Closest, Craziest Race for Conference Seedings
By Teodoro Medina Reynoso
PhilBoxing.com
Sun, 10 Mar 2024
The 2023-24 NBA season could go down as the closest, craziest race for playoff seedings in both the Eastern and Western conferences with barely twenty games left in the regular season.
In the East, despite Boston seemingly poised as runaway topnotches baring a major slump, two teams: Cleveland and Milwaukee are locked in a race for the 2nd and 3rd seeding.
Meanwhile, the next five teams- New York, Orlando, Miami, Philadelphia and Indiana which are separated by no more than two games among themselves will still battle for the 4th, 5th and 6th places for automatic slot in the playoffs.
The two teams that will drop off and hence become the 7th and 8th placed teams will join #9 and #10 placed teams, either Chicago or Atlanta in the play-in tournament to determine the real 7th and 8th seeds.
Under the play-in tournament format, #7 and #8 play against each other with the higher rated team enjoying the homecourt advantage with the winner getting #7 seeding. The loser will play the winner between #9 and# 10 for the remaining #8 slot.
Only when the final eight seedings are determined that the playoffs will commence with #1 meeting #8, #2 vs #7, #3 vs #6 and #4 going up against #5.
The situation in the West is much more complicated with four teams- OKC, Minnesota, Denver and LA Clippers having a shot at #1 seeding. The laggards of course become #2, #3 and #4 in their order of finish.
The next four namely New Orleans, Sacramento, Phoenix and Dallas will scramble for the automatic #5 and 6 seedings The laggard two teams will play to determine the #7 seed. The loser will play the winner between the last two teams in contention in this case LA Lakers or Golden State for the final 8th seeding.
As in the East, the actual playoffs, best of seven in format with the higher placed teams getting the homecourt advantage, will commence when the final eight seedings in the West have been determined.
The author Teodoro Medina Reynoso is a veteran boxing radio talk show host living in the Philippines. He can be reached at teddyreynoso@yahoo.com and by phone 09215309477.
Click here to view a list of other articles written by Teodoro Medina Reynoso.
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