It’s that time of year again, folks. With the NCAA Tournament out of the way and baseball looming on the horizon, the focus of the sports world turns to the NBA Playoffs. Only a handful of games remain in the 2015-16 regular season, but there is still much to be determined in the playoff picture. Which teams are still fighting it out for the final spots? Who will face whom in the first round? Let’s break it down to see how the picture looks as the postseason lurks around the corner.
Western Conference
The Western Conference is pretty much set at the top of the list. The Warriors lead the way and continue their chase for 73 wins, while the Spurs loom beneath them, locked into the number two seed. The dangerous Thunder are third, with the enigma that is the Los Angeles Clippers behind them in fourth. The bottom half of the playoff picture is where things start to get murky.
Currently, there are five teams battling it out for four playoff spots. Memphis is in fifth, but hasn’t clinched a playoff birth just quite yet. A win over the Chicago Bulls on Tuesday night helped their quest, but they haven’t finished it off quite yet. Next up is the surprising Trail Blazers, followed by the Mavericks and Jazz to round out the top eight. However, the bottom four teams are separated by only 3 games, and looming in ninth are the ever-dangerous Houston Rockets.
The Rockets would stand to miss the playoffs if the season ended today, but they are only ½ game behind the Utah Jazz and 1 game behind the Mavericks for a playoff spot. Houston actually has a fairly easy schedule remaining, and gets a shot at Dallas one more time. Then, they play the Suns, Lakers, Timberwolves, and Kings to close out the season. A playoff birth is entirely within reach. Dallas, on the other hand has a gauntlet of a schedule to close out the season. They face the Rockets, Grizzles, Clippers, Jazz, and Spurs in their final five games. Ouch. The Jazz are somewhere in the middle, but they have the benefit of knowing that they still control their own destiny.
Anything can happen in the NBA, and I think the combination of having a star in James Harden and an easy schedule down the stretch will combine to let Houston sneak its way into the playoff picture. If I had to pick one team that will fall out, it would be the Mavericks, given that four out of their final games are against playoff teams, while Houston faces zero.
Eastern Conference
In the other half of the NBA, the biggest news is that the 76ers won’t be the worst team ever! Just kidding. The playoff picture in the east is so up for grabs, the teams at the top can’t even begin to prepare for their possible opponents in the first round yet. Part of that is due to the fact that we still don’t know who all the top teams are. The 3-seed and the 6-seed are separated by only 1.5 games! The Cleveland Cavaliers are all but locked in as the top seed, with the Raptors close behind them and then a sizeable gap between them and the third place team, which is currently the Atlanta Hawks.
Behind the Hawks are the Celtics, Heat, and Hornets, although that order could change as quickly as by tomorrow. All of these teams have had their ups and downs this season, but the nature of the playoffs is that once you get in, you have a shot. The jockeying for home court advantage and avoiding the Cavs in the first round (or avoiding the Raptors?) is in full swing, and the next week will be quite interesting for these teams.
It will also be extremely intriguing for the teams that sit just below them. There are still four teams fighting for the final two playoff positions in the East, as the Pacers, Pistons, Bulls, and Wizards are still mathematically alive. The Pacers and Pistons control their own fate, as the Bulls and Wizards sit 2 and 3.5 games back, respectively, with only 4 and 5 games to go, also respectively. It would take a near miracle for the Wizards to get in, but they get 2 cracks at the Brooklyn Nets (should be wins) and have a game with the Pistons left as well, which could swing in their favor considerably.
Detroit has a difficult schedule left, with games against Miami and Cleveland still on the docket, although the final game could see the Cavs resting LeBron James and company. Chicago has the misfortune of facing Miami and Cleveland as their next two games, which means the stars will still all be playing. However, they get New Orleans sans Anthony Davis and their season finale is against the aforementioned not historically terrible 76ers. Will it be enough? They are only 2 games out of the playoffs, but that schedule could do them in unless Jimmy Butler can carry them into the postseason.
While it would be cool to see the Wizards rally their way in, they just haven’t been consistent enough. Chicago is a dark horse to overtake the Pistons, however, with their pedigree and playoff experience trumping how inconsistent Detroit has played lately. All things considered, the last week or so of the season will be a wild ride, and we should all sit back, buckle in, and get ready for the playoff push.