NBA Swing: Three Questions for the Final Stretch of the Season

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As the NBA moves into March, the league is nearing the final 20 games of the season. Some teams have already played themselves out of playoff and play-in contention while others will be fighting until the last few games of the season. With the trade deadline and All-Star Weekend in the rearview, teams are shifting their focus to the last stretch of the season with plenty on the line.

Do the Suns throw in the towel?

One of the biggest surprises this season has been the Phoenix Suns. A team that many thought had the potential to be a championship contender, the Suns have been one of, if not, the biggest disappointment this NBA season. Sitting at 27-31, Phoenix currently sits as the 11th seed in the Western Conference and three games behind the 10th seed Sacramento Kings. The trio of Devin Booker, Kevin Durant, and Bradley Beal have all missed a handful of games with injuries playing a major role in the trio’s play this season.

Frustrations within the locker room have also caused trouble for the team. Issues with Jusuf Nurkic and the inability to trade Beal significantly affected the team’s low chemistry. The week of the 2025 trade deadline, rumors of the Suns looking to trade Durant began to surface, with many NBA insiders expecting Durant to be traded this offseason. With just over 20 games left this season, Phoenix has a slim chance of making the playoffs. Even if they do make the playoffs somehow, Kevin Durant is expected to be gone this summer, sending Phoenix into a possible downward spiral.

Are the Warriors a contender or just hot at the right time?

The Golden State Warriors have been an up-and-down team this season. Starting off as one of the hottest teams, the Warriors would fall toward the bottom of the standings by the midway point of the season. Being in rumors for stars most of the season, the Warriors would make a shocking move just a few days before the trade deadline, acquiring Jimmy Butler from the Miami Heat. While many questioned the move, Butler has been a good fit with the team so far.

Through Butler’s first eight games with the Warriors, the team has gone 7-1 and is currently on a five-game winning streak. The Warriors have jumped from the 10th seed to the 8th seed since trading for Butler. In that eight-game stretch, the Warriors have beaten the Bucks, Rockets, Mavericks, and Magic. Golden State sits one game out of the sixth seed and five games out of the fifth seed. Having one of the easier schedules left in the league, the Warriors could be a legitimate playoff contender come April.

Can the Knicks compete with the top teams?

Despite being one of the top seeds in the Eastern Conference, the New York Knicks have had some troubles when it comes to competing with the top teams in the league. Against the first-seed Cleveland Cavaliers this season, the Knicks are 0-2. Against the second-seed Boston Celtics, the Knicks are 0-3. Against the West’s first-seeded Oklahoma City Thunder, the Knicks are 0-2. The only winning records against teams that the Knicks have are a 1-0 winning record against the second-seed Memphis Grizzlies 2-0 record against the third-seed Denver Nuggets.

While New York has had the second-best offensive rating in the NBA this season, they have also had a bottom-10 defense. Heading into the final stretch of the season, the Knicks have relied heavily on their starters, something that has come back to cause the team trouble in the playoffs. For the Knicks, fatigue has played a significant role in the team’s recent struggles. In their final 20+ games, New York has remaining games against Memphis, and Boston, and two games against Cleveland.