Discussion for the Playoffs - Pretenders vs Contenders

The Bulls are #3 in the league in FT Attempts per game at 27 per game. 3.7 more than they were averaging last year. The Bulls are also #7 in rebounding differential.

The Cavs are #7 in the league in FT attempts - 25.8 per game and 3.1 more than last season. They are also #11 in rebounding differential.

Spurs are #18 in FT attempts per game but #5 in rebounding differential per game.

Rockets are #4 in the league getting to the line, and #6 in rebounding differential.

The Thunder are #2 in rebounding differential in the NBA but just #15 in FT attempts per game. This number is likely skewed due to Westbrook and Durant being out for a majority of the year.

Warriors are #24 in the league in getting to the free throw line and #13 in rebounding differential. 

The Bulls look like the biggest contender in the East. I obviously like the Thunder in the West, and although the Rockets seem overrated - their numbers prove they might be successful in the playoffs this time around. Looks like the Warriors are relying way too much on the outside shot as well. Will that streakiness continue in the playoffs? Memphis and the Clippers both have a negative rebounding differential which is quite surprising, and just middle of the pack getting to the FT line. 

Discuss your early favorites

Regular Season is not Playoffs.

I don't think Toronto will be able to hold up.

Washington is the third best team in the East.

Clippers are underachievers.

I do think you're overlooking Memphis however.  They have enough to be contenders.  If they only had one Guard or SF that could score, I would have them as the favorites to win the West.

Also, now that Dallas finally has a pure PG, they have to be in the conversation, considering they've gotten better since last year and lost in 7 games to the Spurs.

I'm a big fan of late clock execution on both ends and rebounding in the playoffs.

I don't think they're built to win in the playoffs.  They rely to much on guard play.

Memphis back court is just not good enough come playoffs.

maybe this is the year,who knows??...but to make the same mistake over and over and over and over by sleeping on them is pure insanity.

youre out of your mind if you actually think houston is a true contendor,they have done ZERO as a group in playoff basketball and will be shown up horribly for their lack of depth and perimeter scoring once teams can scout them for a full series......warriors are interesting but its critical that they have bogut playing or theyre probably not going anywhere,and wat you think they gonna do wen/if they meet the spurs again??(apart from cry and shi.t their pants).....people are loving mavericks all of a sudden but have a look at wat theyve got left in the frontcourt now...tyson chandler,dirk nowitzki,charlie villenueva and greg smith!!!!!!...thats all they got in terms of size and interior presence...now in the modern nba ya can still win going small and dallas has already done so a few years back to be fair.....but playoffs is all about matchups and if they gotta go thru the grizzlies and their big boys and ground'n'pound style then mavs are in serious trouble.

on the subject of memphis i looooove wat theyre doing and clearly they are built for playoffs and have slowly but surely added a bit of depth,could still use sum more outside shooting but they get by allrite..the question as always for them is in those critical games of a tight series can they get the buckets they need in clutch moments??thats where they have come up short sumtimes and if they can get over that hump it wouldnt surprise to see them come out the west,theyre hungry,tough,together and defensive-minded.

totally agree with beginnerboy,it will be a sad,sad day if thunder ever come out of the west again playing the way that they do...russell and durant are outrageously talented but will have to go bonkers for entire series at a time to over-whelm the deeper,better-coached,more unselfish teams in the west.....not impossible but not likely i dont reckon.hard to sustain such epic individual play for 3 or 4 long series against tough opponents,exerting all that energy.

clippers look okay on the face of it but for me theres just sumthing missing that doesnt put them as likely big-time winners..not sure wat it is,dont really like their role players a whole lot and they just dont strike me as being tough enough or bloody-minded enuff as a group.

i dont think anyone from the east beats the western champ so dont really care who comes out of that side but chuck cavs,raptors,wizards,hawks in a blender and see which one comes out to face bulls in the finals(health permitting)....bulls likely beat any of them with their defensive mentality and added depth and improvement of guys so far this season.

No.  They are performing like this because they suck on the defensive end.  You aren't going to blow out any competent team when you leave their shooters open. Cleveland is bottom 5 in the league for opponents FG% at 47%.  Only the Lakers, Miami, Minny and Utah allow their opponent to shoot a higher percentage.