Hoops Rumors Polls

Poll: What Should Warriors Do If They Get No. 1 Pick?

April 2nd, 2020 at 1:33pm CST by Luke Adams

After playing in five consecutive NBA Finals, the Warriors bottomed out in 2019/20, losing Kevin Durant, Andre Iguodala, and Shaun Livingston last offseason and then having stars Stephen Curry and Klay Thompson miss essentially the entire season with injuries.

The good news? Curry and Thompson should be fully healthy for ’20/21 and the Warriors’ disastrous season would give them the league’s best lottery odds if the regular season is over.

Under the NBA’s new lottery format, the worst team in the league only has a 14% chance of landing the first overall pick, so the odds are against the Warriors winning the lottery. But what if they do? What would Golden State do with the pick in that situation?

Faced with that question during a SportsCenter appearance this week, ESPN draft guru Mike Schmitz (video link) suggested that the 2020 draft has long been considered “needs-based,” since there’s no one transcendent prospect that stands head and shoulders above the rest. With that in mind, Schmitz says big man James Wiseman is a player who would fit the Warriors’ roster, suggesting the club could use that sort of rim-runner and lob-catcher on offense and rim-protector on defense.

However, Schmitz notes that if he were making the Warriors’ pick, he’d lean toward guard LaMelo Ball, whom he views as the most talented prospect in the 2020 class. As Schmitz explains, Curry isn’t a point guard who always needs the ball in his hands, so he could play alongside Ball. And Golden State would be an ideal spot for the new owner of the Illawarra Hawks to develop, Schmitz adds.

While Wiseman and Ball could both be fits, Connor Letourneau of The San Francisco Chronicle has heard from multiple league sources that the Warriors aren’t believed to be particularly high on either prospect.

“I think they’d only take one of those two if they were trading down in the draft and taking them for another team,” one source told The Chronicle.

According to Letourneau, shooting guard Anthony Edwards appears likely to be Golden State’s top choice if the team lands – and keeps – the No. 1 overall pick. But the Warriors would be open to trading the first overall selection if they do win the lottery, Letourneau notes.

If the Dubs don’t get the No. 1 pick, or decide to trade down, one target might be EuroLeague forward Deni Avdija. One league source tells The Chronicle that there are teams who believe Golden State would have Avdija as high as No. 2 on its draft board, behind only Edwards. Meanwhile, Letourneau also hears that the Warriors may have guard Tyrese Haliburton higher on their board than Ball.

Given all the options the Warriors would have if they win the lottery, we want to know what you think. Which prospect do you think would be the best target for Golden State with the No. 1 pick? Or do you think the club would be better off trading that pick in the hopes of acquiring more assets or an impact veteran?

Vote in our poll, then head to the comment section below to weigh in with your thoughts!

Trade Rumors app users, click here to vote.

Poll: NBA’s Annual Calendar

March 16th, 2020 at 4:43pm CST by Luke Adams

With the NBA considering the possibility of resuming its season in June and potentially completing the NBA Finals in August, ESPN’s Bobby Marks laid out on Twitter how the league’s calendar could hypothetically change for the 2020/21 league year if the NBA decided to push everything back.

As Marks detailed, a new experimental calendar might look something like this:

Mid-June: Start of playoffs
Early August: NBA Finals
Late August: Draft
September 1: Start of free agency
September 10: Fall league (In place of Summer league)
December 10: Training camps open
December 25: 82-game regular season begins
Mid-June: Regular season ends

That calendar is almost exactly the one Hawks CEO Steve Koonin proposed earlier this month at the Sloan Conference, as we noted last week. Koonin’s argument was that pushing everything back by a couple months would result in less overlap between the NBA and NFL seasons and would increase the amount of time that MLB regular season games are the NBA’s only competition among the four major sports.

Of course, Koonin didn’t have the current situation in mind when he put forth his proposal, but depending on how the coronavirus spread plays out, the layoff may line up in a way that allows the NBA to test the idea if the league doesn’t want to shorten the 2020/21 season too.

