The first round of the 2026 NBA postseason wasn’t very kind to two recent champions and a future Hall of Famer.

The Denver Nuggets entered the Western Conference playoffs as the No. 3 seed and armed with arguably the best player in the world in Nikola Jokic. Denver lasted just six games and were eliminated by undermanned Minnesota for the second time in three years.

Since winning the NBA title in 2023, Jokic and the Nuggets are just 15-15 over the last three postseasons.

The Boston Celtics, boosted by the return of All-Star Jayson Tatum, entered the Eastern Conference playoffs with the fourth-best odds to win a championship. Boston took a 3-1 series lead against division rival Philadelphia, only to watch it evaporate and ended up being on the wrong side of history. The 76ers completed the dramatic playoff comeback, winning Game 7 in Boston.

When asked during his post-game press conference what was the turning point in the series, Celtics coach Joe Mazzulla pointed to the return of Joel Embiid.

“What changed in the series was Joel Embiid came back, and they’re a completely different team,” Mazzulla said of the Sixers center, who came back in Game 4 after missing almost a month after undergoing emergency appendectomy.

Philly was the 14th team to overcome a 3-1 series deficit in the playoffs. Less than 24 hours after the Sixers’ win, the Detroit Pistons became the 15th team to overcome a 3-1 deficit. Thanks to the heroics of Cade Cunningham, top-seeded Detroit avoided losing to eighth-seeded Orlando with a convincing win at home in Game 7.

Kevin Durant and the Houston Rockets weren’t considered championship contenders heading into the postseason, but they had a favorable matchup in the first round against the Los Angeles Lakers, who was missing Luka Doncic (hamstring) and Austin Reaves (rib).

But the Rockets found a way to turn an advantage into a disadvantage as the 2014 NBA MVP missed Game 1 with a knee injury he suffered in practice. Durant returned in Game 2 but suffered a sprained right ankle in the second half that ultimately forced him to miss the remainder of the series.

The Lakers jumped out to a 3-0 series lead. After a couple of hiccups in Game 4 and Game 5, L.A. closed out the series with a blowout win in Game 6.

Detroit rides MotorCade to reach conference semifinals

After Orlando took a 3-1 series lead, Cade Cunningham put his hard on and went to work.

The Pistons’ All-Star guard dropped 45 points (5-for-8 on 3-pointers) in Game 5 and followed it up with 32 points and 10 rebounds in the next game, forcing a Game 7.

In Game 7 in front of a fired up Detroit crowd that included Pistons legends like Rip Hamilton and Ben Wallace, Cunningham calmly led the Pistons to a 116-94 win. His 32 points and 12 assists helped secure Detroit’s first playoff series victory in 18 years.

Cunningham became the second Piston to score 20-plus points and dish out 10-plus assists in a Game 7. The other Piston to pull it off was Hall of Famer Isiah Thomas, who was in the building to witness Cade’s brilliant performance under pressure.

“It’s an honor to be in the same sentence as a legend like IT,” Cunningham said. “I’m glad he was here. I’m glad he was able to watch … just being able to talk to him, pick his brain, and have his support. It’s amazing. I feel extremely lucky to have that.”

No joke: Jokic gets ‘punked’ in playoff loss to Timberwolves

When you’re a three-time NBA MVP, expectations are high and losing in the first round is not an acceptable result.

Nikola Jokic and the Denver Nuggets, the No. 3 seed in the Western Conference playoffs, were eliminated in six games by the Minnesota Timberwolves, a team missing their best player (Anthony Edwards), starting guard (Donte DiVincenzo), and one of its top reserves (Ayo Dosunmu).

The Timberwolves had just eight players available for Game 6, but still managed to pull out a victory.

Denver’s early exit prompted some pundits like ESPN’s Kendrick Perkins, to call out Jokic for his poor postseason performance following another triple-double regular season in which he became the first player to lead the league in rebounds (12.9) and assists (10.7).

Perkins on ESPN’s “First Take” said the Joker got “punked” in the Minnesota series as Rudy Gobert made him look human. Jokic shot 44.6% from the field and 19.4% from 3-point range, both well below his season averages. Perkins added that Jokic’s recent play suggests he may be stuck with just one championship for his career.

“We were so ready to put this man above all-time greats because of certain numbers he was putting up in the regular season. He has one NBA championship. Matter of fact, I don’t think Jokic is going to win another NBA championship. He got exposed,” Perkins added. “So when we talk about top-five this and top-five that. We need to sit back and keep cool.”

Denver heads into the offseason with a lot of question marks, including the future of their all-world center. But according to NBA insider Shams Charania, the Nuggets plan to secure a long-term contract extension for Jokic, who is eligible for a $290 million max deal.

“The expectation on both sides is Nikola Jokic will be signing that when he’s eligible in July, and they’re gonna move forward,” Charania said on “Inside the NBA.”

He added: “But beyond that, there’s going to be real roster changes coming to Denver to identify how they can surround Nikola Jokic with the right pieces to get this team over the top.”

Houston, we have a KD problem

A fluke knee injury kept Kevin Durant out of Game 1 against the Lakers. He reportedly bumped knees with one of the team’s two-way players in practice as they both went for a loose ball. Durant returned in Game 2 but suffered a sprained right ankle in the second half that ultimately forced him to miss the remainder of the series.

The Rockets’ implosion started back in February. The infamous “KD files” — Durant’s alleged social media burner account slamming Rockets teammates — created a major, unresolved distraction.

During a stretch in which the Rockets lost seven of nine games entering the All-Star break, allegations surfaced that Durant criticized teammates — including sharp jabs at Alperen Sengun and Jabari Smith Jr. — while using a burner account on X.

Durant is one of the best to ever pick up a basketball. Once he’s done with his career, he’ll be enshrined in the Naismith Hall of Fame. But his off-the-court drama isn’t helping clean up his image.

Durant never discussed the matter in any detail publicly, calling it “Twitter nonsense.” But it’s hard to imagine his most recent social media tiff didn’t impact the Rockets. Houston appeared disjointed, and the team actually played better when KD was in street clothes sitting on the bench.

