Late injuries helping shape NBA playoff picture

It would be nice to think that, when we do get to the end of this season, playoff seeds will line up in accordance to how good the teams holding those seeds really are. But as we have seen throughout the course of this bizarre, lockout-shortened regular season, the numbers determining a team’s conference standing might mean less this year than most.

“This is a tough, tough season to judge on who’s actually good, you know?” Celtics coach Doc Rivers said. “Obviously, the records say certain teams are good. But we’ll see when the playoffs start. ... With the amount of games in so little time, it may not come down to the best teams winning these games—it’s the teams that can survive.”

Survival is of the utmost importance at this stage. “You just have to get through to the playoffs, and everything resets then, so, I am not sure seeds matter all that much this year,” Hawks coach Larry Drew said. “There are just so many other factors for every team.”

As late April approaches, no factor is bigger than the injury bug, and even at this late date, the league is seeing more and more prominent names added to the casualty rolls. There’s no shortage of good teams with big plans that could potentially hit a snag thanks to late injuries:

1. Chicago Bulls. The Bulls likely will go into the playoffs with their full roster, but just how healthy that roster will be when the opener tips off is a valid question. Point guard Derrick Rose has battled a variety of injuries (toe, back, groin and ankle) all year, and shooting guard Richard Hamilton has missed 38 games with shoulder and groin issues. Luol Deng, already playing through a wrist injury, took a shot to the ribs Sunday against the Pistons and may miss some time. The Bulls have championship-level talent, but their regular starting five has been together for just 13 games this season.

2. Orlando Magic. Dwight Howard has a herniated disk in his back, and what that means for Orlando is anybody’s guess. The Magic say there is no timetable for Howard’s return, and that it depends on how he responds to treatment. He probably won’t play at all this week, and whether he’ll be able to suit up next week is up in the air. The Magic are also without small forward Hedo Turkoglu (fractured bones in his face) and are bracing for an injury to Glen Davis (hyperextended knee)—both could miss playoff time. But even without those players, the Magic have a shot at a first-round win as long as Howard is in the lineup. If not, this will be a quick postseason for Orlando.

3. Boston Celtics. The Celtics’ postseason run could depend on just how effective guard Ray Allen can be as a sharpshooting sixth man who can buoy the second unit. Allen can’t be effective at all, of course, until his balky right ankle heals. Going back to late March, Allen missed nearly two weeks with the ankle injury, came back for five games, but faltered again and has not made much progress in getting the ankle’s swelling down.

4. Memphis Grizzlies. Memphis got good news on Monday when an MRI on Marc Gasol’s knee—which he banged in Sunday’s loss to New Orleans—showed only a bone bruise. Gasol will likely sit a few games before the postseason starts, but he is expected to be 100 percent soon. The Grizzlies exceeded expectations last season, when they upset top-seeded San Antonio in the first round, and Gasol and power forward Zach Randolph carried them to a seventh game in the conference semifinals against the Thunder. But Memphis has a shot at that level of success only with both its big guys knocking defenders around in the paint.

5. Los Angeles Lakers. Star guard Kobe Bryant has dealt with a handful of injuries this year, and the latest is swelling in his left shin. It’s a concern, though the Lakers have played well in his absence, and Bryant says he expects to return to the lineup before the end of the regular season. The Lakers are in strong position to get a favorable first-round matchup, and they expect to have a second-round fight against San Antonio or Oklahoma City. They’d have a chance in such a series, as long as Bryant is healthy.