NBA reporters and fans who responded to Koonin’s proposal and Marks’ tweet have had mixed opinions. Many have pushed back against losing the summer break that typically follows free agency and Summer League play in July, August, and September. This schedule would also limit NBA players’ ability to participate in international offseason competitions, such as the Olympics or World Cup.

Still, there has been a good amount of support for the idea. The fall is one of the busiest times in sports, with the MLB and MLS postseasons happening, as well as the NHL and NFL regular seasons. Pushing the NBA’s opening night back to December would mean avoiding much of that overlap and turning the Christmas Day showcase into an event that occurs at or near the start of the regular season. Plus, as Marc Stein of The New York Times tweets, many NBA teams would actually be in favor of their players not participating in offseason events like the Olympics.

At this point, even with the NBA’s hiatus threatening to upend this year’s schedule, the idea of making a permanent change to the league’s calendar is probably just a pipe dream. But we want to know what you think.

Would you be in favor of shifting the entire NBA calendar back by about six-to-eight weeks on a permanent basis? Or do you prefer the current setup?

Vote in our poll, then head to the comment section below to share your thoughts!

Trade Rumors app users, click here to vote.

Poll: Which Team Is Biggest Threat To All-L.A. Western Finals?

March 11th, 2020 at 2:43pm CST by Luke Adams

In a roundtable discussion at ESPN.com, five writers were asked whether the Nuggets represent the biggest threat to derail a potential Lakers/Clippers showdown in the Western Conference Finals this spring. Of the five respondents, only Royce Young said yes, pointing to the “matchup nightmare” that Nikola Jokic represents, as well as Denver’s ability to both score and defend when the team is firing on all cylinders.

The other four ESPN reporters and analysts who participated in the roundtable weren’t quite as bullish on the Nuggets. Kevin Pelton identified Houston as a more realistic challenger, arguing that the Rockets‘ ability to play with quickness and space the floor makes them the team best suited to match up with the Lakers in a Western playoff series. Tim MacMahon suggested that the Rockets, despite some inconsistency, have the highest ceiling of any non-L.A. team.

Although MacMahon had praise for Houston, he and Kirk Goldsberry made a pick that would have been shocking six months ago, arguing that the Thunder are actually the most legitimate threat to an all-L.A. Western Finals. Goldsberry, who point out that Oklahoma City’s 29-10 record since December 15 is the West’s best during that stretch, also observed that the clutch-time lineup of Chris Paul, Dennis Schroder, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Danilo Gallinari, and Steven Adams has the best stats of any five-man unit in the NBA, outscoring opponents by 30 points per 100 possessions.

The Jazz, who are currently the No. 4 seed in the West, didn’t get quite as much love from ESPN’s panel, but Pelton and Young both identified Utah as the non-Lakers team that may match up best with the Clippers in a seven-game series.

The Mavericks probably aren’t ready to seriously challenge the Lakers or Clippers yet, but they may get a shot to upset the Clips in round one. Meanwhile, whichever team claims the No. 8 seed is on track for a matchup with the Lakers. Could any teams from the group of candidates that includes the Pelicans, Grizzlies, Kings, Spurs, or Trail Blazers realistically push LeBron James and Anthony Davis?

We want to know what you think. Which Western Conference team is the best bet to play spoiler and knock off one of the Los Angeles teams in the first two rounds, preventing a WCF showdown?

Vote in our poll, then head to the comment section below to share your thoughts!

Trade Rumors app users, click here to vote.

Poll: Which Western Team Will Claim No. 8 Seed?

February 28th, 2020 at 1:13pm CST by Luke Adams

After moving to two games above .500 for the first time this season heading into the All-Star break, the Grizzlies lost four consecutive games on a post-All-Star road trip and now hold a 28-30 record. They still have the toughest remaining schedule in the NBA, according to Tankathon.com, and they’re missing two of their most important rotation players, as Jaren Jackson and Brandon Clarke are both sidelined with injuries.

