March 18th - March 24th (7 Days of NBA)

Hi everybody and welcome back to 7 Days of NBA. After a week of the All-Star break and a week of March Madness, I am back with my usual NBA content. This week, we saw two huge injuries, rumors swirling about the trade deadline, and a battle that is the East playoff picture. Let's jump into takeaways.

Major Takeaways:

1. Who can Survive the Injuries?

Injuries are becoming more and more of an issue as we fight through the second half of the season. The biggest injury as of recent was LeBron James, who was diagnosed with a high ankle sprain after landing awkwardly in a game against the Atlanta Hawks. This leaves the Lakers without LeBron and Anthony Davis for at least the next 1-2 weeks, which could hurt their spot in the West come time for the playoffs. The Lakers have been careful with Davis and his return, which is the smart move to make considering the possibility of a re-injury. LeBron will take the time he needs to come back, but the big question is if the rest of the team and carry their load and keep them in a decent spot. This would mean that Dennis Schröder and Montrezl Harrell will have to step up and carry more of the offensive game. This is going to be a legitimate problem for the Lakers, and if they can't string together wins while they wait for LeBron and Davis, they may have problems come time for the playoffs. The other major injury is LaMelo Ball, who was the clear frontrunner for Rookie of the Year. LaMelo is the main reason why the Hornets are playing well and fighting for a spot in the East. LaMelo suffered a fracture on his wrist that is expected to sideline him the rest of this season. Without the overall game from LaMelo, I am expecting the Hornets to quickly fall out of any chance of making it into the playoffs. As the season goes on and we get closer to starting the playoffs, it will be interesting to see how teams manage their fatigue.

2. The Trade Deadline is Arriving

The Trade Deadline is usually a time each season that teams in contention look to add that final piece to try and improve their chance of getting a title. We've already seen the Nets acquire Blake Griffin, and they also just signed J.J. Redick. The Nets were one of the big names we expected to see make moves, but other teams such as the 76ers, Lakers and Clippers also have plans to make some moves. This year's deadline sees some decent names come up in rumors, such as Andre Drummond, Kyle Lowry, Victor Oladipo, Jarrett Allen, and LaMarcus Aldridge. These guys would be great additions to some teams in contention trying to get that late boost. With LeBron and Davis out, I think that the Lakers are going to make a move to secure someone who can help hold them over until they both return. I also see the Clippers making some moves to try and boost themselves into that 1 or 2 seed for the Western Conference. The Trade Deadline is tomorrow (March 25th) at 3 P.M. Central, so I'll definitely have my reactions to the moves in next week's entry.

3. The East is a Close Battle

Outside of the 76ers, Nets, and Bucks, the Eastern Conference is very, very close. The standings seem to flip every day, with teams going from 10th to 4th in the matter of just a few games. Currently, the Hawks have moved up on a winning streak all the way to 4th place after being out of the playoffs for the majority of this campaign. The Heat have also done well and moved into the 5 spot after having a rough start. The Knicks, Hornets and Celtics round out the East, with two surprises in Indiana and Toronto being out. Don't hang your head if your team is having struggles, as teams 4-8 are separated by just ONE game. I expect to see a lot of shaking up in the standings, and it will all depend on who can stay consistent to try and hold onto their spot come May. If I have learned anything from this NBA season, it's that nothing is guaranteed.

MVP of the Week (March 18th-March 24th): Nikola Jokic

It's hard to overlook the stat line that Jokic put up this last week. The Joker averaged 30.3 points, 11.7 rebounds, and 9.7 assists per game while shooting 64.7% from the field and 58.3% from 3. Few players are putting up comparable numbers to his, and he has proven why he is a top 10 player in all of the NBA. The Nuggets are currently 5th in the West, but if the rest of the team can step up and help out Jokic, this is a squad nobody should want to play come May.

Team of the Week (March 18th-March 24th): Milwaukee Bucks

The Bucks have been one of the most dangerous teams since the return after All-Star, and they are currently on a 7-game winning streak. This week they beat the Spurs and Pacers while averaging 130 points per outing, but the reason I picked them is primarily because they have yet to lose since coming back from the break. They've also beaten the Wizards twice, the Knicks, and the 76ers. Giannis is playing amazing, Middleton and Holiday are stepping up, and their big men in Bobby Portis and Brook Lopez are playing up to their own potential. I did consider putting the Hawks in this spot, as they have been playing amazing, winning 8 or their last 9. Ultimately, I chose the Bucks because they continue to show that they still belong in the conversation for winning the conference, even with the rise of Brooklyn and the great play rising out in Philly.

Standings:

East:

1. 76ers

2. Nets

3. Bucks

4. Hawks

5. Heat

6. Knicks

7. Hornets

8. Celtics

9. Bulls

10. Pacers

11. Raptors

12. Cavaliers

13. Wizards

14. Magic

15. Pistons

West:

1. Jazz

2. Suns

3. Clippers

4. Lakers

5. Nuggets

6. Trail Blazers

7. Spurs

8. Mavericks

9. Warriors

10. Grizzlies

11. Pelicans

12. Thunder

13. Kings

14. Rockets

15. Timberwolves

Hope you enjoyed, and I will be back once again next week!