As the NBA Playoffs draw near, coaches around the league are shortening their rotations and preparing for the climb toward a title.

It's no different at TSN.ca as the Three Man Weave morphs into Double Dribble! With with Duane Watson, TSN 1050's co-host of #1On1 with Will and Duane, on the shelf nursing a temporary writing injury, it's next man up as #1On1's other co-host, Will Strickland, calls in reinforcements. Bleacher Report's Toronto Raptors featured columnist Christopher Walder steps in and embraces his new role as we spin you around the NBA! 

Can The Toronto Raptors Afford To Save Kyle Lowry For The Playoffs?

Walder: In a perfect world, Kyle Lowry would be placed in a giant bubble until the start of the playoffs so that no further damage could be done to his aching back. Unfortunately for the Toronto Raptors, they may need their All-Star floor general to hold off the Washington Wizards and snag home-court advantage. Toronto isn't winning diddly squat in the opening round without Lowry at or near 100 per cent, so it really just depends on how much faith Dwane Casey has in the rest of his players to hold down the fort over these final games. 

Strickland: No. Home court is absolutely necessary for this team looking to find momentum and chemistry as the playoffs loom. Lowry's leadership, tenacity and energy are key for the Raptors to maintain a top-four seeding. Forget 50 wins and franchise records. Team health, physical and otherwise, along with continuity and playoff readiness, starts and ends at Kyle Lowry.

Are The Golden State Warriors, Winners Of 11 In A Row, The Clear-Cut Favourites To Make It To The NBA Finals?  

Walder: Did Gregg Popovich, Tim Duncan and Tony Parker suddenly fall off the face of the earth? The Golden State Warriors deserve several pats on the back for the lead they've mustered up in the theatre of war that is the Western Conference, but until the San Antonio Spurs take one on the chin, how can any team be favoured over the reigning NBA champions? It's back to a level playing field once the playoffs commence. I'll go with the squad with the experience, veteran savvy and stellar résumé to back it all up. 

Strickland: Easy Bake to anoint a team ending the regular season with 60-plus victories, as well as the prohibitive favourites to win NBA Coach Of The Year In Steve Kerr and MVP in Wardell Stephen Curry. But reluctance is more pragmatic as the very same team has not Warriors haven't insomuch sniffed the Western Conference Finals since 1976 and the most current iteration of the team got dropped in the first round of the playoffs last year. The West is brutal with quality teams from 1-8, including the reigning, defending and five-time champion San Antonio Spurs, completing their NBA-record 16th consecutive 50-plus win season. All said, it's probably best not to become a Prisoner Of The Moment about the very exciting and very good Golden State Warriors.

The Brooklyn Nets Have Won Six Straight And Are Closing The Season Strong. Do They Pose The Greatest Threat To Upset A Top-Four Seed In The Playoffs?

Walder: If you're strictly looking at the bottom four seeds in the Eastern Conference playoff picture, you'd have to think whichever team lands the No. 5 spot (Washington, Toronto or Chicago) has the greatest shot at an upset. The Brooklyn Nets would have a psychological advantage over the Raptors should a rematch from last year take place, but that's about it. Brook Lopez has been on a tear as of late and Deron Williams is coming around, so it's not out of the realm of possibility to think the surging Nets couldn't win a series. Just hedge your bets if they land the Atlanta Hawks or Cleveland Cavaliers. 

Strickland: Absolutely, barring injury to the white-hot Brook Lopez or Mr. Occasional Way Back Machine To When He Was Really Good Deron Williams. Lionel Hollins' veteran squad took a minute to warm to him and his philosophies but it would seem that the Nets are clicking at just the right time. Whether Brooklyn can beat Atlanta or Cleveland in a seven-game tilt is debatable. But they are surging on a six-game win streak and may be able to make a little noise, but not upset the apple cart in the playoffs.

Deadlocked In Eighth Place In The West Currently, Which Team Eventually Wins Out To Make The Playoffs? 

Walder: The basketball fan in me is crossing his fingers, toes and anything else that's physically possible for Steph Curry and Russell Westbrook to lock horns in the playoffs. So it pains me to say that the New Orleans Pelicans will be the ones snagging that No. 8 seed. The Pelicans hold the tiebreaker, are working with a healthier roster and don't have that extra pressure to qualify like the Thunder probably do. Tight races like this are a heck of a lot easier to traverse when the weight of the world isn't on your shoulders.

Strickland: Multiple variables are at play here and storylines abound with each team. But despite having boundless energy and a veteran unit, the Thunder fall short of giving fans that chance to see Russell Westbrook and Steph Curry terrorize one another in the playoffs. The Pelicans own the tiebreaker over OKC and are in relatively better shape physically than the Thunder. Look for Anthony Davis to take the next step toward superstardom as he leads his squad into unfamiliar territory: The Second Season.

Former Warriors coach Mark Jackson recently stated he would choose James Harden over Steph Curry for MVP. Problem?

Walder: Why is everyone blowing his comments out of proportion like this? I understand that Steph Curry is the star player of his former team, but it's not like Jackson was endorsing Ersan Ilyasova or Otto Porter for the award. James Harden is a scoring machine whose carried the injury-riddled Houston Rockets to one of the NBA's best records. Jackson is an analyst who isn't obligated to kiss up to the Warriors for the rest of his life. Problem? Absolutely not.

Strickland: Not sure why this is even a story. Mark Jackson assessed his pick for MVP on what seemed to be solid if not standard criteria: Value, Rationale and Merit. It can be argued that Golden State wins 42-45 games or more without Steph Curry. The Rockets are in the lottery without The Beard. Simply put, James Edward Harden, Jr. has done more with less, leading a injury-depleted Houston team without Dwight Howard for practically half the season to second place in the murderous Western Conference. That accomplishment in and of itself alone merits some of the strongest consideration for his MVP campaign. Andrew Bogut may have taken umbrage with his former coach's pick, but he should also take a seat and check his emotions about another man's opinion.

Follow them on Twitter: Will Strickland @WallStrizzle1, Duane Watson@duanewatson and Christopher Walder @WalderSports