It all points to a team that looks vulnerable to losing its hold on the No. 8 seed in the Western Conference. Especially since there are five challengers within 4.5 games of Memphis in the standings, ready to make a run at that eighth seed.

So far though, none of those challengers has gotten on the sort of run that really closes the gap with the Grizzlies. The closest current threats are the Trail Blazers (26-34) and Pelicans (25-33), who are each three games back of the No. 8 spot.

Portland lost its star player, Damian Lillard, to a groin injury at an inopportune time, and has dropped five of its last six games, but the All-Star guard could be back by early next week and the Blazers have the NBA’s third-easiest schedule the rest of the way, per Tankathon. Lillard is probably the best player on any of the six teams competing for the No. 8 slot, so if he gets on another hot streak like the one he was riding before his injury, it’s possible he’ll shoot the Blazers into the playoffs.

New Orleans is a more popular playoff pick, however, in large part because the team has looked rejuvenated since getting No. 1 pick Zion Williamson into its lineup. Adding Williamson to a group that already features Jrue Holiday and Brandon Ingram gives the Pelicans the most dangerous “Big Three” of any of the playoff competitors, and their schedule is the league’s second-easiest down the stretch, according to Tankathon. Still, it’s worth noting that the Pelicans are a modest 7-6 when Zion plays, so it’s not as if his return has transformed them into a contender overnight.

While one of those three teams is probably the best bet to earn the West’s final playoff spot, there are a few other teams not far behind. The Spurs (24-33) have a disastrous 10-20 record on the road, but will play 14 of their final 25 games at home and have the league’s sixth-lightest schedule in terms of opponents’ winning percentage. Gregg Popovich‘s squad won’t let its 22-year playoff streak end without a fight.

The Kings (24-34) and Suns (24-35) also still have an outside shot at a playoff berth if they can get hot. Injuries have hit Sacramento hard, with Richaun Holmes and Marvin Bagley missing for much of the season and De’Aaron Fox now battling an abdominal issue. But they’ve played much better in the last month than they did in the first half, winning nine of their last 14 games. And their end-of-season schedule is favorable — it’s the ninth-easiest, per Tankathon, with 14 of 24 games at home.

Phoenix, meanwhile, will badly miss Kelly Oubre, who had been averaging nearly 19 PPG before going down with a torn meniscus. The Suns are said to be considering free agency options to help replace Oubre, a signal that they haven’t given up on the playoff chase. If they want to stay in the hunt, they’ll need to play well in their next five games, all at home. After that, they finish with 12 of 18 on the road, against a pretty challenging slate of opponents.

What do you think? Will the Grizzlies hang onto the No. 8 seed? Will the rising Pelicans grab it from them? Will last year’s Western Conference finalists, the Trail Blazers, get back into the postseason? Will the Spurs extend their playoff streak to 23 years? Or can the upstart Kings or Suns make an end-of-season run for No. 8?

Vote in our poll, then head to the comment section below to weigh in with your thoughts!

Trade Rumors app users, click here to vote.

Poll: Sixth Man Of The Year Race

February 27th, 2020 at 4:02pm CST by Luke Adams

The NBA’s Sixth Man of the Year award has been Lou Williams‘ to lose in recent years. Williams has earned Sixth Man honors twice in a row and three times overall in the past five seasons.

Williams is a strong candidate for Sixth Man of the Year once again in 2019/20, leading all bench scorers with 19.1 PPG in 55 games. However, his scoring numbers aren’t quite as gaudy as they’ve been in past seasons, and his .414 FG% and .351 3PT% represent his lowest marks since the 2015/16 season. On top of that, if there’s any voter fatigue with the Clippers guard this spring, there are several other viable candidates to choose from.

