Hornets Happenings | A Cloudy Look into the NBA Western Conference Playoffs

With their 102-92 victory over the Dallas Mavericks, the Hornets have solidified their position as the sixth seed in the NBA Western Conference playoff race. Although they could drop, the chances of them rising in the rankings are slim.

As I look into the cloudy mess that is the Western Conference race, here is one scenario that seems possible.

1. Los Angeles

At 64-17, the Lakers are uncatchable.  There is no need to look at the rest of their season.

They may, however, get surprised in the playoffs.  The Lakers have amassed their impressive record playing in arguably the league's worst divisions.  Second place Phoenix is the only other team in that division with a winning record, and Golden State is in third at 29-51 for the season.

2. Denver

The Nuggets are 53-27, one game up on the three-way log jam at third. Remaining on the schedule for Denver is Sacramento at home and Portland away.

Expect the Nuggets to go 2-0 this week, beating the hapless Warriors and  the Trailblazers, one of the teams locked in the struggle for third in the conference.

Should somehow the Hornets face the Nuggets in the playoffs, expect the Bees to do well. The teams split the season series, and the matchups look good for the Hornets.

The Denver fans seem to know this also. In a poll on the team website, when asked which team they would like most to face in the first round of the playoffs, the Mavericks were overwhelmingly in first, or most beatable, while the Hornets squeaked past Portland for last, or least beatable.

The full results of that fan poll are:

Dallas: 44%
Utah: 24%
Portland: 17%
New Orleans: 15%

3. San Antonio

By tiebreaker, the Spurs are currently in third place in the playoff race. They are certainly in trouble without Manu Ginobili, who has averaged over 15.5 points and 3.6 assists per game.

The Spurs finish at Golden State tonight and at home against the Hornets.  I project an easy victory over the Warriors and a close loss against the Hornets in the season finale.

4. Portland

Currently in fifth place, the Trail Blazers face Oklahoma City and Denver at home.  Expect the Blazers to beat the Thunder and lose to the Nuggets to finish at 53-29.

5. Houston

The Rockets are the next team in the current three-way tie for third. The Rockets play the Hornets at home tonight and then finish at Dallas on Wednesday night.

It looks as though Yao Ming may miss the next two games with yet another foot injury. I am going out on the limb here, and predicting the Rockets will drop their next two games, finishing 52-30.

6. New Orleans

The Hornets play the Rockets tonight in Houston and finish on the road in San Antonio.  The Hornets lead the season series 2-1 and are even more beatable without Manu Ginobili, who has been a thorn in the Hornets side all season. Count on the Hornets to win out and finish 51-31.

7. Dallas

Currently in sole possession of seventh place, the Mavericks finish at home with the Timberwolves and Rockets. The Mavs, who match up well against the Timberwolves,  lead the series with Minnesota 3-0. Expect the Mavs to beat the Yao-less Rockets and sweep the series with Minnesota to finish the season 50-32.

8. Utah

At 47-33, the Jazz are in sole possession of the eight and final playoff spot. They finish against the Clippers at home and the Lakers on the road. I predict a Utah sweep in the last two games.

The Clippers are, well they are the Clippers. The Jazz should have no problem in that game.

With nothing to gain and everything to lose,  the Lakers starters should see considerable bench time. That is providing that the Cavs have clinched home court advantage by that game. Including one preseason victory, the Jazz actually lead the series with L.A.

My projected Western Conference finish is:

1. LA Lakers  64-18
2. Denver  55-27
3. San Antonio  53-29 (third by virtue of tie breakers)
4. Portland  53-29
5. Houston  52-30
6. New Orleans  51-31
7. Dallas  50-32
8. Utah  49-33

Interestingly enough, if the final standing have the Spurs in third and the Ginobili-less Spurs, this provides one of the Hornets best opportunities to advance to round two, with or without Tyson Chandler. We will all know for sure by Wednesday night.