Your 'Playoff predictions with 10 days left' post

Most teams in the Association have between eight and 10 games left on their schedule. Still, despite how little basketball we've got left, nothing is set in stone, other then the canyon between the No. 2 and 3 seeds in each conference.

I thought, "Let's have some fun, predict each of the remaining games, and see where we finish up." So, find below the predicted final records of each NBA team, with various notes for each conference:

EAST

1. Bulls (50-16 final record, 44-14 currently, 6-2 finish)
2. Heat (48-18 final record, 40-16 currently, 8-2 finish)
3. Pacers (42-24 final record, 35-22 currently, 7-2 finish)
4. Celtics (41-25 final record, 33-24 currently, 9-1 finish)
5. Hawks (39-27 final record, 34-24 currently, 5-4 finish)
6. Knicks (36-30 final record, 29-28 currently, 7-2 finish)
7. 76ers (36-30 final record, 30-27 currently, 6-3 finish)
8. Magic (36-30 final record, 34-24 currently, 2-6 finish)
9. Bucks (32-34 final record, 28-29 currently, 4-5 finish)

Knicks 6, Sixers 7, Magic 8?! HOMER!

Easy does it. Let's go team-by-team:

The Knicks have nine games left; four easy wins, and five games against the Bucks, Heat, Celts, Hawks and Clips. Winning three of those is far from out of the question, especially if you (correctly) think that the Hawks and Bucks aren't as good as their records suggest.

Philly is down, yes, but they still have the Raptors, Pistons, Cavs, and two games against the Nets left on their schedule. That's five wins easy. They'll go at least 1-3 in the other four.

Finally, you have the Magic. Orlando is looking right at a coming implosion. They've already lost six of eight. Dwight Howard's hurt (uh-oh). Stan Van Gundy is still coaching (bad move for Orlando and its locker room). With road games against the Grizz, Nuggets, Jazz and Celtics on their schedule, they're set up for a rough final stretch.

Feel better now?

There's no way the Celtics keep this up

Why wouldn't they? They've looked like a different team on offense since moving Avery Bradley to the starting lineup. They have just two losses in their last 10; a seven-point road loss to the Bulls, and a one-point loss to the Spurs. They've beaten the Heat twice in 10 days. If you don't think the Celts are a contender, you're kidding yourself. Boston's schedule isn't that friendly, but considering how hot they are, 9-1 is a distinct possibility.

What did the Bulls-Heat race come down to?

Well that's simple. Their upcoming home and home, spread out over seven days. I see a split, with each team winning on the road; Miami on Thursday night, against a Bulls team that will be either without Derrick Rose or with a limited Derrick Rose, and the Bulls a week later, once Rose is back up to speed in the offense.

Which first round playoff match-up is most intriguing?

Pacers-Knicks, easily. A throwback-to-the-1990s series, and arguably, the only one that will be competitive. Then, the winner gets the Heat. What year is this?

Who is in the best shape with their seed?

The Celtics. Leap-frogging the Hawks for home court is good. Then, they get a flawed Bulls team in the East semis. (In other words, if you can avoid the Heat until the conference finals, you're set up nice.)

Who is in the worst shape?

The Pacers. What did their late-season surge earn them? A first-round game against a pesky Knicks team that, as scary as it is, could make a run at the Finals. And if they get by New York, it's LeBron James and Dwyane Wade up next. Oy.

WEST

1. Thunder (48-18 final record, 42-15 currently, 6-3 finish)
2. Spurs (46-20 final record, 40-15 currently, 6-5 finish)
3. Grizzlies (42-24 final record, 33-23 currently, 9-1 finish)
4. Lakers (40-26 final record, 36-22 currently, 4-4 finish)
5. Clippers (40-26 final record, 34-23 currently, 6-3 finish)
6. Rockets (38-28 final record, 32-25 currently, 6-3 finish)
7. Nuggets (38-28 final record, 31-26 currently, 7-2 finish)
8. Mavericks (36-30 final record, 32-26 currently, 4-4 finish)
9. Suns (34-32 final record, 30-27 currently, 4-5 finish)
10. Jazz (34-32 final record, 30-28 currently, 4-4 finish)

There's no way the Spurs are dropping five more games

No, the Spurs won't drop five more games. But their reserves could. Gregg Popovich won't care about the No. 1 seed; he just wants fresh legs for the playoff run. I'm sure you'll see a few games where Tim Duncan, Tony Parker and Manu Ginobili are hanging on the pine for more than 20 minutes. This season has gone perfectly so far for Pop -- a crazy hot start, enabling him to rest the vets down the stretch. Why mess with the plan now, just for a chance at possibly having home court in a potential West finals match-up with the Thunder? See how many ifs there? Not worth it to gun for the No. 1 seed.

What are you, driving the Grizzlies bandwagon?

Listen, the Kentucky Wildcats could go 9-1 against the Grizzlies' remaining schedule. (See what I did there?) Yeah, I see that road game in San Antonio on Thursday. But even if they lose that, they have six games against teams tanking, and then home games against the Suns, Jazz and Magic. None of those teams have anywhere near the talent of the Grizzlies, not to mention the fact that the Magic are, as noted before, sinking fast.

What did the Lakers-Clippers and Rockets-Nuggets tiebreakers come down to?

The Clippers' loss to the Lakers on April 4 gave Kobe and Co. the Pacific title, and with it, home court in the first round. Rockets-Nuggets came down to conference record; Denver has been horrible against the West (16-24 so far), so Houston gets the No. 6 seed.

Which first round playoff match-up is most intriguing?

You could really make a case for any one. I'll go with Thunder-Mavericks, though. Dirk Nowitzki has been a shell of himself this year. Late-season struggles drop the defending champs all the way to No. 8. So much for that cushy first-round match-up for OKC. Very real potential for a major upset, especially if Russell Westbrook goes all -- well -- Russell Westbrook, and decides to take over the Thunder offense.

Who is in the best shape with their seed?

The Mavericks, though not at all because of their potential match-up. Is there a better way for the under-performing NBA champs to enter the playoffs than as a no-expecation No. 8 seed? If anything, it could set up the Mavs for a deep run.

Who is in the worst shape?

The Lakers. If the Lakers could pick one team NOT to eliminate them, it'd be the Clippers. Instead of avoiding them until the conference finals, they have to worry about an embarrassing first round exit at the hands of their little L.A. brother.