NBA Podcast: Wild West playoff race, and who's 2nd-best in the East?

Welcome to the latest edition of "Pound the Rock," an NBA podcast hosted by Joseph Casciaro and Joe Wolfond.

Find the show on iTunes, Soundcloud, and Spotify.

Topics for this week's episode include:

• Who has earned the distinction of being called the second-best team in the East?
• The Bucks still can't put together a sustained stretch of convincing basketball at both ends
• Can the Knicks still be formidable with Julius Randle done for the year?
• How threatening are the 76ers with Joel Embiid back?
• Do the Pacers or Magic stand a chance of making postseason noise?
• For the Cavs, it all comes down to Donovan Mitchell
• The Western Conference is a gauntlet
• How the Timberwolves have kept chugging along without Karl-Anthony Towns
• The Mavericks are starting to look scary
• Why have the Clippers fallen off so hard?
• What in the world are we supposed to make of the Suns?
• Why is it still so hard to trust the Pelicans?
• The Lakers have completely turned things around on offense, but their defense has slipped
• With Kevin Huerter and Malik Monk injured, the Kings have to find a new identity
• The Warriors are playing well but still face a daunting path to the playoffs
• What does the Rockets' Sengun-less run mean for their future?