The 2014-15 NBA season, now approaching its conclusion, has been as wild as we have ever seen. The defending conference champions, San Antonio and Miami, sit in 6th and 7th place in their respective conferences. Atlanta and Golden State have risen to the top of the league, buoyed by lethal 3-point shooting. And Lebron James, perhaps the greatest player of his generation, took two weeks off in the middle of the season. This wackiness, and more, is depicted in two graphs showing the weekly changes in every team’s winning percentage over the course of the season. Let’s take a look, starting with the East:
- During 2014, Atlanta sat in the middle of the pack in the East, beneath Toronto and division rival Washington. After the New Year, the Hawks won 19 straight games to put them well clear of the faltering Raptors and Wizards. They’ve held fairly steady around .800 since, coasting to a conference title.
- The tight race from 2-5 includes Cleveland, who cratered to below .500 during James’ absence from December 28 – January 13, but have rebounded nicely to 2nd place, just above Chicago, Toronto, and Washington.
- Milwaukee has been a pleasant surprise all season, reaching 6th place despite the loss of touted rookie Jabari Parker and an overall lack of NBA experience. Since they traded guard Brandon Knight for 2014 Rookie of the Year Michael Carter-Williams in February, the Bucks have gone from contenting for a 5 seed to trying to avoid a 7 seed.
- Six teams are fighting for the last two playoff spots. One of these, Detroit, started off the season in horrific fashion, but fought its way into the playoff picture after they waived forward Josh Smith on December 21 and rattled off 11 wins in their next 13 games.
- Golden State has been the class of the West for most of the year. A stifling defense, ranking 1st in the league according to John Hollinger, and the Splash Brothers, Stephen Curry and Klay Thompson, have led the Warriors to the best record in the NBA in coach Steve Kerr’s first season.
- The battle for the 2-7 seeds has been a back and forth affair all season. Along with the league-leading Warriors, the Grizzlies, Rockets, Blazers, Clippers, Spurs, and Mavericks all boast winning percentages above .600., something only three Eastern teams can claim.
- Three teams are vying for the 8th and final playoff spot. Oklahoma City has survived the early season absence of Russell Westbrook and a lost season for reigning MVP Kevin Durant. Phoenix, who finished in 9th last year, is desperately trying to get over the hump this year. New Orleans has been carried all year by superstar Anthony Davis. Despite his efforts, the Pellies are still on the outside looking in.
- The Jazz, under new head coach Quin Snyder, have exceeded expectations this year. Center Rudy Gobert, nicknamed “the Stifle Tower”, has been dominant on defense, fueling a 12-6 record since the All-Star Break. The potential surrounding this team is undeniable, but the postseason may be a long ways off in the brutal Western Conference.
The races for the last playoff spots in the East and West will be a treat to watch over the last few weeks of the year, and the postseason appears as wide-open as we’ve ever seen. With as exciting as this season has been, we can only hope that the next few months will be even better.
