Warriors playoff scenarios: Breaking down Golden State’s playoff picture before Sunday’s game against the Memphis Grizzlies
The start of the new-look NBA playoffs are rapidly approaching, and every game is crucial across the league as teams are battling for playoff positioning. New in 2021 is the launch of the play-in tournament, which gives four teams from each conference the chance to occupy the final two playoff slots for the first round – and means that the No. 7 and No. 8 seeds could potentially be sent home early.
How does the NBA’s new playoff system work, and which teams are the Warriors projected to face? We’ve got you covered. Here’s a comprehensive look at the standings, the Warriors’ remaining schedule, and their potential playoff opponents with seven games left in the regular season.
The current standings:
6 – Portland Trail Blazers (41-30)
7 – Los Angeles Lakers (40-30) – 0.5 games back
8 – Golden State Warriors (38-33) – 3 games back
9 – Memphis Grizzlies (38-33) – 3 games back
10 – San Antonio Spurs (33-36) – 4.5 games back
Games remaining in the regular season: 1
Next game: vs. Grizzlies, Sunday, May 16
Remaining schedule:
May 16: vs. Grizzlies (9th in West), 12:30 p.m.
Playoff opponents if season ended today:
Golden State’s playoff standings will come down to the final game of the regular season. Whoever wins between the Grizzlies and Warriors on Sunday will secure the No. 8 seed in the play-in tournament. The loser will shift to the No. 9 seed and meet the San Antonio Spurs in the opening game of the tournament.
As the current 8-seed, the winner would be slated for a one-game playoff against LeBron James, Anthony Davis and the current No. 7 Los Angeles Lakers to determine the overall No. 7 seed in the Western Conference. If the Warriors or Grizzlies win that game, they would move on to meet the No. 2 seed in the West (the Suns) in the first round.
If the Warriors or Grizzlies were to lose the opening play-in game, they would play the winner of a playoff between the No. 9 seed and No. 10 (San Antonio Spurs). If Golden State or Memphis won that game, they would become the overall No. 8 seed in the West, and face the No. 1 seed Utah Jazz in the first round.
