The NBA’s late-season playoff hunts are underway, with teams strategising for optimal playoff success. While the top seed and home-court advantage throughout the playoffs were once the primary goals, the emergence of load management and the play-in tournament has changed team priorities.
A top-six seed is now highly coveted to bypass the play-in, though Miami’s 2023 Finals run after going through the play-in shows anything is possible. Several teams are focused on securing specific seeds to set themselves up for a deep playoff run in April.
Western Conference Top Four Battle
The Oklahoma City Thunder and the Spurs are almost certain to remain in the top two seeds in the West. The Suns, Warriors, Clippers and Trail Blazers are nearly locked into the play-in spots, though their order is not yet determined.
A four-team race remains for the two remaining first-round home-court advantage spots. One team has a 55% chance at a top-four seed.
Houston’s Playoff Push
Houston wins games by an average of plus-4.7 points, with a league-leading plus-4.1 of that coming solely from its offensive rebounding. The Rockets are also good in transition offense, getting plus-3.4 net points per game, ranking No. 7 in the NBA.
However, they also turn it over a lot, 15.7 times per game, the most of any team currently in playoff position. The Rockets are top seven on defense.
There are some concerns about Houston. Some observers use words such as “ugly,” “ill-fitting” and “disconnected” when watching them play.
Key Games Ahead
The Rockets have some critical games coming up. These include two games against the Lakers (March 16 and 18), two games against the Wolves (March 25, April 10) and a game against Denver on Wednesday.
The playoff races will continue to heat up as teams jockey for position. Teams hope to avoid tankful teams such as Washington, Utah, Sacramento, Chicago, Dallas, Memphis, and Indiana.