We play buy or sell with 5 eye-catching late-season NBA trends that can no longer be ignored.
With less than a month left in the regular season before the start of the NBA Playoffs, there are many trends that are beginning to take shape down the stretch. As we inch closer and closer to the start of the postseason, we explore five of the most eye-catching late-season trends that have begun to take shape across the league and play the "buy" or "sell" game.
Late-season trend No. 1: The contending New Orleans Pelicans
The New Orleans Pelicans have won seven of their last nine games and have emerged as one of the most consistent teams in the Western Conference of late. With the LA Clippers fading down the stretch, there's suddenly a real chance the Pelicans can enter the playoffs as the fourth seed in the standings.
The big question for New Orleans is whether they should be considered a dark horse contender to make a run in the West playoffs. On one hand, it may be easy to doubt them because they're not a franchise that historically makes noise in the postseason, that may not be fair. Looking at this team from an objective standpoint, there are signs that suggest they could be a problem for opposing teams in the playoffs.
On the season, the Pelicans have a top-10 offense, defense, and net rating. They also have a strong big three in a suddenly slimmer Zion Williamson, Brandon Ingram, and C.J. McCollum - along with an underrated supporting cast. Maybe the Pelicans are just good?
Verdict: Buy
Late-season trend No. 2: The Milwaukee Bucks have turned a corner
Since the NBA All-Star Break, the Milwaukee Bucks have looked better under head coach Doc Rivers. So much so that they've consistently, over the past 12 games, looked like the second-best team in the Eastern Conference. The big question is whether they'll be able to sustain this level of play heading into the postseason.
Since the All-Star Break, the Bucks are 9-3. They have the fifth-best offensive rating, an improved defensive rating, and a top 6 net rating. The Bucks have certainly looked like a team that is beginning to turn the corner on some of their struggles. But, again, nothing this team does in the regular season will be remembered much. The Bucks are going to be graded on what they do in the postseason.
This has been the case since the start of the season. But over the last few weeks of the regular season, preparing for a postseason run will be essential for Milwaukee. The momentum that the Bucks have built recently is only going to put them in a better position to make a deep run in the playoffs. While I may not be 100 percent sold on the Bucks' recent play, it sure is encouraging.
Verdict: Buy
Deandre Ayton's revival
After an extremely slow and concerning start to the season, Deandre Ayton has begun to turn the corner on that level of play for the Portland Trail Blazers. From the beginning of the season up to the middle of January, essentially the first half of the season, Ayton was averaging just 12 points and 10 rebounds on 53 percent shooting from the field. However, since January 24, Ayton has looked like a completely different player.
Since then, Ayton is averaging 21 points and 12 rebounds on 63 percent shooting from the field. It seems as if Ayton has turned the page on his early-season struggles and has looked a lot more like the player that was supposed to come in and change the culture for the Blazers. The question is, how real is Ayton's revival over the last six weeks of the season?
I simply have a hard time believing that sleeping on an air mattress, though uncomfortable, played that big of a role in the slow start to the season from Ayton. He's certainly on a hot streak that the Blazers should be encouraged about. That said, I wouldn't be that confident that this is the "real" Ayton that Portland is going to get over the next few seasons. The "real" Ayton is likely somewhere in between his early-season struggles and his recent play.
Verdict: Sell
The LA Clippers are pretenders
For the majority of the season, the LA Clippers have looked like one of the best teams in the Western Conference. However, over the last few weeks, that sentiment has certainly changed. The Clippers are struggling and as they battle to hold off teams in the West for the fourth seed, you can't help but wonder if this team has lost its championship shine. Since February 7, the Clippers are just 8-10.
The Clippers fell from possibly being the No. 1 seed in the Western Conference to a team that is going to be lucky to host a first-round playoff series. That just goes to show how quickly circumstances and momentum can change in the NBA. With just a few weeks in the regular season, you can't help but wonder if the Clippers have been pretenders this entire time.
For as much talent as the Clippers have on their roster, there is certainly much to be concerned about for this team heading into the postseason. Right now, this team is not playing like a contender. And it's hard to think otherwise with the playoff struggles that their stars have also faced individually of late.
Verdict: Sell
The streaking Orlando Magic
For much of the season, the Orlando Magic have been a good story. But in the Eastern Conference, not much more than just that. However, as the end of the season quickly approaches, you can't help but wonder if this team could make some noise early on in the postseason. The Magic haven't faded toward the end of the year as perhaps some believed they would. In fact, you can actually make the case that they've gotten stronger down the stretch.
Since the All-Star Break, the Magic is 10-3. Also during that stretch, Orlando is sporting the best defensive rating and top 5 net rating in the NBA. Even though their offense has continued to be streaky during this recent stretch, there's a lot to like about how this young team is heading into the postseason.
The big question is whether the streaky Magic can make some noise this season in the playoffs. If I had to project, I'd lean no. However, that doesn't mean the Magic's future is very bright. Orlando is going to get some much-needed playoff experience this season and then will be in a great position to take another step forward in the Eastern Conference next season. Even though I'm selling their recent surge into the postseason, there may not be a young team in the East in a better position moving forward than the Magic.
Verdict: Sell