NBA teams press for positioning

0 Comments | USA TODAY, April, 2008 | by Jon Saraceno

Slide over, NFL. A measure of parity has bounced into the NBA.

Pro basketball's relative competitive balance suggests the playoff seedings for the upcoming postseason are not as critical, even though teams jockey for slots and home-court advantage entering the league's final weekend of the regular season, which concludes Wednesday.

"It's been a real competitive year, more than any other year, and the playoffs will be fantastic because of that," San Antonio Spurs coach Gregg Popovich said. "There are no favorites.

"Really, it doesn't matter what the seeding is going to be -- the seeding is really irrelevant."

The wild, wild Western Conference remains the most competitive chase, particularly with the Boston Celtics' domination of the East,...