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With the NBA reaching the final few weeks of the regular season and the playoffs just around the corner, the teams have finalised on their squads. Many franchises are sure to make the postseason while certain teams will be hoping for a final push which would see them compete come April and May.
There are teams still in the playoffs fray like the Washington Wizards and Chicago Bulls in the Eastern Conference and the likes of Portland Trail Blazers and San Antonio Spurs in the Western Conference. Some teams are looking to tank in hopes of getting high draft picks like the Cleveland Cavaliers and the Minnesota Timberwolves.
Matches are coming thick and fast and there will be teams who will load manage their players to preserve them for the playoffs as soon as the qualification is secured. That being said, we look at the five teams with the hardest remaining schedule in the regular-season.
#5 Detroit Pistons
The Detroit Pistons are currently 12th in the Western Conference with a 19-40 record and are eight games behind the Orlando Magic who hold the final spot for the playoffs. Pistons are virtually out of the playoff race but will also have to overcome the fifth hardest remaining schedule in the NBA with the strength of schedule at .537. They play the likes of Toronto Raptors, Boston Celtics, Milwaukee Bucks, etc. with the only reprieve coming against the New York Knicks who they face off against twice.
With Blake Griffin suffering an injury-hit season, the onus was on former MVP Derrick Rose to lead the way for the Pistons. Despite absolutely lighting up the NBA and leading the way in the first couple of months, Detroit struggled to get wins on board.
With Andre Drummond being traded to the Cleveland Cavaliers, the future looks dark for the franchise with a lot of talk on Griffin's future.
#4 Washington Wizards
The Washington Wizards are somehow still in the playoffs hunt this season. Led by Bradley Beal, the Wizards are ninth in the Eastern Conference with a 20-36 record and are 4.5 games behind the Orlando Magic who hold the eighth seed.
The Wizards face a challenging second half of the season with matches against the likes of Boston Celtics twice, Los Angeles Lakers, Toronto Raptors and the Milwaukee Bucks and has a strength of schedule at .540. The slight wiggle room in the fixtures are their matchups against the Atlanta Hawks who they play twice.
With Bradley Beal playing lights out, they have a very good chance of sneaking into the postseason.
#3 Chicago Bulls
The Chicago Bulls have not made the playoffs since 2017 and the trend is on the risk of continuing if they do not get their house in order. Bulls are currently 10th in the Eastern Conference and are six games behind the eighth seed. Their offensive woes have been apparent all season long and don't look like it's improving any time soon.
With Zach LaVine leading the way, the Bulls have faced injury issues with Otto Porter Jr. and Lauri Markkanen missing huge chunks of the season. This left coach Jim Boylen little to work with and has relied only on the brilliance of LaVine to bail him out of difficult situations.
Chicago has the third toughest schedule remaining in the NBA with them playing the Boston Celtics and the Denver Nuggets twice with a strength of schedule at .541. They also play both the LA-based sides as their chances of making the postseason looking very slim.
#2 Golden State Warriors
With an injury to Klay Thompson, Golden State Warriors were in for a tough season at least until the return of the sharpshooter. The onus was on Steph Curry and Draymond Green to lead the franchise with the young core of Eric Paschall, Jordan Poole, etc. However, four games into the campaign, Curry suffered a wrist injury and was set to be sidelined for a significant amount of time. This eventually ended their hopes of making the playoff this year.
The Warriors have impressed at times this season with their young core leading the way for the franchise. They are the worst team in the league and are languishing at the bottom of the table of the Western Conference. They have the second-toughest schedule remaining with a strength of schedule at .544, which should be a welcome sight considering the fact that they are tanking.
They play the Lakers and the Raptors twice and also face off against the Milwaukee Bucks and the Denver Nuggets. Their hopes of receiving a high draft pick should be encouraged by the quality of opponents they face from now.
#1 Memphis Grizzlies
The Memphis Grizzlies have been one of the most surprising packages of the season so far. The young core of the Grizzlies have been turning heads all around the league and currently hold the final spot for the playoffs in the Western Conference.
Memphis are currently three games ahead of the Portland Trail Blazers who are ninth and have the toughest remaining fixtures in the NBA with a strength of schedule at .554. Ja Morant and co. will go up against the LA Lakers, Milwaukee Bucks, Denver Nuggets, and the Toronto Raptors twice. The only reprieve in the fixtures for the franchise is the matchups against the New York Knicks, Sacramento Kings, and the Atlanta Hawks twice.
With the final stretch of the season just around the corner, Taylor Jenkins has his work cut out if the Grizzlies are to make the postseason.
Guess the Lakers players!
