The Golden State Warriors still technically have a shot at making the playoffs this season, even though things feel pretty bleak after losing Jimmy Butler to a season-ending ACL tear.
If the season ended right now, though, the NBA would love the Play-In matchup.
The Warriors are currently the No. 8 seed in the Western Conference. The Phoenix Suns and Los Angeles Lakers are tied for the No. 7 spot right now, with the Lakers holding the tie-breaker. Either way though, the NBA would love a Play-In matchup between Golden State and either one of the pacific rivals.
NBA would love if the Warriors made the Play-In
Obviously a matchup with the Lakers would drive the ratings that the NBA craves. Another postseason showdown between Stephen Curry and LeBron James is exactly what commissioner Adam Silver dreamt about when conceiving the Play-In tournament.
Of course, this matchup would be a far cry from the heyday of the Steph-LeBron rivalry when the two were facing off every single year in the NBA Finals. This matchup would be much more reflective of the two aging stars at this point in their careers.
No longer are they on juggernaut teams bound for the Finals. Rather they're on borderline playoff teams struggling to stay relevant in a crowded Western Conference with younger, better teams ahead of them.
Still, it would be fun to see the two go toe-to-toe one more time. Curry is nearing 38-years-old and James is 41, so who knows how many more times we'd get to see two of the best ever face off in a postseason environment?
On the other hand, the Suns would not be a bad matchup as well. They could bill that as Curry going up against Devin Booker and Draymond Green going up against Dillon Brooks -- a player who certainly hasn't endeared himself to Warriors fans over the years and has earned the label of being a "dirty" player from head coach Steve Kerr.
Even though the Warriors will be without Butler, they still figure to be in the Play-In. The Warriors could probably play .500, or slightly below for the rest of the season and end up being the No. 8 or No. 9 seed.
They could also try to make a splash and land Giannis Antetokounmpo to give themselves a chance to be the No. 6 seed or better, but that would be a dream scenario that remains up in the air ahead of Thursday's trade deadline.
As things stand, the NBA would love for the Warriors to make the Play-In as it would be a fun matchup against either the Lakers and/or the Suns.