NBA standings ordered by remaining strength of schedule: Can any team stop Boston?
By Cal Durrett
With the NBA trade deadline having passed and the All-Star Game almost here, the playoff push will soon begin. Most teams have played at least 50 games thus far, and with only around 30 games remaining, their schedules will play an increasingly large role in playoff positioning.
The easier the schedule, the more likely a team is to make the playoffs and get preferred seeding, whereas the opposite may be true for a team with a tough remaining schedule. As a result, let's take a look at the NBA standings, based on teams remaining strength of schedules.
Eastern Conference standings based on remaining strength of the schedule.
1) Orlando Magic: .452
2) Boston Celtics: .462
3) Indiana Pacers: .479
4) Miami Heat: .479
5) Toronto Raptors: .481
6) Brooklyn Nets: .482
7) Atlanta Hawks: .491
8) Cleveland Cavaliers: .501
9) New York Knicks: .505
10) Detroit Pistons: .507
11) Chicago Bulls: .509
12) Washington Wizards: .513
13) Philadelphia 76ers: .520
14) Charlotte Hornets: .522
15) Milwaukee Bucks: .529
It seems almost unfair that the Celtics, who are on pace to win 63 games, have the easiest schedule left in the NBA. That should allow them to take their foot off the pedal down the stretch without worrying about losing out on home-court advantage throughout the playoffs. On the other hand, the Bucks and new-look Sixers have two of the toughest schedules left in the East.
That could prevent them from keeping up with the red-hot Cavaliers and the much-improved Knicks, though their floor may be fourth in the East, with the Sixers unlikely to surpass them. They will be without Embiid for at least a month and have made a baffling series of trade deadline moves that didn't exactly make them better.
As for the Hornets and Wizards, they have two of the worst records in the NBA. While they won't improve their lottery odds by having the worst record, they may secretly hope to be one of the three worst teams, allowing them to have equal odds for the top pick in the draft. Up next is the Western Conference.