TrueHoop

TrueHoop

Share this post

TrueHoop
TrueHoop
There will be a West play-in
Copy link
Facebook
Email
Notes
More

There will be a West play-in

False positives in the bubble, mask shenanigans, bigs vs. small Rockets, Carmelo

Henry Abbott's avatar
Henry Abbott
Aug 04, 2020
∙ Paid
3

Share this post

TrueHoop
TrueHoop
There will be a West play-in
Copy link
Facebook
Email
Notes
More
Share
BY HENRY ABBOTT

The NBA drew a little COVID-risk scorn by inviting five West teams—the Blazers, Spurs, Pelicans, Kings, and Suns—into the bubble even though none were in line to make the playoffs. Was that really necessary?

A few days into the restart, the answer appears to be yes. Interestingly, the Grizzlies—current holders of the eighth and final playoff spot in the West—have lost all three games they’ve played in Orlando. At this moment, all five of those hopeful outsiders are close enough to trigger the NBA’s first-ever play-in contest, which will be between the Grizzlies and whoever finishes with the best record among the rest.

In that scrum, the Blazers currently hold a one-game lead over the Spurs, who are a half game ahead of the Pelicans in the battle to face the Grizzlies. Who’s favored? Normally, to answer that, you’d assess the quality of those teams’ upcoming opponents. In the bubble you must also factor in: Do those opponents have anything to play for? A team without real …

Keep reading with a 7-day free trial

Subscribe to TrueHoop to keep reading this post and get 7 days of free access to the full post archives.

Already a paid subscriber? Sign in
© 2025 TrueHoop Inc.
Privacy ∙ Terms ∙ Collection notice
Start writingGet the app
Substack is the home for great culture

Share

Copy link
Facebook
Email
Notes
More