Of the 15 teams in the Western Conference, 13 remain alive with a chance to advance to the playoffs. The NBA decided to invite the top nine teams in each conference, plus any teams within four games of ninth place in the standings, to the “bubble” in Orlando. The season will continue with eight games to wrap up the regular season, followed by the traditional 16-team bracket that will lead to a champion. At the end of the eight games, if the ninth seed is within a couple games of the eighth seed, they will play a best-of-three series for the last seed in each conference. The eighth seed will have the advantage of starting the series with a 1-0 lead. Thinking about doing some NBA betting on the restarted Basketball season? Don’t miss our thoughts about some of the Western Conference squads.
NBA News: 2020 Betting Predictions for the Western Conference
Western Conference |
||
| Seed | Team | Record |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | L.A. Lakers* | 49-14 |
| 2 | L.A. Clippers* | 44-20 |
| 3 | Denver Nuggets* | 43-22 |
| 4 | Utah Jazz* | 41-23 |
| 5 | OKC Thunder* | 40-24 |
| 6 | Houston Rockets* | 40-24 |
| 7 | Dallas Mavericks | 40-27 |
| 8 | Memphis Grizzlies | 32-33 |
| 9 | Portland Trail Blazers | 29-37 |
| 10 | New Orleans Pelicans | 28-36 |
| 11 | San Antonio Spurs | 27-36 |
| 12 | San Antonio Spurs | 27-36 |
| 13 | Phoenix Suns | 26-39 |
Eastern Conference |
||
| Seed | Team | Record |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Milwaukee Bucks* | 53-12 |
| 2 | Toronto Raptors* | 46-18 |
| 3 | Boston Celtics* | 43-21 |
| 4 | Miami Heat* | 41-24 |
| 5 | Indiana Pacers* | 39-26 |
| 6 | Philadelphia 76ers* | 39-26 |
| 7 | Brooklyn Nets | 30-34 |
| 8 | Orlando Magic | 30-35 |
| 9 | Washington Wizards | 24-40 |
* clinched playoff spots, seeding subject to play
The Lakers will sweep their first-round series
The Lakers have a 5 ½-game lead over the Clippers in the West, so they should hold onto that top seed through the eight-game conclusion to the regular season. The club lost Avery Bradley, who opted out of play in the bubble, but they have brought in J.R. Smith to replace him. The Lakers do have the third toughest schedule over the next eight games. However, they should get an opening round against the likes of Memphis or Portland, which is a lot easier first series than a start against Dallas, Houston or Oklahoma City. The Lakers also don’t have a lot of worries with respect to injury or COVID-19 diagnosis to this point. Their problems, if they emerge, would have more to do with strategy. The Lakers are significantly worse with Rajon Rondo on the floor, for example. Is coach Frank Vogel willing to risk irritating the notoriously mercurial point guard by leaving him on the bench for extended periods of time? So while the Lakers
L.A. Lakers | Check the Odds
The Clippers will come out of the West
The Western Conference finals would feature the two Los Angeles teams if seedings hold. The Clippers lead Denver by just 1 ½ games, and the August 12 matchup between the two teams would determine the tiebreaker. If seedings hold, the Clippers would open the playoffs against a Dallas team that has proven dangerous on offense, thanks to Luka Doncic and Kristaps Porzingis, but maddeningly inconsistent on defense. Lou Williams will miss two of the eight seeding games because he left the bubble on Friday, putting himself in a 10-day quarantine. Even though the Lakers have the easier first round, the Clippers have the best full-strength and playoff-roster ratings, according to FiveThirtyEight.com, and I see them frustrating LeBron enough in those conference finals for the Clippers to advance.
L.A. Clippers | Check the Odds
Mike D’Antoni has coached his last game in Houston
The Rockets will finish their season in Orlando, of course, and D’Antoni’s future hangs heavily on the outcome of the bubble. He convinced management to send Clint Capela to Atlanta, making “small ball” the path forward for the Rockets. Opponents had largely figured it out before the COVID-19 shutdown, sending the Rockets into a tailspin. You don’t need a traditional center to win a title (in fact, a traditional center can slow you down), but you need a rim defender, and it’s hard to say that Houston has one now. Once the three-balls stop falling (and they will — remember that 0 for 27 against Golden State in 2018?) this team is done, and D’Antoni will look to peddle his offense somewhere else.
Houston Rockets | Check the Odds
