Golden State Warriors: Potential First Round Playoff Matchups

Mar 8, 2015; Oakland, CA, USA; Golden State Warriors forward

(23) hangs on the rim after dunking the ball next to Los Angeles Clippers center

(6) in the third quarter at Oracle Arena. The Warriors defeated the Clippers 106-89. Mandatory Credit: Cary Edmondson-USA TODAY Sports

With a little over a month left in the NBA regular season, the Golden State Warriors have a league best 50-12 record, earning them the number one seed in the Western Conference. The Warriors have been nothing but exciting and fun to watch this season, and are widely considered to have a great shot of going to the NBA Finals for the first time since 1975.

If the season ended today the Warriors would play the red-hot Oklahoma City Thunder, as the one-eight match-up. Now, wouldn’t that be a fun series to watch?

However, with the standings being ever so tight in the West, the Warriors may not end up playing the Thunder in the first round. Only 2.5 games separate the third and seventh seeds in the West — and the Thunder are currently only 4.5 games behind the seventh seed. They also have the New Orleans Pelicans (one game back), and the Phoenix Suns (1.5 games back) right behind them.

Also, it’s possible that the Warriors may not win the top seed in the ultra-competitive West, even after spending the majority of the season there. As it stand now, the Warriors have a 5.5 game lead over the second seeded Memphis Grizzles and a seven game lead over the third seeded Houston Rockets.

It is highly unlikely that Golden State would fall from the top spot, but anything can happen in the West.

With that in mind — and assuming the Warriors remain the top seed — it’s time to take a look at four potential match-ups the Warriors could have in the first round of the 2015 NBA Playoffs.

Next: Oklahoma City Thunder