The Race To 8th

We're about one month away from the ultimate test of basketball fortitude - the NBA Playoffs. And though there are quite a few teams who have their Playoff ticket stamped, we also have those battling it out for the coveted final spot. In the East, Milwaukee is currently sitting at 8th, followed by five teams - all of which are two and a half games back or less. This blog post will be covering my predictions on who will get that final spot in the Eastern Conference and who, as EJ, Kenny and Charles would say, will be "goin' fishin'".

I will not cover the Western Conference because, in my professional opinion (cue laugh-track), the eight spots have all been determined with just the order left to question. Phoenix is the 9th seed and will not catch up as they have dug themselves a 4-game hole - one a tad too deep to get out of.

Let's get started....

Cleveland, Boston, Orlando, Atlanta and Miami are virtual locks. Detroit will most likely get in (if they can conveniently keep Iverson 'injured' just a few more weeks) as they are starting to hit their stride. The 76'ers are 33-31 and winners of their last three games. I have them in as well.

Then we move to the Milwaukee Bucks. It's hard to see them holding on to the 8th seed. They're gritty and determined, to be sure, but talent certainly helps and it's something that they simply do not have at the moment. Two of their three-best players, Michael Redd and Andrew Bogut, are both out for the season. In the hunt are the Chicago Bulls (30-37), New York Knicks (28-38), Charlotte Bobcats (29-38), New Jersey Nets (28-38) and Indiana Pacers (28-40).

The Indiana Pacers have a shot, despite public perception. They lack a legitimate 2nd-option scorer but are neither atrociously bad on defense (19th) or offense (19th). 11 of their final 14 games are at home where they are an impressive 19-12. I expect them to win about 8 of their final 14 games and finish with a record of 36-46. This may be enough to just squeeze into the playoffs.

The New York Knicks aren't quite as fortunate. They are one game ahead of the Pacers and just 1.5 games behind the Bucks for 8th, but play half of their remaining 16 games at home and half on the road. However, their competition is tough to say the least, including three match-ups with the Magic, along with games against Western Conference powerhouses such as the Hornets, Jazz and Nuggets. They are slightly above-average on offense (13th) but pretty bad on defense (23th). I predict about 7 more wins out of the Knicks this year, putting them at 35-47, and securely out of playoff contention.

The New Jersey Nets are in the midst of a three-game losing streak and are one of the rare teams who possess the same record on the road as at home (both 14-19). Looking at the rest of their schedule, the Nets play some of the league's elite teams. They will face the Cavaliers twice, the Lakers, the Magic and the Nuggets to name a few. Considering their recent woes, I see a 5-11 record which would get them to a 33-49 and out of the playoff race.

The Charlotte Bobcats are the 10th seed in the East. But don't let their sub-par record fool you. Ever since the mid-season deal that sent Jason Richardson to the Suns for forward Boris Diaw, they have played above .500 basketball. The 'Cats are an impressive 7-3 in their last 10 games. However, with just 15 games remaining in their unexpectedly non-sucky season, 9 of them are on the road. But on the bright side, the competition in these final 15 games is not what you'd call daunting with just two games being against the top-4 seeds in both conferences (one against the Lakers, the other against Boston). I'm actually calling an 8-7 finish to Charlotte's season, which would leave them with a 37-45 record, and ahead of my 36-46 record prediction for Indiana.

Lastly, we have the Chicago Bulls. They are 9th in the East and tied with Milwaukee for 8th. With the devastating injuries to the Bucks' stars, it is most likely Chicago's playoff spot to lose. They have 15 games remaining and 11 of which are at home, where they possess a 20-11 record. Better yet for Bulls fans, their remaining games are A) against fairly weak competition and B) against the teams they are battling with for that 8th seed. I expect a 9-6 finish, at worst, for Chicago which would leave them with a final record of 39-43.

My Eastern Conference Final Standings....

1. Cleveland Cavaliers
2. Orlando Magic (upset city, baby)
3. Boston Celtics
4. Atlanta Hawks
5. Miami Heat
6. Detroit Pistons
7. Philadelphia 76'ers
8. Chicago Bulls
--------------------------------
9. Charlotte Bobcats
10. Indiana Pacers
11. New York Knicks
12. Milwaukee Bucks
13. New Jersey Nets
14. Toronto Raptors
15. Washington Wizards (sigh...)