NBA Playoffs: Race for Eighth in the West

Can the “German Moses” bring back the Mavs from playoff oblivion? By Keith Allison, via Wikimedia Commons

As the NBA season winds down, pretty much every playoff spot has been filled with just seeding left to be determined. The 8th playoff spot in the Western Conference is the lone exception. It’s a battle between four teams, the Los Angeles Lakers, Utah Jazz, Dallas Mavericks and Portland Trailblazers. Shockingly, two of the last three champions are on this list fighting for the bottom of the playoff standings. It’s been a tough year for all these teams with poor play and injuries, especially the Lakers and Mavericks. The Mavericks were missing former finals MVP Dirk Nowitzki early in the season and now with him, the team is clicking on all cylinders at the right time. The Lakers, on the other hand, have had a very Jekyll and Hyde type of season, battling through countless injuries and a coaching change. All excuses aside, these teams still have a chance to make the playoffs with fewer than ten games left in the season. Here is a look at each team’s upcoming schedules as the season comes to an end:

Utah Jazz (Current #8 seed): vs. Portland, vs. Denver, vs. New Orleans, at Golden State, vs. Oklahoma City, vs. Minnesota, at Minnesota, at Memphis

Los Angeles Lakers (1/2 game back): vs. Dallas, vs. Memphis, at the Clippers, vs. New Orleans, at Portland, vs. Golden State, vs. San Antonio, vs. Houston

Dallas Mavericks (1 1/2 games back): at Lakers, at Denver, at Sacramento, at Portland, vs. Phoenix, vs. Denver, at New Orleans, vs. Memphis, vs. New Orleans

Portland Trailblazers (4 1/2 games back): at Utah, vs. Memphis, vs. Houston, vs. Dallas, vs. Lakers, vs. Oklahoma City, at Denver, at Clippers, vs. Golden State

As of right now, the Utah Jazz hold the tiebreaker over the Lakers and, despite equal records, the Jazz would be the 8 seed. The Blazers are a long shot to make it being behind more than three games and with such a difficult schedule but you never know. It looks like it will end up coming down to the Jazz, Lakers and Mavericks with each team playing crucial games against each other. It is hard to say which team has the “easiest” schedule since each play different types of teams. For example, the Jazz and Mavericks have more “should win” games than the Lakers but they both have more road games; which in the NBA are always a toss up. The Lakers only have two road games left this season with one of them being played on the Clipper court in Staples Center but they have a tough close to the season playing the Warriors, Spurs and Rockets to close out the year. The Lakers have been struggling recently since Pau Gasol has come back from injury.

I can’t believe that after all this time, Mike D’Antoni still has no clue how to use both Gasol and Howard in his offensive schemes, plus the no defense thing doesn’t help either. Unless the Lakers miraculously win the title this year, I expect D’Antoni’s short stint with the Lakers to come to an end. That being said though, there really isn’t a clear candidate to take the eighth seed. It could be any of these teams since the playoffs is all about being the hot team at the right time and none of these teams is as hot as the Mavericks, winning 11 of their last 16 games.  Out of their last nine games, the Mavericks have five “should win” games, the Jazz have four in their last eight and the Lakers have two which includes one in Portland, a place the Lakers always seem to have trouble in.

I still believe that the Lakers will edge out the eighth seed in the Western Conference because of the abundance of home games they have remaining. It’s tough for me to pick them since they have been struggling but I have picked them all year long, but I am sticking by them. I think the Mavericks will give them the most trouble in the standings but the Lakers find a way to edge it out. It won’t be easy with all the injuries including the most current ones to Metta World Peace and Steve Nash. Even if the Lakers make the playoffs and get bounced, it’s still better than not making it at all, especially since their draft pick would go to the Suns. As long as they don’t run into the Thunder or Nuggets in the first round, I still believe the Lakers can do some damage if they can figure a few things out. This Laker fan still believes that any team with Kobe Bryant, Dwight Howard and Steve Nash running it is scary and no team wants to face them in a seven game series.

You never know what will come from the “German Moses” and his Mavs.