The All-Star Break is now in the mirrors, and the new watchword for a large part of the League will be “Playoffs”. The fight for a place in the final phase will intensify by April 13, the last day of the regular season. Nine weeks and a small thirty games remaining for each of the franchises will decide the hierarchy. And not everyone is housed in the same calendar question brand …
Beyond the balance sheets, a figure makes it possible to measure the impact that the agenda can have on the results of a team: The “Strength of Schedule” (or SOS)literally the “calendar strength”. This figure delivers an average percentage of victory for the remaining opponents of a deductible. If until then, New York and Cleveland were the most “spared” by their schedule, Toronto, Washington or Minnesota and Golden State have undergone the most full-bodied theoretical calendars. What about the end of this regular season? Warm point analysis by hot spot.
The race for the best record: Thunder – Cavaliers, draw
Credits of a strictly identical assessment after 54 games played (44 victories for 10 defeats), The riders And The Thunder could also follow up by the end of the season. The two training courses have a calendar remaining in the “average” difficulty: 50.4 % of “Strength of Schedule” for Oklahoma City, 50.3 % for Cleveland, and this with the same number of opponents to come today Top 4 (8) as in the top 10 (19) of a conference.
The CAVS will however have to be wary of a last “road trip” in the second half of March, with five consecutive games on the west coast, but none against the gratin of the conference. Another point that could make OKC happy, its end of the season on paper easier to manage with trips to Utah and New Orleans who will have nothing to play. What to choose to save or make a last necklace to ensure the advantage of the field to the final, while Cleveland ends with the Pacers twice and the Knicks, two teams that will fight for A place of choice.
At a good distance (5.5 delay wins), The Celtics could benefit from a relaxation of the two leaders to get closer. Boston only has to face at 28e SOS (46.5 %) and only 12 out of the remaining 27 meetings against teams for the moment virtually qualified for the playoffs or the play-in. The reigning champions will in particular conclude their regular season by two receptions of the Hornets.
The race for the playoffs to the west: the worst calendar of the League for Suns, heavy for a majority of candidates
Logical consequence of the larger density in the west, the six teams with the highest SOS are all half of the country! The palm comes back to Phoenix (54.1%), in a hassle in recent weeks and which will have to quickly revive a dynamic. Current niesths and first eliminated, the Suns will notably have to capitalize on their next outings (among the Spurs, the Bulls, the Raptors then twice against the Pelicans by the end of February) before chaining eight games against teams currently in the Top 10 of the West.
Arizona players could have their destiny in hand at the end of the season, with matches against Spurs and Kings, direct competitors as conclusion. Behind the Suns follow in the hierarchy Kings,, Nuggets,, Grizzlies,, Clippers And Lakers. Currently in the second row of the West Conference, Memphis must notably face the Thunder and the Cavaliers twice. As for the Lakers, their new formula with Luka Doncic will quickly be put to the test since they have the greatest number of games to play against teams currently in the Top 4 of the West or the East, with 11 Meetings on their remaining 30.
Rockets (21e SOS, 49%), Warriors (22e, 48.8%) and more Wolves (26e47.4%) are supposed to be a little more advantaged. Minnesota must in particular face jazz or receive the pelicans twice in the coming weeks. Spurscurrently twelfth with 3.5 games behind the tenth Golden State, will have to sign some exploits to still believe in the play-in. Victor Wembanyama and his family have 11e The most raised calendar (51.1%), including several shocks far from their bases (rockets, grizzly ones, horsemen, nuggets).
The race for the Playoffs in the East: no respite for the Bucks, a hope for Philadelphia?
Behind the head duo Cleveland-Boston, the Battle for the Top 6 and the Play-In promises to be tight. Even new Yorkwhich has currently made the hole in third row (36-18, 5.5 games ahead of Indiana) cannot consider itself completely safe from a blow of soft or injuries. The Knicks will be put to the test, with still five games to play against the riders and the Celtics.
Bucks Also will have to raise the tone in the second part of the season to believe in the top 4. Milwaukee is the team of the League with the most remaining matches against temporarily qualified deductibles for the final stages (23 on their 29 remaining games, 7e SOS with 52.4 %). The return of injury to Giannis Antetokounmpo promises to be particularly necessary. The eastern “soft belly” is not on a great dynamic, except for the pistons which remain on four successes, and benefits in the set of balanced calendars.
To the stimulus after four row sets, Heat “New Look” will have to capitalize at home, with three sets of four or five consecutive games in Kaseya Center by the end of March. Miami will also want to rely on the free falls of several direct opponents such as Hawks without Jalen Johnson (next nine games against top 10 teams), or Bullswhich remain on four setbacks and have a six -game road trip to the west by the end of the season.
A situation that could also benefit Sixersfar from the account recently but which have “only” two wins less than Chicago, 10e provisional. Philadelphia has one of the “affordable” agendas with the 27the SOS (47.4%) thanks to many games in front of teams that will play nothing other than the worst assessment possible.
The big rating could come Raptorsapparently won (17-38, five games from the Bulls). Toronto has recovered the majority of his long -standing injuries and by far the clearest calendar: only five of their 27 remaining games against teams with a currently positive assessment!
