The Thunder already secured the top seed in the Western Conference and seem on their way to clinching the top overall seed entering the 2025 playoffs. However, the five remaining guaranteed playoff spots in the West are still up for grabs.
The Rockets have been playing excellent basketball over the past few weeks and have surged up to No. 2 in the West with a 48-26 record. Only a catastrophic collapse would prevent them from earning a top-six seed, as they hold a 5.5-game lead on the No. 7 Warriors with eight games remaining.
The Nuggets, who are currently the No. 3 seed with a 47-28 record, are also in a strong position to earn a guaranteed playoff berth, as they’re four games up on Golden State with seven games remaining. It’s worth noting that Houston and Denver have among the most difficult remaining schedules, per Tankathon, but both clubs have a decent cushion on their closest competitors.
Saturday’s game between the Lakers and Grizzlies was a key matchup for both teams. The No. 4 Lakers (45-29) emerged victorious and earned the head-to-head tiebreaker on the No. 5 Grizzlies (44-30).
Even after the win though, the Lakers are just 5-8 over their past 13 games. They also have the second-hardest remaining schedule of any team, including four matchups against Oklahoma City and Houston over their final eight games.
The slumping Grizzlies are just 1.5 games ahead of the Clippers and Warriors, who hold identical 42-31 records, and two games up on the No. 8 Timberwolves (42-32). The Clips hold the tiebreaker on the Dubs, which is why they’re currently the No. 6 seed.
To word it in a different way: Only three games separate the Nos. 4-8 seeds in the West. And by opponent winning percentage, Minnesota has — by far — the easiest schedule left of the group.
Of the five teams bunched together in the standings, the Clippers and Warriors are the only ones with nine games left; the other three each have eight.
Securing a top-six seed is critical, as it ensures teams will make the playoffs outright. Those who fall outside of the top six will have to compete in the play-in tournament to try and claim the final two playoff spots in the West. Dallas, Sacramento and Phoenix are essentially in a three-way race for the ninth and tenth seeds and thus the final two spots in the play-in.
We want to know what you think. Aside from the Thunder, which other five teams will secure top-six seeds in the West? Which teams will be heading to the play-in tournament? Head to the comments section to weigh in.
Warriors first 4 games in April
At Grizzlies
At Lakers
Nuggets
Rickets
If Warriors lose 2 of those 4 games
Can they defeat Wolves and Mavs then make playoffs?
Both Wolves and Mavs were in conference finals last year
Wolves has a easy schedule of all the teams 4 through 8th. Mavs lost irving so I wouldn’t say they will be tough. Clippers Grizzlies, nd Lakers could all fall too with tough schedules. lakers have the toughest remaing schedule.
Without Curry, Draymond is supposed to be a team leader because Butler is new.
Draymond looks complete lost in both games (entire game)
Lost to Hawks, Draymond scores 5 points
Lost to Heat, Draymond scores 2 points
I blame Draymond
Clippers lost to teh Cavs. Leonrad was out so Harden should have steped up but he didn’t an dthey lost I blame Harden for the loss.
Lol, the Cavs are kind of limping down the stretch before the playoffs (unlike the Celtics).
My prediction is that those 2 teams make the ECF and it goes 7 games, helping the West champ OKC get their 1st ‘chip because whichever east team makes it is tired.
Pretty nuts that the Wolves and Mavericks could both go from WCF to out of the playoffs. Minnesota could easily lose a 7/8 game to, say, GS, and then lose to PHX. And Dallas could miss the play-in altogether, of course.
It’s looking like the Suns are the most likely to miss the play-in at this point – they already have 40 losses to the Mavs 38 and the Mavs got AD back and have won 4 of 5 with only 7 games left, including the next 2 vs Nets and Hawks. Suns have 32 road games vs east playoff teams and GSW, OKC and the Kings left to play.
Typo, should read “Suns have 3 road gamed vs east playoff teams”.
GSW v Clips last game of season could be a banger
The Warriors might be better off being a playin team. They’ll most likely face a sinking Kings team to start off. Then they would face OKC. They have already taken 2 of 3 from the Thunder. The lone lose was by 3 points with Lindy Waters replacing Curry. If they advance, They’ll face the Rockets. They took 2 of 3 from them. The lone lose was by 1 point on a night that made 20+ unforced turnovers that led to 30 Rockets points. So, they have fixable issues on the way to the WCF. And, that was all before Butler.
Nothing about the play-in is better than a guaranteed playoff spot by finishing in the top 6.
Yeah, I think this guy needs a class in probability.
Not to mention, even if you end up beating the likes of OKC and Houston, you’d still end face one of the 3-6 seeds in the conference finals
Not confident Warriors can beat Denver round 1.
Rather chance it against a young untested Houston team and hope the lights are way bright for the Rockets. Like you say…..more than likely still gotta through Denver and OKC. Maybe some injuries could hit and help the warriors path.
All I stated was that they can bit the top 2 seeds in the western conference. Anything can happen in the playoffs. The outcomes are definitely not set in stone.
As I already stated, it is a 66% probability of beating OKC and Houston. This is about getting to the WCF. One step at grasshopper.
66% chance of beating Okc and houston, OK.
Yeah, that was hilariously absurd.
“66% probability” seems wrong.
GSW’s current roster hasn’t beat OKC (and unlike in the 2 wins, both their bigs are now healthy), that happened with the pre-deadline Warriors – and their 1 win over Houston in the 1st game after the trade was with the Rockets missing VanVleet and Eason.
Sure, anything can happen, but GSW getting out of the 1st rd against any of the top 3 seeds isn’t likely.
The guy said take a class in probability, or statistics. 4 out of 6 is 66%.
Prior to the Butler trade, the Warriors were looking to easily finish the season 6-10 games below .500. They started out the season with a top-5 offense. It had dropped to the 20s. Their defense was fine.
There was a definite pattern to their loses. They would turn the ball 20+ times a game. Horrible free throw shooting. Curry was getting double and triple teamed.
With Butler, Curry is getting free again. They are shooting and making more free throws. They are scoring more and allowing fewer points.
They won’t finish the season at 24-6. But, they can still continue their surge.
It is not the end of the world to play 1 game.
The probability of winning the play-in game AND the first round series have to be multiplied, since they’re independent events. Almost no way that’s preferable over an automatic postseason bid, unless your first round opponent is that bad (which I find hard to believe).
And there’s so much more variance in a single game outcome (the play-in) compared to a best of 7 series
Sure. But eliminating the teams biggest problems takes them along way towards winning.
Really like the thunder to win the west.
No team is telling me otherwise.
Warriors and Wolves have been playing good of late but I can’t see them even beating Lakers or Denver, let alone OKC
Tense battle between Dallas and Phoenix…I feel Portland deserve the playin spot…
Me too – OKC is by far the deepest team in the west with a top 2 in history +13.2 net rating. If they don’t have any more injuries they should make the Finals losing no more than 4 games.
If you wanna talk about deserve, it’s the Mavs and it ain’t close. Those poor fans… and players…