"When Michael Jordan and the Chicago Bulls had their double three-peat in the 1990s, you know what their record was from March 5 through the end of the regular season? 112-30. They won 79% of their games, and Jordan didn't sit them out. With load management and the play-in tournament, there are different ways of managing a team's late stretch to set up for playoff success."
"The Indiana Pacers came from the 4-seed to nearly take out the Oklahoma City Thunder in the NBA Finals last season. The Dallas Mavericks came from a 5-seed to make the Finals the year before. So now there are different targets. A top-six seed is important to avoid the play-in, but note that Miami made the Finals in 2023 after going through the play-in."
"Houston, for example, wins games by an average of plus-4.7 points, with a league-leading plus-4.1 of that coming solely from its offensive rebounding. The Rockets are also good in transition offense, getting plus-3.4 net points per game, ranking No. 7 in the NBA. They also turn it over a lot, 15.7 times per game, the most of any team currently in playoff position."
The NBA's approach to late-season playoff positioning has fundamentally changed from the era when teams like the 1990s Chicago Bulls pursued the top seed with full effort. Modern teams now employ load management and navigate the play-in tournament as alternative paths to playoff success. Recent examples demonstrate that lower seeds can achieve Finals appearances: the Indiana Pacers reached the Finals as a 4-seed, the Dallas Mavericks as a 5-seed, and Miami made the Finals after playing through the play-in. Teams now prioritize securing a top-six seed to avoid the play-in entirely, though this is no longer the only viable route. The Western Conference features competitive races for playoff positioning, with teams like the Houston Rockets employing distinct statistical advantages in offensive rebounding and transition offense while managing high turnover rates.
Read at ESPN.com
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