Since his split with the Golden State Warriors, Durant has had some conspicuous stops in Brooklyn and Phoenix. Houston gave up a ton of assets to bring him in, but now they may be regretting the move.

Joel Huerto is editor and publisher of OneManFastBreak.net. He hosts a sports podcast on YouTube @onemanfastbreak1.

After shedding a few pounds, a leaner and meaner Luka Doncic shredded the competition at the FIBA European championships.

The Los Angeles Lakers should be excited for the 2025-26 NBA season following Doncic’s historic EuroBasket performance in which he led Slovenia to the quarterfinals before being eliminated by Germany.

“Luka’s play in EuroBasket made it clear to the entire basketball world that he’s on that incredibly short list of ‘best player on the planet’ candidates, if not at the top,” said Lakers general manager Rob Pelinka, who traveled to Poland to watch Doncic.

Luka described his offseason as a “great summer,” and he appears to be in the best shape of his basketball career. He gave a taste of what he’ll be serving in the upcoming NBA season with a spectacular performance during the European championships.

Doncic led EuroBasket with 34.7 points per game, becoming the third player to average over 30. His average ranks third in tournament history, trailing only Nikos Galis’ 37.0 in 1987 and 35.6 in 1989.

Doncic looks to be in prime shape and prime position to have an MVP-type season for the Lakers, and it’s up to head coach JJ Redick — who signed a two-year contract extension to be with the Lakers through the 2029-30 season — to make sure to put Doncic in the best possible position to succeed in Year 2 of their partnership.

“I expect the best version of Luka, and it’s my job to bring that out every day,” Redick said during a Lakers press conference.

Pelinka and Lakers governor Jeanie Buss traveled to Poland to watch Doncic play for Slovenia and came away impressed with Luka’s growth as a leader.

“He not only led by example, but he was very demonstrative in practice, in terms of his expectations of the team and how they play,” Pelinka said of Luka.

Doncic seems at peace over what transpired on Feb. 2, 2025, when he got traded from Dallas to L.A. But it doesn’t mean he has forgotten about the simple fact that the Mavericks — a team that drafted him and practically raised him — shipped him out of town.

The Luka Revenge Tour is coming to every NBA city, especially in Dallas, and the extra motivation could lead to an MVP season for Luka and a potential return to the NBA Finals for the Lakers.

OneManFastBreak projects the top eight teams in the Western Conference.

1-Oklahoma City Thunder — Fresh off winning an NBA title, the Thunder signed their top three players to significant contracts and brought back their major role players from their championship squad. However, repeating as NBA champions won’t be easy, as the West is stacked and there hasn’t been a repeat NBA champion since the 2018 Warriors.

2-Houston Rockets — The loss of veteran guard Fred VanVleet, who tore his ACL, hurts from a leadership standpoint. The absence of VanVleet puts added pressure on Alperen Sengun to be more of a playmaker. Sengun had a superb EuroBasket, and his blossoming game should make Ime Udoka and the Rockets coaching staff excited. The addition of Kevin Durant and Dorian Finney-Smith make Sengun even more dangerous as he’ll have more room to operate.

3-L.A. Lakers — Pressure is on head coach JJ Redick to navigate around LeBron James’ potential last season with the Lakers, which could become a distraction. LeBron is entering the final year of his Lakers contract, and the team has shown little interest in extending his deal. “We would love for LeBron’s story to retire as a Laker. That’d be a positive story,” Pelinka said about LeBron’s future with the team.

4-Denver Nuggets — The Nuggets are trying to maximize Nikola Jokic’s prime years. They traded Michael Porter Jr., one of the key pieces of their 2023 championship team, to the Brooklyn Nets for a draft pick and forward Cam Johnson. The team moved off Russell Westbrook and brought back Bruce Brown, and signed veteran Jonas Valanciunas. Valanciunas should lessen some of Jokic’s heavy workload at the center spot.

5-Minnesota Timberwolves — Anthony Edwards is rededicating himself to getting in better shape, and it starts on the defensive end. Ant-Man is entering his sixth NBA season. He has been to the conference twice. For the Timberwolves to advance to the NBA Finals, Ant-Man must be more detailed on both ends of the floor.

6-Golden State Warriors — When Steph Curry, Draymond Green, and Jimmy Butler are healthy and playing together, the Warriors put together a 23-8 record. The problem is that age and mileage might be catching up with Curry (36), Butler (35), and Green (34).

7-San Antonio Spurs — Victor Wembanyama certainly had an adventurous offseason. He trained with Shaolin monks in Zhengzhou, China. He trained with NBA Hall of Famer Hakeem Olajuwon in Houston. Wemby is entering his third season as well-prepared as any player. This could be the year the Spurs return to the postseason.

8-L.A. Clippers — Allegations of a no-show endorsement contract between Kawhi Leonard and a now-bankrupt green banking company hang over the Clippers like a dark cloud. It’ll be up to head coach Ty Lue to keep the team focused and navigate around the scandal.

Play-In teams: Memphis Grizzlies, Dallas Mavericks

James Harden and Kevin Durant are reunited in Brooklyn. (Getty Images)

James Harden finally got his wish. He got traded to his preferred destination. For weeks the Houston Rockets tried to make the Harden marriage work, but in the end they had to cut the cord.

The Rockets sent their superstar shooting guard to the Brooklyn Nets, joining his good friend and former teammate Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving, in a blockbuster deal that involved multiple teams. In return the Rockets picked up a boatload of first-round draft picks and guard Victor Oladipo. To make room for Harden, the Nets shipped Caris LeVert to Indiana, and center Jarrett Allen and forward Taurean Prince to Cleveland.

Harden brings a lot of baggage to Brooklyn. As gifted as he is on the court, he can be a major headache off it. The Beard is a three-time NBA scoring champ and arguably the game’s best one-on-one player. But he wasn’t able to carry the Rockets past the Western Conference finals and his lack of effort on the defensive end is well documented. Harden can wear you out.

He wasted little time celebrating his arrival in Brooklyn, offering a sample of what he can bring to the table by tallying 32 points, 14 assists and 11 rebounds in his Nets debut on Jan. 16 against the Orlando Magic. Durant “chipped” in 42 points.

