So, I’m not ready to focus 100% on the NBA. I won’t do that until after March Madness in the NCAA. However, the All Star Break is the logical stopping point. Now, we have about 25 games left in the regular season. Let’s review my predictions with where we are today.

Can He Lead the Bucks to the Title?

Eastern Conference

  1. Bucks (43-14) – the top team in the NBA at this point behind Giannis’s MVP campaign. They are just ahead of the Raptors, so they may slip to the 2 seed, but shouldn’t go much lower than that. Pre-Season Prediction was 3 Seed.
  2. Raptors (43-16) – Khawi Leonard has been great, and the team has responded well to his leadership. They play great defense and are right on the Bucks for the top seed. Pre-Season Prediction 5 Seed.
  3. Pacers (38-20) – Kind of a surprise given they lost Victor Oladipo weeks ago. The Pacers have stayed competitive. They probably will not hold off the Celtics and/or Sixers for the 3 Seed, however. They shouldn’t get lower than the 5 Seed. Pre-Season Prediction 6 Seed.
  4. Celtics (37-21) – Honestly, a disappointment given their roster. They have the most talent in the East, but they seem to be playing less hungry than last year. They still have time to climb, but it seems like the 3 Seed is their ceiling at this point. Would be happy to see them avoid Philly in Round 1. Pre-Season Prediction 1 Seed.
  5. Sixers (37-21) – Sixers made 2 big moves this year acquiring Jimmy Butler and then Harris at the deadline. They really should be better than the 5 seed (tied really with Boston at 4). I expect them to rise up, but can’t catch Raptors or Bucks, so 3 or 4 Seed at best. Pre-Season Prediction 2 Seed.
  6. Nets (30-29) – Now, this is a surprise for sure. The Nets have played .500 ball. Commend them for a good season, but I’m guessing everyone wants to match up with them in the playoffs. Pre-Season Prediction – No Playoffs.
  7. Hornets (27-30) – Still stuck in neutral in Charlotte with a terrible 8-21 road record. The Hornets are meeting expectations for seeding, but they are not really improving as expected. Pre-Season Prediction 7 Seed.
  8. Pistons (26-30) – A nice surprise to see Blake Griffin and Andre Drummond potentially in the playoffs, but they are actually tied with Miami (who I predicted at 8 Seed). It is going to be a dog fight to stay in there with Hornets, Heat and Magic all within 1 game of each other for 2 spots. All of those teams should be an early exit for the Raptors and Bucks. Pre-Season Prediction – No Playoffs.

Western Conference

  1. Warriors (41-16) – After a lot of turmoil, the Ws have ascended to the top spot in the West. They still can challenge the Bucks and Raptors for overall best record in the final months of the season. I expect the Ws to go into destroy mode come March 15th. Pre-Season Prediction 1 Seed.
  2. Nuggets (38-18) – The young Nugs are a team to be reckoned with – Jokic and Murray are a great duo, and the coaching is really good. Factor in a homecourt advantage at altitude with the league’s best home record (25-4), and the Nuggets are the surprise of the league. Pre-Season Prediction 8 Seed.
  3. Thunder (37-20) – It has been the play of Paul George and not Russell Westbrook that has propelled OKC beyond expectations. Perhaps the only team in the West to have shot at the Ws, they would be wise to stay in the 2/3 Seeding to avoid the Ws until the Conference Finals. Pre-Season Prediction 6 Seed.
  4. Blazers (34-23) – Another feel good story behind another great campaign for Damian Lilliard, but does Rip City have enough to hold off the Rockets for home court advantage in their 1st round series? Pre-Season Prediction 7 Seed.
  5. Rockets (33-24) – It is really a miracle that Houston is even this high in the standings with major injuries to Capela and Paul. Capela is back, which should boost the defense and rebounding. However, the run James Harden was on however epic may have taken it out of him for the playoffs. Not sure the Rockets can even get past the Blazers let alone the Ws. Pre-Season Prediction 2 Seed.
  6. Jazz (32-25) – The Jazz are still a great defensive team, but their lack of offensive consistency has cost them plenty of games. Playoff basketball is different than the regular season, so they may be a team to watch. I think avoiding the Thunder would be in their best interest, though. Pre-Season Prediction 3 Seed.
  7. Spurs (33-26) – The Spurs continue to defy odds. They are in the playoffs again at this point despite getting older each year. Now, the bottom of the West is as tight as the East with the Clips, Kings and Lakers within 4 games of each other. Pre-Season Prediction – No Playoffs.
  8. Clippers (32-27) – The Clips hold the 8 spot, but rumors of tanking are afoot. The Harris trade showed that, and I would expect the Clips to miss the playoffs. The Kings are the likely team to jump up only 1 game back of the Clips, and it is hard to see how Lebron will not even be in the playoffs with the Lakers. It is more likely that the Kings and Lakers squeak in than the Spurs and Clips hold on. Pre-Season Prediction – No Playoffs.

Major Storylines for the Rest of the Regular Season

Could Leborn Miss the Playoffs?
  • Lebron and Lakers – Lebron made this big move to come to LA. Magic rolled out the red carpet, but the debacle at the trade deadline with Anthony Davis and the belittling of the young Lakers does not bode well for a playoff run. I think the smart money is for Lebron to miss his first NBA Finals in almost a decade, but the real gambler is betting against Lebron to take this team to the playoffs to face the Ws in Round 1. Fascinating.
  • Tanking Teams – Not sure if this changes with the Zion Williamson injury last night, but there are 3 teams that are in position to get the 1st pick in the NBA Draft – Suns, Knicks and Cleveland. The Bulls are a couple games off the pace and still have a shot. It will be interesting to see how these teams gently try to lose to increase their chances at Zion.
  • Beasts of the East – The final positions in the East may not matter as much as who will get hot in the East. To me, the West is almost won by Golden State, so the real interest is can the Bucks, Raptors, Celtics and Sixers differentiate themselves to the point where we will have a quality NBA Finals. I still like the Celtics due to Brad Stevens and the roster, but perhaps, Kwahi is the key to this. He has the NBA Finals ring and MVP and the Raptors are the hungriest of all. Giannis is incredible, but that team is not as deep as the other East squads. This to me is the best storyline remaining.

Alright, buckle up for a furious finish. I’ll check back in for the Playoff Preview in April.

Wegs

About the author

I'm a 49 year old, twice divorced guy with a 20 year old. The blog has morphed a bit lately. Not just sports or dating, social commentary and now some stories from my past experience.