One is another Clipper, Montrezl Harrell, who has nearly matched Williams’ scoring rate this season. In 57 games, Harrell has posted new career highs in PPG (18.6) and RPG (7.0), and if L.A. uses a center in crunch time, it’s Harrell rather than starter Ivica Zubac. Harrell isn’t the league’s most talented rebounder or rim protector, and centers with size can give him problems, but he has arguably been the NBA’s most productive backup big man this season.

The other contender for that title would be Davis Bertans, who has had a breakout year playing at the four and five for the Wizards. Always a strong three-point shooter, Bertans has maintained an impressive .421 3PT% in 2019/20 while nearly doubling his previous career high in three-point attempts per game, from 4.4 to 8.4. He has been a crucial floor-spacer and scorer (15.0 PPG) for Washington on offense and has held his own on defense.

In Oklahoma City, meanwhile, the Thunder have an All-Star point guard (Chris Paul) and a second point guard who received All-Star consideration (Shai Gilgeous-Alexander), meaning the team’s third point guard, Dennis Schroder, has flown somewhat under the radar. Schroder has been better than ever this season though, with 19.1 PPG off the bench to go along with 4.1 APG and 3.8 RPG. His shooting rates of 47.3% from the floor and 38.6% from beyond the arc are both career bests, and the team has a +6.6 net rating when he plays, compared to a -3.1 mark when he sits.

Finally, Zach Harper of The Athletic wrote today that his current pick for Sixth Man of the Year would be Pistons guard Derrick Rose. The former MVP has missed a little time due to injuries, and Detroit isn’t a playoff team, which hurts his case. However, Rose has been arguably the Pistons’ best player this season, with 18.0 PPG and 5.7 APG, and he has produced consistently despite a ton of roster upheaval, Harper notes.

One other issue with Rose’s case is that he has been a starter since mid-January, which isn’t likely to change going forward. If he starts the Pistons’ remaining 22 games, Rose would end up with 35 starts and 35 games off the bench, making him ineligible. I expect he’ll miss at least one game before the season ends, but if he ends up with 30+ starts, voters may not view him as a true “sixth man.”

There are a few other candidates who I believe should receive Sixth Man of the Year consideration, including Heat guard Goran Dragic, Jazz guard Jordan Clarkson, and even Lakers center Dwight Howard. But Williams, Harrell, Bertans, Schroder, and Rose look to me like the favorites at this point.

In today’s poll, we want to know what you think. If you had to place a Sixth Man of the Year vote today, would you pick Williams for the three-peat? Or do you think one of his challengers has a stronger case?

Vote below our poll, then head to the comment section to share your thoughts!

Trade Rumors app users, click here to vote.

Poll: Should NBA Stick With New All-Star Format?

February 17th, 2020 at 8:25am CST by Luke Adams

When the NBA first announced last month that it was making changes to the All-Star Game format for 2020, those changes were met with skepticism — and with plenty of jokes about how convoluted the quarterly mini-games and fourth-quarter target score sounded.

However, the general consensus after Sunday night’s game is that the new format worked much better in practice than in theory. Since the team that won each quarter earned $100K for its charity, the end of each quarter essentially turned into “crunch time.” That was especially true in the third quarter when Team Giannis executed a Trae Young/Rudy Gobert lob with 2.2 seconds left to tie the score at 41.

The fourth-quarter target score then inspired both teams to go into lockdown mode on defense in the final moments of the game. As Team Giannis and Team LeBron vied to get to 157 points, the effort level increased and the game got more physical, as players dove for loose balls and drew offensive fouls. Against increased pressure, the two teams shot just 35.5% from the floor in the fourth quarter, compared to 55.5% in the first three.

The reviews for the format were almost unanimously positive. Jeff Zillgitt of USA Today suggested the game was “one of the more entertaining and competitive All-Star Games in the past decade.” ESPN’s Brian Windhorst said the fourth quarter featured the “most intense play this weekend has seen in decades.” Zach Kram of The Ringer wrote that the changes “brought an unexpected playoff atmosphere to an exhibition game typically defined, in part, by a distinct lack of intensity.”

