NBA Playoff Standings 2020: Odds, Seedings Info for Restart Format
Now that all 22 NBA bubble teams have warmed up with three scrimmage games, we're back to regular-season action Thursday.
The league restart will begin with a doubleheader, featuring the Utah Jazz vs. the New Orleans Pelicans and the Los Angeles Clippers vs. the Los Angeles Lakers. We may see a lot of star power in those games.
Zion Williamson returned to the bubble after he attended to a family matter. According to ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski, the Pelicans star cleared quarantine Tuesday, and he'll practice leading up to Thursday's contest.
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For Thursday's second contest, LeBron James, Kawhi Leonard and Paul George are healthy. According to Wojnarowski, Anthony Davis' status is uncertain because of an eye injury. The team rested him during the last two practices.
Let's take a look at the Vegas odds to win a 2020 title, the current standings and a few technical aspects of the NBA resumption.
Odds to Win 2020 Championship (via Caesars Palace)
Lakers: +180
Bucks: +275
Clippers: +325
Rockets: +1200
Celtics: +1500
Raptors: +1700
Nuggets: +1800
76ers: +2500
Mavericks: +3500
Heat: +4000
Pelicans: +5000
Jazz: +6000
Nets: +15000
Thunder: +6000
Trail Blazers: +7500
Pacers: +12500
Grizzlies: +50000
Suns: +50000
Magic: +50000
Spurs: +100000
Wizards: +100000
Kings: +200000
Note: +180 means $100 bet wins $200
Eastern Conference
1. Milwaukee Bucks (53-12)
2. Toronto Raptors (46-18)
3. Boston Celtics (43-21)
4. Miami Heat (41-24)
5. Indiana Pacers (39-26)
6. Philadelphia 76ers (39-26)
7. Brooklyn Nets (30-34)
8. Orlando Magic (30-35)
9. Washington Wizards (24-40)
Western Conference
1. Los Angeles Lakers (49-14)
2. Los Angeles Clippers (44-20)
3. Denver Nuggets (43-22)
4. Utah Jazz (41-23)
5. Oklahoma City Thunder (40-24)
6. Houston Rockets (40-24)
7. Dallas Mavericks (40-27)
8. Memphis Grizzlies (32-33)
9. Portland Trail Blazers (29-37)
10. New Orleans Pelicans (28-36)
11 Sacramento Kings (28-36)
12. San Antonio Spurs (27-36)
13. Phoenix Suns (26-39)
A Neutral Playing Field
Teams that fed off the home crowd lose that advantage this year. Most notably, the Philadelphia 76ers (29-2), Milwaukee Bucks (28-3) and Miami Heat (27-5) had the top three records as hosts.
For the remainder of the campaign, the league will play its games at the Walt Disney World Resort near Orlando, Florida.
While the Orlando Magic play their home games nearby at the Amway Center, general manager John Hammond isn't buying into the "home-court advantage," per NBA.com.
"We're going to be 30 minutes away from home," Hammond said. "But we might as well be in Los Angeles."
If the Bucks and Los Angeles Lakers hold as the No. 1 seeds, both squads may have tough routes to the NBA Finals without their fans cheering them on and heckling the opposition. Opponents won't have to battle jitters in a hostile environment. Players who struggle under pressure benefit most in this scenario.
Play-In Tournament For 8th Seed
The NBA tweaked the seeding rule for the final spot in each conference. If the ninth seed finishes four or more games behind the eighth seed, the top eight teams will advance to the playoffs.
However, if the ninth seed is four or fewer games behind the eighth seed, the two clubs will face off in a play-in tournament for the last spot in the conference bracket.
The team with the better record just needs one victory to punch its ticket to the playoffs, while the ninth seed needs consecutive wins to leapfrog the eighth seed for a first-round series against the top team in the conference.
We're more likely to see a play-in tournament in the Western Conference.
Currently, the Portland Trail Blazers are 3.5 games behind the Memphis Grizzlies for the eighth spot, which would prompt a play-in series between the two squads. The Blazers would have to win twice for a first-round matchup with the No. 1 seed while the Grizzlies just need one victory to hold the final playoff slot.
In the Eastern Conference, the Washington Wizards sit 5.5 games behind the Brooklyn Nets. Head coach Scott Brooks' group will push forward without All-Star guard Bradley Beal, who's not going to play because of a shoulder injury, per Charania.
Still, the Nets may struggle through their final eight games. Kevin Durant (Achilles), Kyrie Irving (shoulder), DeAndre Jordan (COVID-19) and Spencer Dinwiddie (COVID-19) have been ruled out of action for the restart of the season. If Brooklyn slips below Orlando, Washington may have a chance to force a play-in tournament.
Best-of-7 Games Throughout Postseason
All 22 clubs will play their eighth game in the bubble by August 14. The postseason starts August 17 and extends through October 12 at the latest. The NBA Finals will tip off September 30. As usual, we'll see four full rounds of best-of-seven series matchups.
Teams with deeper benches could have an advantage against clubs battling injuries or missing players because of positive COVID-19 tests. If a star talent cannot compete because he's quarantined, someone has to fill that void.
Coaches cannot entirely replace a superstar's production, but two or three solid role players ready to log extra minutes could keep a contender alive in a tight series.
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