NBA Playoff Picture: Who Will the Warriors Face in the First Round?

This is a very tough question because the standings are tight. The Thunder and the Spurs are neck-a-neck for that 1st seed, and they’re the first group. After that, the Grizzlies, Nuggets, and Clippers are very close, battling for the 3rd seed. There’s a huge gap between the Nuggets at 5th, and the Warriors at 6th. The Dubs, Jazz, Lakers, and Rockets are battling for the final playoff spots, but it  seems like the Warriors have secured a spot.

There are four teams the Warriors will likely be seeing in the playoffs, but some of them are desirable opponents, and some of them aren’t.

1. Oklahoma City Thunder:

A Warriors – Thunder matchup is the least likely to happen, as the Warriors are looking like they won’t drop to the 7th seed, and the Thunder. These are two very hot teams, and the Warriors would be unfortunate if they were paired with them. The first round is magical, and the Warriors are lucky to be there, but they don’t want to face OKC if they want a chance to win. Probability: 10%

January 13, 2013; Denver, CO, USA; Golden State Warriors guard Stephen Curry (30) drives to the basket during the second half against the Denver Nuggets at the Pepsi Center. The Nuggets won 116-105. Mandatory Credit: Chris Humphreys-USA TODAY Sports

2. Denver Nuggets:

This Nugget team was just hit out of their streak by the New Orleans Hornets. Think about that one for just a second. The winners of 15 straight games came at a good time, and they caught up to LA and passed them in the third seed. The Warriors will be unfortunate to play Denver, who’s only dropped 3 at home. The Nuggets have a tough schedule, but they will likely come up with some big wins. Still, the Clippers are rolling. Probability: 40%

3. Memphis Grizzlies:

Although the Warriors have failed to beat the Grizzlies so far this season, each game they’ve played with them was fairly close, with the exception of the first home game. They weren’t in their groove because their main bench player, Brandon Rush tore his ACL. The Dubs have played some pretty strong games against the Grizzlies, but always came up short. Nevertheless, the Grizzlies aren’t going to pass the Nuggets or the Clippers to gain the third seed. Probability: 10%

4. Los Angeles Clippers:

This is the best matchup the Warriors could possibly ask for. Against the Clippers, they always seem to play with more energy. They’ve beaten them 3/4 times this season, and one of the wins was in LA. That’s all the Warriors need to do: win one of the away games. If they do this, they will likely win the series, causing an upset, just like they did a few years ago in 2007. The Clippers may have done just enough with that 16 game streak to secure the third seed, but the Nuggets are catching up. Probability: 40%