It's that time of year again. Time to get out the old crystal ball and take a look at how this year's playoff races are going to shake out. (Of course, if the crystal ball were so good it would be in Las Vegas, but that's another story). Keep in mind, this is an inexact science. It's impossible to know how injuries and the desire of some teams to rest starters (and others to add Ping Pong balls) can come into play between now and April 18, the final day of the regular season. But based on the way these teams have been playing of late, and the remainder of the schedule, here's one educated guess as to how it will break down:
| Eastern Conference Seed Report |
| Seeded teams |
| 1 |
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Detroit Pistons (48-27)
Games remaining:
7 (4H, 3A)
Crystal ball says:
They lose one on the road (among games at New York, at Toronto and at Boston) and one at home (among Cavs, Magic, Sixers and Raptors).
Projected finish:
5-2; final record: 53-29.
The skinny:
They've all but locked up the top seed in the East, which means they can start looking ahead to the Magic or Nets. They're 4-0 vs. the Nets this season, 3-0 vs. the Magic so far.
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| 8 |
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Orlando Magic (34-41)
Games remaining:
7 (3H, 4A)
Crystal ball says:
They lose two on the road (among games at Milwaukee, at Detroit, at Philadelphia and at Washington) and one at home (among Grizzlies, Celtics and Heat).
Projected finish:
4-3; final record: 38-44.
The skinny:
They're so up and down they could yet blow this spot to the Pacers. Most likely they will have enough to get in the backdoor. Either way, it will be a brief postseason stay for Dwight Howard & Co.
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| 2 |
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Cleveland Cavaliers (45-30)
Games remaining:
7 (4H, 3A)
Crystal ball says:
They lose one on the road (among games at Washington, at Detroit and at Philadelphia) and one at home (among Heat, Nets, Hawks and Bucks)
Projected finish:
5-2; final record: 50-32.
The skinny:
They should be able to hold off Chicago for the No. 2 spot, so long as LeBron James' knee tendinitis doesn't become too serious. If so, they would be in good shape since they would be able to avoid Detroit until the conference finals.
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| 7 |
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New Jersey Nets (35-39)
Games remaining:
8 (3H, 5A)
Crystal ball says:
They lose two on the road (among games at Chicago, at Washington, at Cleveland, at Indiana and at New York) and one at home (among Wizards, Knicks and Bulls).
Projected finish:
5-3; final record: 40-42.
The skinny:
With Jason Kidd, Vince Carter and Richard Jefferson, they could be a dangerous playoff opponent. They are 1-1 this season against the Cavs (with one to play) and 2-0 against the Bulls (with two to play).
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| 3 |
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Miami Heat (40-34)
Games remaining:
8 (4H, 4A)
Crystal ball says:
They lose two on the road (among games at Cleveland, at Boston, at Charlotte and at Orlando) and one at home (among Bobcats, Wizards, Pacers and Celtics)
Projected finish:
5-3; final record: 45-37.
The skinny:
Even if Dwyane Wade doesn't come back until the last two games, the Heat should catch Toronto for this spot (they own the tiebreaker over the Raptors). Given their history against the Wizards, it all sets up nicely for the defending champs.
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| 6 |
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Washington Wizards (39-35)
Games remaining:
8 (4H, 4A)
Crystal ball says:
They lose three on the road (among games at New Jersey, at Miami, at Atlanta and at Indiana) and three at home (among Cavs, Nets, Bulls and Magic)
Projected finish:
2-6; final record: 41-41.
The skinny:
Their once-promising season took a dismal turn with the loss of injured All-Stars Caron Butler and Gilbert Arenas. They should be able to hang on long enough to make the playoffs -- but that's about it.
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| 4 |
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Toronto Raptors (42-33)
Games remaining:
7 (4H, 3A)
Crystal ball says:
They lose two on the road (among games at Philadelphia, at Minnesota and at Detroit) and two at home (among Bulls, Pistons, Knicks and Sixers)
Projected finish:
3-4; final record: 45-37
The skinny:
They would love to finish third and have a shot at home court advantage. But with injuries to Jorge Garbajosa and Andrea Bargnani, it probably won't happen. That means opening up against the Bulls (or Cavs) on the road in the first round.
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| 5 |
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Chicago Bulls (45-31)
Games remaining:
6 (3H, 3A)
Crystal ball says:
They lose one on the road (among games at Toronto, at Washington and at New Jersey) and one at home (among Nets, Knicks and Bobcats)
Projected finish:
4-2; final record: 49-33.
The skinny:
They could still get the No. 2 spot -- they own the tiebreaker right now over the Cavs by virtue of their superior division record. Having to go through Toronto, Detroit and then Cleveland/Miami to get to the Finals would be brutal.
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Still in the hunt
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Indiana Pacers (32-42)
Games remaining:
8 (3H, 5A)
Crystal ball says:
They lose two on the road (among games at Charlotte, at Philadelphia, at Milwaukee, at Miami and at Atlanta) and one at home (among Celtics, Nets or Wizards)
Projected finish:
5-3; final record: 37-45.
The skinny:
The only way they get in is if the Magic suffer a total collapse.
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New York Knicks (31-43)
Games remaining:
8 (3H, 5A)
Crystal ball says:
They lose three on the road (among games at Milwaukee, at Chicago, at New Jersey, at Toronto and at Charlotte) and two at home (among T'Wolves, Pistons and Nets)
Projected finish:
3-5; final record: 34-48.
The skinny:
Good thing Isiah Thomas got that contract extension when he did.
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| Western Conference Seed Report |
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