The NBA playoffs are set to begin in the middle of next month, so March is really the last chance for teams to make a push. Per usual, the West is in the midst of a very tight race which will most likely come down to the final week of the season before it is settled. The East on the other hand is actually extremely competitive for a change. Let’s dive in and take a closer look at both conferences to get an idea of who is in and who is out.
Eastern Conference:
We’ll start with the best team in the NBA record-wise, the Milwaukee Bucks. They are sitting comfortably at 47–14, and have held the best record in the league for virtually the entire year, thanks in large part to Giannis Antetokounmpo. Antetokounmpo is leading his team in points, rebounds, and assists, and is the clear cut front runner for league MVP. Not to mention, their other all-star, Khris Middleton, makes them even more lethal.
It’s pretty safe to say that Milwaukee will be the one seed come playoff time, but if anyone is going to catch them, it will be the Toronto Raptors. Kawhi Leonard really has changed the team for the better and has made the Raptors a legitimate threat to come out of the East.
After them, the Indiana Pacers, Philadelphia 76ers, and the Boston Celtics are bunched together as the three through five seeds. Although the Pacers have the third best record, they lost their best player in Victor Oladipo for the rest of the year. Sooner than later that will show up in their record, and they really are no threat to any of the top teams in the East. The Celtics are currently two and a half games behind the 76ers, but that also should change when it is all said and done.
After the Celtics come the Brooklyn Nets, Detroit Pistons, and Charlotte Hornets. On the outside looking in are both the Orlando Magic and Miami Heat, who are only a half game back of the Hornets. It will be interesting to see how it all works out, but I would predict that the Heat end up getting in over the Hornets, while the Nets and Pistons remain in the playoffs as well. 
Western Conference:
As for the West, of course it starts with the Golden State Warriors. Unlike in recent years, however, they have some real competition. They hold only a half-game lead over the Denver Nuggets, and the Oklahoma City Thunder are not too far behind either. The Warriors should not have any issue getting the top seed, but it still may come down to the wire.
The Portland Trail Blazers and the Houston Rockets are fourth and fifth, and I would expect them to stay there for the remainder of the season.
After the sixth best team, the Utah Jazz, things get really tight. Both the San Antonio Spurs and Los Angeles Clippers are tied as the seventh and eighth best teams.
One of the biggest surprises of the season is the Sacramento Kings, who are only two games out of the playoffs.
Perhaps the biggest disappointment of the season is the Los Angeles Lakers, who are three games out of the postseason. Although it has been a tough go of it, it is almost unfathomable to think that LeBron James will not even make the playoffs. Somehow, someway, he always figures it out and ensures that his team does what they have to do to win, and I do not think this year will be any different. Of all the teams mentioned, I would expect the Lakers to play with the highest sense of urgency for the entire month of March. There is no way James allows his team to fail to make the playoffs after making the bold decision to take his talents to LA.