The 2000-2001 NBA regular season only has a month left and some teams in the Eastern Conference are fighting for their playoff lives. As squads play their final games on the schedule, the playoff picture is starting to clear up and some teams are rapidly falling out of the playoff hunt, while others are simply finishing up terrific seasons.
The Philadelphia 76ers are an example of the latter. The Sixers have had a remarkable year and have earned the right to be called the best team in the league. Philly is 47-16 and ten games ahead of the New York Knicks and Miami Heat in the Atlantic division. Of course, to understand the secret of Philadelphia's brilliance, look no further than Allen Iverson. Iverson is averaging 31.1 points per game this season and seems to score at will. He should be a lock for the MVP award.
But coaching cannot be overlooked - Larry Brown has done a phenomenal job at getting his role players to play well. Dikembe Mutumbo (since coming over from Atlanta), Eric Snow, and Aaron McKie have had standout years under the tutelage of Brown. Putting Snow at the point has given the Sixers a true floor general, leaving Iverson to explode from the two spot.
The Milwaukee Bucks are another teaming in the midst of a standout season. Coach George Karl has taken the Bucks, an eight seed a year ago, to the number two spot in the East, and helped produce two All-Stars, guard Ray Allen and forward Glen "Big Dog" Robinson. The Bucks, who should prove a formidable foe in the playoffs for any team, also get solid play at the point from Sam Cassell.
The next layer of teams in the East consists of the 3-7 seeds, teams which can be considered slightly better than average. While playing well enough to lock up playoff spots, they haven't done anything to scare the Western Conference powerhouses. Nevertheless, some success stories can' be ignored. The Heat lost superstar center Alonzo Mourning for the entire season with a kidney ailment, but thanks to great coaching from Pat Riley and a career year from Anthony Mason, have managed to jump into the fourth spot in the East right behind the Bucks and Knicks. Eddie Jones and Tim Hardaway have also been solid, averaging 18.1 and 14.8 points per game respectively.
The Knicks, Charlotte Hornets, and Toronto Raptors are nearly mirroring their play from last season. The Raptors, despite undergoing a recent point guard change (Chris Childs for Mark Jackson) and losing superstar Tracy McGrady during the off-season, can still count on the play of Vince Carter. They are currently in seventh place - the same spot that they finished last year. Toronto may give a team like New York or Milwaukee trouble in the first round, but shouldn't advance far into the postseason.
This year's Knicks, like last year's, have gotten the bulk of their production from their two major scorers: Latrell Sprewell and Allan Houston. However, New York is also seeing improvement in Kurt Thomas and Marcus Camby. Camby is putting up 11.3 points and 11.5 rebounds a game, and Thomas is shooting a phenomenal 84.6 percent from the free-throw line. If the Knicks are to go far in the playoffs, Camby and Thomas will need to play significant roles.
The Hornets have adjusted well to the blockbuster trade that saw Eddie Jones and Anthony Mason go south to Miami in exchange for Jamal Mashburn and P.J. Brown. Mashburn has quickly become the team's leading scorer, averaging 20.2 points per contest, and David Wesley is having a solid year with 17.7 points per game.
The final group in the East consists of teams that are less than mediocre yet somehow still have a shot at making the playoffs. The Indiana Pacers, despite being seven and a half games behind the seventh-seeded Raptors, are still holding on to the eighth seed. The Pacers have had a tough time adjusting to new coach Isaiah Thomas and the departure of the bulk of their starting lineup in the off-season. Still, Indiana must be viewed as a threat to any team as long as Reggie Miller is in the lineup.
The Boston Celtics are not far behind the Pacers and sport a record of 27-36. The Celtics have gotten great production from the 2-3 spots as Antoine Walker and Paul Pierce have had impressive seasons. The Celtics and Pacers will be in a fight to the finish for that coveted final playoff spot in the Eastern Conference.
