The REAL NBA Playoff Race

Forget the Lakers. Forget the Jazz. The battle for the 8th and final playoff spot in the West really isn't that interesting. Both teams are flawed after all, and neither team is really a threat to win the title. Instead, focus on the best playoff race currently going: the 3-team battle for the 3rd seed in the Western Conference. Whoever wins this battle will start the playoffs at home, likely against a reeling Golden State team or a defensively questionable Houston squad; whoever loses will start the playoffs on the road against a really good Memphis, Denver or Los Angeles Clippers team. This is where the action is in the NBA right now, so get into it.

Let's break the 3 teams down.

Denver Nuggets (47-22)

If it wasn't for that damn team in Miami, a lot more people would be talking about the Nuggets right now. They're currently on a 13-game winning streak, and play perhaps the most entertaining style of ball in the league. As has been the case over the last few years, the biggest complaint against this Denver team is that they don't have a go-to scorer, instead preferring to ride the hot hand and score by committee. That could be a problem come playoff time (when defenses tighten up a lot), but lucky for Denver, the battle they're currently in is all about the regular season.

RS Hall of Fame: Bill Walton on Jerry Sloan

Some videos are so good, they get beyond the 'hey, I should show my friends this clip once' level. Some are meant to be enjoyed again and again, and shared throughout the world. That is what the Redshirt Freshmen Hall of Fame is all about. Occasionally we will bring you these videos, add some commentary, and your life will instantly become better of because of it. Trust us.

With that, we present our charter member to the RS HOF: Bill Walton discussing the retirement of former Utah Jazz coach Jerry Sloan. Enjoy.

0:01 "Jerry Sloan is absolutely the greatest."

I don't really know if he's talking about the greatest person (which Jerry Sloan is probably not) or the greatest basketball coach (which Jerry Sloan is probably not). Off to a good start.

0:04 "The world of basketball... forget that."

We can't do that, Bill. The world of basketball is the only way in which we actually know Jerry Sloan.

Are the Lakers a Playoff Threat?

I've got some mixed emotions about the Lakers' play of late. On one hand, I've never been a big Lakers fan, and usually root against them. On the other, I hate being wrong and may have had some good things to say about Kobe and co. after Mike D'Antoni was hired. Whether I like it or not, one thing seems fairly certain: the Lakers are going to make the playoffs. Once there, though, will they make any noise? Let's take a look at the numbers L.A. has put up during their recent hot streak and find out.

We'll start with the good news: the Lakers are 8-2 over their last 10 games and have vaulted the Utah Jazz for the 8th seed in the Western Conference; Kobe has seemingly put the team on his back, and has been awesome lately; their scoring differential over the last 10 games bests their season average; and they've averaged 107.1 points-per-game over this stretch, which is a couple points better than their season average.

Reuters

The Answer to the Question only ESPN asked - Part I

What do you do when two teams in different sports are on impressive streaks, and meaningful discussion topics are at a premium? You imagine the teams facing off in each others' sport, of course. With help from the powerful minds at ESPN, the Redshirt Freshmen present the much once talked about home-and-series. Game 1 tips off in Chicago...

2013 NBA Bad Team Power Rankings

We're at the point where the NBA Season starts getting really interesting. The playoff push is the only part of the regular season that matters the most entertaining part of the regular season, as teams jockey for playoff position and we start to find out which squads are for real. Before we all shift our attention to the top of the standings, though, let's remember that there are other teams in the league too. Bad teams. With that, the Redshirt Freshmen present the first-ever NBA Bad Team Power Rankings, featuring only teams 20+ games out of a playoff spot.

(note: I promise, after this we can stop paying attention to the bad teams until next season)

1. Cleveland Cavaliers (21-40; 12th in the East)

Kyrie Irving is a special player. As in top-5-point-guard-in-the-league special. As in just a notch below the Tony Parker/ Chris Paul/ Russel Westbrook level special. Simply by having Irving on their roster, the Cavs future looks ok, but there's more in Cleveland too: former first-round pick Tristan Thompson has substantially improved his game this season, and looks like a good big man in the making; rookie guard Dion Waiters was playing nicely before going out with an illness, and will surely improve next season; and everyone's favorite Sideshow Bob look-alike, Anderson Varejao, was having a career year, before suffering a season-ending injury in December. I'm not saying the Cavs will be a threat to the Heat next year, but with salary cap space and a young nucleus (Kyrie Irving is only 20... man, he's going to be good), the Cavs could be in the playoff mix next April.

Courtesy: Cleveland Plain Dealer

2. New Orleans Hornets (21-41; 14th in the West)

This ranking is based on two things: Anthony Davis' improvement (which I think will be substantial), and Eric Gordon's health (which I wouldn't bet on even with 20,000-to-1 odds). Davis, despite missing some time this season due to injury, has shown he could develop into one of the best two-way big men in the game. He's a major force on defense already, and the upside on his offensive production is mammoth... he's only 19-years old. Gordon, meanwhile, is one of the best shooting guards in the league, but is never healthy. Plus there's that whole "he really doesn't want to play for this team at all"-thing. Besides Davis and Gordon, New Orleans has some decent pieces: Greivis Vasquez looks like he could be a nice starting point guard (if his decision-making improves a bit), and Ryan Anderson is one of the best stretch-4s in the league. Like Cleveland, New Orleans has a bunch of money coming of the books in the next couple years, so they could also improve their team with some free agent additions. The future is looking nice in New Orleans, and I haven't even mentioned their awesome 2013-14 name-change.