NBA Play-in Predictions

Photo via NBA.com

With the NBA regular season coming to an end, playoff time is just around the corner. While the top six teams in both the Western and Eastern Conferences have solidified their spot in the playoffs, there are still four teams from each side trying to claim the last two spots.

The NBA will host the Play-in Tournament from April 12th to the 15th. This will give the final four teams from each side a chance to make it into the last two spots for the playoffs.

The way it works is the 7th, and 8th-seeded teams in the standings play each other, and then the winner of that game becomes the 7th seed in the playoffs. Then, teams 9 and 10 in the standings play in another game for the right to face the loser of the play-in game between the two higher-seeded teams. Finally, in the last play-in game, the victorious team will make the playoffs as the 8-seed, while the loser is eliminated from playoff contention.

As of yesterday, April 8th, the four teams in the Play-in Tournament for the Western Conference are the Minnesota Timberwolves, the LA Clippers, the New Orleans Pelicans, and the San Antonio Spurs. For the Eastern Conference, it will be the Cleveland Cavaliers, the Brooklyn Nets, the Atlanta Hawks, and the Charlotte Hornets.

The West

I believe that the Timberwolves and Clippers will be the two teams that make it in the West. I predict that the seventh-seeded Timberwolves will take down the eighth-seeded Clippers because I think the Timberwolves are a much more complete team. Karl-Anthony Towns is averaging 24.6 PPG right now, even though Paul George is now back after a UCL tear in elbow, we don`t know if we`ll see the same player that was averaging 24.4 PPG before he was hurt .

I believe that the Pelicans will beat the Spurs because against top teams, the Pelicans have looked better than the Spurs, even in losses. Also, the last time these two teams played each other, the Spurs were demolished by the Pelicans 124-91, without Brandon Ingram or CJ McCollum.

In a win-or-go-home scenario, I see the Clippers beating the Pelicans because overall, they're the more complete basketball team when both are at their best. The Clippers are also ranked number three in 3-point percentages, which would give them a significant advantage over the Pelicans.

The East

For the East, I see the Brooklyn Nets and Atlanta Hawks as the teams to make it out. Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving are back together, and they remind us how dominant this team can be when both are on the court. They are now on a three-game win streak.

The Atlanta Hawks are 7-3 in their last ten games. I feel it'll be a close game between the Hawks and the Hornets, but I don't believe it's Charlotte's time. They're an exciting team to watch with LaMelo Ball and the crew, but they just haven't played well against the top six teams in the Eastern Conference.  

Trae Young is tied for 4th in points per game with 28.3 PPG and is third in assists with 9.7 APG. The Hawks’ record doesn't show it, but he's been lights out all season long. From what I saw last year in the playoffs, I expect Trae Young to play just as good this postseason, if not better. I can’t see Young and the Hawks slowing down if they end up playing the Cavaliers, especially with Cleveland being 2-8 in their last ten games.

While these tournament results are the predictions that I feel are most likely to occur, NBA basketball is full of surprises. This is why we play the game.