Fathead Blog

As the NBA season approaches the All-Star break, the league’s top teams are starting to distance themselves from the rest of the pack. Here are perhaps the top five teams vying for the NBA title through the midway point of the season.

San Antonio Spurs

The Spurs have been the class of the league so far this season. San Antonio owns the NBA’s best record at home and on the road and would be the odds on favorite to win any series right now. At 34, future Hall of Famer Tim Duncan is clearly on the downside of his career. The All-Star center is averaging career lows in points (13.6) and rebounds (9.5) this season, but he’s getting plenty of help – most notably from one of the best backcourts in the NBA. Guards Tony Parker and Manu Ginobili are scoring more than 36 points and dishing out 12 assists per contest. The Spurs’ bench is also getting the job done and is led by guard George Hill, who contributes more than 11 points per game. Another reason the Spurs can win the title is because much of the core of this year’s team was also around for the Spurs’ three titles last decade.

Los Angeles Lakers

The two-time defending champs haven’t always looked unbeatable as they did at times in the past two years. But the Lakers won’t go quietly and any team with Kobe Bryant, arguably still the league’s best player, has a distinct advantage. The Lakers also have experience on their side as Bryant, Derek Fisher, Pau Gasol, and Lamar Odom have all played key roles on those title teams each of the past two seasons. Los Angeles is a veteran team but some believe that their age has hurt them defensively this season. The Lakers have looked sluggish at times and have endured some uncharacteristically difficult stretches this year, losing three in a row in both November and December.  Still, Los Angeles should be ready to go and will be motivated by the opportunity to go for another three-peat.

Boston Celtics

Boston was a few baskets away from winning the NBA championship last year, falling to the Lakers in a close Game 7 in the Finals. The Celtics have reloaded and are looking like they could be the team to beat in the Eastern Conference. Boston has made up for its rebounding deficiencies with its defense, currently ranked number two in the NBA. The Celtics are one of the most balanced teams of any title contender with six players scoring in double figures each game and none averaging more than 20 points per game. Health may be the biggest factor with this team when it comes to determining its chances to win the title. Center Kendrick Perkins has missed most of the season with knee troubles and other stars Kevin Garnett, Rajon Rondo, and Shaquille O’Neal have all missed several games this year. If Boston can stay healthy, they could be headed to their second consecutive trip to the NBA Finals.

Miami Heat

The Heat’s trio of stars, LeBron James, Dwyane Wade, and Chris Bosh, were the trendy pick at the beginning of the season to win an NBA championship this year. After a pedestrian 9-8 start to the season, Miami reeled off 12 straight wins, establishing themselves as a true contender. The Heat were 15-1 in December and seem to be figuring things out. With any of their three stars capable of stepping up any given night, the Heat have the most star power of any team in the league. Unfortunately, that doesn’t always translate into titles and of the three, only Wade has been an NBA champion. The Heat will have to battle through more experienced teams if they are to bring home the franchise’s second title, but they’re more than capable of doing so.

Orlando Magic

Viable arguments could be made for several other teams for this fifth spot including the New Orleans Hornets, Dallas Mavericks, or Chicago Bulls, but the Magic have a few things in their favor. Unlike the Bulls or Hornets, they’ve been to the finals in recent memory. And while the Mavericks were there a few years back, they’ve been struggling as of late, losing six in a row in January. The Magic have also recently welcomed back forward Hedo Turkoglu, who helped lead them to the Finals two years ago. With Turkoglu, Dwight Howard, Gilbert Arenas, and Jason Richardson, the team could be even more explosive offensively and put up a ton of points in the playoffs.