The Western Conference playoff race provides a bit more intrigue than the Eastern Conference as a team like Denver, sitting eleven games above .500 wouldn’t make the playoffs but there will be some drama in the middle of the Eastern standings. The first five teams are essentially locked into playoff spots barring a major collapse but the final three spots in the playoffs are still very much up for grabs. Six teams are within six games of each other in the standings and as many as eight teams could conceivably move into playoff position with a solid finish.

It doesn’t say a lot about the quality depth in the Eastern Conference but at 19 games below .500 the Charlotte Bobcats are just six games out of playoff spot and three teams would currently make the playoffs with losing records. Currently Washington, Philadelphia, and New Jersey would be in while Atlanta, Indiana, and Chicago are narrowly out of the playoffs. Milwaukee and Charlotte are both within striking distance, as odd as that may sound given how poorly those teams have performed. Leading the East is Boston at 46-12 and the Celtics are actually just three wins away from locking up a playoff spot, meaning that they could finish the season 3-21 and still have a playoff series.

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Looking at the six teams that in all likelihood will consume the final three playoff spots there is little hope that earning a playoff spot would mean much more that a short first-round series and a quick exit. That may not actually be the case however as despite the poor records there are some indications that a few of the teams in the bottom of the bracket could provide a real challenge to the higher seeds.

Washington Wizards: The Wizards have been dealt serious injury problems this season but the rest of the conference may regret not putting away the Wizards when they were down and allowing them to hang onto playoff position. Washington is by no means safe but the Wizards are currently four games ahead of Atlanta who currently holds the #9 spot. Gilbert Arenas went down after just eight games early in the year but he has resumed light practice and could be back in the lineup in about two weeks. Caron Butler was a major loss and Washington went 2-9 in the first eleven games that Butler missed, but the team is figuring out how to play without him including going 4-1 in the last five games. Washington is playing well enough to make the playoffs without two key players and the Wizards could be a dangerous playoff team with the full healthy arsenal. Washington will face a difficult West Coast trip at the end of the month but the Wizards are likely to hold onto a playoff spot and will be a team that no one wants to face. The Wizards have defeated Boston twice this season and also road wins at New Orleans and at Dallas so in a short series the Wizards could be dangerous.

Philadelphia 76ers: After a 10-4 run the 76ers are right in the playoff mix and a fairly favorable schedule the rest of the way should give Philadelphia a good chance to stay there. Philadelphia started the season 5-13 so to be in this position is fairly remarkable and the 76ers have been posting solid defensive numbers as well as strong against the spread numbers both home and away. The 76ers are still a very young team but they are headed in the right direction. Veteran point guard Andre Miller is still a very efficient court leader and Andre Iguodala has shown the ability to carry the team. Philadelphia might not have what it takes to pull off a first round upset but they are a team that is starting to play well and could have some momentum late in the season.

New Jersey Nets: Shipping Jason Kidd to Dallas may have signaled throwing in the towel on the season but there is reason to expect the Nets to stay competitive the rest of the season. Devin Harris is an improving young future star in the league and he provides a great energy boost to the team. Vince Carter is still capable of playing at a high level and it was clear that his relationship with Kidd had deteriorated to the point of unproductively. If Harris can win over Carter and Richard Jefferson and the effort is there, this could still be a team that can hold its own in the East. The schedule may work against the Nets however as 14 of the final 23 games are on the road. The Nets have a solid nucleus and the talent is there to compete with anyone in a short series but it will not be easy to hang on to a playoff position.

Atlanta Hawks: The acquisition of Mike Bibby has yet to pay big dividends and the Hawks are just 3-9 in the last twelve games. A tough Western road trip accounted for some of the difficulty but the Hawks need a strong March to stay in the playoff race and to stay relevant among the fan base after showing some promise after years of losing. Atlanta is just 7-22 this season in road games and that could ultimately doom the Hawks down the stretch. Although the Hawks are capable of sliding into the playoffs, Atlanta would not be much of a threat to pull off an upset with limited experience and such poor play away from home.

Indiana Pacers: The Pacers have won the last two games but given that the Pacers went 7-23 in the previous 30 games it appears that the Pacers may be done for. The Pacers have also dealt with injury issues this season and if Jermaine O’Neal and Jamaal Tinsley are able to return to action the Pacers could be a sleeper to squeeze into the postseason. The young roster that is currently playing most of the minutes has potential with Danny Granger delivering a breakout season and Travis Diener and Kareen Rush proving that they can play in the league. The schedule is brutal for Indiana in the next two weeks so the Pacers are likely to lose ground but ten of the final 16 games are at home and the Pacers will face just two teams that currently have winning records in that span. The Pacers would be an easy team to write off right now with the Nets, Wizards, and Bulls showing a bit more of an upside ceiling but the Pacers will be capable of a strong finish with such a favorable schedule. Indiana plays Milwaukee, Charlotte, and New Jersey twice each and faces Washington, Atlanta, Philadelphia, and Chicago down the stretch so they will control their destiny and likely play a big role in who makes the playoffs in the Eastern Conference.

Chicago Bulls: A solid stretch of play in early February gave some hope for the Bulls to get on a great late-season run and start to meet some of the high preseason expectations. The Bulls made a trade to shake things up and have Luol Deng back in the lineup after missing a big chunk of the first half but things continue to fall against Chicago. 14 of the final 23 games are at home but Chicago has struggled at home with a losing S/U record and a terrible ATS record. The schedule has been difficult but Chicago has lost four of the past five games and the Bulls continue to produce a low scoring offense with the worst shooting percentage in the league. Chicago looked like a team ready to break out this year but it appears that Bulls were overrated from the start and the coaching change and trades will not make a big enough impact to turn things around in the final weeks.

Although the Bucks and the Bobcats are still within range of making a late run, neither team has shown that are ready to be taken seriously as a threat for a late-season charge. Milwaukee has played several competitive games against good teams but they typically follow it up with a blowout loss. On paper Milwaukee looked like a playoff team early in the year but the problems continue and the support is not there. Charlotte lacks the depth needed to make serious run and the Bobcats continue to post league worst numbers on the road which will prevent any thoughts of a rise in the standings. It appears that six teams will be fighting for the final three spots and those final three spots will not be created equally as the chase for the #6 spot could be just as interesting as the chase for the #8 spot. No one wants to play Boston or Detroit but don’t assume that the Eastern Conference playoffs will be meaningless until the conference final.