“We welcome one of the best players in the game to our team,” first-year Nets coach Steve Nash said. “There’s a lot of excitement just on his resume, his talent, and his excitement to be here. The mood is great.”

Nash admitted the Nets will have to learn on the fly and adapt in order to succeed. But make no mistake about it. Harden instantly makes the Nets the most lethal offensive team in the NBA. Nash will have three dynamic scorers in his starting five, all capable of putting up 50 points on any given night. The Nets are also in unchartered territory having so much firepower at their disposal. No NBA team has had three 25-point scorers on its roster since the merger. Durant averages 29.4 points per game and Irving is at 27.1. Brooklyn now has to slide in Harden, who averages 26.4 points per game for his career.

For the past five decades, only the 2017 Golden State Warriors (Durant, Steph Curry, Klay Thompson) and 1983 Denver Nuggets (Alex English, Kiki Vandeweghe, Dan Issel) came the closest to having three 25-point scorers. Both teams had two players over 25 PPG but the third scorer maxed out at 22 PPG.

Nash doesn’t seem too concerned on how to divide up the shots.

“Kevin is the most adaptable because of his versatility,” Nash said. “He can play anywhere on the floor, he can play with or without the ball. For Kevin, it’s the easiest transition. And he’s quite happy to move around and play different roles. And he’s been through it [with Warriors].”

Most recent championship teams with a collection of three superstars — also known as the Big 3 era — eventually morphed into the Big 2 + 1. San Antonio’s Big 3 of Tim Duncan, Tony Parker and Manu Ginobili didn’t start many games together as Ginobili mostly came off the bench. Kevin Garnett often deferred to Paul Pierce and Ray Allen on the offensive end during their time in Boston. Chris Bosh took a backseat to LeBron James and Dwyane Wade while the trio were in Miami. The Big 3 formula was a resounding success in Golden State, but Durant didn’t have to pry the ball away from Curry or Thompson because both are outstanding catch-and-shoot snipers.

Time will tell if Harden, Kyrie and KD can co-exist without having to sacrifice shots. It’ll likely take a few games before we fully see what the Nets’ Big 3 can do.

“It’s an amazing move for Brooklyn. Obviously, they got better — way better,” said two-time Kia MVP Giannis Antetokounmpo of Milwaukee.

There’s no question Brooklyn got better offensively. The question is on the defensive end. Can the Nets get stops on the defensive end? That question won’t be answered until we get deeper into the season and possibly into the early portion of the postseason.

The Nets are currently a middle-of-the-road in terms of defensive rating and near the bottom in the league in points allowed. And that was before they lost a major defensive presence in center Allen and LeVert, who averages 1.1 steals a game. The Nets are vulnerable against dribble penetration, and will have to hope veteran center DeAndre Jordan can summon his past defensive prowess. Even though Durant appears to have recaptured his offensive game after Achilles surgery, the injury has taken some of his explosion away and isn’t the same defensive player.

When Irving was with the Cavaliers, LeBron James and Co. would cover up for him and limited his exposure against quicker guards. Mike D’Antoni’s Rockets did the same for Harden, as they often stationed Harden in the back end of their defense so he doesn’t get exposed. D’Antoni now serves as Nash’s assistant in Brooklyn. The two great offensive minds are going to have to figure out a way to hide both Harden and Irving on defense.

Anthony Davis dominated James Harden and the Rockets in the 2020 NBA playoffs. (Getty Images)

The Houston Rockets were eliminated from the NBA playoff bubble, and it is safe to say the microball experiment was an epic failure.

The Los Angeles Lakers, a team loaded with length and size, bounced the undersized Rockets in the Western Conference semifinals. The five-game series revealed what most basketball pundits wondered out loud. Could the Rockets make enough 3-pointers to make up for their lack of size? The answer was an emphatic “no.”

The second-round exit triggered what could be a very difficult offseason for the Rockets. Just hours after the playoff elimination, Mike D’Antoni reportedly informed the franchise that he was not returning. D’Antoni basically beat the Rockets to the punch. He knew what was coming. He went into this season without a contract extension as the Rockets brass operated on a wait-and-see approach before committing to D’Antoni for next season and beyond. What they saw was the Rockets have reached their ceiling under D’Antoni, and it’s time for a major strategy shift and revamp a roster built around two guards each making $38 million per season.

When the Rockets traded center Clint Capela on Feb. 4, 2020, as part of a massive four-team, 12-player transaction, D’Antoni and his staff went all in on small ball.

In the Capela deal, the Rockets acquired veteran shooter Robert Covington. The analytical thinking behind the move was the 6-foot-7 swingman provides D’Antoni another 3-pointer shooter to space the floor and solid perimeter defender who can switch on guards off pick-and-roll or pick-and-pop action. The Rockets also felt by having another long-range shooter on the court, it will create more space for iso-ball masters James Harden and Russell Westbrook more driving lanes.

Those are what the analytics showed. What the analytics didn’t show was small ball only works when you have a non-traditional center who can play center. In other words, you need a special 5 man who can anchor your defense and space the floor on offense. Think Draymond Green.

Draymond allowed the Golden State Warriors to play 5 “smalls” because even though he was undersized — listed at a generous 6-6 — he played much bigger than his actual size. Green is a tenacious rebounder with an uncanny ability to guard perimeters players, making it easier for the Warriors to switch everything on screens, and he’s the Warriors’ primary playmaker on offense. A point-center if you need to tag him. Green’s unique ability to handle the ball out in the perimeter gives the Warriors the flexibility on offense and play Steph Curry and Klay Thompson off the ball.

It’s also erroneous to describe the Warriors as a “small” team. Seven-footer Andrew Bogut was the starting center on their 2015 championship team, and he was widely regarded around the league as one of the best post defenders. When the Dubs do go their smaller lineup, they have the length and athleticism to switch everything on defense. Andre Iguodala (6-8), Thompson (6-7) and Green (6-6) are worthy candidates for the all-defensive teams. Curry (6-3) is the shortest Dubs starter but he is among the league leaders in steals. After losing to LeBron James and the Cavaliers in the 2016 NBA Finals, the Warriors stunned the basketball world by acquiring Kevin Durant. Durant, a 6-10 forward who can play all five positions, made the Warriors nearly impossible guard and their defense got even better because Durant covered so much ground with his insane wingspan.

