Fansided

NBA: Ranking the top 5 championship contenders

By Evan Massey

January 7, 2015; Oakland, CA, USA; Golden State Warriors guard Stephen Curry (30) celebrates with forward Draymond Green (23) against the Indiana Pacers during the second quarter at Oracle Arena. Mandatory Credit: Kyle Terada-USA TODAY Sports
January 7, 2015; Oakland, CA, USA; Golden State Warriors guard Stephen Curry (30) celebrates with forward Draymond Green (23) against the Indiana Pacers during the second quarter at Oracle Arena. Mandatory Credit: Kyle Terada-USA TODAY Sports /
facebooktwitterreddit
Prev
2 of 6
Next
Dec 9, 2014; Auburn Hills, MI, USA; Portland Trail Blazers forward LaMarcus Aldridge (12) guard Damian Lillard (0) and center Robin Lopez (42) during the fourth quarter against the Detroit Pistons at The Palace of Auburn Hills. Portland won 98-86. Mandatory Credit: Tim Fuller-USA TODAY Sports
Dec 9, 2014; Auburn Hills, MI, USA; Portland Trail Blazers forward LaMarcus Aldridge (12) guard Damian Lillard (0) and center Robin Lopez (42) during the fourth quarter against the Detroit Pistons at The Palace of Auburn Hills. Portland won 98-86. Mandatory Credit: Tim Fuller-USA TODAY Sports /

5. Portland Trail Blazers

One of the darkhorse championship contenders is the Portland Trail Blazers, who are currently 34-16 on the season and fourth place in the Western Conference. They have all the pieces necessary to make a run, and are without a doubt a contender this season.

The combination of Damian Lillard and LaMarcus Aldridge is more than good enough to lead the rest of the team to a championship. Add onto that the depth that they have in Robin Lopez, Wesley Matthews, Nicolas Batum, and the rest of the roster and they are set up very nicely for a playoff run. They play well together, and are very fundamental as well.

Portland has ranked eighth in scoring, third in rebounding, ninth in assists, and seventh in points allowed per game this season.

Those numbers alone show just how dominant the Blazers have been throughout the season. There aren’t too many teams that can beat Portland in all of those categories. It is going to be very interesting to see if they can keep their dominance up throughout the rest of the season.

Assuming they are able to stay healthy, the Blazers are going to finish with one of the top five seeds in the Western Conference playoffs. They are perfectly set up for seven game playoff series’ and will be a tough matchup for any team. Don’t be surprised if they end up winning the West and heading to the NBA Finals.

Next: 4. Houston Rockets

Home/Atlanta Hawks