NBA 2017-18: Playoff scenarios heading into the regular season finale

The 2017-18 NBA regular season has been entertaining, to say the least. When was the last time that none of the playoff matchups were set with just one regular season gameday remaining?

Heading into the final matchday, 15 of the 16 Playoff spots have been confirmed with only one remaining in the Western Conference. That spot will be decided by what is essentially a play-in game between the Denver Nuggets and the Minnesota Timberwolves.

A Playoff spot being decided on the final day of the regular season is something familiar but the concept of not even a single Playoff match-up being decided is alien. A lot is on the line on the final game day of the regular season.

Let's examine the best and worst case scenarios for every team whose Playoff seeding isn't decided:

Note: Only five teams' seedings have been decided so far - Houston Rockets (1st in West), Golden State Warriors (2nd in West), Toronto Raptors (1st in East), Boston Celtics (2nd in East), and the Indiana Pacers (5th in East).

WESTERN CONFERENCE

Like I mentioned earlier, in the West, five of the remaining six spots are decided but the seeds aren't. Although the PLAY-IN game between the Nuggets and the Timberwolves is for the last Playoff spot, it isn't necessarily only for the 8th seed. If things go their way, the winner of this game could be seeded at as high as the sixth spot.

So let's get down to all the possible scenario's:

Portland Trail Blazers

Best Case Scenario: 3rd Seed

Worst Case Scenario: 5th Seed

A dominant 13-game winning streak through February and March saw the Portland franchise separate themselves from the middle pack. After the Rockets and the Warriors, they were the first West team to secure a spot but since then they've struggled to secure home court.

They had four chances to do so and have failed at every attempt. Since clinching the Playoff spot, they've gone 0-4 and that's forced them to fight for the third seed on the final game day of the season against the surging Utah Jazz.

Utah Jazz

Best Case Scenario: 3rd Seed

Worst Case Scenario: 5th Seed

The Jazz have been one of the hottest teams in the second half of the season. Since Jan. 22, when they were 19-28, they've gone on to win 29 of their next 34 games. They've gone from outside looking in at the 10th spot to having a legitimate shot at the 3rd seed.

New Orleans Pelicans

Best Case Scenario: 5th Seed

Worst Case Scenario: 8th Seed

When DeMarcus Cousins went down with an injury, a majority of NBA fans had counted out the New Orleans Pelicans but they forgot nuclear Anthony Davis. The Unibrow went berserk, in the process, carrying his team to a 10-game win streak, which made the team relevant in the Playoff race.

They've been mediocre since the win streak (9-8) but they had done enough to clinch a spot.

San Antonio Spurs

Best Case Scenario: 4th Seed

Worst Case Scenario: 8th Seed

Who could have predicted that the San Antonio Spurs would have made the Playoffs with their best player Kawhi Leonard only playing 9 games?

It speaks volumes about the leadership and coaching prowess of Gregg Popovich. Once again, the Texas franchise has proved what has been an unwritten rule in the league over the past two decades - never sleep on the Spurs.

Oklahoma City Thunder

Best Case Scenario: 4th Seed

Worst Case Scenario: 8th Seed [Only other seed possible is 6th]

So things are little complicated for the Oklahoma City Thunder. They can only be the 4th, 6th or the 8th seed, reason behind that being they don't hold the tiebreaker with a majority of the teams in the West Playoff race.

Minnesota Timberwolves

Best Case Scenario: 6th Seed

Worst Case Scenario: 8th Seed

Just like the Blazers, mid-way through the season, the Timberwolves were beginning to distance themselves from the pack before Jimmy Butler got injured. Since then, they've just about kept their head above the water, winning enough (10-9) to stay in the race. As mentioned earlier. they are now in an elimination win-or-go-home game against the Nuggets at home.

Having won the season series against the Pelicans and the Thunder opens up the possibility of jumping to the 6th seed, in case they beat Denver.

Denver Nuggets

Best Case Scenario: 6th Seed

Worst Case Scenario: 7th Seed

The Nuggets have won their season series against the Pelicans and the Thunder, giving them to chance to leapfrog to the 7th seed in their worst-case scenario. Best case or worst, the Nuggets need to win on the road against Minnesota to clinch the spot. They are the team with the momentum, currently riding a 6-game win streak.

EASTERN CONFERENCE

Unlike the West, things are a little simpler in the East.

Philadelphia 76ers & Cleveland Cavaliers

Cleveland Cavaliers v Philadelphia 76ers — LeBron James and Ben Simmons

Best Case Scenario: 3rd Seed

Worst Case Scenario: 4th Seed

With one game to go, the 76ers currently hold a one-game lead over the Cleveland Cavaliers. Their seasons series with the defending East champs is tied at 2 games apiece but then the tiebreaker goes to the Cavaliers, as they are the Central Division Champions. The 76ers just need to win on Wednesday to seal the 3rd seed. Things get interesting once they lose.

Milwaukee Bucks

Best Case Scenario: 6th Seed

Worst Case Scenario: 8th Seed

Things should have gone smoother in Milwaukee once Jason Kidd was fired but that didn't happen. The Bucks have been one of the most inconsistent teams this season. The equation for them is really simple - if they win they clinch the 6th seed, or else they could drop to the 8th seed.

Washington Wizards

Best Case Scenario: 6th Seed

Worst Case Scenario: 8th Seed

Another very inconsistent team but they sort of had an excuse - John Wall's injury. It's a little complicated for the Wizards. If they lose in their final game against the Orlando Magic, they finish with the 8th seed and face the Raptors in the first round. If they win, they could jump to the seventh seed but that's only if Miami loses.

Miami Heat

Best Case Scenario: 6th Seed

Worst Case Scenario: 8th Seed (can't be 7th)

Easily the least talented team in the Playoff picture but they are a hard-working unit that relies heavily on the coaching staff and their system. It's simple for the Heat, they have to win their final game to be the highest seed possible.