In the history of basketball, championship teams are built inside-out. Teams with dominant centers have always ruled the game. George Mikan’s Minneapolis Lakers. Bill Russell’s Boston Celtics. Wilt Chamberlain’s Warriors and 76ers teams. Kareem Abdul-Jabber’s Bucks and Lakers teams. Hakeem Olajuwon’s Rockets. Shaquille O’Neal’s Lakers. Tim Duncan’s Spurs.

There were a few exceptions such as Michael Jordan’s Bulls, Isiah Thomas’ Pistons, LeBron’s Heat squad and Steph Curry’s Warriors. But even those teams had good size up front.

The Bad Boy Pistons in the early ’90s may not have had dominant big men but they had several bruisers in Bill Laimbeer, Rick Mahorn and James Edwards. Jordan’s Bulls didn’t have All-Star centers, but they had competent 7-footers who clogged up the paint in Bill Cartwright, Luc Longley, Will Perdue, Bill Wennington and Brian Williams.

During Miami’s championship run with LeBron and Dwyane Wade, the Heat’s best lineup was when LeBron, Wade, Mario Chalmers, Shane Battier and Chris Bosh were on the floor. Battier and LeBron could play either forward positions, and Bosh — who made All-Star teams in Toronto as a power forward — anchors the team as the center.

This season the Heat went back to the microball formula by moving away from traditional big Hassan Whiteside and handing the keys to modern-day big Bam Adebayo. Adebayo, a natural power forward, brings the same skillset as Draymond. Bam can anchor the Heat defense, rebound, switch on guards and be a playmaker on offense.

The Rockets were banking on P.J. Tucker to be their Draymond Green or Bam Adebayo. But Tucker — who stands 6-5 with shoes on — isn’t tall or athletic enough to be the backline of a defense and isn’t skilled enough to be a playmaker on offense. Tucker is a 3-and-D guy who can occasionally defend bigs in short bursts. He can’t do it for an entire game. Tucker might be a good center overseas like in professional leagues in the Philippines or Japan, but not in the National Basketball Association.

Houston is at its best when Harden, Westbrook, Eric Gordon, Covington and Tucker are on the court, with Covington being the tallest guy at 6-7. Not surprisingly, the Rockets’ best lineup didn’t match up well against the Lakers’ finishing lineup of LeBron (6-8), Anthony Davis (6-10), Kyle Kuzma (6-9), Danny Green (6-6) and Alex Caruso (6-5). Even when the Lakers “downsized” by inserting Markief Morris in favor of JaVale McGee in the starting lineup and moving Davis to center they were still significantly bigger than the Rockets. Davis and LeBron had their way with the Rockets in the paint. Davis dominated the boards in every game and often found himself doing the Mikan drill near the rim. For those who don’t know the Mikan drill, it’s when you stand under the basket and shoot layups with either hand.

As the series wore on, Davis — arguably the best big man in the league today — imposed his size and length on Tucker and the Rockets’ frontcourt. With exception of Game 1 when Houston matched L.A. board for board, the Lakers outrebounded the Rockets 186-117 in games 2, 3, 4 and 5. Game 1 was the only game the Rockets took from the Lakers.

Once the Lakers adjusted to what the Rockets were doing, it was a wrap. The 3-point shots were heavily contested and the driving lanes shrunk. Westbrook, who usually has his way against smaller guards in the paint, struggled against a swarming Lakers defense. Westbrook was met at the rim with plenty of resistance, mainly from LeBron, who spiked four or five Westbrook layups into the empty stands and let him know about it each and every time. The Rockets missed countless pointblank layups because they were seeing ghosts around the rim.

It’s back to the drawing board for the Rockets.

Klay Thompson, Draymond Green, and Kevin Durant are poised to repeat as NBA champs. (AP)

The 2017-18 NBA season can’t arrive soon enough, especially after a super-busy offseason that saw Kyrie Irving traded to Boston, Paul George and Carmelo Anthony joining forces with Russell Westbrook in Oklahoma City, and Chris Paul teaming up with James Harden in Houston.

All the wheeling and dealing and activity by many teams are meant to accomplish one goal: beat the Golden State Warriors.

Check that. Try to keep up with the Warriors.

The Dubs are coming off a 67-win season and a second NBA title in three seasons. Golden State has compiled a mind-boggling 207-39 record in that span, including a record 16-1 run during the 2017 playoffs.

The Warriors barely did anything this summer, and why would they. They return every significant player from their championship run, and they get head coach Steve Kerr back for a full season (hopefully). Barring a major injury, the Dubs should be the clear favorite in the Western Conference and sweep their way to a  fourth consecutive trip to the NBA Finals. About the only drama left is, can anyone win a playoff game against the Warriors? It’s the Warriors’ world and everyone else is playing for second.

OneManFastBreak.net projects which eight teams will make the Western Conference playoffs:

WESTERN CONFERENCE

1-GOLDEN STATE WARRIORS: The fearsome foursome of Steph Curry, Kevin Durant, Klay Thompson, and Draymond Green are poised for another historic season. Based on the team’s preseason trip to China, Curry and Thompson look to be in midseason form. In a league that has become 3-point happy, Curry, who signed a five-year, $201 million contract in July, remains the undisputed king of the 3-ball. And his backcourt mate, Klay, is not too far behind. NBA defenses have yet to figure out how to stop the Splash Brothers, who combined for 592 threes last season. Steph (29) and Klay (27) are in the prime of their careers, and neither one appears to be slowing down. Draymond is poised to win a second Defensive Player of the Year award and KD, well, the season can’t start soon enough for one of basketball’s biggest stars. Durant had an interesting offseason to say the least. Maybe he was bored. Maybe he needs extra motivation. Whatever the case may be, Durant is ready for another MVP season and shut down all the haters. Prediction: 69-13

