NBA Playoffs 2018: Predictions for Top Seeds and Final Postseason Standings

As usual, the final sprint to the NBA playoffs is more about seed positions than teams looking to steal a spot. 

Also, as expected, most of the drama will go down in the Western Conference. 

With a handful of games left for each team, crunch time in the NBA means playoff-caliber games as teams try to create elbow room in the standings. This is especially true for those below the fifth seed, as avoiding a series against the Cleveland Cavaliers or Portland Trail Blazers right off the bat would be nice. 

Based on current trends and the remainder of the schedule, let's project how the playoff seeding could take form. 

NBA Playoff Standings Projection

Eastern Conference 

• 1. x-- Toronto Raptors
• 2. x --Boston Celtics
• 3. x --Cleveland Cavaliers
• 4. x --Philadelphia 76ers
• 5. x --Indiana Pacers
• 6. Washington Wizards
• 7. Miami Heat
• 8. Milwaukee Bucks

Western Conference

• 1. y --Houston Rockets
• 2. y --Golden State Warriors
• 3. Portland Trail Blazers
• 4. Oklahoma City Thunder
• 5. Minnesota Timberwolves
• 6. New Orleans Pelicans
• 7. San Antonio Spurs
• 8. Utah Jazz

x= clinched berth, y= clinched division 

Again, the Eastern Conference isn't all that exciting. 

The Detroit Pistons and Charlotte Hornets haven't been technically eliminated, but they're well out of the picture. The former is closer to a playoff bid for those really curious, but they've gone 5-4 lately and Blake Griffin is hurt. 

Everything else seedingwise should mostly hang in a holding pattern. The top five teams in the conference are 7-3 or better over their last 10 games. LeBron James has been downright dominant for the Cavaliers as he kicks into postseason form, hitting 30 or more points in nine March games already. 

And the Philadelphia 76ers, 9-1 over their last 10, are even getting encouraging performances from Markelle Fultz, the 2017 No. 1 pick, who just put up 10 points over 14 minutes in a win over Denver. 

As trusting The Process would have it, he made a little history too, per NBA TV: 

There will be bigger changes in the Western Conference before the playoff standings go final. 

Just not at the top of the standings. The Houston Rockets are a perfect 10-0 over their last 10 behind James Harden's averages of 30.7 points, 8.7 assists and 5.4 rebounds per game. Normally the Golden State Warriors would be more of a threat for the top seed, but they're now looking at life without Stephen Curry. 

The Portland Trail Blazers aren't going to surrender the third seed, either. They've only lost three games since mid-February, the latest being a 108-103 defeat at the hands of the Memphis Grizzlies while superstar Damian Lillard didn't suit up.

The game prior to Lillard's absence saw him post 41 points—20 of them in the fourth quarter—to take down the New Orleans Pelicans. It's a long way of saying he's going to get back and help the team coast in the same seeding. 

The Oklahoma City Thunder and Minnesota Timberwolves will round out the top five. The former has lost two in a row, but it's hard to feel bad about a team led by Russell Westbrook and his 25.3 points, 10.1 assists and 9.7 rebounds per game.

The latter just had Karl-Anthony Towns post a 56-point eruption, which helps ease the pain of a 1-2 mark over their last three. A Jimmy Butler return seems plausible for the playoffs, but the team can remain in a holding pattern until then. 

Seeing the Pelicans stick in sixth isn't unreasonable thanks to Anthony Davis. He's averaging 28.3 points, 11.1 boards and 2.5 blocks per game and posted 36 and 14 in the recent loss to the Trail Blazers.

Maybe the Pelicans aren't headed for a deep postseason run, but Davis is heading for some individual hardware at some point if he keeps this up, as ESPN Stats & Info explained:

These teams climbing means a big faller—which is predictably the San Antonio Spurs. Kawhi Leonard is still missing in action, which makes the 1-2 mark over the last three while giving up 106 or more points in both of the losses slightly more concerning than usual. 

The Utah Jazz aren't dropping out of the playoffs, either. An elite defense maybe won't help them against a Rockets team that swept them during the regular season, but it should keep them hanging around in the standings. 

Those Jazz have held 11 opponents under the 100-point mark in March while drumming up 11 wins. Rudy Gobert might be the best defensive force in the league, and Donovan Mitchell is still stunning for a rookie as he averages 20.3 points per game. 

Behind the Jazz, both the Los Angeles Clippers and Denver Nuggets have yet to be eliminated, but they are both .500 over their last 10 and lack star power (Nikola Jokic is almost there, folks). 

If anything, the Jazz clutching the eighth seed and making the playoffs will hint at a budding contender sure to only improve in the coming years.