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Miami Heat

Team Strengths
Simple equation: Shaq plus Wade plus Riley equals wins. The Heat are currently the No. 3 scoring team in the NBA at 100.5 ppg, and they are the No. 1 field-goal percentage team, shooting a league best .477. The Heat are a tough defensive unit, ranked seventh in the NBA with a .435 average field-goal defense. In addition, they are an excellent defensive rebounding team, ranked third in the NBA.

Team Weaknesses
The Heat do not have the killer instinct to put opponents away in games. They allow weaker teams to hang around. Coach Pat Riley has been on them about playing hard for 48 minutes. In a recent game vs. the Sonics, the Heat were up 27 points in the second half -- and then with one minute to go, they were up three and Seattle's Ray Allen had the ball. Riley is trying to break them of this habit. They also need to improve their free-throw shooting, which could kill them in the playoffs. They are currently ranked 29th in the NBA at .693.


Coaching Style
Since Riley has taken over again, the Heat have gone 27-10. He brings a lot of clout to the head coach position and with a businesslike approach, he is molding this team in his image. Getting Shaquille O'Neal and Dwyane Wade to do what they need to do is the easy part. But Riley has inserted James Posey in the starting lineup to get the defense he wants and brings Antoine Walker off the bench. He has Gary Payton back playing winning basketball, moving the ball and defending at a high level. In addition, he has Jason Williams playing his tail off.

Coaching Challenges
Riley knows his team is good -- but how good? They are talented enough, but are they cohesive and tough enough to beat Detroit in May? When and if that playoff matchup comes, they cannot have any major flaws. Thus, Riley and his staff will continue to work on improving their defense, getting their substitution rotations fixed and improving their ability to play consistently for 48 minutes.

Looking Ahead
In the last few games, Riley will continue to get his team ready for the playoffs. He knows what is necessary to beat the Pistons in the Eastern Conference finals, and although he will not talk to his team about that now, every move he makes has a long-term goal: getting his team ready to beat the best.

Boston Celtics

Team Strengths
Doc Rivers has done a very good job with the Celtics offensively. They are averaging 98.1 ppg (12th in the NBA) with a .467 field-goal percentage (fourth in the NBA). Paul Pierce is having his best year as a pro and should have been the Eastern Conference Player of the Month for February, scoring 33.5 ppg in 11 games. He is scoring efficiently and effortlessly.

Team Weaknesses
The Celtics' biggest problem all year has been the inability to defend on a night-in, night-out basis. They allow opponents 99.5 ppg (22nd in the NBA) and a .453 field-goal percentage (17th in the NBA). As their young players grow and develop, defense must become a focal point for them to become a legitimate playoff contender. They also need to improve their running game and get some easier baskets, and to get a pure point guard to make better decisions.


Coaching Style
Rivers is a very good offensive coach who has orchestrated a team that puts up a lot of points on a nightly basis. He's a good communicator who finally has a team that is more in his image -- good guys who work hard and listen to him. The Celtics may be young and not completely ready to make the playoffs, but he will have fun with this group in the last 25 games.

Coaching Challenges
The Celtics currently stand at 23-34. They have had enough talent in a very weak Eastern Conference to have a better record than this. They really need to commit to the defensive end of the floor over the next 25 games and next preseason to be a legitimate playoff team next year.

Give Doc credit for a couple of things this year: (A) helping Pierce post the best offensive season of his career and (B) taking a roster that has been changed and tweaked several times and making the correct adjustments to keep the team on track. He and his staff have done a marvelous job developing young players such as Delonte West and Kendrick Perkins.

Looking Ahead
The Celtics have 25 regular-season games left. It is possible for them to make the playoffs, but they must take quick advantage of the momentum they gained from their West Coast road trip. If the Celtics could go on a tear similar to that of last year (after acquiring Antoine Walker) and get 10 wins over the course of 15 games, it will be interesting in Beantown.

Toronto Raptors

Team Strengths
Toronto is a team that can put points up on the board. The Raptors are currently tied for third in the NBA in points per game with 100.6, seventh in field-goal percentage with .461 and eighth in 3-point field-goal percentage at .370. Chris Bosh is showing the NBA how good he is. Bosh is averaging 22.6 ppg and 9.2 rpg. In addition, the Raptors are getting big-time production from Mike James. He is a leader for this team and is averaging 18.2 ppg.

Team Weaknesses
Defense, defense and less defense. The Raptors are ranked 29th and 30th in the two most important defensive categories: points allowed and field-goal percentage defense, respectively. They allow opponents to score 102.9 ppg and shoot an incredible .490. That is a team that plays no defense.


Coaching Style
Sam Mitchell is now in his second year at the helm in Toronto. His team has gotten 20 wins and finds itself probably out of the playoff picture. Mitchell has worked hard in the past year or so, doing things his own way and has earned the respect of his players, most importantly Bosh.

Coaching Challenges
This team is athletic enough to defend but they don't. James, Bosh, Charlie Villanueva and Joey Graham are athletic enough to defend better. Mitchell must get this group to improve in this area. They score so well that if they could just get to the middle of the pack in the NBA by next year, they would win a lot more games and be a fringe playoff team.

Looking Ahead
Everything changed in Toronto when Rob Babcock got fired and now Bryan Colangelo has become the new leader. Everyone will be evaluated under a new microscope. The players, the coaches and front office people have a new sheriff in town, and Colangelo will want to put his own imprint on this team. This team has 23 games left this season and it is imperative for everyone to put their best foot forward. Colangelo is watching and evaluating.

Phoenix Suns

Team Strengths
If anyone had any questions about how good a coach Mike D'Antoni is or whether Steve Nash was a legitimate MVP, they have been answered. No one expected the Suns to be dominating their divison without Amare Stoudemire in the lineup. D'Antoni has done a brilliant job coaching a new group and Nash could be the MVP again.

