklyn Nets in the postseason, but if they find a way to fulfill their potential, we might see them in the playoffs.