Once again we won’t have eight teams with winning records making the playoffs in the Eastern Conference. It seems more and more likely that at least two teams with losing marks with reach the postseason. And as of right now, things are pretty wild and there’s no certainity as to which franchises will make the cut.
We already know the Cleveland Cavaliers, the Boston Celtics, the Washington Wizards and the Toronto Raptors will likely grab the top four seeds. After that we have the Atlanta Hawks as a virtual lock for the fifth place. But then there are lots of questions, and not many answers.
Let’s start with the Indiana Pacers who are sixth with a 34-33 mark. It seems unlikely they will miss out on a playoff berth, so we can consider them on the safe zone. But it’s highly unlikely they will sneak into the top four. They need to be aware, though, because they are only two games from falling out of the playoff zone.
From the 7th to the 11th place is where things get interesting. The Detroit Pistons and the Milwaukee Bucks would net postseason berths if the season ended today, although both would have losing records. Detroit has a 33-34 mark and Milwaukee has a 32-34 register.
One would think the Bucks are safe considering they have one of the best players in the league this season in Giannis Antetokounmpo. If they manage to maintain their current form – seven wins in their last 10 games – they will be fine. Detroit, on the other hand, are not as safe as one might believe. They haven’t won – or lost – more than three games in a row since the end of December last year. And their star players, Andre Drummond and Reggie Jackson, haven’t clicked as expected. They need to pick it up before it’s too late.
But they have three teams breathing on their neck, and three franchises that are not going to give up easily.
At 9th and 10th we have the Chicago Bulls and the Miami Heat, both with 32-35 records. Chicago has dealt with inconsistencies all season long, and the veteran core of Jimmy Butler, Dwyane Wade and Rajon Rondo never panned out as expected. In fact, Butler has been included in trade rumors all season long, and Rondo and Wade have both hinted they might opt out of their contracts this summer.
Miami, on the other hand, were one of the hottest teams in the NBA a few months ago. And honestly that’s the only reason why they remain in playoff contention. Yes, Hassan Whiteside and Goran Dragic are living out to their massive contracts. But the team doesn’t have a lot of depth, and quite honestly, they don’t have the weapons to upset the Cavaliers in a potential first-round matchup.
If you thought this is too much information, we haven’t even talked about the Charlotte Hornets yet. They are pretty much out of the race, just like the New York Knicks and the Philadelphia 76ers. But at the same time, they are just one streak away from returning to contention. After all, the Hornets are 3.5 games behind the Bucks for the final playoff berth.
At this point, Milwaukee and Detroit have the inside track. But Chicago and Miami could pull the upset if they somehow get hot in the coming weeks.
Everything will be decided in the final month of the regular season, but one thing is certain. You DO NOT want to miss how the playoff race in the East will shake out.