When the NBA playoffs start next week, what matchups can we expect?
In the Western Conference, no matchup is set -- and only one seed has been determined, with the Los Angeles Lakers clinching the top spot. The Lakers won't find out their opponent until this weekend, when the eighth seed will be determined by a play-in between the teams that finish eighth and ninth. Who's likely to emerge as the Lakers' foe, and where will other teams end up?
In the East, three teams are still determining the playoff matchups.
I've rerun 1,000 simulations of the remaining games based on player ratings in the multiyear, predictive version of ESPN's real plus-minus and adjusting rotations given what we know about teams sitting starters.
Let's take a look at the matchups and how they might play out.
