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The play-in tournament is a new system put in place due to the shortened 2020-21 NBA schedule.
What was supposed to be an 82-game schedule has been reduced to 72 games due to the COVID-19 pandemic, which might give a slight edge to some teams.
On that note, let's have a look at four teams that could contest the Western Conference play-in tournament this season.
Four teams that could make the NBA Western Conference play-in tournament in 2020-21:
This season's play-in tournament is designed differently to that of last season. The 7th, 8th, 9th and 10th-placed teams will participate in a play-in tournament for two berths in the postseason.
The winner between the 7th and 8th-placed teams will play for the 7th seed in the playoffs. The loser of that match will have a second bite of the cherry. They will play the winner of the tie between the 9th and 10th-placed teams for the 8th seed in the playoffs.
The New Orleans Pelicans, Golden State Warriors, Sacramento Kings, San Antonio Spurs, Dallas Mavericks and Memphis Grizzlies are prime candidates for the play-in tournament. But only four of them will get a chance to qualify for the postseason.
With the playoffs starting in just less than 50 days, let's take a look at the teams in and around the play-in seeds and predict the four with the highest chance of making the play-in tournament.
7th seed: Portland Trail Blazers
This one could be a close battle between the Portland Trail Blazers and the Dallas Mavericks for the first play-in spot.
The Blazers have the fourth-toughest schedule in the remainder of the season. The Mavericks, however, have the second-easiest schedule going forward and could climb up the conference standings with ease.
The Trail Blazers haven't fared well against stronger teams, and their margins of victories have been one of the slimmest in the league this campaign.
They have won most of their games by single-digit margins, thanks to Damian Lillard's late-game heroics. Lillard may not pull off game-winners every game, as the Dallas Mavericks are set to play 22 games in 41 days. Many of their matchups are on back-to-back nights, and they will often be playing 4-5 games in a week.
Nevertheless, the Dallas Mavericks' Luka Doncic and Kristaps Porzingis have gotten into a great rhythm in the second half of the season and have combined for nearly 50 points per game.
They have won 15 of their last 22 games, including victories over the Brooklyn Nets, LA Clippers, and most recently, the Western Conference-leading Utah Jazz. But considering their easy schedule, there is a real chance that they may drop out of the play-in spots.
8th seed: Golden State Warriors
The Golden State Warriors have been one of the most inconsistent teams in the 2020-21 NBA. They have neither won nor lost five games in a row. However, in a silver lining for them, they have the fourth easiest schedule in the league in the remainder of the season.
Although the San Antonio Spurs are ahead of the Warriors in the standings, the former have played three fewer games than the latter.
The Spurs' remaining schedule is the second-toughest in the league. They have little to no chance of grabbing wins, so their slide from the play-in spots is almost inevitable. The Spurs have lost eight of their last ten games, including defeats to seemingly inferior teams like the Indiana Pacers, Sacramento Kings and Cleveland Cavaliers.
Stephen Curry and Draymond Green have playoff and championship experience, so a play-in tournament may not be challenging for them.
Green led the league in assists in February, and Curry is dropping nearly 30 points per game.
If the two veterans continue their good form and role players like Kelly Oubre Jr. and Andrew Wiggins complement their efforts, the Warriors might climb up the standings to grab the 8th seed for the play-in tournament.
9th seed: Memphis Grizzlies
The Memphis Grizzlies have turned it up a notch lately. They have won eight of their last 11 games, including wins over the Philadelphia 76ers, Miami Heat and Boston Celtics.
The Memphis Grizzlies are seventh in defensive rating, as they have grabbed the most steals in the league and have forced the second-most turnovers.
Ja Morant and Jonas Valanciunas are leading the team in most statistical categories, and the team's offense has improved drastically as well. The Memphis Grizzlies are ranked fourth in assists and rebounds and have also attempted the most field goals in the NBA this season.
The Memphis Grizzlies have missed the most games of any team due to the NBA's COVID-19 protocols and now need to play 24 games in 41 days.
However, they enjoy the luxury of having the 11th-easiest schedule going forward. As mentioned earlier, the San Antonio Spurs face the second-toughest schedule and a drop in their standings is almost inevitable.
Grayson Allen, Kyle Anderson and Dillon Brooks have all been incredible for the Memphis Grizzlies in recent games. If Ja Morant and the rest of the crew remain healthy, the Grizzlies could hang on to grab the 9th seed for the play-in tournament.
10th seed: New Orleans Pelicans
If the San Antonio Spurs eventually drop out of the play-in seeds, the New Orleans Pelicans could sneak into the tenth spot for the play-in tournament. They currently hold the 11th position in the Western Conference, just ahead of the Sacramento Kings (12th) by a single game.
The Sacramento Kings haven't been able to win games this season, despite their decent offense. They currently rank 30th in the league in defensive rating, and their abysmal defense has cost them games.
The Kings and the Pelicans face similarly tough schedules going forward. However, the New Orleans Pelicans roster and current form make them slight favorites over the Kings to grab the last play-in spot.
The New Orleans Pelicans don't have a decent defense either but are better than the Sacramento Kings in several defensive categories. The Kings rank 27th or below in seven of the 11 major defensive categories.
If the remaining games for the upper seeds unfold the way as predicted and the Pelicans and the Kings continue to play how they have so far, the former would have a better chance of grabbing the tenth spot than the latter.
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