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The preparations for the NBA restart on 30th July in Orlando are well underway. All teams have made their way to the NBA bubble and are gearing up for the seeding games as well as the NBA Playoffs.
While a few spots are undecided yet, it's primarily the seedings among the playoff-bound teams that are up for grabs in the matchups before the postseason. The first seed in either conference looks set in stone while the rest of the top half of the table is yet to be decided.
Western Conference NBA Playoffs picture
Let's start with the uber-competitive Western Conference where there's a difference of mere four games between the seventh seed and the third seed. How will the scenario for the NBA Playoffs 2020 play out in the West? Here's predicting the final seedings in the Western Conference for the NBA Playoffs.
#8 New Orleans Pelicans
The New Orleans Pelicans will restart the race for the NBA Playoffs as the 10th placed team in the West. Luckily for them, they have the easiest schedule to go with the best roster at disposal among the teams fighting for that eighth spot.
They are 3.5 games behind the Memphis Grizzlies who currently hold the last seed but I expect them to claw their way closer to Ja Morant and co.
Also read: 5 Reasons why New Orleans Pelicans will qualify for NBA Playoffs 2020
A play-in tournament is likely but if you have a rookie averaging nearly 24 points per game, a playoff berth is not out of question for the Pels.
#7 Dallas Mavericks
The Dallas Mavericks are slated to play the most number of regular-season fixtures amongst all franchises with the number going up to 75 after including the seeding games. They're yet to confirm a place in the NBA Playoffs but as of now, just two wins would be enough. And that's assuming that Memphis reign supreme in all their remaining games.
The Mavs aren't much behind the Houston Rockets but their run so far has primarily been based on their league-best offensive rating. I don't expect them to replicate the same form going forward in the first few seeding games and beyond that, they have tough fixtures against the LA Clippers and Milwaukee Bucks.
#6 Utah Jazz
The Utah Jazz currently sit in the fourth place of the Western Conference standings but they're merely a game ahead of the sixth-placed Houston Rockets. There are a lot of ifs and buts surrounding the Jazz right now.
Firstly, we don't know how much the situation has improved between Donovan Mitchell and Rudy Gobert despite the positive outlook from the latter. They will be also missing the services of sharpshooter Bojan Bogdanovic who had season-ending surgery on his right wrist.
The Jazz also have a tie-break game against the Oklahoma City Thunder and critical fixtures against the LA Lakers and the San Antonio Spurs, both of whom they've failed to beat this year. I expect the Jazz to slip two places.
#5 Houston Rockets
Houston Rockets received a much-needed boost with James Harden entering the NBA bubble on Tuesday night. However, with Russell Westbrook testing positive for coronavirus, they're missing a critical component of their offense.
The fixture list isn't particularly easy either but with the exception of the games against LA Lakers and Milwaukee Bucks, they have a chance in the rest of the matchups. Physicality and size will continue to be a factor for the Houston Rockets in the lead up to the NBA Playoffs.
#4 Oklahoma City Thunder
The biggest surprise package of the NBA this season, expect the Oklahoma City Thunder to pull no punches as they near the NBA Playoffs. Given a 0.2% chance of qualifying for the postseason by ESPN at the start of the campaign, OKC has epitomized the phrase "teamwork makes dream work".
The Thunder have no recognized Superstar but they do have three players averaging over 19 points per game. And Chris Paul is not too far behind himself with 17.7 points per game.
The franchise has five fixtures against a top 4 seed in either conference but if they win their game against the Jazz they'll be in business. The addition of Andre Roberson on the defensive end will certainly help in this regard. The practice footage only shows that the team chemistry is still as consistent so expect the Thunder to ruffle a few feathers on their way to the NBA Playoffs.
#3 Denver Nuggets
Denver Nuggets fans can heave a collective sigh of relief following the return of Nikola Jokic. The Joker seems to be in the best shape of his life and how well he performs in the remaining seeding games will have a bearing on the Nuggets' NBA Playoffs bracket.
Having said that, they have the fourth toughest schedule on paper and the likes of Gary Harris, Torrey Craig, and Michael Porter Jr. are yet to arrive in Orlando as per reports. The Nuggets will end the regular season with a tough stretch of games against the LA Lakers, LA Clippers, and the Toronto Raptors respectively.
However, I expect them to lock up the third seed by then. They enjoy a lead of 1.5 games above the Utah Jazz and the chasing pack below them doesn't necessarily have the easiest of runs either.
#2 LA Clippers
The LA Clippers have one of the easiest schedules heading into the NBA restart and one can expect them to have a deep run in the NBA Playoffs as well. While there are still doubts about the participation of Landry Shamet, they have the rest of the roster at their disposal.
The LA Clippers have had serious injury troubles this season but when entirely fit, they've gone 10-1. And they're pretty close to being entirely fit right now with Kawhi Leonard and Paul George getting into gear. While the LA Clippers could very much win all of their remaining games, they're still 5.5 games behind the LA Lakers who are very likely to lock up the top spot in the West.
#1 LA Lakers
The LA Lakers are undeniably the best team in the West. They've had their troubles in beating cross-city rivals LA Clippers but they managed to get the better of them in the last fixture. The LA Lakers are currently 49-14 and don't need to sweat a lot to secure the number one seed for the NBA Playoffs from the Western Conference.
Frank Vogel's side has also had two additions in J.R. Smith and Dion Waiters who'll take their time to settle in. The injury to Rajon Rondo is a bummer though. Nevertheless, LeBron James and Anthony Davis have looked in great shape during the practice sessions. The LA Lakers have enough firepower in their armory to not bother about a potential slip-up heading into the NBA Playoffs.
Also read: Predicting the 6 teams that will fail to qualify for NBA Playoffs 2020
Guess the Lakers players!
