The All-Star game is just a couple of days away and the playoffs will also be upon us in a few months. In the Eastern Conference, some teams have made excellent additions before the trade deadline and the race for the Eastern Conference championship remains highly competitive. Things are exactly opposite in the Western Conference.
Golden State Warriors recently moved into the first spot in the West and are well equipped to hold that spot. The Warriors are in pole position to lift the championship trophy but it is at the other end of the table that things are getting interesting. Three teams namely Los Angeles Clippers, The Sacramento Kings and the Los Angeles Lakers are fighting for the eighth and final seed which means that we will witness some action-packed few months.
Let’s take a look at how things currently stand.
Sacramento Kings
The General Manager has had to deal with some serious criticism in the past few years. But he has done incredible work in the last two years and has built a squad capable of competing with the best in the coming years.
With a game in hand, the Kings are well poised to eventually leapfrog the Clippers. They certainly have the quality to do just that. De’Aaron Fox is having an excellent season and former Mavericks cornerstone Harrison Barnes has been brought in to support him. Hot prospect Buddy Hield is also having a breakthrough season.
As it stands the Kings are in the best position to grab the eighth seed for the playoffs. This situation presents with the perfect opportunity to make use of various betting promotions, bonuses being offered at bwin sports. It is one of the major sportsbooks in the country and is highly trusted among seasoned punters.
Los Angeles Clippers
The Los Angeles Clippers have been in and around the playoff places for a while now. At one point in the season, they were at the top of the conference. But afterward, it became a case of over performing too soon and then failing to match the standards they set for themselves.
Their trade dealings show that they are already planning for the future. They shipped off forward Tobias Harris to Philadelphia 76ers and in got the option of bringing in four young players. This has somewhat hampered their chances for securing the eighth seed but this decision will help them in the long term. There are already signs of a bright future, as the Clippers came from behind 28-point to win against the Boston Celtics recently. Landry Shamet, the newly acquired rookie guard’s performance was particularly impressive.
Los Angeles Lakers
The Lakers’ chances have been massively hampered by LeBron James’ unfortunate and untimely groin injury. He is as confident in his ability as he ever was but talking is not going to help his team secure the final playoff seed. There have been injuries to other important players.
However, a fully fit Lakers’ squad can definitely climb above the Clippers and the Kings. It will be a difficult task but still mathematically possible so don’t make the mistake of counting them out just yet.
