One Week Into the Restart: The Top Surprisers Inside the Bubble

It has been a week since the National Basketball Association (NBA) resumed action inside the house of Mickey Mouse in Orlando with 22 teams playing eight seeding-games each to determine who will make it to the playoffs that start on August 17. And in a span of just one week, we've already seen surprising performances from both teams and players from both conferences with some even surpassing expectations set by the pundits and fans alike.

TJ Warren: More Than a "Cash Consideration"

One of the surprises that have stunned everyone else inside the bubble is TJ Warren of the Indiana Pacers. The Pacers started the restart with a three-game winning streak that was only snapped by a 114-99 defeat at the hands of Devin Booker and the Phoenix Suns last August 6. As of writing, the Pacers are tied with the Philadelphia 76ers for the fifth and sixth spots in the Eastern Conference as both have a 42-37 record. One of the reasons why the Pacers have suddenly surged is TJ Warren who was traded ironically by the Suns for "cash consideration". Warren, whom many is calling the Most Valuable Player of the NBA bubble, is averaging a whopping 39 points per game inside the bubble while making 65% of his attempts from the field. He erupted for 53  points against Philadelphia in their first game of the restart where he also shot nine for 12 from the three-point line. He then followed that up with two consecutive 30+point games before Phoenix limited him to just 16 points.

The Fight for the Number Eight Spot in the West

While this is both a surprise and not, it's not a surprise as the battle for playoff positions in the heavily-stacked Western Conference has been an intense scramble. What surprises many is that those who are vying for the final playoff spot in the West are facing different scenarios as of late.

Keep in mind that there will be a play-in tournament for the number eight seed in the scenario that the number nine team is only four games behind the number eight team after all teams have played their seeding games. Right now, the Memphis Grizzlies of Ja Morant are holding the number eight seed even though they've dropped their first four games of the restart before winning one against the Oklahoma City Thunder. Just behind the Grizzlies are three teams who are hunting Memphis like a dog: the Portland Trail  Blazers, the San Antonio Spurs, the Suns, and Zion Williamson's New Orleans Pelicans.  

Of the three teams, it's the Trail Blazers team of Damian Lillard, CJ  McCollum, and Carmo Anthony that pundits deem as the dark horse in the Western Conference. But that doesn't mean we can discard the other three teams who are mathematically-speaking still in contention for that playoff spot. The Spurs are still at a reach of the hands to continue their ongoing streak of consecutive playoff appearances. A Pelicans-Lakers match-up in the first round isn't a bad idea either while Booker's Suns are still hot in the bubble. Who will get the Lakers as a first-round date can be a big surprise in the end.

The Lakers' Ups and Downs in the Bubble

This is another one of those that are considered as a surprise and not. 

There's no doubt that the LeBron James-led Los Angeles Lakers are one of the heavily-favorites to win this year's NBA championship. They just moved a step closer towards achieving that goal by securing the number one spot in the Western Conference. And while they narrowly escaped with a victory against the Los Angeles Clippers to open the restart,  the Lakers have dropped two straight games since locking up the top seed against the Utah Jazz with the most recent one against the Houston Rockets where Anthony Davis was limited to just 17 points while James Harden and company were able to make 21 of their 57 attempts from the three-point line. What is worse is that LeBron James as well as Anthony Davis are nursing different injuries. While most people believe that the Lakers are trying to rest their stars as they've already locked up the top spot in the West, some cannot help but worry that the ongoing struggles of the team might continue into the postseason if they aren't properly addressed this early.

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