Questions NBA Title Contenders Must Answer Before the Playoffs
It's crunch time as the NBA season comes down the stretch.
The contenders have been separated from the pretenders, but as the playoffs draw near, is there a clear-cut favorite to bring home the NBA championship?
Not this year.
There are questions surrounding each and every legitimate contender right now. Let's take a look at what main question three of the top seeds in each conference need to answer before the playoffs begin.
Eastern Conference
Chicago Bulls: Will the Bulls be healthy enough to win a title?
They've survived all of the injuries so far to stand at 41-11 right now, but if they don't have a healthy Derrick Rose, and Richard Hamilton for that fact, the Bulls don't have a realistic shot at a title.
A healthy Rose makes the Bulls very dangerous in the postseason, considering the effort they turn in nightly defensively. If he's not 100 percent, the Bulls become vulnerable in what promises to be a long playoff grind.
Miami Heat: Will LeBron James be able to carry Heat to a title?
The Heat need to pick things up heading into the playoffs as they are only 9-6 in the month of March, but come playoff time, all eyes will be on LeBron.
Given his struggles in last season's NBA Finals, his play will be heavily scrutinized in the postseason. How he answers the bell will determine what type of run the Heat ultimately have.
New York Knicks: Can the Knicks continue their new found success?
The Knicks will likely be matching up against Chicago or Miami in the first round and could pose a real threat in the Eastern Conference.
In order to do so though the Knicks must continue to play the way they are playing right now. That begins and ends with the effort on the defensive end. If New York can continually hold teams under 90 points, they have a legitimate opportunity to make a run through the East. Of course if they don't, it could be an early exit.
Getting healthy also becomes a top priority in the Big Apple, but a healthy Knicks team that's playing good defense could be very tough to beat.
Western Conference
Oklahoma City Thunder: How will the Thunder deal with playoff expectations?
It's a different time for Kevin Durant, Russell Westbrook and the Oklahoma City Thunder. Their success has led to expectations of coming out of the Western Conference.
The Thunder certainly have the talent to run through the West, but being the hunter is easier than being the hunted. How they deal with that bulls-eye on their back will determine their success.
San Antonio Spurs: Will their legs betray them?
It's no secret that the Spurs aren't exactly a young team, but head coach Gregg Popovich has done a good job keeping vets such as Tim Duncan and Tony Parker as fresh as possible.
However, he won't have that luxury come the postseason, and while the Spurs look great right now, back-to-back lengthy series could take its toll on them.
Los Angeles Lakers: Do they have the offense to contend?
The Lakers may be able to do a good enough job rebounding on the defensive end of the floor, but even with the likes of Kobe Bryant, Andrew Bynum and Pau Gasol on this team, the Lakers aren't a great offensive team.
They are a lousy perimeter-shooting team and even with the addition of point guard Ramon Sessions, they aren't an effective pick-and-roll team. As for depth, the Lakers have next to none.
They have some time to get it figured out, but they better do so soon or it could turn into an awfully quick postseason run.
