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Earlier this week, I took a look at predicting the seeding of the 8 teams in the Eastern Conference. It was a little easier to narrow the seeding down in the East because I didn't see the Detroit Pistons or Charlotte Hornets moving into the top 8.
In the Western Conference, it's a little tougher as there are ten teams within reach of the playoff picture. Just 4.5 games separate the 3rd placed Portland Trail Blazers and the 8th placed Minnesota Timberwolves.
Who's out: Los Angeles Clippers and Denver Nuggets
The two teams who are currently on the outside looking in as of March 18th are going to be the two teams that will miss the playoffs as well. Going into this week, the Denver Nuggets were only 1.5 games back of 8th seed Minnesota, and the Los Angeles Clippers were 2 games back.
The problem for both of these teams is the fact that they both have long road trips to close out the month of March. The Nuggets are a terrible 11-23 on the road; while the Clippers have a more respectable 17-17 record.
If the Clippers were already in the top 8, I might consider them over Minnesota, but later on, in this article, you'll see why I have the Timberwolves in the playoffs.
#8 - New Orleans Pelicans (currently 40-30, 7th)
Imagine where the New Orleans Pelicans would be if they didn't lose DeMarcus Cousins to an Achilles injury back in January. Since Cousins went down on January 26th, the Pelicans are 13-9, including a 10-game winning streak in the middle of February.
The loss of Cousins immediately hurt the Pelicans as they lost 5 of their first 6 games after the injury, but that win streak has helped them move up to 7th in the Western Conference.
Teams ranked 5th through 8th in the conference are only separated by a maximum of half a game and the Pelicans will have a tough test as they face Houston, Portland, and Cleveland back-to-back to end March.
#7 - Minnesota Timberwolves (currently 40-31, 8th)
The Minnesota Timberwolves have had a nice resurgence in the 2017-18 season after finishing 31-51 the year prior. The combination of Jimmy Butler with Karl-Anthony Towns has proved profitable, and they're looking to make the playoffs for the first time since 2004.
Minnesota has the longest playoffs drought in the NBA at 13 seasons, and if they make it this year, that would put that distinction on the Sacramento Kings who haven't made it since 2006.
Timberwolves have a rather easy schedule to finish the regular season. They don't have any games remaining against teams in the top four seeds of either conference. It's safe to say Minnesota will end that drought and could even land higher than 7th.
#6 - Utah Jazz (currently 40-30, 6th)
The Utah Jazz have consistently gotten better over the past five seasons and look to make the playoffs for a second-straight year after narrowly missing out in 2016. The Jazz are currently on a 9-game winning streak and sitting on the 6th spot in the Western Conference.
I see the Jazz remain at 6th by the team the season is over for two reasons. They have a tough stretch of San Antonio, Boston, and Golden State coming up, and then they have to play the Warriors again on 10 April. They're not in any danger of missing the playoffs, but they are not going to get much higher anywhere they are.
#5 - San Antonio Spurs (currently 41-30, 5th)
If I did this article a week ago, I might have had the San Antonio Spurs on the outside looking in. If there is one constant on the Spurs, it is head coach Gregg Popovich, and he has them playing well when it counts most.
The Spurs are currently on a 4-game winning streak but are still not out of the woods yet as all of their remaining games in March are against teams who are in the playoffs picture. However, I expect them to continue on their winning streak and with the Popovich factor coming into play, the Spurs might as well go on a long winning spree as we move towards the end of the regular season.
#4 - Oklahoma City Thunder (currently 43-29, 4th)
The chemistry wasn't there early on in the season, but the Oklahoma City Thunder have turned it around and are currently in 4th place in the Western Conference. Many thought the additions of Paul George and Carmelo Anthony would provide instant dividends, but in the beginning, the Thunder were outside of the top 8.
Oklahoma City does have a tough schedule remaining, but I think they will maintain their current pace where they stay ahead of the San Antonio Spurs who are 1.5 games below them, but it will be hard for them to catch the hottest team in the NBA right now, the Portland Trail Blazers.
#3 - Portland Trail Blazers (currently 44-26, 3rd)
During their current 13-game winning streak, the Portland Trail Blazers have risen up to 3rd in the Western Conference. The last time Portland lost was on 11 February, and at the time, they were 6th in the West.
Portland does have seven road games left on the schedule and still has to play some tough teams such as Houston, Oklahoma City, and Boston. But they also have a winning record on the road (19-15), so I don't see them moving out of the 3rd seed in the final month.
#2 - Golden State Warriors (currently 53-18, 2nd)
It appears the 3-year streak of Golden State Warriors taking the top seed in the Western Conference is in some serious jeopardy thanks to the play of the Houston Rockets. The Warriors are 3.5 games behind Houston with 11 games left.
Nearly half of the games remaining for the Warriors are against current playoff teams, and nearly half of those games are also on the road. There is a possibility that the Warriors take the top seed in the West for a fourth-straight season, but I don't feel like it's going to happen.
#1 - Houston Rockets (currently 56-14, 1st)
Many experts thought no matter what additions teams like Oklahoma City and Houston made in the offseason, the Golden State Warriors were going to take the Western Conference in 2018. Houston isn't listening to those experts as they have had the best record in the NBA since 14 February.
The addition of Chris Paul and the MVP play of James Harden have propelled them to a 3.5-game lead on the Golden State Warriors and I don't think they are going to let go of that advantage the rest of the way.
The Rockets only have four road games left and a fairly easy schedule with the exception of the beginning of April.
Guess the Lakers players!