And it wasn’t just media members that were in favor of the changes. Giannis Antetokounmpo said he “loved” the new format and hopes it sticks around (video link via Ben Golliver of The Washington Post). Joel Embiid said in a tweet that it was the “best All-Star Game ever.” Several non-All-Stars around the NBA – including Myles Turner, Lou Williams, Evan Fournier, and others – complimented the changes as well, as ESPN details.

Still, it wasn’t entirely perfect. The game ended when an Anthony Davis free throw pushed Team LeBron’s score from 156 to 157, which was a little anti-climactic. A number of players suggested after the game that they’d rather not see the game end on a foul shot.

If the NBA considers changing that rule, the challenge would be finding a solution that would still disincentivize late-game fouling. Turning every late-game foul into a side-out, non-shooting foul would encouraging the losing team to maul any shooter who might have an open look.

One possible solution, as relayed by Mavericks executive Haralabos Voulgaris (via Twitter), would be for end-of-game free throws to take away points from the losing team rather than add them to the winning team. Even in that scenario though, it would probably be in the losing team’s best interest to foul on a potential game-winning shot.

The target-score ending also may not have been considered such a success if the game hadn’t been so close. Getting to a next-basket-wins scenario was the ideal outcome for the NBA, but the excitement level wouldn’t have been as high if one team had won by 15 or 20 points. Of course, the same could be said of the traditional format.

In the wake of one of the NBA’s most exciting All-Star Games in years, we want to hear your thoughts. Did you like the new format better than the old one? Would you make additional tweaks to the new format?

Vote below in our poll, then head to the comment section to weigh in!

Trade Rumors app users, click here to vote.

Poll: Who Will Win 2020 Slam Dunk Contest?

February 14th, 2020 at 2:53pm CST by Luke Adams

Bulls guard Zach LaVine, a two-time Slam Dunk Contest winner, flirted with the idea of taking part in this year’s event in his home arena. However, after suggesting that he’d only participate if he was named to the All-Star team, LaVine has stuck to that stance. That means fans in Chicago this weekend won’t get the opportunity to see a rematch of the 2016 final, which pitted LaVine against Aaron Gordon in perhaps the most memorable Dunk Contest of the decade.

Gordon will participate though, and he’ll be one of the most experienced dunkers on the court this Saturday night. Besides finishing as the runner-up to LaVine in 2016, Gordon also took part in 2017’s contest. Having fallen short twice before, the Magic forward is confident the third time will be the charm, telling Josh Robbins of The Athletic, “I’m gonna win.”

However, it’s Dwight Howard – not Gordon – who has the most Dunk Contest experience of any of this year’s participants. This will be Howard’s fourth time taking part in the event, and he even has a win under his belt.

That win came in 2008 though, and the Lakers center hasn’t participated in a Dunk Contest since 2009, more than a decade ago. A win this year for the 34-year-old Howard would be unprecedented in an event that’s typically a young man’s game. Dominique Wilkins, who had just turned 30 when he won 1990’s contest, is the oldest all-time winner. The second-oldest? Nate Robinson, who was 26 when he beat Howard in 2009.

If you believe that youth will win out in 2020, you’ll have to consider Bucks wing Pat Connaughton an underdog as well. The 27-year-old will be participating in his first NBA Dunk Contest, and is flying under the radar as Saturday’s festivities near — something he says is just fine with him.

“No one’s worried about me and hopefully Saturday night they’ll be like, ‘Damn, I should have been worried about him,'” Connaughton said this week, per Matt Velazquez of The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel.

The fourth contestant this year will be Heat swingman Derrick Jones Jr., who will also be celebrating his birthday on Saturday, as he turns 23. Jones finished as the runner-up to Glenn Robinson III in 2017’s event and will likely have some new tricks up his sleeve this time around.

