A condensed NBA regular season that had no shortage of headlines will come to a close today, giving us a brief moment to reflect on what has been a wild, 66-game campaign. As the NBA's second season - the postseason - approaches, some of the storylines that made the playoff race so fun to watch will continue to have significant implications. Here are some of the biggest stories to keep an eye on during the playoffs:
World Peace kills two birds with one elbow
After playing his way into shape and putting up numbers the Lakers haven't seen since their last championship run, Metta World Peace (formerly Ron Artest) finally looked like he would be a key contributor to a Lakers team that was starting to look like a contender. But he managed to all but derail their hopes of a deep playoff push when he committed an egregious foul on the Thunder's James Harden, elbowing him in the head and thus earning himself a seven-game suspension. Without World Peace, the Lakers lose an elite perimeter defender capable of guarding multiple positions - not to mention an emerging offensive threat.
Fortunately for the Thunder, Harden, who is their primary playmaker and contributor off the bench and is in the discussion for Sixth Man of the Year accolades, was cleared to return to action yesterday.
The Lakers will feel the loss of Artest in the opening round. If they advance, though, they could meet the Thunder in a star-studded, bad blood-infused Western Conference Semifinals matchup.
Superman sidelined
For those sick of hearing about all-world center Dwight Howard, this latest news should come as a treat: He won't be playing anymore this season. It's been a disappointing year for Howard, as his off-court drama has completely overshadowed another productive campaign. He certainly does not deserve to be named to another All-NBA First Team or to win another Defensive Player of the Year Award. Though he was able to dominate at times and carried the Magic to the number-six seed in the Eastern Conference, he often looked completely apathetic on the court.
With the centerpiece of the team - or, more accurately, the entire team - gone, the Magic secured the sixth seed last night with a narrow victory over the lowly Charlotte Bobcats. In the process, they staved off the surging New York Knicks, who were threatening to surpass them for the sixth seed, and likely set up a dream Knicks-Heat first-round matchup.
Knicks address Amar'e problem
After missing 13 straight games with a herniated disc in his back, Amar'e Stoudemire looked doubtful to make a pre-playoff return. However, he has timed his comeback to allow him to play a few games before the postseason starts, giving Knicks interim head coach Mike Woodson the tough job of simultaneously getting one of his stars up to speed and getting the team ready for a tough first-round matchup, likely against the Heat.
One possible solution: Have Stoudemire come off the bench. This would have sounded heretical at the beginning of the season, but with Stoudemire nursing an injury, it makes perfect sense now. Stoudemire's offensive numbers have dipped this year because he has had to share the paint with Tyson Chandler, the Knicks' defensive anchor. The team is not the same defensively without Chandler on the floor - much like the Mavericks during their run last year - but Stoudemire also needs to be productive offensively if the Knicks want to advance in the playoffs. Thus, the right move might be to start Chandler to set the tone defensively, then insert Stoudemire to create a mismatch at the five-spot and generate some offense. Having Chandler and Stoudemire rotate at center also allows Carmelo Anthony to match up against the opponent's power forward, who will have no answer for Anthony's wealth of offensive moves.
Jazz snag last playoff spot
The Jazz's playoff berth is big news, not only because they lost their superstar point guard, Deron Williams, and their legendary head coach, Jerry Sloan, but also because their two lottery picks from last year's draft - Enes Kanter and Alec Burks - haven't been especially productive. All year, the Jazz have been relying on their front-court trio of Al Jefferson, deserving All-Star Paul Millsap and Derrick Favors coming off the bench, and they have ridden their coattails all the way to the eighth seed.
The trio's reliable offensive game and strength on the glass - each player averages over two offensive rebounds per game - give the Jazz one of the most promising emerging front-courts in the league. It remains to be seen if the Jazz can be successful without a truly elite perimeter scorer, but perhaps March Madness darling Gordon Hayward will be that missing link. Still, Jefferson has proven this season that he can be the closer in crunch time.
Come playoff time, the Jazz will play the role of "up-and-coming team with nothing to lose" against the aging Spurs. Last year, the Spurs lost to a similar - albeit more talented - Memphis Grizzlies squad in the first round.
