NBA Swing: Playoff Push for the Final Five Weeks

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As of this writing, the NBA playoffs are five weeks away. No team is in the Eastern conference has clinched a playoff spot yet as the standings remain wide open. The Miami Heat are leading the East with a 44-23 record. With 15 games left for the Heat and only a few more challenges left this season, Miami is likely to finish atop the East. The second through fifth seeds is where things are the most interesting. Milwaukee sits in second with a 42-25 record and Philadelphia currently sits third with a 40-24 record. Chicago and Boston sit in fourth and fifth with 40-26 and 40-27 records, respectively. With those four teams being all within 1.5 games of another, there will be a lot of change in the standings in the next five weeks.

Cleveland holds the last official playoff spot with a 38-27 record. Looking at the play-in tournament, Toronto sits in seventh with a 35-30 record and Brooklyn sits in eighth with a 33-33 record. Charlotte sits in ninth with a 32-35 record and Atlanta, with a 31-34 record, holds the last play-in spot with a 31-34 record. With a 29-35 record, there is a shot that Washington can edge into the play-in. It is unlikely that any team below the Wizards will make the NBA play-in.

While the first seed gives a team homecourt in their conference, the first seed may not be the most coveted seed this season. The most coveted seed in the East for the playoffs should be the third seed. With a 3rd vs 6th seed matchup in the playoffs, the 3rd seed will most likely play against the Cavaliers. While the team has been impressive all season, they are a young team with the majority of players not having playoff experience. The Cavs will put up a fight, but the team that faces them should be able to reach the second round. This would easily benefit Philly, Milwaukee, Chicago, or Boston who are all looking to make a deep playoff push. Miami and the eventual second seed should be concerned where Brooklyn finishes. If they take the seventh seed, we could seed a potential Nets/Sixers series or a rematch of the NBA conference semifinals against the Bucks. Both series have the potential to go seven games, putting the eventual winner in a tough spot heading into the second round.

In the Western Conference, the current standings are what we will most likely see come the playoffs. Following their Wednesday night win, Phoenix became the first team to clinch a playoff spot with a 53-13 record. Memphis and Golden State sit in second and third respectively with 45-22 and 44-22 records. Utah and Dallas take fourth and fifth with 41-24 and 40-26 records. Denver holds the last playoff spot with a 40-26 record, while Minnesota, the Clippers, Lakers, and Pelicans hold the seventh through tenth seeds.

No team is catching up to the Phoenix Suns. The Suns will have homecourt during all of the NBA playoffs. Memphis has shocked many this season, working their way up to the second seed. Although they have fallen to third, the Warriors are expecting Draymond Green back soon, something that is sure to help the team fight for the second seed. With Utah, Dallas, and Denver all being within a game of one another, it is possible that the eventual return of Jamal Murray could help Nikola Jokic push the Nuggets into the fourth seed. The final two playoff spots in the Western conference are a big story and not a story at the same time. The eventual seventh seed will not make it past the Grizzlies or Warriors. The Wolves have very little playoff experience, and the Clippers may be lacking their superstars. Being multiple games behind the Clippers, the Lakers will try to make a playoff push. The team could make it past the Pelicans, Blazers, or Spurs, but could lose to the Clippers or Wolves. If the team does make the playoffs, it is almost guaranteed they will not make it out of the first round. The next five weeks will be key for several teams, but do not expect there to be much movement in the West.