The New Playoff Picture

February 28th, 2011

Michael Blasko

Posted in NBA Playoffs

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Now that the trade deadline has passed and the NBA landscape has been shaken up, it’s time to re-evaluate the playoff contenders. Here are my new predictions for how the playoff picture will look come April:

Eastern Conference

Although they won’t beat them in a seven-game series, the Miami Heat will almost definitely pass up the Celtics for first place in the East. With the Hinrich upgrade, the Hawks are going to leapfrog Orlando for the fourth position. Although they will gain ground with Carmelo, I don’t think the Knicks will catch up to Atlanta or Orlando, leaving them with a tough first-round matchup with the Bulls. And I debated for a while whether a flailing Indiana, struggling Milwaukee, or barely-breathing Charlotte team would grab the last spot. Then I realized it didn’t matter – none of them have a chance at beating the Heat, so I stuck with the current #8, Indiana.

First-Round Playoff Matchups

1. Miami Heat
8. Indiana Pacers

4. Atlanta Hawks
5. Orlando Magic

3. Chicago Bulls
6. New York Knicks

2. Boston Celtics
7. Philadelphia 76ers

Western Conference

Denver and Utah have pretty much dropped out of the playoff hunt, opening up two more spots in the West. Memphis will almost definitely sneak in, while Phoenix will hold off a depleted Houston team for that last spot. The only other change I see is a stronger Portland team jumping New Orleans for fifth place, setting up a Northwest Division face-off with the Thunder.

First-Round Playoff Matchups

1. San Antonio Spurs
8. Phoenix Suns

4. Oklahoma City Thunder
5. Portland Trailblazers

3. LA Lakers
6. New Orleans Hornets

2. Dallas Mavericks
7. Memphis Grizzlies

P.S.: As of February 27, the Spurs, Mavs, Celtics, and Heat are all on pace to win 60 or more games, and the Lakers and Bulls aren’t far behind. The only time four teams have hit that mark in the same year was in 1998, when the Supersonics, Jazz, Lakers, and Bulls all reached it.