Heading into the All-Star break, the Eastern Conference playoff race was far from decided. With the exception of the Detroit Pistons, who entered the break with a seven-game winning streak and the top mark in the East, every other squad in the postseason hunt faced a second-half battle for positioning, as just four-and-a-half games separated the second and eighth-best teams in the conference.
But a race that was already too close to call received some added intrigue Feb. 21 when Miami Heat superstar Dwyane Wade, the league's fourth-leading scorer, suffered an apparently season-ending shoulder injury, severely jeopardizing the defending NBA champions' prospects for a return trip to the playoffs.
With the Heat no longer assured a postseason birth, four teams - Miami included - are slated to battle for the final two spots in the East playoffs. Here is a handicap of each of those clubs' chances of earning a place in the postseason heading into last night's games:
New Jersey Nets: 28-30, currently the seventh seed in the East.
The case for: Since deciding not to part with point guard Jason Kidd and shooting guard Vince Carter at last Thursday's trade deadline, the Nets have gone 3-0 and have seen resurgence in play from their superstars. On Friday, Kidd posted his 84th career triple-double despite playing just 33 minutes, as New Jersey routed the Sacramento Kings, 109-96. Carter, too, has caught fire of late, averaging 34.8 points on 51.1 percent from the field since the All-Star break. With small forward Richard Jefferson due back from ankle surgery in mid-March, the playoff-tested Nets look primed for the stretch run.
The case against: New Jersey will have to weather a six-game road trip beginning March 4 that includes stops in all three Texas cities. Additionally, with starting center Nenad Krstic out for the season with a torn ACL, the Nets are thin in their frontcourt, with rookie Josh Boone and 40-year-old Clifford Robinson backing up journeyman Mikki Moore and the offensively-challenged Jason Collins.
Orlando Magic: 28-30, currently the eighth seed in the East.
The case for: Having failed to make the postseason since Tracy McGrady played for the team in 2003, the Magic could be getting healthy at just the right time. In the last week, small forward Trevor Ariza and the team's second-leading scorer Grant Hill have both returned from right knee ailments. Meanwhile, forward/center Tony Battie, the Magic's third-best rebounder, is expected back in early March from a fractured thumb injury. Also in Orlando's favor is the emergence of center Dwight Howard, who the Magic made the first-overall pick in the 2004 NBA Draft, as an elite frontcourt threat. Since the All-Star break, Howard is averaging 22.4 points, 14.8 rebounds, 2.2 blocks and 1.6 steals per game.
The case against: By failing to land Carter at the trade deadline, Orlando has done little to remedy its offensive woes. The Magic are 27th in the NBA in scoring, 29th in free-throw percentage, 28th in assists and 29th in turnovers. Nor is Orlando responding well to the pressures of a playoff race: after a 13-4 start that had secured them first place in the East, the Magic have gone just 15-26, with 16 losses in their last 22 games.
Miami Heat: 27-29, currently on the bubble.
The case for: With a roster that boasts seven regulars over the age of 30 and a head coach who missed seven weeks of the regular season due to hip and knee surgeries, the veteran-laden Heat may have one last run left in them. History is certainly on their side, as only one defending champion has ever missed the playoffs - the 1990 Chicago Bulls. Additionally, the injury to Wade may awaken center Shaquille O'Neal, who has been limited to 17 games this season due to a knee injury. When Miami played LeBron James' Cleveland Cavaliers in its second game without Wade on Sunday, O'Neal, who has never endured a losing season and who has not missed the playoffs since his rookie season with Orlando in 1993, notched his third double-double of the season en route to an 86-81 victory that made a strong statement for the team.
The case against: The injury to Wade, the team's leader in points, assists, steals, and minutes, came at an inopportune time for the Heat, who went into the All-Star break winners of seven of their last eight games, reaching the .500 mark for the first time since Nov. 3. Wade's importance to Miami cannot be overstated, as the Heat are an abysmal 2-8 without the fourth-year star, with seven of those losses coming by double-digits.
New York Knicks: 26-32, currently on the bubble.
The case for: After a 9-17 start that had the Garden faithful calling for owner James Dolan to fire head coach Isaiah Thomas, the Knicks have turned it around, winning 17 of their last 32 to climb into the playoff race. A key factor in their comeback has been the performance of much-maligned center Eddy Curry who, in February, averaged at least 20 points per game for the third-straight month. In a 99-93 victory over Miami Monday night, Curry out dueled O'Neal, posting his second double-double since the All-Star break, and helping the team to a much needed victory.
The case against: After their victory over the Heat, the Knicks learned that second-leading scorer Jamal Crawford would likely miss the remainder of the season with a stress fracture in his right ankle. The loss of the seventh-year guard, combined with Steve Francis' nagging knee tendonitis, will force 5'9" guard Nate Robinson, who is averaging nearly as many turnovers as assists this season, to handle the ball more frequently. New York will also have to move former Indiana star Jared Jeffries, who is averaging just 3.9 points per game this season, to the starting lineup.
