With every team within 3-4 games left in their NBA Seasons we can look forward to the playoffs and who is going to be in the play in, and who will win playoff games. This is the most interesting ending to a season we have seen in quite some time. Most of the time we have our teams set by this time but especially in the Western Conference the bottom half of the teams are neck and neck and pretty evenly matched.
Speaking of the Western Conference that is where we will begin with the two teams tied for the 1 seed (Timberwolves and Nuggets) the 3 Seed Thunder who would become a 1 seed if they win both games and both teams at the top lose. The 4 Seed Clippers and the 5 Seed Mavs who are the last team to have secured spot in the WC. Currently in the last playoff spot coming off a huge win is the Pelicans. and 1 game behind them is the Suns and after them are the Kings, Lakers, and the Warriors who all could possibly make the playoffs but have low odds. All of these teams are just a few games behind or infront of the next there is no usual gap that separates the “legit” playoff teams and the teams who just got luck their record barely got them in.
The EC is quite a different story with a 62-17 Celtics absolutley dominating the NBA throughout the whole season. We have seen this from the Celtics and other teams in the past where they have a great record and can’t pull through when it really matters. After that the record dips significantly to The 2 seeded Bucks with them, Knicks, Magic, Cavs, Pacers, and 76ers all just 3 games apart so it is a free for all for these playoff spots in the Eastern Conf. The Heat, Bulls, and Hawks have all clinched a play in game spot and are not too far behind the teams just mentioned before them.
We have not seen the League this equal in a very long time for a while it was just a back and fourth of absolute domination of the league conference wise but teams all across the league are pretty evenly matched when it comes to record and star power. It will be fun to see how these games pan out but for today we will predict who is going to make it in the playoffs and who will have to play in the “Play in tournament” to get their shot at an NBA championship. In the Western Conference I believe that nothing will change and the Suns will be placed 7th and the Pelicans in 6th barely squeaking out their first playoff run in quite a few years. I do believe that the Suns will beat LeBron and the Lakers and win the play in tournament but they won’t make it far after that which will confirm a hard fall from the top as the Suns only lost in the Finals a few years ago. In the Eastern Conference I do believe that strength of schedule for these last few games will put the Cavs just out of playoff position and I do believe that the Chicago Bulls will squeak out a surprising few wins to put themselves into playoff position winning the play in tournament.
No matter what I think this could be one of the craziest playoffs we have seen in a very long time with a 5 or 6 going to the Conference Finals or even possibly a Finals appearance.