What do you think? Will Howard defy the odds and win his second Dunk Contest? Will Gordon or Jones get over the hump after placing second in past competitions? Will the first-time Connaughton make a name for himself with a win on Saturday?

Vote below our poll, then head to the comment section to share your thoughts!

Trade Rumors app users, click here to vote.

Poll: Who Will Win Three-Point Contest?

February 13th, 2020 at 3:59pm CST by Luke Adams

When the NBA announced today that Devin Booker would take Damian Lillard‘s place in the 2020 All-Star Game this Sunday, the league noted that the Suns guard would replace Lillard in Saturday’s three-point contest as well.

The change makes logistical sense, and it’s not as if Booker’s not qualified — he has participated in the event three times before and won it in 2018. Still, he’ll be in tough against a talented field of competitors, all of whom have put up better outside shooting numbers than him this season.

Among the eight participants in this year’s three-point contest, Booker ranks last in both three-pointers made and three-point percentage. Here’s the full breakdown:

Player	Team	3PM	Rank	3PT%	Rank
Buddy Hield	Kings	207	3	.385	52
Duncan Robinson	Heat	191	4	.438	5
Devonte’ Graham	Hornets	190	5	.374	75
Trae Young	Hawks	173	6	.369	81
Zach LaVine	Bulls	168	8	.385	53
Davis Bertans	Wizards	156	9	.424	10
Joe Harris	Nets	126	24	.408	21
Devin Booker	Suns	101	54	.358	96

Robinson’s combination of volume and efficiency has made him arguably the most well-rounded three-point shooter in the NBA so far this season, but this will be his first time participating in the three-point contest. The same is true for Graham, Young, LaVine, and Bertans.

The experience advantage goes to Hield, who was in last year’s event, and especially to Harris and Booker, who won in 2019 and 2018, respectively.

Of course, these events often come down to which player gets hot at the right time, so those season-long stats may not end up meaning much on Saturday.

What do you think? Who is your pick to win 2020’s three-point contest? Do you like one of the returning champions, Harris or Booker, to do it again? Will Hield take home the trophy after coming up short a year ago? Or will one of the newcomers win out?

Vote in our poll, then head to the comment section below to share your thoughts!

Trade Rumors app users, click here to vote.

Poll: Should Bradley Beal Be An All-Star?

January 31st, 2020 at 8:51am CST by Luke Adams

The NBA announced its All-Star reserves on Thursday night, and while none of the players voted in by the coaches were shocking choices, Bradley Beal‘s exclusion from the list of Eastern Conference All-Stars came as a surprise to a number of fans and league observers.

Although Beal’s outside shooting rate has dipped this year – his .325 3PT% is a career-worst mark – he has shouldered the Wizards‘ scoring and play-making burden with John Wall out and has put up some massive numbers. His 28.7 PPG ranks third in the Eastern Conference and would be a career high. His 6.4 APG also represents the best mark of his career. Beal is arguably having a better season in 2019/20 than he did when he was named an All-Star the last two years.

However, the performance of Beal’s team cost him an All-Star spot this season. Even after a win on Thursday, Washington is just 16-31. The seven Eastern All-Star reserves were all from the top six teams in the conference — none of those clubs has a record worse than 31-18.

Despite the Wizards’ struggles, Beal and those around him still felt as if he deserved an All-Star spot. As Fred Katz of The Athletic relays, Beal’s fiancée Kamiah Adams went on the team’s post-game show and called the decision “laughable.” The Wizards guard himself addressed the snub after the game to NBC Sports Washington reporter Chris Miller (link via Chase Hughes of NBC Sports Washington).

“I’m a little pissed off about it, but I know how I am,” Beal said. “I was kind of expecting it, honestly. It’s disrespectful. But the real ones know.”

Even Beal’s agent, Mark Bartelstein, delivered an impassioned case for why Beal’s exclusion was the wrong decision. Bartelstein suggested to ESPN’s Tim Bontemps that his client is essentially being punished for sticking with the rebuilding Wizards instead of “jumping ship” and forcing his way to a contender.

