Intensity is the keyword for the teams looking to secure one of the final eight NBA playoff berths, and the presence or lack of intensity will likely determine their fate.
The upper-echelon teams in the NBA have little trouble finding the neccessary intensity because the opportunity to obtain home-court advantage in the first round is motivation enough.
But for the lower seeded teams intensity can be more difficult to sustain, because once the postseason is near, a false sense of accomplishment may surface.
This may be the issue with teams like Charlotte and Oklahoma City who are experiencing periods of decline after exhibiting strong play only a few weeks prior.
On the other hand, more experienced teams like Miami and Phoenix are beginning to ramp up their intensity in anticipation of the postseason, and the results have shown up in the standings.
This week's edition of NBA Stock Report follows the journey of teams like Charlotte and Oklahoma City who have never reached the postseason, and are maturing along the way.
It also documents the challenges of the more experieced and playoff-savvy teams who are trying to fend off the advances of the younger teams.
All rankings are ...
Read Full Article at Bleacher Report - NBA
Article written by Hadarii Jones
NBA Stock Report: The Last Eight Playoff Teams And Where They Stand
March 23rd, 2010 by Hadarii Jones Leave a reply »
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