With the NBA season heading into its final month, a few things are clear: Chicago and Oklahoma City have a stranglehold over their respective conferences (despite the absence of reigning MVP Derrick Rose for Chicago), San Antonio continues to defy critics with its boring yet consistent style of play, and Miami, despite all the criticism, will be just fine with one of the top seeds in the Eastern Conference.
However, for the rest of the teams in each conference, what will determine their success heading into the postseason is the all-important X-factor: momentum. Because the NBA is such a star-driven league, the teams with the biggest stars have the greatest potential to shake up the league for the remainder of the season and the playoffs.
Here's how some of the teams with the biggest stars are faring:
Orlando Magic, currently 3rd in the East
After sleepwalking through the first two weeks of the season, the Magic have climbed on the back of their all-star center, Dwight Howard and ridden him all the way to the third seed. Since Howard has "committed" to the team, though, the Magic have won only three of eight games, with a loss Sunday night when Howard was sidelined with back spasms. The injury is only a minor concern, as Howard has previously proven durable. The Magic's remaining schedule looks like an even dose of playoff teams and scrubs, and Howard should dominate every matchup if he is healthy. But his recent injury and losing funk has the team going in in the wrong direction.
Trending: Down
Los Angeles Lakers, 3rd in the West
It has been difficult to get a good read on the Lakers this season because, much like the Spurs, they are a team that simply will never go away. While boring to many, the Lakers are in the exact position they want to be in, especially after acquiring point guard Ramon Sessions at the trade deadline. Sessions gives the Lakers the quickness and penetrating ability that former co-captain and Lakers legend Derek Fisher failed to provide this season, and he has shown a knack for knocking down open jumpers. The Lakers, who have had trouble with the West's elite, will play mostly contenders to close the season, and that schedule will serve as a good test for them. A bigger concern might be that center Andrew Bynum sprained his ankle Sunday night; his health, as always, will determine where the Lakers end up, and luckily for them this injury doesn't seem too serious.
Trending: Up
Los Angeles Clippers, 4th in the West
After racing out to a hot start, the Clippers fell flat after the All-Star break. They had probably the most grueling stretch in the NBA: five sets of back-to-back games and one stretch of three games in three days all occurring in a span of three weeks. The result was a 6-8 lull. The team was rumored to have quit on coach Vinny Del Negro, and it's easy to see why. Del Negro's inability to successfully implement an offensive or defensive system forces the team to rely on star power, youth and athleticism. This works to the Clippers' advantage when they manage to go on big winning spurts, but it will ultimately hurt them come playoff time when teams can focus in on stopping their unoriginal schemes.
Trending: Down
Boston Celtics, 4th in the East
The Celtics' campaign has played out very differently from the seasons of many of the older teams in the NBA. Midway through the season, they looked left for dead and destined to miss the playoffs amid trade rumors and injuries. But the Celtics waited for the perfect time to make their playoff push, and they currently hold a top-four seed in the East. They have realized that their success depends on two things: one or two of the Big Three excelling each night and Rajon Rondo controlling the game. During the month of March, Rondo averaged 12.9 assists per game and, unsurprisingly, the Celtics were 12-5. The importance of a pure point guard has been immeasurable this season, and if the Celtics continue this solid play with Rondo leading them, they'll be a dangerous team to meet in the playoffs.
Trending: Up
Dallas Mavericks, 5th in the West
One of the hottest teams heading into the All-Star break, the Mavericks have become a shell of their former selves since then. This is particularly worrisome because it seemed like reigning NBA Finals MVP Dirk Nowitzki had finally played himself into game shape and the team was just starting to gel. Their defense is surprisingly still playing at a high level even with the departure of Tyson Chandler in the offseason, but outside of Nowitzki and Jason Terry, no one else on the roster has produced consistently enough for the offense to take advantage of that stellar defense. They still have shown the ability to beat good teams, but not with the consistency one would expect to see from the defending champs.
Trending: Down
New York Knicks, 8th in the East
The Knicks find themselves in one of the most precarious positions in the league, which is surprising given that a month ago they had seemingly endless potential. Now, their season has been thrown off course by the firing of coach Mike D'Antoni, Amar'eStoudemire's lingering back spasms and the official end to Linsanity. Sitting in the eighth and final playoff spot, the Knicks will likely float into the postseason, bow out early and gain a good position in a loaded draft. The question is, can the Knicks ride on the coattails of Carmelo Anthony, interim head coach Mike Woodson and Baron Davis? They would sure have you think so, as they've only dropped two games so far while playing without D'Antoni, Stoudemire and Lin.
Trending: Up
