Race for #1

I can't recall a conference race in the NBA ever being really, really exciting, the way a pennant race is in baseball (or at least, used to be before the advent of the Wild Card system). But we have a truly special showdown looming between the Suns and the Mavericks. Both teams playing insane basketball (Phoenix is 31-2 over their last 33 and Dallas is 35-5 since their 0-4 start) and right now, the Suns have a one game advantage in the all-important loss column. Throw out their 1-5 and 0-4 starts and the Suns and Mavs are winning at clips of 92% and 88%, respectively. Over a full season, those winning percentages would give them both the NBA record for wins in a season. That is pretty impressive. Each squad feels like the time to win it all is now, with Dallas coming so close last year and the Suns facing some salary cap issues in the coming offseason. The urgency is evident in the fabulous play of each team.

However, the race between these two teams is more important than the number of wins they rack up. Because as always, the West is loaded. Phoenix and Dallas may be the class of the NBA, but that doesn't mean they are automatically going to meet in the Western Conference Finals, with the winner taking home the NBA title. There are dangerous teams aplenty in the West, from the Phil and Kobe Lakers to the new-look Nuggets, to the sleeper special Houston Rockets. Not to mention the Spurs, who have great coaching, quality players, and the best refs in the league. (Oh wait, those aren't San Antonio's own referees?)

No matter what seed you have out West, the road will be difficult. But it is shaping up to be a much tougher trip for the #2 seed.

Consider the way things would break down if the season ended today (these days, it seems like all I do on this blog is post the Western Conference playoff seeds):

1) Phoenix
2) Dallas
3) San Antonio
4) Utah
5) LA Lakers
6) Houston
7) Denver
8) LA Clippers

First of all, did anyone even notice that the Clips moved into the playoff hunt? I didn't. Poor KG.

But getting back to the point, look at how well that would line up for the Suns. They would get the Clippers (who they now own) or T-Wolves in round one, thus avoiding truly dangerous teams in Houston or Denver. In round two they would get the winner of Utah (inferior team) or the Lakers (probably can't run with Phoenix this year). And they wouldn't have to play Dallas until the conference finals.

As for the Mavs, they would have to defeat a loaded Denver team that may very well be meshing at that time. Then they would get the winner of the Rockets-Spurs, which suggests a bloodbath either way. And if they were to survive all that, they would have to try to keep up with the Suns, on the road.

While I do think the Lakers are a wild card in the playoffs this year because of Phil's coaching and Kobe's singular greatness (and newfound leadership ability), I would still rate Houston and Denver as more frightening opponents for a single series. That means that if the season ended today, four of the five most dangerous teams would all be on the same side of the bracket:

3) San Antonio
6) Houston

7) Denver
2) Dallas

That, my friends, is a gauntlet.

Which means that the Suns' 15-game winning streak isn't just a nice story. It is a necessity.

And it should make for a fantastic second half as these two dynamos try to keep pace with each other.