2-HOUSTON ROCKETS: The Rockets made the deal with the L.A. Clippers to acquire point guard Chris Paul to try to leapfrog over the San Antonio Spurs and close the gap with the Warriors. The trade may be enough to overtake the Spurs, but it didn’t quite close the gap with the Warriors. In that case, the team went 1-for-2. CP3 is a definite upgrade over Patrick Beverley, and he can keep the chains moving when James Harden takes a breather. When the two are on the court together, Mike D’Antoni will split the court in half. CP3 will run pick-and-rolls on the right side of the court, while Harden will run pick-and-rolls on the left side of the court. Prediction: 59-23

3-SAN ANTONIO SPURS: The Spurs won 61 games in the first year of the post-Tim Duncan era. Kawhi Leonard is now firmly entrenched as the leader of the team, while soon-to-be Hall-of-Famers Tony Parker and Manu Ginobili are winding down their careers. Finding replacements for Parker and Ginobili are on top of Gregg Popovich’s to-do list. As the Spurs continue to transition to Kawhi’s team, LaMarcus Aldridge must become more of a factor if San Antonio wants to stay relevant in the West. The addition of Rudy Gay should help the Spurs’ small ball offense, while super sub Patty Mills will keep the seat warm until Parker returns from his leg injury. The Spurs remain a powerhouse in the West, but the Rockets and Thunder are catching up. Prediction: 58-24

4-OKLAHOMA CITY THUNDER: With the additions of Paul George and Carmelo Anthony, reining league MVP Russell Westbrook now has two studs on the wings. There is no reason for Russ to wing it on his own. George gives OKC a tremendous two-way player who can take pressure off Westbrook running the offense and guarding the other team’s best guard. Melo looks refreshed and could be an important player in late-game situations, where OKC struggled mightily last season when teams loaded up on Westbrook. OKC should be significantly better defensively with George and Andre Roberson defending the wings and Steven Adams guarding the paint. If OKC can knock down enough 3-point shots (another phase of the game it struggled last season) it should challenge the Spurs and Rockets for the second-best record in the West. Prediction: 57-25

5-LOS ANGELES CLIPPERS: Now that CP3 is gone, the Clippers look to Blake Griffin to lead the franchise. Griffin was awarded with a five-year, $173 million contract to be the face of the team, and this season will be a litmus test of his leadership skills. Behind Griffin and center DeAndre Jordan, L.A. should overpower teams with its big frontline. The Clips are one of the few teams in the league who have not embraced small ball. Their power game should be good enough to reach the playoffs, but far from challenging for a title.  Prediction: 48-34

6-UTAH JAZZ: The Jazz had one dreadful offseason. On top of losing leading scorer Gordon Hayward to free agency, the Jazz could potentially lose up-and-comer Dante Exum for the season because of a shoulder injury. Head coach Quin Snyder will have his work cut out for him as he tries to patch together a lineup to navigate through a very difficult conference schedule. Snyder will lean on his top-rated defense led by 7-1 center Rudy Gobert. The Stifle Tower had a league-best 4.1 blocks per game and anchored a defense that gave up just 96 points a game. Newly acquired point guard Ricky Rubio is an upgrade from George Hill, and watch out for rookie shooting guard Donovan Mitchell. Prediction: 45-37

7-PORTLAND TRAIL BLAZERS: The Blazers have one of the best backcourt tandems in the league. But it’s a gift and a curse. Damian Lillard and C.J. McCollum as so good they mask the Blazers’ weaknesses. If the Blazers are going to make a playoff push they need another player to step forward to help Lillard and McCollum. That player could be 23-year-old, 6-11 center Jusuf Nurkic. When the big man from Bosnia is healthy, he looks like a young Arvydas Sabonis. When he’s hurt, he looks like a young Sam Bowie. The Blazers are hoping the young Sabonis shows up. Prediction 43-39

8-MINNESOTA TIMBERWOLVES: Defensive guru Tom Thibodeau won just 31 games in his first season in Minnesota. He knew he needed to bring in more defensive-minded players to run his ultra-aggressive style. Mission accomplished. Thibs brought in his former pupils from Chicago, Jimmy Butler and Taj Gibson, to bring a little bit of nasty to Minnesota. Butler joins Karl-Anthony Towns and Andrew Wiggins in a starting lineup that’s about as good as any in the West (except the Warriors, of course). A better defensive approach should be enough to push the Wolves to their first playoff appearance in 13 years. Prediction: 42-40

Last three teams out: Denver Nuggets, L.A. Lakers, Memphis Grizzlies.

James Harden is enjoying the best season of his NBA career. (GETTY IMAGES)

Back in 2012 the great Bill Simmons wrote a great piece on Grantland that rips Oklahoma City management for breaking up a three-headed monster in James Harden, Russell Westbrook and Kevin Durant.

The last line of Simmons’ article read: Oklahoma City will rue the day it traded James Harden.

Fast forward to 2015.

The Thunder are hanging by a thread in the Western Conference, while the Rockets are rolling near the top of the standings.

Oklahoma City stumbled out of the gates when Westbrook and Durant missed the first quarter of the season with injuries and has not been able to regain its footing. And even when Westbrook and Durant are in the lineup, the Thunder have struggled to string together any type of winning streak. On Jan. 28, OKC hit rock bottom when it fell to the lottery-bound New York Knicks.

When you lose to a team that is purposely trying to lose games, you know you’re in deep trouble.

In the words of the great Chick Hearn, the Thunder’s playoff hopes are in the refrigerator. The door is closed, the lights out, the eggs are cooling, the butter is getting hard and the Jell-O’s jiggling.

Despite deep playoff runs the last four years, including a couple of trips to the conference finals, the Thunder have not returned to the NBA Finals since 2012 when Harden was still running with Westbrook and Durant.

Oklahoma City has not been able to fill the “Harden role” for the past three seasons. They’ve tried Kevin Martin, Jeremy Lamb and Reggie Jackson. None of them have measured up to No. 13.

That number has not been worn in OKC since Harden left, and when newly acquired Dion Waiters requested to wear No. 13 the Thunder oddly denied the request. Apparently, that wound hasn’t healed yet and having Waiters wear No. 13 would only bring up painful memories. It’d be like having your current girlfriend wear you ex-girlfriend’s ring.

