2015-16 NBA Final Regular Season Standings
April 13th, 2016
By Vonny Lee
The end of the NBA Regular Season is upon us and what a year it has been. Here's a quick look at the final regular season standings and where the team's that didn't make the playoffs stand at season's end.
The Central
1. The Pistons -- made a late push for the playoffs but couldn't string together enough wins to make a difference. SVG now heads into another offseason with disappointment foremost on the minds of everyone involved with the organization; Brandon Jennings will test FA and likely not be back ... will Reggie Jackson be enough to run the point for Detroit?
2. The Bucks -- made late adjustments to their rotation to try and make a positive push, but came away with nothing to show for it. The Bucks now have to look hard to see where this season went wrong -- was it Michael-Carter Williams, Greg Monroe, both, or something else entirely? Next year will determine the fate of nearly everyone who's bet on this roster, from Jason Kidd to the Greek Freak.
The Atlantic
1. The Wizards -- bet that this season would be the one where they made the leap, but instead their early season moves to secure a playoff spot fell short and now they're left on the outside looking in. Randy Wittman is likely to get axed in the offseason and whomever follows him will be mandated to make the playoffs next year, or face a similar fate.
2. The Celtics -- don't regret the Boogie trade ... yet. The arrival of Cousins was supposed to energize the Celtics and allow the team to make a push for a playoff spot; instead, Boogie's arrival upset the balance the team had achieved and now leaves the Celtics looking for a way to reestablish some of that balance over the offseason. The fate of Marcus Smart, Tyler Zeller, and Jared Sullinger all remain to be decided in the biggest offseason for Boston in nearly half-a-decade; can the Celtics build around Boogie, or will he prove too much for even them?
3. The 76ers -- lost, exactly like they wanted to, but fell a game short of being the worst in the NBA; that honor belongs to the Jazz. Philly made progress towards the end, but the trades of multiple assets over the season doesn't seem to have hurt their chances too badly at securing the first overall selection.
The Southeast
1. The Hornets -- hit a losing streak at the worst time, going 3-7 over the last 10 games and just missing the playoffs despite the Knicks woeful end-of-year performance. This might be the final iteration of this team with Al Jefferson in the middle, as both he and the Hornets seem ready to move on; where will Michael Jordan go from here?
2. The Magic -- almost made it. A late season push, led by Joe Johnson, energized the team and the fanbase, getting them so close to the playoffs. Despite missing the final cut, the Magic are looking up and with the Lakers pick (acquired in the trade with Philly at the deadline) looking to easily fall outside the top-3, the Magic will be able to snag a valuable asset to develop as this team looks to be on the rise.