NBA Playoff Chase
By: Joe Nelson
The NBA playoffs should be fantastic this season with a few marquee match-ups likely coming between several star players. Most of those big series will be in the second round and later however as the first round may not live up to the build up of the playoffs that will come in the next few weeks. There is still some possible drama for the right to face some of the elite teams as several teams are trying to squeeze into the final playoff spots. Here is a look at the remaining schedules for each team still in the hunt.
Outside looking in:
Milwaukee Bucks: Milwaukee was expected to be a playoff team this season after a great run last season, climbing to the #5 seed and taking Atlanta to seven games in the first round of the playoffs. Milwaukee has not looked much like a playoff team of late however even with wins in five of the last nine games. Losing at home to Sacramento Wednesday night may prove to be a critical loss and the Bucks close the season with eight of the final eleven games on the road. The Bucks have to play the Knicks, Bulls, Pacers, 76ers, Magic, Heat, and Thunder in the remaining games so the chances for a late season climb into playoff position is unlikely as there has been little to fear with the deer this year.
Charlotte Bobcats: The Bobcats have lost ten of the last twelve games and despite being a team that was in playoff position most of the season the Bobcats appear content to stay at home this year. Well rested with a golden opportunity to pick up a full game against the current #8 seed Pacers on Wednesday, Charlotte laid a complete egg in a second half meltdown, eventually losing 111-88. Charlotte has seven of the final twelve games at home and only half of the remaining games are against playoff teams but this team has not shown enough life to expect a run. Inversely the Bobcats are likely a fade team the rest of the way as the recent results have been ugly in good situations.
Houston Rockets: If there is a team that is on the outside looking in that has a charge in it in the next few weeks it could be the Rockets. Houston is 12-3 in the last 15 games and while the schedule has not been difficult the Rockets have been taking care of business against lesser teams. Six of the final ten games are against playoff teams including a tricky east coast trip starting this weekend but five of the final seven games are at home where Houston is 22-14 on the season. A late season game at home against Dallas may actually work out just fine as it looks at this point like the Mavericks are fairly set in the #3 spot and that will likely be a game where the Mavericks rest key players.
Phoenix Suns: The epic multi-overtime loss to the Lakers this week may doom the Suns in their playoff chase. Phoenix is 21-13 since mid-January to recover from a very poor start to the season but losing four in a row in mid-March including losses against Houston and New Orleans will cost this team. Phoenix is playing well right now with wins in three of the last four and the lone loss in Los Angeles but the Suns have a difficult remaining schedule as they try to catch the last few teams in the playoff picture. Eight of twelve remaining games come against playoff teams with a brutal five-game road trip still on the schedule for early April. The Suns play the Mavericks and Spurs twice each as well as a road game in Chicago so a miracle playoff run is likely not in store.
Utah Jazz: At 36-36 and playing very poorly since Jerry Sloan resigned and Deron Williams was traded the Jazz look toast. Utah is 5-14 in the last 19 games but the schedule has been very tough with the majority of those games coming on the road. Utah has still won its last three home games and the closing schedule offers a small window of opportunity. Utah plays six of its final ten games at home and although the competition is mainly quality teams they will catch a few favorable situation set-ups. It is a long shot but if the teams surrounding the border of the playoff picture struggle and Utah takes care of business at home it is not out of the question.
Inside holding on:
Indiana Pacers: While including the sinking Knicks on this list would be interesting, that type of fall is a virtual impossibility, not because the Knicks are bound to play better but banking on the Bucks or Bobcats putting together a 9-1 run or something comparable seems a bit ridiculous. That leaves the Pacers in the #8 spot as the only team in danger of playing its way out of the playoffs. Indiana made a charge in February to get back in the picture but a six-game losing streak in early March seemed to be a big setback. The Pacers have rebounded with wins in five of the last seven including three road wins to grab a hold of the final playoff spot, just as much in part due to the failures of the other teams in the picture. Indiana has a dream schedule to close the season which makes the job of the other Eastern Conference hopefuls much tougher. In the final ten games the Pacers have seven home games and only play five teams that would make the playoffs right now including only two elite contenders.
Portland Trailblazers: Despite an injury plagued season, the Blazers are in playoff position following a 15-6 run in the last 21 games. Portland has been a bit inconsistent but they hold a very tough home court and it will be tough to push the Blazers out of playoff position. The remaining schedule is very tough however so the Blazers may be a team that is vulnerable. Portland has eleven games remaining and only two games against Golden State feature teams with losing records. The Spurs and Thunder are both on the schedule twice, with games against the Lakers and Mavericks included as well. Games against New Orleans and Memphis will be critical in determining seeds at the bottom of the Western Conference.
New Orleans Hornets: The Hornets are the team that appears most likely to fall out of the playoffs with an 8-13 record in the last 21 games but the Hornets endured a very tough late February and early March schedule filled with road games. New Orleans has won five of the last eight games and six of the final eight games of the season will be at home. The Hornets play Utah, Phoenix, and Memphis twice each as well as home games with Houston and Portland so the playoff destiny of the Hornets is certainly in their own hands. This is a tough remaining schedule as virtually every game will have playoff implications as the Hornets try to hang on to one of the final sports.
Memphis Grizzlies: Memphis has been playing very solid basketball in the last two months to climb back into the playoff picture where they hope to hang onto one of the final spots. Memphis has defeated several impressive teams in recent weeks with wins over the Spurs, Mavericks, Thunder, and Celtics in the month of March. The remaining schedule looks promising for the Grizzlies with six of the final ten games at home although there are certainly a few very tough challenges still waiting. Playing the Clippers twice as well as games against the Kings, Wolves, and Warriors should help Memphis do enough to hold on to a playoff spot.
There will be some meaningful basketball down the stretch but the most likely scenario is that the current playoff teams hold their ground. It seems very unlikely that anyone catches the Pacers in the Eastern Conference and Houston catching either Portland or New Orleans seems to be the only plausible scenario in the Western Conference barring an out-of-nowhere run of great play from one of the other teams on the outside looking in.