Harden, the Thunder’s first-round pick in 2009, is enjoying the best season of his young NBA life. In his third season with the Rockets, the pride of Artesia High School is averaging career highs in points (27), assists (6.8), steals (1.9) and free throw percentage (89%). His 27 points per game leads the Association and from the way he’s stroking it this season he’s on his way to his first scoring title. And his defense has also picked up, something he was heavily criticized for last season.

If the season ended today, Harden, 25, would be the runway choice for MVP.

That’s gotta be killing Sam Presti and the Oklahoma City management. While OKC struggles to find the next James Harden, the real James Harden has become one of the best players in basketball.

If there is any doubt that Harden is the hardest one-on-one cover in the league, just ask his former teammates who got a taste of the man Steve Smith calls The Barber for the way he cuts up his opponents. Watch Harden put Waiters on skates:

As long as Tim Duncan is healthy, the Spurs will contend for a championship. (GETTY IMAGES)

The Spurs made it to the NBA Finals and had the Miami Heat on the ropes, but were unable to prevent LeBron James and Co. from winning their second straight title.

This year, San Antonio should still be the class of the Southwest Division, but the gap is narrowing. The rest of the division is improving and it may not be long before the Spurs are in full rebuild mode.

But, as long as Tim Duncan, Tony Parker and The Nose (aka Manu Ginobili) are in the Alamo City, the Spurs rule the Southwest.

OneManFastBreak.net examines the teams in the Southwest Division and where they’ll finish:

1-SAN ANTONIO SPURS

The Spurs didn’t go out and tinker with their success by making a ton of changes. It looks like they are going with the tried and true concept they have had for over a decade.

They lost guard Gary Neal to free agency when he signed with the Bucks and DeJuan Blair when he left for the Mavs. However, they added veteran but injury-prone swingman Corey Maggette, who is trying to revive his once promising career. At 33, it’s possible Maggette could have a little something left in the tank like Boris Diaw and Stephen Jackson did when the Spurs acquired them.

San Antonio also brought in guard Marco Belinelli, who played for the Bulls last year. He’ll fill in Neal’s role as instant offense off the bench. Belinelli is a good passer and shooter, so should fit right in Gregg Popovich’s system. They also re-signed Tiago Splitter to be their starting center.

But, are the Spurs still a serious NBA title contender? It all depends on how Duncan holds up. If he can continue to defy Father Time, yes. If not, the Spurs are in trouble because Duncan is the heart of this team. And as good as Parker has become, he can’t carry the team by himself.

Kawhi Leonard is the wild card. If he can continue to improve, the Spurs will be set for a long time. Leonard has serious superstar potential.

As good as they are, the Spurs have some questions entering this season that may determine just how far they can go in the Western Conference postseason, but Oklahoma City also has some questions after Kevin Martin bolted as a free agent for Minnesota a year after they traded away James Harden. Not to mention, Russell Westbrook is rehabbing from a serious injury after a second knee surgery. So, it’s all there for the Spurs to repeat as conference champs if they can turn back the clock.

2-HOUSTON ROCKETS

The Rockets did everything they could to unload salary and landed the biggest free agent prize in center Dwight Howard. They added a very good defensive player and a rebounder extraordinaire, but he doesn’t have the offensive game to be a dominant player on offense. However, he’s such a huge upgrade over Omer Asik, who may be moved to power forward.

Houston is better, but they still lack a true power forward to take a little pressure off Howard. D-12 will be expected to carry the load on defense and clean up other players’ defensive mistakes. They better hope DH is happy (he certainly wasn’t in Orlando or L.A.) because he’s known to be very moody.

The offense the Rockets run is very similar to the Lakers offense. Houston averaged 106 points per game (second most in the NBA) in comparison to L.A.’s 102.2 (sixth best). So is Kevin McHale suddenly going to slow the game down and pound the ball inside to Howard? While with the Lakers, Howard made several comments about everybody getting involved. In case he wasn’t paying attention, James Harden likes to shoot the ball; he averaged 17.1 field goal attempts last season.

Point guard Jeremy Lin and small forward Chandler Parsons also need shots. So, yes, the Rockets got better but they aren’t a top-three team in the West.

3-MEMPHIS GRIZZLIES

The Grizzlies opted to let their head coach Lionel Hollins walk after the most successful season in franchise history. Memphis replaced him with Dave Joerger and while he may be a good coach one day, he is an unknown at this point. The best thing that can be said is they stayed within the organization to find Hollins’ replacement.

Zach Randolph has been a beast for the Grizzlies, but he’s 32 and starting to show some signs that he isn’t the same player he once was. He came into the NBA after his freshman year at Michigan State and is now entering his 13th season. Ed Davis was acquired from the Toronto Raptors in the Rudy Gay trade and he’ll need to show he can take some of Zach’s minutes while not losing much in the way of performance on the court.

Memphis relies on the 1-2 punch of Marc Gasol and Randolph. Kosta Koufos was acquired from Utah to back up Gasol and give them some depth at center. They will go with veteran Tayshaun Prince and Quincy Pondexter at small forward, but it’s Pondexter’s job sooner than later. Prince’s tank is almost on empty (he averaged just seven points in the playoffs on 35.5% shooting) and he’ll probably finish his career on the bench.

Mike Miller was brought back to back up Tony Allen and help their outside shooting, a major weakness last year. Miller converted 41.7% of his 3-pointers last season (44.4% in the postseason) and will give them a little offense while Allen provides his lockdown defense.

Conley is a steadily improving point guard (17 points and seven assists in the playoffs), and he’s backed up by Jerryd Bayless.

The Grizzlies will try and compete in an ever-improving Southwest Division, but they seem to have taken a minor step back with the new coach — especially if they decide to trade Randolph at some point to save more cash. The new ownership seems to be quite frugal and while Randolph is past his prime, he is still a quality player and his replacement, Davis, may not be ready to assume a bigger role. As it is, the Grizzlies should be good enough to finish third and compete for a playoff spot.

