The NBA plans to return with 22 teams playing eight regular-season games each at Disney’s ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex in Orlando, Florida. A significant portion of the playoff field is set. Nine teams are still vying to clinch a postseason berth.

The seeds can still change, but seven Western Conference teams and six Eastern Conference teams have earned their way into the 16-team playoff field.

The Los Angeles Lakers (49-14) are all but certain to be the No.1 seed in the West with a 5.5-game lead over the No.2 seed L.A. Clippers (44-20). The Denver Nuggets (43-22), Utah Jazz (41-23), Oklahoma City Thunder (40-24), Houston Rockets (40-24) and Dallas Mavericks (40-27) can’t fall lower than the seventh seed.

The Milwaukee Bucks (53-12) are atop the overall 2020 NBA standings and have a 6.5-game lead over the No.2 seed Toronto Raptors (46-18) in the East. The Boston Celtics (43-21), Miami Heat (41-24), Indiana Pacers (39-26) and Philadelphia 76ers (39-26) are guaranteed to finish among the conference’s top-six seeds.

The Memphis Grizzlies (32-33) are the West’s No.8 seed in the current playoff picture. The Brooklyn Nets (30-34) are seventh in the East, followed by the No.8 seed Orlando Magic (30-35).

All three of those teams still have work to do in order to reach the postseason. A possible play-in tournament complicates their path to the playoffs.

The Portland Trail Blazers (29-37), New Orleans Pelicans (28-36) and Sacramento Kings (28-36) all trail Memphis by 3.5 games. Those three teams, along with the San Antonio Spurs (27-36) and Phoenix Suns (26-39), will finish the regular season.

Only the Washington Wizards (24-40) have a chance to sneak into the East’s playoff picture. They trail Brooklyn by six games and Orlando by 5.5 games.

The league’s plan calls for the No.8 and No.9 seed in each conference to meet in a short series if they are separated by fewer than four games at the end of the regular season. In order to clinch a playoff berth, the No.8 seed needs one victory in the play-in tournament. The No.9 seed would have to defeat the No.8 seed twice.

The Minnesota Timberwolves (19-45) and Golden State Warriors (15-50) are the only West teams not invited to Orlando. The season is done for the Charlotte Hornets (23-42), Chicago Bulls (22-43), New York Knicks (21-45), Detroit Pistons (20-46), Atlanta Hawks (20-47) and Cleveland Cavaliers (19-46).

Zion Williamson Ja Morant
Zion Williamson #1 of the New Orleans Pelicans and Ja Morant #12 of the Memphis Grizzlies stand on the court during a NBA game at Smoothie King Center on January 31, 2020 in New Orleans, Louisiana. Sean Gardner/Getty Images
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