4 NBA playoff races that will determine postseason picture in final week of season

The NBA had a pretty good weekend. A new CBA was agreed to between the NBPA and the Governors, guaranteeing labor peace through a new television rights deal and for almost the rest of this decade. That should be celebrated - strikes and lockouts can stymie momentum, especially for a league that is very much in the running to be America’s clear No. 2 professional sport (behind the NFL, who isn’t getting caught any time soon).

That is, if they aren’t already there.

But another reason the league had a wonderful Friday through Sunday is the insanity that is the standings - especially in the Western Conference - has been kept at a level 10 crazy for a sustained amount of time. The play-in tournament, enabling teams in the hunt for not just the top-8 but top-10 seeds in the NBA Playoffs, has had the desired affect that was the goal when the plan was implemented several years ago.

Make the conclusion of the league’s trudge of a regular season more meaningful.

From the top of both conferences to the No. 10 seed race, there are more teams with something to play for than ever before. In the Western Conference, only three of the 15 teams are eliminated from the postseason - the San Antonio Spurs, Portland Trail Blazers, and Houston Rockets. The Eastern Conference is a bit more clear - the top-10 are the top-10, more than likely - but where the teams end up is pretty up in the air almost across the board.

Jockeying for position will be the name of the game for two-thirds of the NBA in these final days. Instead of chasing lottery odds, more teams than ever before are interested in competing for a shot at a postseason field that feels more wide-open than it has been in some time.

Here are some of the biggest storylines to watch in the next several days around the NBA.

When the Dallas Mavericks made their trade for Kyrie Irving, surely this is not what they had in mind. But since the NBA’s Trade Deadline, the Mavericks have looked more like an NBA Draft Lottery squad than they have a playoff team. And thanks to their 7-13 record from February 9th on, that is exactly where Dallas is heading as of now.

The NBA Draft Lottery. With Luka Doncic on the roster.

Now context matters. Kyrie and Luka both have missed extended periods of time for a variety of reasons. But with multiple key role players shipped out in the Irving deal, Dallas has missed the depth and versatility that once was more prevalent in their rotations. Combine that with the coaching misadventures of Jason Kidd, and there are a lot of frustrated Mavericks fans.

Luka Doncic isn’t going anywhere. But Kyrie Irving will be a free agent this summer. If the Mavericks gave up assets and roster depth just to let Kyrie walk and frustrate potentially the next LeBron James, this transaction may wind up being one of the biggest blunders in Dallas history.

Perhaps it already is?

In both the Eastern and Western Conferences, there is varying degrees of drama around who will be the top-three seeds in the playoffs. The Denver Nuggets out west are a bit more solidified in their placement atop the standings. The Memphis Grizzlies could theoretically catch them still for the No. 1 seed, but given how inconsistent Memphis has been the last month it seems more likely than Sacramento catches the Grizzlies for No. 2 than Memphis gets No. 1 from Denver.

And since the Kings just lost to the Spurs...maybe the top-3 out west is set after all.

In the Eastern Conference, things are a bit tighter. The Milwaukee Bucks are in the pole position for the No. 1 seed, but the Boston Celtics are within shouting distance of the top spot. While it is likely not a priority for Boston, at least between their roster and experience the likelihood of catching Milwaukee seems more likely.

Chances are things stay exactly as they are. But there is still potential for movement late in the season.

As of this writing, the Los Angeles Lakers are firmly in the play-in mix. The current No. 7 seed in the Western Conference would host the New Orleans Pelicans in the play-in’s 7-8 match-up (Anthony Davis against his old team? Yes please) for the right to face (likely) the Memphis Grizzlies in the first round of the NBA Playoffs. But beyond where the Lakers currently are is the fact that they, more than any other team, personify just how wild this season’s final week could be.

Say the Lakers get hot. They are within two games of the No. 5 seed out west, meaning they could avoid the play-in entirely and take on the Phoenix Suns in what would be a pretty high-profile first round series. But between two Utah Jazz games, a showdown with the Suns and a “road” game against the Clippers, there is a possibility the Lakers lose more than they win and could slide to the No. 9 or No. 10 seed.

Within one week, LeBron’s Lakers could be either a top-5 team in the Western Conference or on the verge of missing the postseason entirely. More likely than not, L.A. stays right around where they are. But the variance from a night to night/game to game basis is noteworthy.

Don’t look now, but the defending NBA champions seem to have righted the ship. Sunday night had Steph Curry’s squad in a competitive showdown with the No. 1 seeded Denver Nuggets (although MVP candidate Nikola Jokic did not play) in Denver, meaning the Warriors had a strong showing on the road.

This is something they haven’t done all season. And in order to do something no NBA Finals contender has ever done - have such a poor road record and yet still being the title mix - they must answer those questions as much as possible.

Will teams try to avoid a 1st round matchup with the Warriors? Time will tell. In all likelihood, squads like the Grizzlies and Kings are far more concerned with their own health and rest than where an opposing team may be. But while Memphis may embrace their rivalry with the Warriors, and the Kings are thrilled to just be in the playoffs for the first time in over a decade, if you gave either franchise truth serum they’d likely admit they’d rather not have to put Curry and the Golden State crew out until absolutely necessary.

The Warriors will most likely be in the playoffs - not the play-in. But who will they face in the first round? That answer will dictate the direction of the postseason.

There is a lot to play for, even now as several squads make their vacation plans. Playoff seeding. Load management/minute restrictions. Simply getting a spot at the play-in. It all adds up to what should be a fascinating week of basketball in the NBA.

The weekend was good for basketball fans. And things should continue to get better.