NBA Playoffs 2015: Updated Standings and Favorites Before Postseason
It's about to get real in the NBA with the postseason just days away. Several games are still set to be played in the NBA season, but the playoff bracket is starting to take shape.
In the East, no team is catching the Atlanta Hawks. The franchise has over 60 wins this season and currently holds a nine-game advantage over the Cleveland Cavaliers. Who they'll face, on the other hand, is still up in the air with the battle for the No. 8 seed still raging on.
On the West Coast, the Golden State Warriors are seemingly more dominant. The combination of Stephen Curry and Klay Thompson has been a lethal duo all season and hope to continue that trend in the postseason.
Leading up to the playoffs, here's a look at the current standings and favorites before the long postseason ride gets underway.
| Atlanta Hawks | 60 | 20 | 0.750 |
| Cleveland Cavaliers | 51 | 29 | 0.638 |
| Toronto Raptors | 48 | 32 | 0.600 |
| Chicago Bulls | 48 | 32 | 0.600 |
| Washington Wizards | 46 | 34 | 0.575 |
| Milwaukee Bucks | 40 | 40 | 0.500 |
| Boston Celtics | 38 | 42 | 0.475 |
| Brooklyn Nets | 37 | 43 | 0.463 |
| Golden State Warriors | 65 | 15 | 0.813 |
| San Antonio Spurs | 55 | 26 | 0.679 |
| L.A. Clippers | 54 | 26 | 0.675 |
| Portland Trail Blazers | 51 | 29 | 0.638 |
| Memphis Grizzlies | 54 | 26 | 0.675 |
| Houston Rockets | 54 | 26 | 0.675 |
| Dallas Mavericks | 49 | 31 | 0.613 |
| New Orleans Pelicans | 43 | 37 | 0.538 |
Playoff Favorites
When a team gets to a point where it can rest its starters, that franchise has no need to worry about making the playoffs. That's exactly where the Warriors and Hawks are at this point, making them the favorites on each side of the bracket.
Atlanta wasn't expected to be a powerhouse franchise this year, but it was clear early on this would be the Hawks' year to shine. Equipped with five players averaging over 12 points per game and an entire team built on fundamentally sound players, the Hawks promise to be a stellar team in the playoffs.
Ironically enough, Hawks fans still have some concern over who the team will face in the playoffs. Dan Wolken of USA Today offers his take on the team:
As a team that nearly knocked off the Indiana Pacers last year, the Hawks have reason to be concerned about an upstart team. But with the likes of Paul Millsap, Jeff Teague, Al Horford and Kyle Korver leading the way, the Hawks truly have no need to worry until the later stages of the playoffs.
Meanwhile, the Warriors will look to prove their surge this season was no fluke as well.
In the West, matters are not quite as easy. While Atlanta is likely locked into playing a team with a losing record, Golden State will face a franchise with 43 wins or more.
Facing either the New Orleans Pelicans or Oklahoma City Thunder will be no easy task for the Warriors. Both have players who have emerged as superstars this season in Anthony Davis and Russell Westbrook, respectively.
Luckily, the Warriors have Curry, who has made every opponent this season look foolish. How great has Curry been this season? He broke one of his own records earlier in April, via ESPN Stats & Info:
If the two teams do just so happen to match up in the NBA Finals, it would be a showdown between two of the best all-around teams in the sport. Both feature strong inside games along with the best shooters from behind the arc.
No one likely would have imagined Golden State versus Atlanta as a dream matchup in the championship, but it's a very real possibility. As both teams gear up for the playoffs, they head in as the favorites and true title contenders.
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