We are in the last weeks of the regular season 2024-25 of the NBA, and the teams are focusing on the postseason. But there are many games before the end of the regular season on April 13.
Although Oklahoma City Thunder has secured seed number 1 at the West Conference, the race number 2 of the West is tight. Meanwhile, in the east, the Cleveland Cavaliers, Boston Celtics and New York Knicks have already secured places of playoffs.
From the incentives of the contract to the tank race for the number 1 selection in the Draft, our NBA experts Brian Windhors, Bobby Marks, Tim Macmahon, Zach Kram and Jamal Collier break down what we should be seeing in the last weeks of the regular season.
What contractual incentives of the player should we be seeing?
Fifty -three players, including Kevin Durant, Derrick White, Aaron Gordon and Dejunte Murray, had incentives in their contracts before the season. The incentives were from being selected for the stars game (Durant) to the triple made in a season (white). Durant, White and Jae'san Tate (win of the team) have reached the criteria and will win $ 2 million combined. White also collected additional $ 500,000 for playing in at least 70 games.
As for the rest of the list, ESPN projects that only five players, Dillon Brooks, Jonathan Isaac, Cameron Johnson, Chris Paul and Julius Randle, are on their way to winning regular seasonal bonds.
Brooks will earn $ 1 million when Houston's rocks achieve a place in the playoffs. Johnson will collect $ 562,000 if his true percentage of shooting remains above 60%: he is shooting 63.2%. Meanwhile, Paul is a $ 262,000 victory. Paul also has two bonds (net qualification and true shot) that is in pace to reach. Both will accumulate the additional $ 523,000 guard. The $ 1.4 million bonus of Randle depends on the Timberwolves who reach the first round. They are in the game but only half a game behind the Golden State Warriors for seed No. 6.
Isaac's bonus, an additional $ 2.6 million to appear in 70 regular seasonal games for Orlando Magic, was the most unlikely to happen before the season. The striker has dealt with injuries throughout his career and has played only 69 games in the last two seasons. He has played in 65 games this season, in rhythm to play more since 2018-19. – Bobby Marks
What team containing the playoffs has more on the line in this postseason?
Memphis has expanded the list after he fired Taylor Jenkins with less than three remaining in the season, putting two great things.
First, the Grizzlies will risk when delivering to the team to the interim coach Tuomas Iisalo, a high intensity coach and evasted to the system that has been successful abroad but has no experience in NBA playoffs. To bow to this is fascinating and could be inspired by General Manager Zach Kleiman, who believes in the high level of Iisalo movement and high movement that reduces the NBA standards. In a month, perhaps the clarity of this movement, Jenkins had been moving away from an aggressive offensive style in recent weeks as the Grizzlies carved, drives Memphis in a postseason race.
Second, how do the team's stars feel about this address? This season, Ja Morant and Desmond Bane have had their minutes, shots and points decreasing. The offensive efficiency of the Grizzlies has improved the season during the season. But the questions about how Morant, which is eligible to sign an extension of the contract this summer, feels about the changes caused some rumors about his future in Memphis and led Kleiman to rebuke that noise after the exchange deadline in February.
La conclusión es que los grizzlies han subachado. They were the seed number 2 in the West after large regular seasons in 2021-22 and 2022-23, but failed to reach the conference finals, with the problems outside the Morant court without a doubt contributing. Last season it was derailed by relentless injuries and the suspension of Morant. Now, after being the seed number 2 again in early February, the Grizzlies have been falling into the classification and lost all the impulse as the playoffs approach. At some point, they need to try it when it is important. – Brian Windhorst
What playoff positioning should we be seeing closer in the east?
Be attentive to the battle of three ways for the fourth to the sixth seeds that involve the Indiana Pacers, Detroit Pistons and Milwaukee Bucks. This race has become interesting after the Bucks announced that Damian Lillard comes out indefinitely due to blood clots on their right calf. Although ESPN reported that there is optimism that Lillard will play this season again, the Bucks will be without their star guard for an extended section and has already fallen six of its last 10 games, falling to No. 6.
Indiana, meanwhile, has been one of the most popular teams in the League since the star game recess, going 13-8, While Tyrese Haliburton looks like an All-Nba player again. And then there are the growing Pistons, who struggle to organize a first round confrontation in their first appearance in the playoffs since 2019. If the bucks cannot leave seed No. 6, they will probably find the Knicks in a confrontation of first round full of stars where the winner of that series is likely to face the Celtics in the second round. Meanwhile, the cavs would have a much clearer path towards the conference finals with two less experienced teams on their way in a possible second round series. – Jamal Collier
Which of the tank teams need more from Cooper Flagg?
In Each of the Past Two Seasons, The Utah Jazz ReMained Competitive For More than Half of Their Schedule Before Tanking at The End of The Season. As a result, they chose ninth and tenth, respectively, in the last two drafts and did not obtain an cornerstone of the franchise. Then, this season, they began to accelerate early, and were fined for violating the policy of participation of the league players, and now they are almost guaranteed that they will have the best lottery probabilities.
Utah has a greater need for flagg than any of the other equipment that are push for a upper lottery position. The Washington Wizards and the Brooklyn Nets are still early in their reconstructions, while the Charlotte Hornets already have a potential dynamic duo in Lamelo Ball and Brandon Miller. In addition, the Pelicans and Philadelphia 76ers of New Orleans should be competitive again next season with better health. But jazz exchanged Donovan Mitchell and Rudy Gobert three years ago, and are still trapped without a young star to build. Flagg would fill that void. And although Duke's first year student would be an excellent option for any team in the lottery, it would be particularly powerful in Utah, forming a dominant defensive front line with Walker Kessler and associate with another great striker in Lauri Markkanen. – Zach Kram
OKC has 13½ games ahead in the West. Who blocks seed No. 2?
The second seed of the West is that Houston loses at this time, however unlikely it seems to enter the season. Rockets have a two -game cushion about Nuggets, and the tiebreaker between these teams will decide on the last day of the regular season in Houston.
The Grizzlies and Los Angeles Lakers of Los Angeles are at a surprising distance if the rockets fader in the section, sitting 4½ and 3½ games in the classification, respectively. Two of the remaining eight games are on the road against the Lakers. – Tim Macmahon
What players should we be observing to achieve the criteria of 65 games?
There is no need to worry about stars such as Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Jaren Jackson Jr. and Anthony Edwards are not eligible for postseason honors. The three players have complied with the criteria of 65 games. Gilgeous-Alexander is eligible to be appointed MVP and Jackson has qualified to register in a five-year Super Max extension and $ 345 million if it is called All-NBA or defensive player of the year. However, a group of previous awards winners is below the criteria. The list includes Nikola Jokic (64), Evan Mobley (64), LeBron James (63), Jalen Brunson (61), Stephen Curry (62), Giannis Antetokounmpo (62), Kevin Durant (62), Domantas Sabonis (61), Jaylen Brown (59) and Draymond Green Green (59), Sabonis Domantas (61), Jaylen Brown (59) and Draymond Green (59), Sabonis Domantas (61), Jaylen Brown (59) and Draymond Green (59). A player has to appear in at least 20 minutes or more for the game to count, and they are allowed two games between 15 and 20 minutes. – Marks
