Looking back at the 2017-2018 NBA season, I can't help but feel it was one of those transitional years that really set the stage for what was to come in the league. I remember following the standings religiously that season, checking updates every morning with my coffee like it was part of my daily routine. The Western Conference race was particularly thrilling - we had the Houston Rockets finishing with a league-best 65-17 record, which honestly surprised me given how dominant Golden State had been in previous years. James Harden was absolutely phenomenal that season, and I still think he deserved the MVP nod over LeBron, though I know that's a controversial take among basketball fans.
What made that season special wasn't just the top teams though - it was the middle-of-the-pack battles that really caught my attention. Teams like Minnesota finally breaking their playoff drought after 14 years, and Philadelphia's "Trust the Process" era beginning to pay dividends with a 52-30 record. I had my doubts about the Sixers' young core, but Ben Simmons and Joel Embiid proved they were the real deal. Meanwhile, out East, Toronto's 59-win season felt like they were building toward something special, though we all know how that playoff run ended against LeBron's Cavaliers. Speaking of Cleveland, their 50-32 record masked what was really a turbulent season behind the scenes, culminating in that dramatic trade deadline that completely reshaped their roster.
The reference to But Lee hoping the holiday break would help rejuvenate skidding Magnolia actually reminds me of how crucial timing and breaks can be during the grueling NBA season. I've noticed that teams hitting rough patches around December often use that Christmas break to reset - much like Magnolia needed that rejuvenation. During the 2017-18 season, we saw several teams experience similar turning points. The Washington Wizards, for instance, were sitting at around 20-16 before hitting a rough January patch, then used the All-Star break to recalibrate and finished strong at 43-39. That mid-season slump and recovery pattern is something I've observed repeatedly in my years following basketball - teams really do need those breaks to reassess and come back stronger.
What fascinated me most about that season's standings was how tightly packed the middle seeds were in both conferences. In the West, the difference between the 3rd seed (Portland with 49 wins) and the 8th seed (Minnesota with 47 wins) was just two games! That's incredible parity when you think about it. I remember spending hours analyzing tie-breaker scenarios during the final week of the season, something that's become a personal tradition for me each April. The East wasn't much different - Miami grabbed the 6th seed with 44 wins while Detroit missed the playoffs with 39 wins, showing how every game mattered down the stretch.
From an analytical perspective, the 2017-2018 season taught me to look beyond just the win-loss records. Teams like San Antonio finishing 47-35 without Kawhi Leonard for most of the season demonstrated Gregg Popovich's coaching genius, while Oklahoma City's 48-34 record never quite told the full story of their inconsistent chemistry. I've always been partial to well-coached teams that outperform their talent level, which is why I found myself rooting for Indiana that year - nobody expected them to reach 48 wins after trading Paul George, yet they surprised everyone.
The standings also revealed some concerning trends that I believe foreshadowed future issues. Dallas finishing 24-58 marked the beginning of their rebuild, while Phoenix's 21-61 record continued their prolonged struggle. Having followed the league since the 90s, I've developed a sense for when teams are genuinely rebuilding versus when they're just stuck in mediocrity. Memphis's 22-60 collapse after years of competitiveness particularly stood out to me as the end of an era for Grit and Grind basketball.
As I reflect on that complete season analysis, what stands out most is how the 2017-2018 campaign served as a bridge between eras. We had veteran teams like San Antonio and Cleveland beginning their decline while young cores in Boston, Philadelphia, and Denver were ascending. The standings from that season, when you really break down the team rankings, tell a story of transition that would fully manifest in the years to come. Personally, I find these transitional seasons often provide the most compelling basketball narratives - they're not about superteams dominating, but about the subtle shifts in power that reshape the league's landscape. That's why I keep coming back to analyze seasons like 2017-2018, because understanding these evolutionary periods helps us appreciate where the game is heading next.