Taking A Look at the NBA Title Picture

With the shortened NBA season coming to a close shortly, and teams starting to clinch their playoff berths I decided to take a look at which teams have a chance at the coveted Larry O'Brien Championship Trophy.

Bona-Fide Contenders: 1. Chicago Bulls- The Bulls are my personal favorites for the title this year after proving over the last month that they can not only compete, but win without reigning MVP Derrick Rose. It's unusual to see a team play as well as the Bulls have without their star, but a lot of credit should go to Thibodeau and his heavy emphasis on D.  Throw in Joakim Noah's motor inside, and Luol Deng's emergence as that consistent second option and the Bulls are gonna be damn tough to beat.

Straight killin it

 2. Oklahoma City Thunder- The best of the west, even if the Spurs currently edge them by half a game in the standings. The Thunder looked on the brink of taking it home last year, and after a full year of having Kendrick Perkins toughness down low, and another year of experience for the incredibly talented trio of Durant,Westbrook, and Harden it'll be a big surprise if they aren't playing for it all come June.

3. Miami Heat- The team everyone loves to hate with good reason as their superstars play with an arrogance that deserves their reputation, but you cannot deny their exciting play, or their ability to take over games with ease. Having James and Wade playing together is unfair, as the two superstars are a couple of the greatest to ever grace a court, but the fact they don't even boast the best record in the league is a reminder of their lack of character. All that said, it would be no surprise if Miami waltzed into the Finals, and took the title in 4 games giving Lebron his first ring, but for that to happen he's gotta show up in the fourth first.

In With a Half Decent Shot: 4. San Antonio Spurs- The aging Spurs, a title that I feel like has been with this team for the last three years, have experienced a revitalization led by the play of Tony Parker who has seen himself emerge as a MVP dark horse. Duncan's still getting his 15 and 9, and Kawhi Leonard is quietly having a very nice rookie campaign, and with Gregg Popovich at the reigns the Spurs just might have enough in the tank for one last hurrah.

5. Los Angeles Lakers-  Any team with Kobe as their alpha dog cannot be counted completely out, but this is L.A's weakest team in a while. The addition of Ramon Sessions at the point has helped some what as they lacked a distributor, and Sessions has averaged 7.4 assists since joining the team.  But throw in the downgrade at coach,  World Metta Peace's becoming more of a distraction than an asset, and Pau's worst season in three years and its going to be a real struggle for the Lakers.

6. Los Angeles Clippers- The first time in YEARS, L.A has had two teams relevant when the playoffs are about to start. Led by Chris Paul, who in my opinion is the best pure point guard of the last fifteen years, and a player who has the leadership skills to get some of the Clips young guns going. Blake may be a little overrated and over hyped,  but team him with DeAndre Jordan and you get a very scary frontcourt that is not by any means short on athleticism.

7. Memphis Grizzlies- The last team with any real chance at the title, has seen their record affected by the loss of Zach Randolph early in the season. But now with Randolph back, the Grizzlies may have the best frontcourt in the league with him, Marc Gasol, and Mareese Spreights. They also have Rudy Gay in the mix for the playoffs this year, and Mike Conley Jr. continues to surprise with his yearly development at the point. In conclusion, the Grizzlies were fun to watch last year in the playoffs and expect the same this year.

Best of the Rest: Indiana Pacers, Boston Celtics, Dallas Mavericks, Philadelphia 76ers.

None of these teams figure to do too much damage unless the Celts hop in a time machine and head back a couple years, or if Andre Igoudala finds a magic lamp that turns him into '91 Jordan. That said they are sure provide us with some excitement, and create some memories as everyone knows Dirk's deadly in the fourth.