The Suns lead the league in scoring (108.1 ppg), 3-point shots attempted and made (9.7-25.0), they are second in accuracy from behind the arc (38.8 percent), and first from the foul line (81.5 percent).

They have a renewed interest is defense and have given up the third-fewest points per possession at 1.15. This defensive emphasis is what has taken D'Antoni's reputation to the next level.

They have seven players who average double figures led by Shawn Marion. They spread you out and let Nash create for everyone. The Suns have three players who shoot better than 40 percent from the 3-point line and two more at 38 percent. Both Nash (19.4 ppg, 10.8 apg) and Marion (22.0 ppg, 12.3 rpg) average double-doubles.

Team Weaknesses
They go to the foul line the least amount of times (18.8) because they space and live on the perimeter. They are last in the NBA in offensive rebounding at 9.4, and next to last in allowing their opponents to offensive rebound (12.4 per game). When Stoudemire rejoins them, he will help in all three areas.


Coaching Style
D'Antoni has won in Europe and he is showing he can get it done in a big way stateside. With the Suns, it's run and space the court and get the heck out of Nash's way. Fire at will from the 3 because if you could not shoot you would not be in the game.

They play a sagging man-to-man and invite you to shoot from the outside with a hand in your face. They try to expend the least amount of energy that they can on defense so they can run, run, run on offense.

Coaching Challenges
Should have no problem acclimating Stoudemire back into the scheme of things by the playoffs because everything revolves around Nash.

Looking Ahead
It is very important that they get Kurt Thomas back in time for the playoffs. Thomas, Boris Diaw, a major surprise, and Stoudemire are keys to their inside defense and all must be healthy if they are going to make some noise.

It is also important that they handle this month's tough road schedule to build momentum going into the playoffs.

Dallas Mavericks

Team Strengths
Nobody has better depth than the Mavs. Their second team would make a run at the playoffs. Avery Johnson has done a great job in making them a more physical team and has transformed them into a team that has gone from being pushed around to one that is doing the pushing.

They are in the top 10 in field-goal defense (44.1 percent) and are third in rebounding, pulling down 52.2% of all posssible rebounds, with a plus 3.9 rebounding margin. They are also second in total blocked shots.

This new attitude is the reason they have the best record on the road in the Westerm Conference at 19-8.

Offensively, they have great weapons to back up Dirk Nowitzki (25.4 ppg, 8.5 rpg) and are second in points per possession. They have six double-figure scorers and have a seventh just under 10 a game.

The Mavs are tops in the league in 3-point accuracy (38.9 percent) and are sixth overall from the floor (46.3 percent). They get to the line over 28 times a game (5th) and make them (6th).

All this adds up to a team that is 10-1 in the next game after a loss.

Team Weaknesses
They are weak at the center spot from a scoring standpoint. DeSagana Diop replaced Erick Dampier a few weeks back and they have only lost once since then. Neither big will give them much scoring.


Coaching Style
The "Little General" is a confident leader who saw that defense was separating the Mavs from the Pistons and Spurs and did something about it. He is an in-your-face coach that has the respect of the players so he can be tough on them. He gets plenty of help from Del Harris, an experienced bench coach.

Coaching Challenges
The stretch run is going to be a challenge. The Mavs still have 14 of their remaining 23 games on the road. Everyone always says the NBA season is a marathon and they are right.

Looking Ahead
The real challenge might be if they fall short of edging the Spurs for home court and have to face the Clippers in the first round, in a very physical confrontation. If they win ... here come the Spurs in the second round with home court advantage.

Houston Rockets

Team Strengths
The Rockets are 20-10 when Tracy McGrady and Yao Ming play in the same game. They are relatively healthy now and are starting to put up the type of wins expected of them.

You can throw out all of their team stats because they are a totally different team when their two stars are on the court. The exception to the rule is their typically low defensive field goal percentage (42.8 percent) which is tops in the league, despite their season-long injury woes.

The Rockets have a nice combination of young and old in the backkcourt. Rafer Alston and David Wesley are a dangerous pair when hitting the deep ball and recently acquired Keith Bogans and rookie Luther Head are not guys you can take lightly coming in off the bench.

Juwan Howard gives them experience and usually double-figure scoring. They have good depth at the big spots with Dikembe Mutombo and Stromile Swift backing up the bigs.

Team Weaknesses
They have the third worst field-goal percentage in the league (42.9 percent). They do not get many easy baskets because of their tempo control and also due to McGrady's injuries.

They are 24th in defending the 3 ball. But if they have Yao on the court, the perimeter can push out and defend the arc better.


Coaching Style
We all know that grind it out defense is a thing of beauty come the playoffs. Well, beautiful in Van Gundy's eyes, at least. He is accustomed to playoff basketball which favors his style of play.

He loves to make teams play against his half-court defense which is thoroughly prepared. He will only run when he has an advantage on the break. If not, he will wait for Yao to get down and post.

Coaching Challenges
Just win enough to get into a best-of-seven series. Van Gundy must tell his players that under no circumstance are they allowed to get injured.

Looking Ahead
If they make the playoffs they will have momentum on their side entering the first round and they will need every advantage they can get. That being said, they could be a nightmare for the Spurs or Mavs who are locked in a fierce struggle for the best record in the league and Western Conference and could be a bit beat up as a result.

Still on the outside looking in at the playoff race (3 1/2) Jeff Van Gundy's team is starting to hit their stride with a relatively healthy McGrady and Yao.

They finished 10-3 in February and are clearly one of the top eight teams in the West, which means absolutely nothing if they can't earn a spot with their end of the year surge.