“He chose not to (leave), and instead stayed the course — only to not be recognized as an All-Star because his team hasn’t won enough games when, in fact, the Wizards have exceeded expectations,” Bartelstein said. “It can’t be just about the gross numbers of wins and losses. It has to be, ‘What is your impact on the game?’ And so I think the coaches are sending a horrible message to players, that if you want to be loyal and go through the tough times in your organization, you’re not going to be an All-Star in those tough times.”

The All-Star case for Beal is an obvious one that centers around his impressive offensive output, but there are arguments against his case as well. For one, the Wizards’ defense has been historically bad this season. That’s not all on Beal, but his play on that end of the court hasn’t helped matters — the Wizards have a dismal 120.7 defensive rating when he plays, compared to 107.0 when he sits.

Jimmy Butler (Heat), Bam Adebayo (Heat), Kyle Lowry (Raptors), Khris Middleton (Bucks), Domantas Sabonis (Pacers), Ben Simmons (Sixers), and Jayson Tatum (Celtics) don’t have the gaudy counting stats that Beal does, but they’ve all been very effective on both ends of the court — many of them are candidates for All-Defensive consideration this season.

This debate may end up being moot, since even a minor injury to any one of the 12 Eastern All-Stars within the next couple weeks could open up the door for Beal to be named an All-Star anyway. But for now, he’s on the outside looking in, so we want to know what you think of the decision.

Did the coaches voting on the East’s All-Star reserves make a mistake? Should Beal an All-Star? If so, which of the other seven Eastern reserves would you remove from the roster to make room for Beal?

Vote in our poll, then head to the comment section below to weigh in with your thoughts!

Trade Rumors app users, click here to vote.

Poll: Eastern Conference’s No. 2 Seed

January 20th, 2020 at 2:51pm CST by Luke Adams

Barring a major second-half swoon, the Bucks won’t give up the No. 1 seed in the Eastern Conference this season. At 38-6, Milwaukee is on pace to win over 70 games and currently has an eight-game cushion over the next-best team in the conference.

While the race for the top seed in the East may already be over, a fascinating race is developing for the No. 2 spot. With six potential contenders in the conference, the importance of nabbing that second seed shouldn’t be understated. Not only would it set up a first-round matchup against a less dangerous opponents like the Magic or Nets, it would also mean avoiding the Bucks until the Eastern Conference Finals and holding home court advantage for two rounds.

As we enter the second half of the season, the Heat currently hold the second seed, but the margin is extremely tight. Here’s what the standings look like for the five teams vying for the No. 2 seed, entering today’s action:

Miami Heat (29-13)
Toronto Raptors (28-14)
Boston Celtics (27-14)
Indiana Pacers (28-15)
Philadelphia 76ers (28-16)

All five teams are separated by just two games, so one hot or cold streak could have a significant impact on seeding. Just ask the Celtics, who could fall out of the top four tonight for the first time since October if their current losing streak extends to four games.

With a real incentive tied to claiming the No. 2 seed, the second-half race among these five teams should be fascinating. The Raptors finally have a healthy roster, and the Pacers will be getting star guard Victor Oladipo back next week. The Sixers have been shakier than expected all year long, but showed their upside on Christmas Day when they dismantled the Bucks. The Celtics and the Heat are in position to potentially upgrade their rosters at the trade deadline if they so choose.

Of course, we should also consider each team’s second-half schedule. According to Tankathon.com, the Heat, Sixers, and Raptors have three of the NBA’s easiest remaining slates, while the Pacers’ schedule ranks in the middle of the pack and the Celtics’ is the eighth-hardest.

What do you think? Which of these five teams do you like best to finish the season strong and claim the No. 2 seed in the East?

Vote in our poll, then head to the comment section below to share your thoughts!

Trade Rumors app users, click here to vote.

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