But it is what it is. Miss the regular season then straight to the play-offs.
The Miami Heat was the 7th seed last year and they lost at the first battle which means they will need to wait for the 9th and 10th on which teams are going to win to battle again and claim the 8th seed for the playoffs.
I think that was the first time that a team came from the play-in tournament and ended up being the Conference Champions. Even the popular basketball analysts were shocked at what happened. Everyone is underestimating them, even the odds tell so. I won't be a hypocrite, I never expected them to be there too.
This is why I told in the NBA Season thread that if their supported teams are in the ranks 9th or 10th, it ain't the end of the world yet. There's always a chance as long as they play great.
I think the Warriors might make it to the 8th spot after beating the Lakers. Lebron got them last time with his one-eyed triple. But the Warriors are playing better in their recent games while the Lakers are filled with injuries.