*Updated Through Games Played on March 24*
With just seven games remaining for the Warriors in the regular season, the Dubs are fighting for playoff positioning in a crowded Western Conference. Only the Denver Nuggets and Memphis Grizzlies have clinched a playoff spot in the West, where just 3.5 games separate fourth place from 12th place.
The top six teams in both the West and East at the end of the regular season secure a playoff spot, while the seventh through 10th place teams will participate in a play-in tournament to determine the final two playoff spots in each conference.
Read below for more on where the Dubs currently stand in their battle for postseason positioning.
Warriors Snapshot
Through NBA games played on Friday, the Warriors are...
- 39-36, sixth place in the Western Conference
- just percentage points behind the Suns for fifth place and a half-game behind fourth place (Clippers)
- 1.5 games ahead of seventh place (Timberwolves) and eighth place (Lakers)
- 7 games left in regular season (4 home, 3 away)
If the Regular Season Ended Today
The Warriors are currently in position to take on the Kings in the first round of the NBA Playoffs. Should the current standings hold up through the conclusion of the regular season, that would mark the first-ever playoff matchup between the Northern California neighbors.
Warriors Postseason Possibilities
As of today, it's mathematically possible for the Warriors to finish anywhere from third place to 13th in the West, although Memphis and Sacramento are in second and third place with a bit of a cushion over the next nine teams in the standings. Seemingly every Dubs game, and even some off days, can impact whether the team moves up or down in the standings.
Although the Warriors are currently in position for the sixth seed in the West, improving their playoff positioning, participating in the play-in tournament and missing the play-in completely are all very real possibilities with six teams currently having just one or two more losses than the Dubs.
Notable Matchups
Four of the Warriors' seven remaining games will be played at Chase Center, where the Dubs are 30-7 this season, tied for the third best home record in the league. And three of those home games are against opponents who are part of that logjam in the West standings: Sunday vs. the Timberwolves (7th place; 37-37), Tuesday vs. the Pelicans (9th place; 36-37) and April 4 vs. the Thunder (10th in West; 36-38).
Remaining Games for Dubs
- Sunday, March 26: vs. Timberwolves (7th in West; 37-37)
- Tuesday, March 28: vs. Pelicans (9th in West; 36-37)
- Friday, March 31: vs. Spurs (14th in West; 19-55)
- Sunday, April 2: at Nuggets (1st in West; 49-24)
- Tuesday, April 4: vs. Oklahoma City Thunder (10th in West; 36-38)
- Friday, April 7: at Sacramento Kings (3rd in West; 44-29)
- Sunday, April 9: at Portland Trail Blazers (13th in West; 32-41)
The Competition
- Los Angeles Clippers: 4th place (39-35), 0.5 games ahead of the Warriors
Upcoming Opponents: vs. Pelicans, vs. Bulls, at Grizzlies - Phoenix Suns: 5th place (38-35), 0.0 games ahead of the Warriors
Upcoming Opponents: vs. Sixers, at Jazz, vs. Timberwolves - Minnesota Timberwolves: 7th place (37-37), 1.5 games behind the Warriors
Upcoming Opponents: at Warriors, at Kings, at Suns, vs. Lakers - Los Angeles Lakers: 8th place (37-37), 1.5 games behind the Warriors
Upcoming Opponents: vs. Bulls, at Bulls, at Timberwolves - New Orleans Pelicans: 9th place (36-37), 2.0 games behind the Warriors
Upcoming Opponents: vs. Hornets, at Clippers, at Blazers, at Warriors - Oklahoma City Thunder: 10th place (36-38), 2.5 games behind the Warriors
Upcoming Opponents: at Blazers, vs. Hornets, vs. Pistons - Dallas Mavericks: 11th place (36-38), 2.5 games behind the Warriors
Upcoming Opponents: at Hornets, at Pacers, at Sixers - Utah Jazz: 12th place (35-38), 3.0 games behind the Warriors
Upcoming Opponents: vs. Bucks, at Kings, vs. Suns, at Spurs
The Last Word
The playoff picture isn't a clear one just yet, and it may stay that way right up until and possibly through the final weekend of the season.