Predicting what the final NBA playoff bracket will look like based on where the East and West standings are at the All-Star break.
Once the NBA All-Star break is over, every NBA team will have between 26-30 games left before the start of the postseason. In what is consistently one of the most entertaining stretches of the season, the next month and a half will prove to be quite the race to the finish in both conferences. With action set to begin in the next couple of days, we predict what the final NBA Playoff bracket will look like when the season ends.
Predicting the East play-in playoff picture
10. Philadelphia 76ers
9. Atlanta Hawks
8. Detroit Pistons
7. Miami Heat
The bottom of the East is going to prove to be the most intriguing of all the races in the conference. There are basically seven teams fighting for five spots and it will be interesting to see how it all plays out over the next few weeks. I don't believe the season is completely lost yet for the Philadelphia 76ers and predict they will secure the final spot in the East's Play-in Tournament. They won't have a great chance to make the playoffs but if they can't win two games in a row, they probably don't deserve a final playoff spot.
I believe we could see the Atlanta Hawks fall off pace over the final few weeks of the regular season, especially after they traded De'Andre Hunter and Bogdan Bogdanovic ahead of the NBA Trade Deadline. While I don't expect the Hawks to completely fall off the playoff pace, I do believe they'll finish at the No. 9 seed in the Eastern Conference. Trae Young should have just enough of a supporting cast to get the team to the postseason.
The Detroit Pistons have been a great story in the Eastern Conference this season. While it would be great to see them finish as a top 6 seed in the East, I'm not sure that's how this is all going to end for the team. I still envision the Pistons making the postseason in the East and believe they'll carve out the No. 8 seed. Inexperience and the loss of Jaden Ivey will eventually catch up with this team. But even if the Pistons fall a couple of seeds before the postseason, this will still be remembered as a successful season for Detroit.
Finally, I believe that the Miami Heat will get their act together just enough to carve out the No. 7 seed in the East. It won't be pretty and Andrew Wiggins is going to have to step up the rest of the way, but the Heat will find a way to make the postseason once again.