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NBA Playoff Picture 2023: Updated Play-In Standings, Predictions After All-Star Break
FEBRUARY 25, 2023
The NBA returns from the All-Star break Thursday with nine games.
All 30 teams have played at least 57 games. While a handful of teams are safe assumptions to make the playoffs, the most intriguing races will involve the bottom of the postseason bracket and the play-in tournament.
The Western Conference is a jumbled mess behind the Denver Nuggets and Memphis Grizzlies in the top two spots. The gap between the Sacramento Kings at No. 3 and Los Angeles Lakers at No. 13 is only six games.
As teams prepare for the stretch run, here are the standings for both conferences and predictions for what will happen over the next six weeks.
Eastern Conference Standings
Boston Celtics (42-17)
Milwaukee Bucks (41-17, 0.5 GB)
Philadelphia 76ers (38-19, 3 GB)
Cleveland Cavaliers (38-23, 5 GB)
Brooklyn Nets (34-24, 7.5 GB)
New York Knicks (33-27, 9.5 GB)
Miami Heat (32-27, 10 GB)
Atlanta Hawks (29-30, 13 GB)
Washington Wizards (28-30, 13.5 GB)
Toronto Raptors (28-31, 14 GB)
Chicago Bulls (26-33, 16 GB)
Indiana Pacers (26-34, 16.5 GB)
Orlando Magic (24-35, 18 GB)
Charlotte Hornets (17-43, 25.5 GB)
Detroit Pistons (15-44, 27 GB)
Western Conference Standings
Denver Nuggets (41-18)
Memphis Grizzlies (35-22, 5 GB)
Sacramento Kings (32-25, 8 GB)
Los Angeles Clippers (33-28, 9 GB)
Phoenix Suns (32-28, 9.5 GB)
Dallas Mavericks (31-29, 10.5 GB)
New Orleans Pelicans (30-29, 11 GB)
Minnesota Timberwolves (31-30, 11 GB)
Golden State Warriors (29-29, 11.5 GB)
Oklahoma City Thunder (28-29, 12 GB)
Utah Jazz (29-31, 12.5 GB)
Portland Trail Blazers (28-30, 12.5 GB)
Los Angeles Lakers (27-32, 14 GB)
San Antonio Spurs (14-45, 27 GB)
Houston Rockets (13-45, 27.5 GB)
Standings via NBA.com. Top six teams in each conference make playoffs; teams 7-10 make play-in tournament.
Lakers Won't Make Play-In Tournament
Despite the overreaction in some corners to the Lakers' 120-102 win over the New Orleans Pelicans with their new-look lineup Feb. 15, it's hard to take them seriously until we see exactly what they will be.
The main argument in favor of the Lakers' making the play-in tournament is having two superstar players and the sixth-easiest remaining strength of schedule.
But the Lakers before the All-Star break had two superstar players, yet they went 27-32 in 59 games.
Anthony Davis is healthy after missing 24 games before the break, but his list of injuries over the past three seasons suggests something bad could happen at any moment. LeBron James sat out three games with a sore left foot after breaking the NBA's all-time scoring record Feb. 7.
The foot issue was enough of a problem that the Lakers sent James to get a scan that came back clear. He played in the win over the Pelicans, finishing with 21 points, six rebounds and six assists in 29 minutes.
Adding D'Angelo Russell, Malik Beasley, Rui Hachimura and Jarred Vanderbilt before the trade deadline also increases the Lakers' margin of error.
Their first seven games out of the All-Star break will go a long way toward determining where this team ends up. They play the Grizzlies and Golden State Warriors twice as well as the Dallas Mavericks, Oklahoma City Thunder and Minnesota Timberwolves.
Each of those games is against a Western Conference team either in the playoffs or play-in tournament based on the standings.
The Thunder could be the most vulnerable team from that group because recent history suggests they are more than happy to try some roster shenanigans to tank and improve their position in the draft lottery.
These Aren't the Same Old Warriors
It could be argued the Warriors are actually the most vulnerable team among the Western Conference clubs in the play-in tournament.
At least the Thunder have their best player, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, healthy and available. The Warriors will be without Stephen Curry for at least one more week as he continues to recover from a knee injury that has kept him out for the past five games.
Even if Curry returns and plays like he did before the injury, it's time to accept the 2022-23 Warriors aren't at the same level they were when they won the championship last season.
Things have been so bad on defense that Draymond Green called out the team following a 134-124 loss to the Los Angeles Clippers on Feb. 14.
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