Who are your 2020 conference candidates?

Three days after the 2019-20 NBA season ends, the play-offs begin – precisely April 19 which is about six weeks from now. The opening round of the playoffs will last just over a week, with the Conference Semifinals scheduled to begin on April 30 – May 1. Depending on how long the first-round series last, the Conference Semifinals could commence a couple of days earlier, on April 28-29. The Conference Finals are set for May 15-16, with a possible move up to May 13-14. The 2020 NBA Finals will then begin on June 5.

The top eight teams in both the Western Conference and Eastern Conference will qualify for the playoffs. Each team will be seeded based on their record and matched up in the first round with a team in their conference based on the following format: 1 vs. 8, 2 vs. 7, 3 vs. 6 and 4 vs. 5.

We are taking a look at a few teams on the bubble and make some early NBA predictions on whether they will make the 2020 NBA playoffs. It appears like the first seven seeds in each conference are looking comfortable, so it will just be about positioning for them. These NBA predictions will instead look at who will sneak in as the No. 8 seed in the Eastern and Western conference.

Washington Wizards.

If anyone is going to catch the Magic, it’s going to be the Washington Wizards. Shooting guard Bradley Beal has been on fire ever since finding out he didn’t make the NBA All-Star team, averaging 35.2 points, 5.7 assists on 49.8 percent shooting per game. The problem is, the Wizards are only 6-5 in those games. If the Wizards can’t pull off better than 6-5 with Beal playing so well, how are they going to catch the Magic? In addition, the Wizards have the fourth hardest strength of schedule left. The Wizards still have to face the Bucks three times along with the Los Angeles Lakers, Toronto Raptors and Boston Celtics amongst others. Washington deserves credit for still being in this thing after many thought they could be the worst team in the NBA this season, but let’s pass on them with our NBA playoff predictions.

Portland Trail Blazers.

Winners of six of their last 10 games, it looked like the Portland Trail Blazers were finally starting to turn things around. The Blazers had gotten arguably the best stretch of basketball of point guard Damian Lillard’s life just prior to the All-Star break. Lillard was averaging 37.9 points, 9.2 assists on 48.9 percent from 3-point range over his last 12 games. Then disaster struck as Lillard was diagnosed with a groin injury in the last game before the All-Star break and there is no time for his return. A case could be made for Portland to steal the final seed but with the Blazers being four back of Memphis and without a timetable for Lillard’s return means they are a risky pick.

Orlando Magic.

For the critics that say too many teams make the NBA playoffs, this year’s Eastern Conference race is a prime example. The Magic are 24-31, have lost 10 of their last 14 games and yet are sitting comfortably in the No. 8 spot, three games up on the next closest team. The Magic are second to last in the NBA in scoring, averaging 103.9 points per game. Only the Charlotte Hornets are worse. Keep in mind the NBA scoring average per game this season is 111.2 points. Jonathan Isaac hasn’t played since Jan. 1 with a bone contusion in his left knee. His return was a two-month expected recovery time and Isaac was looking like his offense was starting to catch up to his strong defensive skills before the injury. The Magic have the third easiest schedule down the stretch, with games against the Atlanta Hawks, New York Knicks, Cleveland Cavaliers and Minnesota Timberwolves (twice) still on the schedule. This Magic team still looks below average, but in the Eastern Conference this season, 37-38 wins should get you into a first-round matchup with the Milwaukee Bucks. Orlando looked destined to make it because the teams below them are not likely to get as many wins needed.

Memphis Grizzlies.

The Memphis Grizzlies have been one of the better surprises in the NBA this season. The Grizzlies have a great young core with Dillon Brooks, Ja Morant, Brandon Clarke and Jaren Jackson Jr. The Grizzlies currently possess the No. 8 seed out west with a 28-26 record and are up four games in the standings on No. 9 Portland. The negatives are with 28 games to go, the Grizzlies have the hardest schedule left in the NBA. The Grizzlies’ great young core has already played more games this season than they ever did in a college or high-school season. Memphis has a big lead and every team behind them has serious problems. This makes them prime candidate.

New Orleans Pelicans.

If any team is going to catch the Grizzlies out west, it’s going to be the New Orleans Pelicans. The Pelicans have been playing the best basketball of anyone we’re going to name here as New Orleans has won 16 of their last 25 games. Over that span, the Pelicans have been on fire scoring the ball, averaging 120.4 points per game on 47.7 percent shooting. The problem is how poorly the Pelicans started their season as they lost 22 of their first 28 games of the season. The team missed Zion Williamson, but it was their defense that really let them down, allowing 119.6 points per game in that span. What makes this race super interesting is the Pelicans have the easiest strength of schedule left in the entire NBA. Can they make it count? The Pelicans give us one of the few reasons to tune into the NBA the rest of the season before the NBA playoffs, as I expect them to make this a race, but the poor start will likely be the reason they miss out.

Chicago Bulls.

The Chicago Bulls were seen as a dark horse to make the NBA playoffs to start the year. The idea was the young players would take a step forward and the team would adjust to Jim Boylen’s style. However, that hasn’t happened as young players like Lauri Markkanen have regressed this season. Boylen has called out leading scorer Zach LaVine’s defensive effort in front of the media and Wendell Carter has missed a chunk of the season due to injuries, as he did last season. There were reports of a potential mutiny shortly after Boylen took over midseason a year ago and yet the Bulls still gave him a new contract and removed the interim tag from his job title. The Bulls are not likely to make the playoffs.  

It’s a wrap…..If you were to bet on one team, make it the Grizzlies to make the NBA playoffs. We’ve got you cover for all NBA games and more when the playoffs kickoff. Do not hesitate to visit our Sportshop Babaijebu.ng for all of our offerings for the 2019-20 NBA Season.