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Marcus Smart #36 of the Los Angeles Lakers drives to the basket against Anthony Edwards #5 of the Minnesota Timberwolves

The NBA season is careening into its final push, with just one month left on the docket until the grand finale and the settling of the playoff picture. Coming out of the All-Star break, we have seen some good–the Lakers lately, as well as the Spurs and Thunder–and some bad across the league, and we’re at the point where issues that are cropping up now are very likely to be carried into the postseason.

At the same time, the positive trends that had developed recently are apt to continue into the postseason as well. With that in mind, we checked in with scouts and coaches about what they like from teams with a month to go in the regular season–and what has them worried.

Plus Side Heading Into the NBA Playoffs: Lakers, Spurs Fixing Problems

Lakers defense. There’s no question that the worry that has persisted throughout the season for the Lakers–and there have been many in this up-and-down year–has been the team’s defense. But going back to the last game in February, the Lakers have been No. 4 in defensive efficiency, at 107.3 points per 100 possessions. Said one Western Conference scout: “I think there are two things at work there, one is they’re being much more aggressive on the ball, attacking the ball. They’ve been trying to do that all year and it looks like it is clicking. The other thing is Deandre Ayton. They’ve cut his minutes back. They’re a better defensive team without him.”

Indeed, since the All-Star break, Ayton has seen his minutes go from 28.2 per game to 22.9, and he missed a game with a knee injury.

Spurs shooting. The Spurs were, back on February 4, the No. 24 team int he NBA when it comes to shooting 3-pointers, at 34.6%. But they were 14th in 3-point attempts, at 37.4 per game. Since then, the Spurs have righted the ship from the arc, making 39.4% of their 3s, which ranks No. 2 in the NBA and is a big part of the reason they’re 14-1 in that stretch. One Western Conference assistant coach said: “A lot of guys had bad starts and you’re seeing the correction there. Harrison Barnes has been good with his shooting, Devin Vassell, too (46.3% since February 5). (Julian) Champagnie has been hot from the outside. That’s more like what you expect them to look like in the playoffs.”

Big Worries Heading Into the NBA Playoffs: Knicks Roles

Knicks figuring out roles. It’s often hard to put a finger on what, exactly, is wrong with a Knicks team that is stacked on paper. And the West coach pointed out that’s part of the problem–fans and media shift blame from Mikal Bridges to OG Anunoby to Karl-Anthony Towns, but there is perhaps something larger at play in New York, where the Knicks are a ho-hum 9-7 in their last 16.

One Eastern Conference assistant coach said: “To me, it is roles. They have really good players they are asking to be role players. And that’s not easy. Sometimes you want a scrappy guy like a Landry Shamet or Jose Alvarado in there, instead of some of their stars. They pretty much start four guys who have been first options in other places. It’s hard to make that work, to keep the pecking order intact.”

Anthony Edwards, Timberwolves ‘Could Be an Early Out’

Anthony Edwards and the Timberwolves out of sync. This is a major worry for a team that has been to the Western Conference finals two straight years and has designs on getting back there. Edwards followed up a 2-for-15 nightmare against the Lakers in a loss with 36 points against the Clippers, but the Wolves gave up 150 points in a loss there. It’s only three straight losses, but the Wolves should worry.

The West coach said, “You can zone them, you can double Ant (Edwards), you can get the ball out of his hands, you can frustrate him. They’re not handling that pressure very well, and he is not handling that pressure well. Skip passes, deep shots, all the counters they try are not working. And lately, if you can knock then off guard early, they fall apart. They’re not playing with the toughness they used to have, and they could be an early out in the playoffs if they keep that up.”