NBA:  Leaders & Other Winners; Denver Nuggets & the L.A. Lakers  // NFL: Last Act, Playoff Projections.   

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.  .  .   SPORTS NOTEBOOK posts its columns Tuesday and Friday of each week. Ed. & Publ., Marvin Leibstone; Copy & Mng. Ed., Gail Kleiner.

NBA:   TODAY, five of the NBA’s six division-leading teams have won 20 or more games and list above .700. Of these five, the Western Conference’s Northwest Division Oklahoma City Thunder is atop by seven games, and the Eastern Conference Atlantic Division’s New York Knicks, by six, which seems, at first blush, to be two franchises far ahead of all others within the NBA, an appearance supported by the remaining four division-leading teams being ahead by less than three games per---San Antonio Spurs, 22 wins-8 losses (Western Conference, Southwest); Los Angeles Clippers, 22-6 (Western Conference, Pacific); Miami Heat, 20-6 (Eastern Conference, Southwest).

Last among the leading franchises are the Eastern Conference Central’s 16-12 Indiana Pacers, leading just by one game, at .571.

Yet, and as the above-listed numbers reflect, the Thunder, the Spurs and the Clippers are at rough parity as leaders of the 16 team Western Conference, while the Knicks are at the top of the 16 team Eastern Conference by only one game.

So---it’s actually a close race for five of the six division leading teams, with the 15-12 Milwaukee Bucks biting at the heels of the Pacers.

Still down under, below .500, that is, are 12 franchises. That’s four fewer teams than half of the NBA, positioning the NBA at barely .500, implying existence of a marginal basketball league. Seven of the 12 haven’t multiple wins to date, though each has played more than 25 games (nearly a third of the 82 game NBA season), worst among them, as if deep-sixed, being the 6-22 New Orleans Hornets (last place, Western Conference, Southwest), and the 3-23 Washington Wizards (last, Eastern Conference, Southeast).

As cited on this page in a previous column, we are still seeing the end of last season “extended” and “replicated,” in that each of today’s leading NBA teams finished 2011/12 holding first or second place within their respective divisions, and last season the Hornets and the Wizards ended at the bottom of their respective divisions.

Different from last year’s regular season finish, however, and in a big way, are the 14-15 L.A. Lakers (3d place, Western Conference Pacific), .483 and eight games behind the Clippers.

Denver Nuggets   ---   Two nights ago, the Nuggets trounced the Los Angeles Lakers, 126-114, with a full and lasting arsenal, super-shooting from all over the floor (lots of successful three-pointers), assists, rebounds into fast breaks, a defense as consistently flexible as the offense, and speed and hustle maintained without loss of efficiency or of force in the fourth period (new for the Nuggets). The victory was Denver’s ninth at home, and the fifth of a streak, keeping the 16-14 team above .500, second place, Western Conference Northwest, behind the Thunder.

Not that the L.A. Lakers have lost all of their power. Guard, and star, Kobe Bryant, scored 40 points, forward Pau Gasol, 19, guard Steve Nash, 15. The highest Nuggets scorer was forward, Corey Brewer, with 27, next highest, forward Kenneth Faried, 21, followed by forward Danilo Gallinari, 19. But, take away Bryant’s 40, and Brewer’s 27, the Nuggets still remain the winning team, emphasis “team” as in “cooperative play.” Theory: let the star shooter shoot, stop wasting energy and manpower guarding a Kobe, LeBron or Durant, instead focus on suppressing their teammates. Relatedly, few super shooters excel enough in defense to always stop lesser but still commendable shooters like the Nuggets Brewer, Gallinari and the amazing guard, Ty Lawson (14 assists and three steals vs. the Lakers on Wednesday).

The Nuggets bested the Lakers in key categories: field goal percentage, free throws, rebounds, assists. It often seemed that while the Lakers new coach has a good feel and professional understanding of what star legends Bryant, Gasol, Meta World Peace and Dwight Howard can do as individual athletes, he has yet to know what these players can do as different sets of combo’s, and maybe these players haven’t figured it out yet, either. That said, should the Lakers coach and his charges figure it out, get the combo’s going right, such could lead to playoff time for the boys from Hollywood, but with the possibility of that happening will be that of the improved Nuggets punishing and eliminating them in the first playoff round.

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NFL  ---   IT’s the last week of regular season play for all NFL teams, and the Atlanta Falcons (1^st place, National Conference South) are leading the league with regard to number of wins, 13-2, followed by the 12-3 Denver Broncos (1^st place, American Conference West) and the 12-3 Houston Texans (1^st place, American Conference South), but this won’t matter much during the post-season, when 12 teams, six per conference, compete for a Super Bowl billet.

If there’s a final hurdle of importance for the above-cited franchises and the nine other teams that will participate in post-season games, it’s where they could be seeded and which will attain a Bye week when the season closes and 2013 steps in, a prize to be coveted being holder of Bye Week right off, and being second-seeded.

So, here’s the NFL season/final week standings with regard to post-season participation:

American Conference playoff teams, they are locked in, no rear guard actions can upset the tally---it’s the Texans, the Broncos, the 11-4 New England Patriots (1^st place, American Conference East), the 10-5 Baltimore Ravens (1^st place, American Conference North), the 10-5 Indianapolis Colts, (2d place, American Conference South--seeded fifth), and the 9-6 Cincinnati Bengals (2d place, American Conference North---seeded sixth).

Of course, on Sunday the top four American Conference franchises will be competing for the post-season’s top seed positions.

Regarding the National Conference, there are still possibilities for change: currently set for post-season action are the Falcons, the 11-4 Green Bay Packers (1^st place, National Conference North), the 10-4 San Francisco 49ers (1^st place, National Conference West), 9-6 Washington Redskins (1^st place, National Conference East), 10-5 Seattle Seahawks (2d place, National Conference West), and the 9-6 Minnesota Vikings (2d place, National Conference North), yet a 9-6 Chicago Bears (3d place, National Conference North) win over the Detroit Lions (last, National Conference North) on Sunday, and a Vikings win on Sunday vs. the Packers, such could deliver a Wild Card slot for the windy city team.

And, the National Conference East’s 8-7/2d place Dallas Cowboys could finish the season ahead of the Redskins if they beat the ‘skins on Sunday, a reward for that being a number four seed, though the ‘skins would possess a Wild Card slot anyway.

Also, the New York Giants (3d place, National Conference East) could still obtain a Wild Card position by trouncing the 4-11 Philadelphia Eagles (last place, National Conference East) on Sunday.

Projections:   This page’s preference has the Broncos defeating the Patriots and going to the Super Bowl, 31-21, reversing the loss suffered by the Broncos to the Patriots earlier in the year. At the Super Bowl, the Broncos then beat the Redskins by 10 points (a touchdown and a field goal). Closer to reality:  the Broncos beat the Patriots during overtime by three, and they then face the Falcons at the Super Bowl. The outcome? Right now, anyone’s guess.

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