NBA Playoff picture: NBA Playoff bracket if season ended today

The 2023 NBA Playoffs begin on April 15 with the Play-In Tournament running from the 11th to the 14th. Yes, postseason basketball is two weeks away, but there is plenty to decide before it all starts.

The Dallas Mavericks are in serious danger of missing the postseason entirely. The immaculate vibes from last season’s Western Conference Finals run are gone, and Dallas is just 4-8 when Luka Doncic and Kyrie Irving have played since the blockbuster trade. Add in injuries to both and it has been a rough stretch for the Mavs that currently has them on the outside looking in of the playoffs.

What can fans expect to see in the 2023 NBA Playoffs? What if the season ended on March 27? Here is a look at the current standings and how that would shape the bracket.

NBA Playoff picture: Western Conference

1. Denver Nuggets

2. Memphis Grizzlies

3. Sacramento Kings

4. Phoenix Suns

5. LA Clippers

6. Minnesota Timberwolves

7. Golden State Warriors

8. New Orleans Pelicans

9. Los Angeles Lakers

10. Oklahoma City Thunder

The team fans do not see there is the Dallas Mavericks. They are currently 11th in the West, but they are just 0.5 game back of the Thunder and Lakers. The Pelicans are just 1.5 games up on Dallas. New Orleans has seven more games to play, and the Mavs only have six.

Things are crowded out West. Two games separate fifth and 11th in the conference. The Play-In Tournament could feature Stephen Curry, LeBron James, Zion Williamson, and Luka Doncic with just two of those four advancing to the playoffs. Things are wild and the final two weeks promise to provide plenty of drama.

First-round NBA Playoff matchups if the season ended on March 27

No. 1 Denver Nuggets vs. No. 8 Winner of Play-In Tournament Game 3

No. 2 Memphis Grizzlies vs. No. 7 Winner of Warriors vs. Pelicans in Play-In Tournament

No. 3 Sacramento Kings vs. No. 6 Minnesota Timberwolves

No. 4 Phoenix Suns vs. No. 5 LA Clippers

The West feels wide open with any of those teams capable of winning multiple playoff series if healthy. It promises to be wild, and fans should be excited to see how it all shakes out.

NBA Playoff picture: Eastern Conference

1. Milwaukee Bucks

2. Boston Celtics

3. Philadelphia 76ers

4. Cleveland Cavaliers

5. New York Knicks

6. Brooklyn Nets

7. Miami Heat

8. Atlanta Hawks

9. Toronto Raptors

10. Chicago Bulls

In the East, things feel more definitive. The top four will all be heavily favored to win their first-round series, and here is a look at the potential matchups.

First-round NBA Playoff matchups if the season ended on March 27

No. 1 Milwaukee Bucks vs. No. 8 Winner of Play-In Tournament Game 3

No. 2 Boston Celtics vs. No. 7 Winner of Heat vs. Hawks in Play-In Tournament

No. 3 Philadelphia 76ers vs. No. 6 Brooklyn Nets

No. 4 Cleveland Cavaliers vs. No. 5 New York Knicks

The Bucks and Celtics are the two favorites to win it all this season, but the Sixers will look to spoil the party in the second round of the playoffs. Expect an upset or two along the way that could change things.

How can Dallas Mavericks make the 2023 NBA Playoffs?

The Mavs hold the tiebreaker over the Lakers, but the Thunder have the tiebreaker over Dallas. It will not be easy to pass either team and qualify for the Play-In Tournament, but the Mavericks put themselves in this position. They need to win virtually every game down the stretch and get some help if Dallas is going to qualify.

Even if they make the Play-In, they will only be guaranteed one game. Dallas would likely be ninth or tenth and have to win two straight games to advance to the playoffs as the eighth seed. That would mean a matchup against Nikola Jokic and the Nuggets in the first round, which would be a nightmare for the Mavs. They have no interior defense, so The Joker would light them up every night.

How will things finish out? Will the Dallas Mavericks make the playoffs? Stay tuned to find out.