As we sit here today, just days from the start of the 2018 NBA playoffs, we have a pretty clear picture as to which jerseys will be featured in the league’s postseason and which will go home packing until Fall. Some seeding and matchups could change over the next week, but with 82 regular season games played, win differentials between the 1 and 8 seeds are only 15 in the Eastern Conference and 19 in the Western Conference. This may sound like a big number, but unlike the NFL where every game is critical, the weight of each NBA game is somewhat absent this time of year unless there are specific attempts at playoff positioning.
Let’s take a look at the current playoff picture for each conference.
Eastern Conference:
- Toronto Raptors (57-22)
- Boston Celtics (54-25)
- Philadelphia 76ers (49-30)
- Cleveland Cavaliers (49-31)
- Indiana Pacers (47-33)
- Miami Heat (43-37)
- Milwaukee Bucks (43-37)
- Washington Wizards (42-38)
Western Conference:
- Houston Rockets (64-16)
- Golden State Warriors (57-23)
- Portland Trailblazers (48-32)
- Utah Jazz (46-33)
- New Orleans Pelicans (46-34)
- San Antonio Spurs (46-34)
- Oklahoma City Thunder (46-34)
- Minnesota Timberwolves (45-35)
The one and two seeds for each conference are locked in with Toronto, Boston, Houston, and Golden State. If you look at seeds 3-8 in each conference, the differential dwindles to 7 games in the East and 3 in the West. As you can see, there is no lack of talent on either side of the country, and with such close records we think the playoffs are going to come down to who’s been hot sprinkled with a little luck in their matchups.
It seems as though Golden State may not be as feared as they were in years past, as they sit beneath the shadow cast by the red-hot Rockets. After many opinions on the logistics of a Harden/Paul duo in Houston, I think many, if not all, critics have been silenced as the team has set a franchise record of a 60-plus win regular season. Not only has Houston been dominant in the West, but in the entire league. Next, they look to enter the playoffs in a really dominant position with home court advantage.
With Boston’s Kyrie Irving out for the postseason after suffering a bacterial infection in his recently operated on left knee, and Marcus Smart expected to be out for another several weeks, there is serious doubt about even a semifinals appearance by the Celtics. This may help aid a deep Philadelphia playoff run as they have been making headlines for all the right reasons. After an impressive win over LeBron and gang on Friday night, which included a huge run in the 2nd quarter, it seems like the year to be a Philly sports fan as the city came off of two recent championships from the Eagles and the Wildcats of Villanova. The 76ers have been on a 13-game win streak and seem to be paving a way for some home court play.
Everyone knows that playoff LeBron will be playoff LeBron, but can the Cavs withstand some possible tough runs against hot teams? We shall see. I really believe that Houston will be playing in June (Sorry, Warriors fans), but the Eastern conference is definitely a little wonky and up for grabs.
