Will Playoff Seeding Even Matter in the West?

The Utah Jazz have 25 games left in the 2018-2019 NBA regular season. With nearly 70% of the season in the rearview mirror, the Jazz find themselves at 6th in the West. That would currently have them playing the OKC Thunder in the first round of the playoffs again. But the playoffs don’t start today.

If you look at the Western Conference, I think it’s pretty clear that the Warriors will finish first and that the Lakers or Kings will finish eighth. Everything after that is up for grabs.

The Jazz have the lightest schedule remaining and could push for 50 wins if they really go on a roll. That would position themselves well to host a playoff series in the first round. Against who? I have no idea. There are too many games left and too many variables at play. But to be honest, I’m don’t think it matters.

And no this isn’t your typical “The Warriors are going to win anyways” argument, as true as that is. I just think the West is that balanced. Whether you’re the 2nd seed or the 7th seed the playoffs should be one of great matchups. Speaking of which, I think the Jazz, when playing at the top of their game, could beat anyone outside of Golden State.

With a record of 14-15 on the road, Utah has been one of the better teams away from home. Their point differential of 3.2 is top 10 in the league. Plus, it’s the second half of the season, this is just what the Jazz do.

Since Quin Snyder took over as head coach, the Utah Jazz are 67-39 (.626) after the all star break. That’s a 51+ winning pace over an 82 game season. This despite two losing seasons in his first two years. I don’t know what it is about the back half of the schedule, but Utah always seems to figure it out. I’m confident this year will be no different. I expect the Jazz to do a ton of winning over the remainder of the season. It think they’re going to climb the ladder that is the Western Conference standings.

But honestly, I don’t care what place they land in the playoffs. They’ll be ready to roll come post-season. And it’s going to be fun.