Playoff Seeding Battle: Will the Warriors and Pelicans Be Eliminated?

Janak9955

March 16, 2024
Eastern Conference: The last teams to be eliminated will likely be the Bulls and the Hawks.

In the Eastern Conference, I believe there is relatively little suspense. Currently, the 9th-ranked Bulls and the 10th-ranked Hawks are four and six games behind the 8th-ranked Heat, respectively. Moreover, the remaining schedules of both teams do not differ significantly in terms of strength compared to the Heat. I don't think they can easily turn the tables, so it's highly likely that they will finish in the same positions they are currently in. Even if they make it to the play-in tournament, I don't believe the Hawks and the Bulls can defeat any of the top eight teams in a short-term series.

Western Conference: The last teams to be eliminated will likely be the Pelicans and the Warriors.

The top four teams in the Western Conference are almost certain, with the Thunder, Nuggets, Timberwolves, and Clippers leading the way in terms of both strength and the number of games won. While there may be some minor changes in the final standings, they are all comfortably ahead of the teams in the lower half of the conference. Positions five through eight are currently up for grabs, with contenders including the Pelicans, currently ranked fifth, and the Kings, ranked sixth, as well as powerhouse teams like the Suns, Mavericks, Lakers, and Warriors.

Predicted remaining game rankings for teams in the Western Conference from fifth to tenth:

As of March 14th, based on the remaining 17 regular-season games for each team, the more games against teams with a winning percentage above .500, the tougher the remaining schedule. Conversely, a higher number of games against teams with a losing record suggests more opportunities for additional victories in the remaining schedule. Another factor to consider is that teams with a winning percentage above .500 that have already secured playoff berths may rest star players, making their matchups crucial for teams vying for playoff spots.

According to the NBA's official schedule, the fifth-ranked Pelicans will face 12 challenging games in their remaining 17 matches, the sixth-ranked Kings will face 11, with a matchup against the Thunder on April 10th. The Suns will face 13 games, with the last three against the Clippers and Timberwolves. The Mavericks have relatively easier matchups, facing only eight challenging games, with their final regular-season game against the Thunder. The Lakers and the Warriors each face 10 games, but the Lakers' final matchups against the Cavaliers and the Timberwolves may lead to star players being rested.

In the final 17 games, victories against teams with a losing record are counted as wins, while losses against teams with a winning record are counted as losses. However, if a team faces these opponents in the last five games, those games are still counted as wins. For example, the Lakers will face seven teams with a losing record and 10 teams with a winning record, with their final five games against the Cavaliers and the Timberwolves, both of which have already secured playoff berths, resulting in a total of nine wins.

Jafar224

Getting more and more exciting.