We’re in unfamiliar territory as Charlotte Hornets fans. Instead of postulating and debating about lottery picks and talking about the development path of the team, we’re talking about the players on the floor right now and whether or not they can win games. Instead of watching the lottery odds, we’re watching the playoff standings. Of course, in true Hornets fashion, they’re uncharacteristically strong run of play coincided with the rest of their competition doing the same, so they didn’t cover as much ground in the standings as they otherwise could have. But it has set up an all time playoff race. Spots five through ten are separated by just two wins with between 11 and 13 games to go for every team.
With all that going on, it might be hard to keep track of who we’re watching, so we’ll do a little synopsis of where we’re at.
5. Toronto Raptors (39-31)
Remaining strength of schedule: .437
The Raptors look to be in the driver’s seat for the 5 seed being that they currently sit there and also have the easiest remaining schedule among teams battling for space in the bottom half of the Eastern Conference playoff bracket. That said, there are some reasons for concern for Toronto. They were throttled by the Suns last night and have been a below .500 team for close to two months now. They have three games remaining against the Magic and Heat, and that includes a two game series with the Heat on April 7 and April 9. Those two games have the potential to swing the standings. They’ve also got some trickier games against the suddenly competent Pelicans and road games against the Pistons, Celtics, and Knicks. They are not out of reach by any means.
6. Atlanta Hawks (39-32)
Remaining strength of schedule: .533
The Hawks recently had their 11 game winning streak snapped, and it’s important to remember that not all winning streaks are created equal. Of those 11 games, nine were at home, and the most impressive win might have been a home win over the Magic. While it’s far from the most impressive double digit win streak, it does build a lot of confidence and has the Hawks believing they can make some noise. After what should be another easy game against the Grizzlies to start the week, they face a pretty brutal final stretch of the season. Six of their final ten games are against teams that will have home court advantage in the playoffs, and another two are against the Magic and Heat. They’re going to be very dependent on the momentum they built up against a lighter part of their schedule to stay afloat.
7. Philadelphia 76ers (39-32)
Remaining strength of schedule: .527
The 76ers became somewhat surprising entrants into the play-in conversation. They were cruising at the 5 spot for a while before this glut of teams all caught up to them. Tyrese Maxey has been out for a couple of weeks and may still miss another week or two. Joel Embiid is out with an oblique injury and Paul George has been suspended. George returns later this week, and we’ll see how he functions as the team’s primary option alongside VJ Edgecombe and Quentin Grimes. They are the only direct competition the Hornets have that they’ll face down the stretch. That game will happen this coming Saturday, which is part of a very difficult stretch of games for Philadelphia. After visiting Charlotte, they’ll travel to Miami before getting a break against Washington. They then have four straight games against the Timberwolves, Pistons, Spurs, and Rockets before a soft finish.
8. Orlando Magic (38-32)
Remaining strength of schedule: .485
We just saw the Hornets thoroughly dominate the Magic last Thursday night, so it certainly feels like the Hornets are the better team. Whether or not they can catch them in the standings is a different story. They’ve lost four straight now, but they have a handful of opportunities to feast on lottery fodder, even with Franz Wagner’s status still up in the air. They’ve been a streaky team all season. It’s hard to project what they’re going to do against a variable schedule over the season’s final weeks.
9. Miami Heat (38-33)
Remaining strength of schedule : .503
Like the Magic, the Heat are on a four game losing streak, including a drubbing at the hands of the Hornets. Their next three games are against the Spurs and then two straight road games against the Cavaliers, so it’s not getting any easier for them. They also have two straight road games against the Raptors in early April. That’s part of a final seven game stretch where they play four games against teams in this piece, so they are going to have a lot to say in this race one way or another.
10. Charlotte Hornets (37-34)
Remaining strength of schedule: .526
It’s wild that the Hornets have won so many games and still find themselves in tenth, but there is still plenty of room to move. They have a very winnable game against the Kings on Tuesday before a vital three game stretch to close out this homestand. They have games against the two and three seed Celtics and Knicks, and sandwiched between those games is one against a 76ers team the Hornets are trying to catch. After that, the Hornets will likely need three straight wins against the Nets, Suns, and Pacers before a brutal close to the season. They finish out with the Timberwolves, Celtics, Pistons, and Knicks, and the Pistons game is the only one of those that’s at home. 2-2 would be an achievement there, so ideally the Hornets would have already ascended up the standings a bit by then.