4-DALLAS MAVERICKS

The Mavs made every attempt to sign Dwight Howard, letting O.J. Mayo, Darren Collison, Chris Kaman and Elton Brand leave Dallas as free agents. Dallas ultimately failed and settled for Samuel Dalembert as its new starting center.

Dallas’ 2012-13 season was very forgettable as they finished 41-41 and missed the postseason. They tried to make a big splash in free agency, but was left with second-tier players (and some may say third tier) in Dalembert, point guard Jose Calderon, shooting guard Monta Ellis, point guard Devin Harris, and reserve forward DeJuan Blair.

Calderon is a better point than Collison (who is better suited to backing up Chris Paul with the Clippers) and provides them with a veteran floor general, but he doesn’t provide much offense. Hence, the reason they went out and signed Ellis to do the heavy lifting on offense and help Dirk Nowitzki.

Ellis should benefit from having a pass-first PG in Calderon after seemingly butting heads with Brandon Jennings in Milwaukee. Vince Carter gives the Mavs an excellent backup option at shooting guard who can also provide some minutes as a backup small forward. If they can limit VC’s minutes to around 23-25, that would be ideal.

Harris will likely back up Calderon, but he was an unusual signing after they used their first-round pick on Shane Larkin. Larkin may see some time in the NBDL with two good players ahead of him on the depth chart. Dallas may try to trade Larkin if a decent offer surfaces.

In the frontcourt, Nowitzki will be the primary focal point of the offense. He started slow last season, but eventually showed the old Dirk (17 points on 47% shooting and 41% on threes). He’s still the best player for the Mavs, and he’ll enjoy having Ellis as a running mate.

The question is who will be the third scoring option?

Small forward Shawn Marion’s skills have declined to the point they may just try and trade his expiring contract before the season is over. Marion can still play a little defense, but offensively he is barely a double-digit scorer. Jae Crowder may be the eventual starter at the position.

Crowder may be just 6-5, but he plays defense and is an energy guy. He may be OK for 20-23 minutes as a defensive specialist. He reminds me a little of former Detroit Piston Michael Curry.

Brandan Wright was re-signed to be a backup power forward and center. Dalembert provides defense, but his offense is virtually nonexistent. Bernard James is a 28-year-old, second-year player who is a little more than just a roster filler.

Dallas isn’t much better than last season, but they made some good moves to try and appease their fans and show that they are trying. But Dirk’s odometer is almost on empty and you have to wonder if they actually have a plan.

5-NEW ORLEANS PELICANS

The newly renamed Pelicans may have one of the most interesting teams in the entire league this season after general manager Dell Demps remodeled their roster after the 2012 season ended. And the city is anticipating this season more than any other in recent memory. Or at least since Chris Paul was in town.

Demps may have scored one of the best offseason acquisitions when they traded center Nerlens Noel and a conditional 2014 draft pick to the Philadelphia 76ers for first time Eastern Conference All-Star point guard Jrue Holiday (17.7 points, eight assists, 4.2 rebounds). The move seemed to signal that the Sixers are interested in tanking their season in effort to get a top pick in next year’s loaded NBA draft that has as many as four or five possible franchise players.

Holiday will help in one key area, close games. The Pelicans were just 7-14 last year in games decided by four points or less and he should help change that. Holiday gives them a thriving young talent probably the most important position in the NBA nowadays, the point guard position.

The biggest issue will be playing Holiday, newly acquired Tyreke Evans (who was involved in a three-way trade that sent Robin Lopez to the Portland Trail Blazers and Greivis Vasquez to the Sacramento Kings) and Eric Gordon together. All three are used to dominating the ball. Holiday has always been considered more of a combo type PG so it’ll fall on his shoulders to get Gordon and Evans the ball. Not to mention, power forward Ryan Anderson and center Anthony Davis.

New Orleans management made the trade for Evans when he said he wouldn’t mind coming off the bench. So it’s a possibility they could play him off the bench as a super sub, sixth man. He signed a four-year, $44 million contract. Gordon makes $14.2 million with Holiday is owed $9.2 million. That’s a lot of money to pay that trio. If Gordon fails to live up to expectations he could be the odd man out.

The playoffs seem a bit of a longshot for a team that is competing in a loaded division, but the Pelicans have a talented roster and just need a season together to work together and develop some chemistry. Just shy of two years after trading Chris Paul, New Orleans is rebuilding much faster than expected.

Darren Jacks is a regular contributor to OneManFastBreak.net. Send him an email at djroxalot@hotmail.com.

James Harden dropped 46 points on Serge Ibaka and the Oklahoma City Thunder. (GETTY IMAGES)

For those who still think that James Harden is not a superstar, you need to watch the Feb. 20 game between the Rockets and Thunder very closely because we just witnessed one of the best individual performances in the NBA this season.

It was a game that makes second-guess the Thunder’s decision to trade the man known as The Beard from Oklahoma City to Houston. It was a game that will convince you that Harden, now out of the shadows of Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook, is one of the best players in the world.

With his Rockets down by 14 with under five minutes left, Harden decided to take the game over. He single-handedly rallied the Rockets, dropping a career-high 46 points in a 122-119 victory that had the Toyota Center buzzing — and the rest of the league for that matter — buzzing. Harden made 14 of 19 shots from the field and made seven of his eight 3-point attempts.

It didn’t matter who OKC put on Harden, he just kept scoring. Not even the Thunder’s two best defenders, Serge Ibaka and Thabo Sefolosha, could slow him down.

The signature play of the evening came at the two-minute mark of the final quarter when Harden faced Ibaka on the wing, gave him one crossover dribble, four between-the-legs dribbles, then stepped backed for a long 3-pointer over the best shot-blocker in the NBA to tie the score at 111. It was one of the better one-one-one plays you will ever see on a basketball court.

The Thunder said moving Harden was a financial move, pointing to the luxury tax and the fact that the team already has two max contracts (Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook) in their books and couldn’t afford a third. But if it was strictly financial then why not dump Kendrick Perkins and his overpriced $9 million contract and not re-sign Ibaka to make room for Harden? Nick Collison could easily fill Perk’s shoes, and as good as Ibaka is on defense the Thunder still struggle to hold teams down so keeping Serge didn’t exactly fix OKC’s deficiencies on the defensive end.

