April 8th - April 14th (7 Days of NBA)

Welcome back to 7 Days of NBA. This week I realized how much the short offseason is affecting the teams, the effect of the new play-in tournaments, and a confusing race for the MVP. Let's jump in.

Major Takeaways:

1. Ouch...

The short offseason and crammed 72-game plan is hurting the players more than it ever has. This week, we saw the Nuggets take a massive blow with losing Jamal Murray for the season with a torn ACL. The Nuggets immediately went from a contender to potentially a first round loss. James Wiseman also suffered a season-ending injury which hurts Steph and the Warriors as they try to get into the postseason. Other big names that are still struggling with all their injuries are James Harden, Kevin Durant, LaMelo Ball, Gordon Hayward, T.J. Warren, Lebron James, Anthony Davis and Jimmy Butler. The overall list of injuries is much longer than any team expects, and it is apparent the short offseason and the frequency of their games is taking a big toll. The second half of the season is also designed to help teams who had to cancel games get caught up, and that leaves even less time for resting. This season has been a test of a team's depth and ability to hold over until their stars come back, and I think that the playoff seedings won't necessarily show who is the best at full-strength. Let's hope that the injuries start to slow up.

2. The Play-In Tourney Gives Some Teams Hope

The addition of the play-in tourney allows for the 9 and 10 seeds in a conference to be able to fight for a playoff spot, which changes the dynamic of the postseason. Teams are now fighting harder to get into the 6 seed to ensure they don't have to play in that tournament. While teams don't want to be the 9 or 10 seed, there is less pressure to get in the top 8. Currently, the Hornets, Knicks, Pacers and Bulls would be in the tourney for the East and the Mavericks, Grizzlies, Spurs and Warriors would be in the tourney for the West. I think that the Pacers or Bulls could definitely upset the Knicks or Hornets and get a spot in the playoffs, and I think the same for the Warriors. I am a fan of the play-in tourney, and I like how the sudden-death style brings the intensity to it. The only problem for those teams is that if they win, they have to play the 1 or 2 seed, which is difficult. As an NBA fan, it's fun to have that tourney and hopefully we get some good games from them.

3. Who is Gonna Get MVP?

This year's MVP talks have been confusing. Most years, there is an obvious frontrunner with a couple players chasing them. This year, it seems wide open, especially due to the amount of injuries. Many people are saying Nikola Jokic, and while I can agree, I think he can prove it with Murray being out. If he can keep the team in a good position for the postseason, I think he would probably be the leader. Other guys are putting up great seasons as well, including Damian Lillard, Luka Doncic, Stephen Curry, Giannis Antetokounmpo, Joel Embiid and Kevin Durant. The problem for Durant is that I think the Nets stars will cancel each other out when trying to get the MVP, similar to how that happened for the Durant Golden State groups. The odds of Giannis getting MVP 3 straight years are extremely low, and Joel Embiid has missed some time due to injury. The argument against Dame, Steph and Luka is that their teams aren't high up on the rankings, but individually they are by far the most valuable players for their teams and the biggest reason why they are in the playoffs. If I had to choose, it would be Jokic, but it is far less obvious than the last few winners.

MVP of the Week (April 8th-April 14th): Jayson Tatum

Tatum had a huge week, bringing the Celtics up the standings and dominating the defense. He dropped his career high 53 points against the Timberwolves which also added 10 rebounds and 4 assists. This week, Tatum averaged 37.7 points, 9.7 rebounds, and 3.7 assists per game. The Celtics went 3-0, with wins over the Timberwolves, Nuggets, and Trail Blazers. Tatum's big nights have helped vault the Celtics to the 5 spot out East. We'll see if his scoring domination continues in the biggest rivalry in the NBA, when they head to Los Angeles and go against the LA Lakers. 

Team of the Week (April 8th-April 14th): Los Angeles Clippers

The Clippers have started to gain their consistency and prove that they are still a contender over the last couple weeks. They are currently on a 6-game winning streak and sit in the 3 spot in the West. This week, they beat the Suns, Rockets, Pistons and Pacers with the closest game being a 7 point differential. Paul George has picked up his scoring and has taken over some of these games, Kawhi is doing his typical scoring, and bench players such as Ivica Zubac and Luke Kennard have stepped up. If any year is the year the Clippers can get over the slump, this is the year.

Standings:

East:

1. 76ers

2. Nets

3. Bucks

4. Hawks

5. Celtics

6. Heat

7. Hornets

8. Knicks

9. Pacers

10. Bulls

11. Raptors

12. Wizards

13. Cavaliers

14. Magic

15. Pistons

West:

1. Jazz

2. Suns

3. Clippers

4. Nuggets

5. Lakers

6. Trail Blazers

7. Mavericks

8. Grizzlies

9. Spurs

10. Warriors

11. Pelicans

12. Kings

13. Thunder

14. Rockets

15. Timberwolves

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