My name is Michael Hammer and I am a senior at Rutgers College in New Jersey. I am from southern New Jersey, but my fervor for sports has no bounds. With their records, the Miami Heat, Detroit Pistons, Washington Wizards and Cleveland Cavaliers are pretty much assured a spot in the playoffs.
After those teams, there are two more levels that the contending teams can be divided.
The first group of contending teams can be labeled the "so close, but still have to bring in the wins." This group includes the Boston Celtics and the Orlando Magic.
The Celtics were long thought to be the team that would fade away until their moves at the trade deadline. The addition of power forward Antoine Walker brought another scorer and new found depth. This was especially true with the reacquisition of point guard Gary Payton only a week after the deal.
Now, with two stars in Walker and small forward Paul Pierce, along with a supporting cast that features defensive prowess, scoring and youth, the Celtics are in a great position to maintain their spot at the top of the Atlantic Division.
The Magic are the other team in the division with a chance to make it into the playoffs. They have been consistent throughout the year, as their record suggests. However, the intensity of the rest of the regular season is a potential problem.
One potential problem is that a key starter, small forward Grant Hill, is currently playing injury-free for the first time in years, but with the increased intensity, there is a greater possibility of injury. If Hill were to be injured, the team?s chances at success would drop considerably.
The other potential problem is point guard Steve Francis. While he is not injury prone, he is an outburst waiting to happen, which could lead to the team?s collapse.
Bottom line -- if Hill stays healthy and Francis stays quiet, expect to see the Magic in the playoffs.
The second group of contending teams could be labeled "there are only two spots for four of us." This group is composed of four teams -- the Chicago Bulls, Philadelphia 76ers, Indiana Pacers, and New Jersey Nets.
Up to this point in the season, none of these teams has demonstrated the fire necessary to propel itself ahead of the others. But, two of them will prevail.
The Bulls had entrenched themselves into a solid position until a recent three-game skid. However, with two of those losses coming at the hands of San Antonio and Houston, it may just be a speed bump on their road to a seventh seed. Nonetheless, they are in a susceptible position.
The last spot will be fought over by Philadelphia, Indiana, and New Jersey.
In power forward Chris Webber, the 76ers acquired a superstar at the trade deadline to play with Allen Iverson. Now, they have to play. While the trade hurt their depth, the starting five greatly benefited. If Webber plays like he did the last month before coming to Philadelphia, look for the 76ers to hold off the other teams.
Indiana currently holds the same record as Philadelphia. However, superstar power forward Jermaine O?Neal?s shoulder was injured recently and he was placed on the injured list. The downfall of the Pacer?s superstar is the downfall of their team. Look for them to spiral downwards for the remainder of the season.
The last team I included in this list is a long shot. After a horrendous first half of the season, the Nets acquired small forward Vince Carter and propelled themselves into contention for the last spot. However, that fire appears to be at least partially extinguished. With a 5-5 record over the last 10 games, the Nets? chances of a playoff birth have dimmed with this stagnation. Nonetheless, because the Nets are a team with both point guard Jason Kidd and Carter, it would not be right to rule them out? yet.