And there’s only a handful of legit fourth-quarter closers in the game today and Harden is one of them. He is just a shade below Durant, Kobe Bryant, and Dwyane Wade when the game is on the line.

Bottom line here is the Harden trade will haunt OKC for a long time because the Thunder went from near locks to repeat as Western Conference champs and may be challenge the Miami Heat for a title to falling back to the pack with the Spurs, Clippers, and Grizzlies. OKC general manger Sam Presti and owner Clay Bennett had in their mitts a three-headed beast in Harden, Durant, and Westbrook who genuinely like each other on and off the court unlike the stars in L.A.

All three guys can each win a game or a series for you, much like Harden did vs. the Spurs in the 2012 Western Conference finals. San Antonio can point to Harden as the reason why the Thunder rallied from an 0-2 series hole.

Yet, the Thunder chopped off that three-headed beast with their own sword.

Jeremy Lin burns his former team, the New York Knicks, in his return to Madison Square Garden. (GETTY IMAGES)

Jeremy Lin has a lot of fond memories at New York’s Madison Square Time. It was in New York where “Linsanity” was born and Lin became the biggest story of the strike-shortened 2011-12 season.

Lin parlayed his overnight success into a three-year, $25-million contract with the Houston Rockets. The Knicks didn’t feel like Lin deserved that much money, so the team didn’t match the Rockets’ offer sheet. Even though Lin says he has no ill feelings toward the Knicks, there had to be a small part of him that was burning inside for basically being dumped.

In his return to Broadway, Lin torched the Knicks for 22 points and eight assists, but more importantly he led the Rockets to a 109-96 win. The win was somewhat watered down because New York didn’t have Carmelo Anthony, who is nursing a sprained ankle, but it was a good win nonetheless for Lin and Rockets.

Lin was in attack mode from the start, scoring the first basket of the game with a backdoor cut that beat Raymond Felton. “I was trying to get in the paint and put pressure,” said Lin, who has had his share of struggles this season in Houston, but seems to be turning the corner — literally.

Lin repeated beat the Knicks’ defense with quick drives to the basket off pick-and-rolls, something he excelled at during his incredible run with the Knicks. He even went to left on a few occasions, something he couldn’t do consistently last year.

Cheered then jeered, and later floored by Tyson Chandler’s flagrant foul, Lin added another masterpiece to the ones he put together last season during the height of his memorable run. No longer the fan favorite he was when wearing the home uniform, Lin got a mixed reception when he left the game with 2:25 remaining and the Rockets leading by 16.

”It was a lot of fun playing out there and I think our team, we took a step in the right direction,” Lin told the Associated Press. ”And for me, it was great to be back and it was a lot of fun to play on that court again.”

James Harden had 28 points and 10 rebounds for the Rockets, who blew out the Knicks for the second time this season. They have won the last seven meetings, including a 131-103 rout in Houston on Nov. 23.

The Knicks decided not to match Houston’s contract offer to Lin, and nobody could argue when Felton, Jason Kidd and Pablo Prigioni led the Knicks to the best record in the Eastern Conference with a team that led the NBA in fewest turnovers.

But Lin was the best point guard on the floor, just as he so often was during his dazzling run last winter, when the NBA’s first American-born player of Chinese or Taiwanese descent went from undrafted benchwarmer to the biggest story in basketball.

”He had a good game, without a doubt,” Felton said. ”I never talked junk about Jeremy Lin. Anything I said about Jeremy, I felt like he deserved anything. He deserved everything he got. He had a good game. Plain and simple.”

Lin saw some fans wearing his old jersey, but said he didn’t let his mind drift back to last season during the game. ”I’ve moved on, they’ve moved on,” he said. ”We have good memories, but at the same time we’re all in a different place now.”

Lin doubled his scoring average in what he called an up-and-down season so far.

”I hope this is the start of a nice run for him, because he works really hard,” Rockets coach Kevin McHale said. ”He’s a great kid. He deserves it.”

James Harden (middle) chats with former teammate Kevin Durant and former head coach Scott Brooks. (GETTY IMAGES)

The Houston Rockets stunned the L.A. Lakers on Tuesday night, 107-105, to claim their most impressive win of the young season. The Rockets have been on an incredible roller-coaster ride ever since head coach Kevin McHale took a leave of absence because of a death in the family.

Despite not having their leader, the Rockets are soldiering on. James Harden has been nothing short of spectacular, ranking fifth in the league in scoring at 24.1, and should be on his way to the All-Star game. Free agent acquisition Omer Asik has been a pleasant surprise at center, as he ranks third in the league in rebounds (12.1).

The last time the Rockets saw their coach was Nov. 28 when the Rockets traveled to Minnesota to attend the funeral of McHale’s daughter, who died from complications of lupus at the age of 23. The team arrived at the hotel between 1:30 and 2 a.m. They were back up by 8 for a team brunch and a scouting report in suits and ties before they went to the funeral. Acting coach Kelvin Sampson said McHale and his wife, Lynn, were arranging candles near some photos of Sasha and didn’t immediately see the team walk in.

”We didn’t know what to do or say, so we just waited for them to get finished, then they turn around and at the same time they looked at us,” Sampson told the Associated Press. ”Really, really, really emotional.”

McHale hugged everyone in Houston’s traveling party and shared a few words with each person. He took a leave of absence from the team on Nov. 10. Sasha died Saturday at age 23 of complications from lupus.

”Just to see our faces, I think, kind of gave him some kind of joy. Just to show him that we were there, our whole entire organization was there just to support him,” Harden said. ”No matter if it was for 5 minutes or 30 minutes, he just wanted to see our faces. I’m glad we got that opportunity to go out there and share that moment with him.”

The team then flew to Oklahoma City, arriving at the arena less than 5 hours before game time. Sampson said about half of his players were in the locker room with towels over their heads, trying to squeeze in a nap during the afternoon.

He wasn’t sure whether to expect them to play ”lights out” or play tired.

”I think our guys understand that there’s something far more powerful and more important that happened today than their routine, and that was supporting a coach that lost a daughter,” Sampson said.