About 11 teams are already destined for the lottery, leaving eight teams in the East and West trying not to make up one of the three remaining spots.
Lottery locks
1. Philadelphia (9-61)—I still believe in Joel Embiid.
2. Los Angeles Lakers (14-55)—Essentially locked into owning the second most ping-pong balls, it’s nice to know that coach Byron Scott is finally ready to let the youngsters play through struggles.
3. Brooklyn (19-50)—Through nine games in March, Brooklyn’s Sean Kilpatrick is averaging 13.6 points (50.6 FG, 50.0 3Pt, 90.9 3Pt) and two three-pointers in 21.4 minutes per game. He only has five assists, but he’s also committed just six turnovers. Kilpatrick may be undersized for the two at 6-4, but he’s strong and boasts a 6-7 wingspan. Nets’ new GM Sean Marks is off to a good start, and he’ll need to be creative given the lack of draft picks.
4. Phoenix (19-50)—The Suns have won four of the last 10 games. The Lakers and Celtics thank them kindly.
5. Minnesota (22-47)—This team started the season 8-8, but wins have been hard to come by since. Still, Karl-Anthony Towns looks like a lock to be the league’s best center for the foreseeable future, Zach LaVine is electric, and Andrew Wiggins hasn’t even scratched the surface of his potential.
6.New Orleans (26-43)—The Pelicans aren’t going to play dead for the final 12 games of the season, but a winning streak is always less likely when Anthony Davis is down.
7. Sacramento (27-42) At a loss for words.
8. New York (28-43) I’m not sure when it happened, but Lou Amundsun got a haircut.
9. Denver (29-41)—The Nuggets had a solid win against Charlotte on Saturday, and Denver is 6-4 in the last 10 games.
10. Orlando (29-40)—Victor Oladipo had a career-high 45 points Friday versus the Cavaliers.
11. Milwaukee (30-40)—John Henson is back, and he’s feeling well enough to mess with Memphis’ Matt Barnes.
Playoff Picture
East
- Indiana (36-33) Paul George and the Pacers would have to be pretty disappointed if they somehow slip out of the playoff race. Given the cupcake schedule, I’d be very surprised if Indy falls flat in the final 13 games.
- Chicago (35-33) The Bulls’ road ahead is pretty open, at least over the next six days. Chicago plays New York (twice) plus Sacramento and Orlando. Four wins would increase the team’s streak to six, and the Bulls could have a firm hold on a playoff spot by Sunday morning.
- Detroit (36-34) The schedule down the stretch is unforgiving, and the Pistons will have to be nearly perfect against the teams they are supposed to beat in order to pass Chicago. Seven days ago Detroit was in the driver’s seat. Things change quickly.
- Washington (34-35) The Wizards have won four straight, and face the Hawks twice before taking on the Timberwolves and Lakers to end the week. Anything less than a 2-2 split and they can start thinking about where to go on vacation in a month.
West
- Portland (36-35) There are enough tough tasks sprinkled in during the last 11 games that calling the Trail Blazers playoff locks would be foolish. The team has off until Wednesday’s rematch with the Mavericks, but Portland plays the Clippers the very next night, with games against the Celtics, Heat, Warriors, and Thunder on the horizon.
- Houston (35-35) If the Rockets can survive the next eight games, which features matchups versus the Cavaliers, Raptors, Jazz, Pacers, Bulls, Mavericks, and two bouts with the Thunder, the last four contests are against the Suns, Lakers, Timberwolves, and Kings.
- Dallas (35-35) Dirk Nowitzki is still putting in work at age 37, doing everything that he can to carry the Mavericks to the postseason. Quick rematches with the Trail Blazers and Warriors loom on Wednesday and Friday.
- Utah (34-36) The Jazz are right in the thick of things despite an injury-plagued season. The team’s next game is against the Rockets, and their final one of the season is versus the Mavericks. Something tells me the results of those two battles might ultimately determine Utah’s fate.
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