As the regular season dwindles down, the postseason anticipation builds. Five teams have already secured their spot in the Eastern Conference playoffs: The Milwaukee Bucks, Toronto Raptors, Boston Celtics, Philadelphia 76ers, and Indiana Pacers.
With only three spots left and five teams vying for the openings, two will be outsiders looking out. The lottery will be no consolation either, as this year’s draft is said to lack depth outside of the top picks.
The Detroit Pistons, Brooklyn Nets, Miami Heat, Orlando Magic, and Charlotte Hornets are all still in the hunt to secure a seed. But who will make the big stage, and who will be watching with the rest of the fans?
The top five seeds already solidified their place in the postseason. The race between the five remaining teams is a close one, separated only by 4.5 games. The Pistons and Nets occupy the sixth and seventh seed. The Miami Heat cling onto the eighth seed for a date with the Bucks, while the Magic and Hornets fight to get in positioning.
Based on the strength of their remaining schedules, it appears that Miami will drop off in favor of Orlando. Here’s why.
In: The Detroit Pistons
Current record: 39-38
Record Over the Last 10 Games: 5-5
The Pistons have two tough upcoming games against the Pacers and Thunder. Both teams have made the playoffs and could use Detroit to build up momentum, as both teams have beaten the MoTown bunch this season already.
Outside of those two, the Pistons must come out on top in three matchups against sub-.500 teams: The Hornets, The Knicks, and The Grizzlies. The Hornets’ playoff hunt should be finished by this time, so look for the Pistons to win 2-3 more games in order to secure their spot in the postseason.
In: The Brooklyn Nets
Current record: 39-39
Record over Last 10 Games: 4-6
The Nets have four games remaining, but all are against teams who are currently in the playoff picture.
They play the one-seeded Bucks, two-seeded Toronto, and the fifth seeded Pacers. They play the Heat, who are sitting in the eighth seed, in their final game of the season, one that will seemingly determine playoff seeding for the two.
The Nets have not beaten the Bucks the entire season, but they have managed to beat each other remaining team once. Look for their competitive spirit to allow them to pull out two games and secure their spot in the playoffs.
Out: The Miami Heat
Current Record: 38-39
Record Over the Last 10 Games: 6-4
As much as everyone would love to see Father Prime Dwyane Wade lace up for a final postseason run with the Heat, they face a difficult schedule ahead of them compared to the Orlando Magic, who are a half game behind them in the standings.
The Heat play five more games, four of which come against teams currently in playoff seeding. They play the Celtics, Timberwolves, Raptors, 76ers, and Nets.
While their postseason experience may pay off with execution in this last stretch, it isn’t hard to see the Heat dropping games to the Celtics, 76ers, and Raptors. They stand a stronger chance of taking down the inexperienced Nets, and should pick up a win off of the dysfunctional Timberwolves.
In: The Orlando Magic
Current Record: 38-40
Record Over the Last 10 Games: 7-3
The Magic have the easiest schedule left, with only the Celtics fixed in playoff positioning. They face the Hawks, the Knicks, and the Hornets outside of that matchup.
The Knicks have no incentive to win or lose: They are locked into the bottom three teams with equal odds for the #1 overall draft pick. Former Magic Guard Mario Hezonja may look to stand out against his old squad. On top of this, The Hornets are currently reeling their way out of contention for the postseason.
With the Heat facing off against playoff caliber competition, the Magic will need to execute down the stretch to bring the first playoffs to Orlando since Dwight Howard’s departure.
Out: The Charlotte Hornets
Current Record: 35-42
Record Over the Last 10 Games: 5-5
Losers of the last three, the Hornets must win four of their remaining five games to have a shot at the playoffs, and even that likely would not be enough as other teams currently seeded would have to lose the majority of their matchups.
In their final games, The Hornets play the Cavs, Pelicans, Pistons, Raptors, and Magic. While the Cavs and Pelicans matchups may result in Hornets wins, it is harder to see them snatching victories away from playoff hopefuls like the Pistons or Magic. The Raptors would prove to be a tough game for the Hornets as well.
All this being said, it appears that the Hornets will have to wait until next season for a chance at the Larry O’Brien Trophy.
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