There are only a few weeks left until the 2019/20 NBA season begins. So, to get you ready for the impending tournament we have put this article together to explore what is to be expected during this year’s competition and how each team will fare in the games. Therefore, if you are an avid fan of this widespread American tournament, then keep on reading to find out more.

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How the NBA Season Works

The 2019/20 NBA season is scheduled to begin on the 22nd October 2019 and end on the 15th April 2020. Outside of this is the play-offs which are planned for the 18th April 2020 and the finals which are due to take place in June 2020 but do not have a confirmed date yet. But within these fixtures there is also the 2020 NB All-Star Game which is expected to be held on 16th February 2020 and on October 22nd, 2020 the Toronto Raptors will host the championship ring ceremony and compete against New Orleans Pelicans.

The NBA play-offs has a ‘best of seven’ elimination format which is generally held after the NBA regular season so that they can determine who the league’s overall champion is. In 2015 the format to this elimination process changed to see the top eight teams from the West and the East Conference compete against one another. These teams were then determined due to their win-loss records in order to qualify for this part of the season. Ultimately the East and West conference teams would play one another until the final two played head to head in the finals.

Therefore, to try and predict the outcome of these play-offs, we have investigated the NBA current rankings of each conference below to see how the top 8 teams at the moment are faring.

Western Conference

For the Western Conference the following teams are ranked the top 8:

  1. Gold State Warriors
  2. Denver Nuggets
  3. Portland Trail Blazers
  4. Houston Rockets
  5. Utah Jazz
  6. Oklahoma City Thunder
  7. San Antonia Spurs
  8. LA Clippers

Taking the top spot at the moment in the Western Conference is Golden State Warriors who have a 57-25 win-loss which is closely followed behind by the Denver Nuggets at 54028 and Portland Trail Blazers at 53-29 who also tie with Houston Rockets. In previous years it has been apparent that the Los Angeles Lakers have been a strong contender on the Western Conference but in recent years the Golden State Warriors have placed 1st three times since 2014 breaking their potential winning streak in 2015/16 after losing 3-4 in the finals to Cleveland Cavaliers. The Los Angeles Lakers are currently ranked 10th out of 15 in the Western Conference at the moment, but could we see a comeback, or can the Golden State Warriors stay on top?

Eastern Conference

For the Eastern Conference the top 8 teams are ranked as follows:

  1. Milwaukee Bucks
  2. Toronto Raptors
  3. Philadelphia 76ers
  4. Boston Celtics
  5. Indiana Pacers
  6. Brooklyn Nets
  7. Orlando Magic
  8. Detroit Pistons

Ranked 1st in the Eastern Conference is the Milwaukee Bucks at 60 wins to 22 losses which is closely followed behind by the Toronto Raptors at 58 wins to 24 losses. The Toronto Raptors are current defending champions for the 2019/20 season after they won the NBA 2018/19 beating Golden State Warriors from the West who are ranked the top of their league at this moment in time. The Milwaukee Bucks are a dark horse in this season’s tournament as they have yet to make it to the finals but are ranked top of the Eastern Conference at this period in time. Could the Toronto Raptors defend their title this season or are the Milwaukee Bucks going to arise from the shadows and give them a run for their money, we’ll have to see.

Are You Ready for the NBA 2019/20 to Begin?

Within this article we have explored the scheduling of the upcoming NBA tournament along with the strongest and competitive teams involved in each conference. Let us know over on our social media pages what your predictions are for the 2019/20 season and who you think has the chance of winning the tournament. To get yourself even more in the mood for the games you can play basketball at home using our basketball gear which is available on our online store – Sports Fitness.

This article was written exclusively for Sports Fitness by Loren Astbury