Joe Paige | Sports Editor
As we begin to countdown to the playoffs, teams are fighting hard to maintain their position in the standings. While for some teams it may have gone by quickly, for others, it feels like the playoffs couldn’t come sooner.
The postseason tips off on April 16 with the Play-In Tournament, followed by the start of the playoffs on April 20. Although most qualifying teams are known, much remains to be decided in the final days of this regular season.
As we take a closer look at some of the teams who have secured a top spot in their conference, we start with the team with the best record in the league, the Boston Celtics. After getting bounced in the Eastern Conference Finals last year by the Miami Heat, they’ve entered this season with not only a retooled bench and starting five, but with a vengeance they’ve been able to carry all season long. They’ll be the only team this season to win more than 60+ games.
The offseason acquisitions of Jrue Holiday and Kristaps Porzingis have no doubt strengthened their starting five, they’re on pace to finish the season with both the #1 offense and the #1 defense in the league. Boston is on pace to end the regular season with the fifth largest point-per-game differential in league history, joining an exclusive collection championship teams such as the 1995-96 Chicago Bulls and the 2016-17 Warriors, if they can continue keep their foot on the gas throughout the playoffs, history shows that this level dominance is enough to get the job done.
After ending last season as the 8th seed just barely making it out of the play-in tournament, the Minnesota Timberwolves will finish this season with a top 3 record in the west. After making the massive blockbuster trade for Center Rudy Gobert last year, the team struggled to find the immediate success they were hoping for last season. Coming back this year with mostly the same roster, this team has stayed above water all season in a competitive western conference.
While many questioned how the fit would be between Rudy Gobert and Karl-Anthony Towns, after a year of playing together, the fit seems to be just fine as Gobert is currently having one the best seasons of his career. Another player who’s really elevated his game is Naz Reid, who signed a 3-year deal with Minnesota in the offseason. Averaging career highs across the board, he’s been able to defend, attack the rim, and shoot from distance all at an elite level.
While both conferences are equally formidable, it’ll be interesting to see how far these two teams can go in the playoffs. As Boston's on a quest to hopefully finally capture that 18th championship, Minnesota is hoping to capture their first in their franchise’s history.