NBA Playoffs 2018: Updated Standings and Predictions on Race for the 8th Seed
As the NBA's 2017-18 campaign creeps around its final turn, the basketball world is united in its preferred pastime—scoreboard watching.
Every squad has something at stake between now and when the curtain drops on April 11. Whether fighting for a playoff spot or improving either postseason seeding or draft-lottery odds, all teams are affected by their performance and those of the clubs closest to them in the standings.
Even if the conferences' top seeds are effectively locked in place, there's still so much to be determined behind them. Let's run through the current standings, then, and predict which organizations will make the cut as their conference's eighth seed.
Updated NBA Standings
Eastern Conference
1. x-Toronto Raptors: 54-20
2. x-Boston Celtics: 50-23
3. x-Cleveland Cavaliers: 44-29
4. x-Philadelphia 76ers: 42-30
5. x-Indiana Pacers: 43-31
6. Washington Wizards: 40-33
7. Milwaukee Bucks: 39-34
8. Miami Heat: 39-35
9. Detroit Pistons: 33-40
10. Charlotte Hornets: 33-41
11. e-New York Knicks: 27-47
12. e-Chicago Bulls: 24-49
13. e-Brooklyn Nets: 23-51
14. e-Orlando Magic: 22-51
15. e-Atlanta Hawks: 21-52
Western Conference
1. y-Houston Rockets: 59-14
2. y-Golden State Warriors: 54-19
3. Portland Trail Blazers: 45-28
4. Oklahoma City Thunder: 44-31
5. New Orleans Pelicans: 43-31
6. San Antonio Spurs: 43-31
7. Minnesota Timberwolves: 42-32
8. Utah Jazz: 42-32
9. Denver Nuggets: 40-33
10. Los Angeles Clippers: 39-34
11. Los Angeles Lakers: 32-40
12. e-Sacramento Kings: 24-50
13. e-Dallas Mavericks: 22-51
14. e-Memphis Grizzlies: 19-54
15. e-Phoenix Suns: 19-55
*x-clinched a playoff spot; y-clinched a division title; e-eliminated from playoff contention
East's Predicted No. 8 Seed: Milwaukee Bucks
The sixth-seeded Washington Wizards might be running on fumes (4-8 over their last 12 games), but they're set to receive a big boost soon with All-Star point guard John Wall back on the practice floor and seemingly closing in on his return. That's not a guarantee to stop their skid, but it increases their odds of maintaining the sixth spot.
That essentially makes this a two-team race between the Milwaukee Bucks and Miami Heat.
While the former has the best player in All-Star starter Giannis Antetokounmpo, the latter closes with a softer schedule. Only three of Miami's final eight contests come against clubs with a winning record, while Milwaukee will draw five such opponents over its last eight.
The Heat are awaiting the return of Hassan Whiteside—their top shot-blocker and rebounder and No. 2 scorer—who's missed eight straight with a strained hip flexor. But their frontcourt is deep enough to weather his absence. In fact, Miami has fared 4.3 points better per 100 possessions without him.
The Bucks, meanwhile, are down to key backcourt reserves in Malcolm Brogdon (quad) and Matthew Dellavedova (ankle). And they're still keeping would-be second option Jabari Parker on a short leash as he's working his way back from the second ACL tear of his four-year career.
At full-strength, Milwaukee has a higher ceiling due its superior star power. But since it's considerably less than 100 percent and facing stiffer competition, it looks likeliest to finish behind Washington and Miami but still in the Big Dance with the East's final postseason berth.
West's Predicted No. 8 Seed: New Orleans Pelicans
The Western Conference's playoff field isn't exactly wide-open, but it feels that way given the East's lack of competition.
The West only has two postseason berths claimed (compared to the East's five) and has two non-playoff teams with better than an 11-percent chance of getting in (the Detroit Pistons and Charlotte Hornets have a combined 1.9 percent chance), per Basketball-Reference.
This eight-team field could take on a number of different iterations, but we're pegging the New Orleans Pelicans as the eighth seed for a couple for reasons.
Few teams are playing at a higher level than the Utah Jazz, who are 11-2 in March and own the Association's second-highest post-All-Star break net rating (plus-9.0).
The Minnesota Timberwolves have the softest schedule remaining for any team, per Tankathon.com, and still hope to have All-Star swingman Jimmy Butler back at some point. The San Antonio Spurs recently won six in a row and should benefit from their experience.
The Pelicans are 1-7 against the Jazz and Timberwolves, and their series with the Spurs won't conclude until the season finale. They also have the worst record of the four in conference games (22-23) and can't win their division (the Houston Rockets already did). New Orleans is a long shot to win any type of tiebreaker with this quartet.
The good news for the Crescent City is the Pelicans look just as unlikely to fall out of this race.
They have a 2.5-game cushion on the ninth-seeded Denver Nuggets and a 3.5-game edge on the 10th-seeded Los Angeles Clippers. They also have the most dominant player on all three rosters in All-Star Anthony Davis, who has shifted his production into overdrive since DeMarcus Cousins' season-ending Achilles tear.
Davis has since suited up 25 times without his running mate and posted this borderline-comical stat line: 31 points on 51.8 percent shooting, 12.2 rebounds, 3.0 blocks, 2.0 steals and 2.0 assists.
"He's been fantastic," New Orleans coach Alvin Gentry said, per Pelicans.com's Jim Eichenhofer. "He's been unbelievable. What he's done and what he's meant to our team can't be expressed in words."
Davis' impact can, however, be summed up in a predicted accomplishment—carrying the Pellies to the No. 8 seed in the NBA's better half.
Statistics used courtesy of Basketball-Reference and NBA.com.
