Journalists across the globe have deadlines to meet.
Reaching those deadlines can be vague in the sports world when playoff berths and division titles have yet to be claimed.
The NBA is not doing scribes any favors, especially the occupants of the Southwest Division.
Let's take a look at what we have in one of, if not, the toughest division in professional basketball. The defending NBA champion San Antonio Spurs have claimed the last four Southwest crowns and decided to throw their hat into the ring with nine straight wins and 19 in the past 22.
It comes as no surprise to anyone a Gregg Popovich-led team is in the mix for more hardware, but does it have a chance to leapfrog the Memphis Grizzlies and Houston Rockets? The Spurs have three games remaining in the regular season against the Rockets, Phoenix Suns and New Orleans Pelicans.
San Antonio will probably win one of those and will need help from across the league for Southwest bragging rights. The extremely experienced Spurs are still stacked and becoming the favorite to reach the NBA Finals for a third straight year, regardless if they raise another Southwest banner.
The Spurs, though, are not making it easy on those who cover the sport with the regular season coming to a close next week and first-round playoff previews due thereafter. The playoffs start April 18, giving sports correspondents very little time to break down seeds 1-8 in each conference when the league closes its doors on the regular season.
Memphis or Houston has the best chance at winning the Southwest, and both teams sit a half-game ahead of the Spurs.
The Grizzlies have never won a division title in Vancouver or their current residency. They will visit the Utah Jazz, Los Angeles Clippers and Golden State Warriors before hosting the Indiana Pacers. Look for Memphis to win at least two of those because I see the Warriors finally resting some players before entering the playoffs as the league's top seed.
Memphis is expected to make a deep run in the upcoming playoffs and has won eight of its last 13 games. The Grizzlies are in the middle of the pack in scoring (98.5 ppg), but have one of the best defenses. Memphis is second in opponents' scoring at 95.1 ppg and Utah is first at 94.6 ppg.
Memphis is 40-4 when outshooting its opponent and 17-2 when making at least 50 percent from the field. It will do plenty of that in the postseason with the three-headed monster in Zach Randolph, Marc Gasol and Mike Conley. Oh yeah, Jeff Green is in the frontcourt, too.
The Rockets are tied with Memphis for the No. 2 spot in the West, one-half game ahead of the Clippers and Spurs. They still have to play San Antonio and New Orleans at home, followed by a visit to Charlotte and a home test with the Jazz.
The odds are in Houston's favor with MVP candidate James Harden and a finally healthy Dwight Howard back in the middle. Contributions from Trevor Ariza, Jason Terry and Josh Smith will be necessary over the next week for the Rockets, who have finished no better than second in the Southwest.
Let's face it: Who doesn't want to see a division race come down to the wire?
I predict the Rockets finishing the season 3-1, the Grizzlies going 2-2 and the Spurs ending 1-2.
The Pelicans do not have a chance at a division title, but are currently in the driver's seat for the eighth spot in the West and hoping to become the fifth Southwest team to move on. Oklahoma City is tied with New Orleans for the final postseason berth, and both teams have four games left.
The Dallas Mavericks are locked in at the seventh spot.
This time of year is exciting with the start of baseball, playoff races in the NBA and NHL heating up, and NFL Draft preparations underway. It's pure entertainment for both fans and sportswriters.
With more pressure placed upon the swift fingers and scratching pens of journalists, it's all for the good of the game.
[SportsNetwork.com]
