NBA Lottery 2012: Teams That Would Have Been Better off Missing Playoffs

The No. 8 and No. 7 seeds in the NBA playoffs are tricky. Unless a team has just scraped into the playoffs because of a injury to a star, chances are the team is not a real contender.

In the words of Herman Edwards, "You play to win the game."

In this instance, you play to ultimately win a championship. While experience is a necessary part of the ascension up the NBA ranks, a first-round exit is not more valuable to a NBA franchise than a lottery pick—most of the time.

Here are a few teams that would have been better off in the lottery—as opposed to the playoffs.

Dallas Mavericks

The Mavs will either be the sixth- or seventh-seed in the playoffs. That means they'll draw either the Oklahoma City Thunder or the Los Angeles Lakers in the first round.

The Mavs won't beat either team.

They are the defending champions—they don't need more experience. A minute shot at the top pick and a guaranteed selection in the top 14 would help this organization far more than a token playoff appearance.

The Mavs are in transition. They are rebuilding, but Dirk Nowitzki still has some years left at a high level.

A youngster in this deep draft would have given the Mavs a chance to be better next year and set up for the future.

Now they'll pick somewhere around 18 after a first-round exit.

Philadelphia 76ers

The Sixers are a very good young, defensive-minded team. But they need a true No. 1 scoring option. Because they don't have one, they are prone to long periods during games without buckets.

With this issue, they won't defeat the Chicago Bulls or Miami Heat. They are already a young team, so perhaps more youth isn't in order. That is—unless it comes in the form of someone like Thomas Robinson who would have been a good reason to amnesty Elton Brand.

The pick could have possibly been packaged for a proven scorer like unrestricted free agent Eric Gordon of the New Orleans Hornets.

We'll never know now, because what little chance the Sixers might have had to land a lottery pick was gone when they made the playoffs.

The Sixers made the playoffs last year, and they were bounced in the first round by the Heat. There is a good chance that will happen again this year.

There is no value in repeating that experience.

Philly would have been better off in the lottery.

Orlando Magic

I'm sure the Magic wish Dwight Howard had been shelved just a little bit earlier. Without him, they are certainly the worst team in the postseason.

In the games Howard has missed this month, the Magic are 3-7. They have lost three in a row, and six of their last 10.

If they drop their final two games and the Knicks win their last two, they could fall to the seventh spot. That would match them with the Miami Heat.

That is not a good look.

As it stands, they would take on the Indiana Pacers in the first round.

In either scenario, the Magic have the greatest chance of any team in the playoffs of being swept in the opening round.

Imagine if they missed the playoffs, and were in position to draft either Anthony Davis or Andre Drummond. It might make them feel a little better about the Howard saga.

But, it's all just wishful thinking. The Magic are in the playoffs—for whatever that's worth.

Follow @BrianMazique