Well it’s about that time of the year where NBA teams at the bottom of the standings start scrapping for position. With every win and loss, a playoff spot is either secured or positioned. There are only 8 secured spots with one play-in position available.
At the moment, the Memphis Grizzlies and the Sacramento Kings are in a battle for the No. 2 seed in the Western Conference. Memphis has a slight lead over Sacramento at the moment. With the Denver Nuggets as the foregone top brass of the division, position 4 through 12 are anyone’s guess.
From the Phoenix Suns, to the Utah Jazz, only 3 games separate the field with 13 to 16 games left, respectively. The NBA regular season will conclude on April 9th with the play-in tournament taking place a few days after, concluding on April 14th. The NBA Playoffs will officially get off and running on the 15th of April. While the Eastern Conference playoff picture is clear and set, the Western Conference will be like the wild, wild West, with a pending showdown with every game a do-or-die situation.
Both the Eastern and Western Conference Semifinals will begin on May 1st, with the Conference Finals tipping off somewhere around the 15th of May (depending on schedule of close-outs). As customary, the 2023 NBA Finals will begin on June 1st with the last ultimate game ending on June 18th if a game 7 is necessary to crown a NBA Champion. The season will close out with the 2023 NBA Draft starting on June 22nd, 2023.
Beginning Saturday, April 15, and you can watch all playoff games across ABC, ESPN, TNT, and NBA TV
Western Conference Playoff Picture
| Position | Team | W | L | Pct | Home | L10 | Streak |
| 1. Clinched Playoffs | Nuggets | 50 | 24 | 0.676 | 31-6 | 5-5 | W3 |
| 2. Clinched Playoffs | Grizzlies | 46 | 27 | 0.63 | 32-5 | 8-2 | W5 |
| 3. Clinched Playoffs | Kings | 45 | 29 | 0.608 | 23-15 | 7-3 | W2 |
| 4. Clinched Playoffs | Suns | 39 | 35 | 0.527 | 24-12 | 4-6 | W1 |
| 5. Clinched Playoffs | Clippers | 39 | 36 | 0.52 | 20-18 | 6-4 | L1 |
| 6. Clinched Playoffs | Warriors | 39 | 36 | 0.52 | 30-7 | 5-5 | W3 |
| 7. Play-In | Timberwolves | 37 | 37 | 0.5 | 21-17 | 5-5 | W2 |
| 8. Play-In | Lakers | 37 | 37 | 0.5 | 21-17 | 7-3 | W3 |
| 9. Play-In | Pelicans | 37 | 37 | 0.5 | 24-13 | 6-4 | W4 |
| 10. Play-In | Thunder | 36 | 38 | 0.486 | 22-15 | 6-4 | L2 |
| 11. Out | Mavericks | 36 | 38 | 0.486 | 22-16 | 3-7 | L3 |
| 12. Out | Jazz | 35 | 39 | 0.473 | 22-15 | 4-6 | L3 |
| 13. Out | Trail Blazers | 32 | 41 | 0.438 | 17-19 | 3-7 | L1 |
| 14. Out | Spurs | 19 | 55 | 0.257 | 13-25 | 3-7 | L3 |
| 15. Out | Rockets | 18 | 56 | 0.243 | 12-26 | 3-7 | L4 |
