NBA: Can Steph Curry, Jimmy Butler carry their team to the playoffs?

With the first half of the NBA season in the books, and the second half underway. The race to the NBA’s “play-in” tournament is beginning to take shape. So, which teams from both conferences are in prime position to make the 7th and 8th seeds in their respective conferences? The NBA play-in tournament was introduced during the 2019-2020 season when the NBA was forced to play their remaining games, playoffs, and Finals inside the confines of a bubble on Disney World's campus. The tournament takes the 7th-10th seeds in both conferences and places them in single-elimination games to determine the final two seeding spots. So, who is in and who’s out? Let’s dive into both conferences’ lower seeds.

First off, currently the the Eastern Conference's 7th-10th seeds are the Heat, Raptors, Bulls, and Pacers. This conference is very predictable when it comes to the top-six spots. However, the last two are presumably up for grabs. Miami has come a long way from the start of the season. From COVID protocols to injuries, this Heat team has been dismantled. One of their key injuries has been to star Jimmy Butler. Butler is the heart and soul of this team and organization. Coming off their NBA Finals appearance, the Heat had a slow start to this season, starting of 6-12. Since Butler returned to the starting lineup, the Heat are 3-2 and sitting in 7th in the East. With Butler’s overall presence, an aura he gives to Miami, a trip back to the playoffs seems imminent.

The 8th and final seed in the Eastern Conference seems to be a pick’em. The Raptors have a very talented team on paper, but not a superstar that can lead them back to the promised land. The Bulls have an All-Star caliber player in Zack LaVine, who has his team sitting right outside the playoff picture, in the 9th seed. Chicago itself has plenty of skill but they lack experience. A team that has the roster suited to take the final spot is Indiana. The Pacers sit in the 10th seed despite having an All-Star Domantas Sabonis, a borderline All-Star in Malcolm Brogdon, and complementary pieces to go along with their two best players. This Pacers team has enough firepower, and talent to squeeze into the last playoff spot in the Eastern Conference.

East Predictions: Heat, Pacers

The Western Conference is maybe the best conference in American team sports. In the last decade, the West has won seven out of the last 10 Finals. The current 7th-10th seeds are the Spurs, Mavericks, Warriors, and Grizzles. The bottom five seeds are Pelicans, Thunder, Kings, Rockets, and Timberwolves. Golden State's season has been an uphill battle with another injury to Klay Thompson and the adjustment of adding numerous players to their roster. Despite all that, the Warriors are currently in 9th place but are only four games out of the 4-seed, and three games out of the 3-seed. The Warriors' playoff hopes rely solely on one man, Stephen Curry. The two-time MVP is playing at an all-time level right now.

On the season, he is averaging 29.3 points, 6.2 assists, and 5.4 rebounds on 40.6% shooting from 3-point range. Curry is putting up similar numbers to his unanimous MVP season and is currently in the conversation this season. With the way he is playing this season, it's hard to see the Warriors not making the postseason. With the Warriors projected to grab the 7th seed, that leaves one more spot, which will go to San Antonio. This will be tough for the Spurs as their biggest obstacle is the Mavericks. Luka Dončić is a rising superstar in the league, however, his supporting cast is simply not good enough this year to make the playoffs. Kristaps Porzingis is a 7’3 big man who plays like he’s 6’5.

Tim Hardaway is a solid scorer, but has not proven to be a championship-caliber shooting guard. Lastly, Dallas lacks the bench depth to make any type of playoff push in the Western Conference. Meanwhile, this Spurs team has playoff experience, depth, and multiple All-Star caliber players. DeMar DeRozan is averaging 20.3 points, 7.3 assists, and 4.7 rebounds per game. Rudy Gay is a complimentary piece to DeRozan, as is Dejounte Murray and an excellent bench. They're also coached by Greg Popovich, one of the greatest coaches ever. It's hard to imagine this Spurs team missing the postseason for the second season in a row after being a playoff regular for more than two decades.

West Predictions: Warriors, Spurs

Photo Credit: SB Nation.