The Western Conference has brought center stage during a 2013 NBA playoffs, as stars had been made and injuries possess proven devastating. Through the different heartbreaks and riveting actions, however, we've come one question.
This question can be answered subjectively, as both fan bias and then a prisoner-of-the-moment mentality is needed. In order to truly get to a conclusion, however, we should use our objective minds and weigh all factors involved.
Before we get into which team will be the supreme contender, it's imperative we outline every team's perfect strength. As one could possibly imagine, the final four teams within the deep Western Conference are very powerful.
For rookies, the Golden State A warrior are led by postseason sensei and budding superstar Stephen Curry. Thus far, Curry has defied this postseason odds and averaged 24. 3 points and 8. 8 assists for a slash line of. 448/. 420/. 914 inside his first career playoff look.
It doesn't hurt which Curry led a sharpshooting organization that topped the NBA inside three-point field-goal percentage.
The Oklahoma City Thunder join the Warriors within their possession of a superstar, as Kevin Durant can be described as three-time scoring champion in addition to a proven postseason commodity. Durant led the Thunder from an NBA Finals appearance in 2012 in addition to a Western Conference Finals berth with 2011.
Thus far, Durant is actually outdoing himself with averages with 33. 3 points, 9. 1 rebounds, 6. 5 assists, 1. 3 steals in addition to 1. 1 blocks each and every game.
The Memphis Grizzlies depart with the previous norm, as people boast the NBA's top-ranked scoring defense. At the heart of their success is Defensive Player within the Year Marc Gasol, but that's not even close to it.
Tony Allen, Paul Conley and Tayshaun President all play elite-level a good defense, while Zach Randolph is mostly a double-double machine averaging 19. 8 points and 8. 3 rebounds for each game.
The San Antonio Spurs have their fair share of superstars, as they're xmas trees by Tim Duncan, Tony a2z Parker, Manu Ginobili and head coach Gregg Popovich. With one of the many deepest rosters in a NBA, the Spurs certainly possess firepower.
Did we mention of which they've won four NBA championships while using tandem of Popovich together with Duncan, as well for the reason that three with Duncan, Parker, Ginobili and Pops?
Moving forwards, we'd be remiss to ignore the undeniably important injury thing. This isn't necessarily reserved to teams that have lost their stars, nevertheless impact is certainly maximized for any playing without their management.
On Apr. 20, All-Star power forward Jake Lee was reportedly damaged or lost for the season caused by a torn right hip flexor. Sequentially, the Golden State Warriors' championship dreams were dashed as Lee, the ball player that led the NBA in double-doubles, went down.
Lee's presence to the bench has been superb, but we appear to be ignoring that he's played four mixed minutes since "returning. " Consequently, we must evaluate Lee's comeback for what it happens to be.
Spiritually uplifting, but almost irrelevant on the court to get a young, inexperienced team that has put on a portion of the worst fourth-quarter meltdowns inside recent memory.
As for the Thunder, All-NBA point guard Russell Westbrook was lost with the season after suffering your torn right meniscus. Consequently, Kevin Durant has ended up playing at an obscene grade and proving he's even more than just an elite scorer.
As it right now stands, the Thunder trail the Memphis Grizzlies by a count of 2-1. That Warriors, meanwhile, are down by that same margin about the San Antonio Spurs.
Series leads aside, the top two teams with the Western Conference are that San Antonio Spurs and additionally Memphis Grizzlies. Not sole are they the healthiest squads keeping, but they hold momentous advantages over their opposition.
The Grizzlies entered the postseason for the league's top scoring immunity, allowing 89. 3 tips per game. They have been third in opponent field-goal amount, second in opponent three-point field-goal % and third in three-point arena goals made.
The Spurs, in the mean time, have won three titles making use of their current core and attained the 2012 Western Seminar Finals. After lacking the necessary athleticism to win previous season, they've seen drastic improvement from young players which include Kawhi Leonard and Danny Earth-friendly.
Both teams have ones own fair share of superstars, and neither appears to possess glaring weaknesses that could sink them in the long run. For that reason, a possibility to truly establish which team is favored is to weigh strengths.
That comes down to your team with a tournament pedigree going against a team that should win—unfortunately for Memphis, your former takes the white.
The Spurs finished a normal season with the second-best record inside Western Conference. Furthermore, the pair were fourth in scoring offense, 11th in scoring a good defense and fourth in issue differential.
They're also seventh in three-point field objectives made and fourth in three-point field-goal percentage, that touches upon their a particular problem versatility.
The Grizzlies would supply San Antonio a run due to the money, OKC has experienced success with the Spurs and the A warrior have outplayed them with two of three matches. With that being proclaimed, having momentum and being the favourite are two completely completely different topics of conversation.
Gregg Popovich's four shining rings help name the Spurs for the reason that paper favorites—fortunately for the other three teams involved, that is why we play the game over the court.
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