Any individual who has endured the rigors of the 82-game season will tell that you it is a grind, one that is filled with highs and lows. The current NBA standings are going to change in a million different ways between now and the moment that they become solidified for playoff setting.

However, at the end of the day, the standings are what determine who gets what. Who gets relegated from the league? Who gets to host a first round playoff series? Who has to win one play-in game to make the playoffs instead of two? The point is, it behooves you to be as high up in the standings as possible, so why not start right now. Let's now see how everyone is stacked up.

Eastern Conference standings as of Nov. 4

Eastern Conference playoff race

If the playoffs started today, the top six seeds would be (in order) the Philadelphia 76ers, Detroit Pistons, Boston Celtics, Washington Wizards, Toronto Raptors, and Cleveland Cavaliers. The Atlanta Hawks and New York Knicks would need to win a single play-in game to clinch a playoff spot. The Charlotte Hornets and Miami Heat would need to win two.

Western Conference standings as of Nov. 4

Western Conference playoff race

For the western conference, the top six teams were the Houston Rockets, Memphis Grizzlies, Portland Trail Blazers, Los Angeles Lakers, Oklahoma City Thunder, and San Antonio Spurs. The teams that would be fighting for the final two playoff spots through the play-in tournament would be the Golden State Warriors, Minnesota Timberwolves, Dallas Mavericks, and Denver Nuggets.

The Houston Rockets have reached flow state status

The Houston Rockets are the best in the West right now, but they aren't doing it in the way you'd expect. It is actually their offense (which ranks second in efficiency, as of writing this) that is powering their success, and it isn't because they are breaking records for offensive rebounding rate like they were at the start of last season. Don't get me wrong, this is a very good second-chance producing team (ranking sixth in offensive rebounding rate).

However, it is more than just crashing the boards. It feels like a century ago, given their lackluster start, but remember when the New York Knicks discovered basketball Nirvana last postseason? That is what the Rockets feel like right now. Head coach Ime Udoka has finally figured out how to channel all the strengths of his personnel, and use those superpowers to guide them from action to action. Having two floor generals on the team in Fred VanVleet and Marcus smart also helps big time. The Rockets are firing on all cylinders right now, and it looks very scary.

Who is more cooked: Indiana Pacers or Utah Jazz?

Two teams I did not expect to see at the bottom of their conference's respective standings are the Indiana Pacers and the Utah Jazz. Both teams still have time to fix this mess, but which one should be more panicked by their slow start?

I'm going to say the Jazz. The Pacers have been one of the most injury-riddled teams in the league this season. According to Spotrac, they have lost the second most player games to injury, behind only the Warriors. This isn't a great stat to be near the top of the league in, and there is no guarantee that things will change in this department, but at least this group has a history of success when they are whole.

The Jazz are dealing with their own injury issues; namely, Jaren Jackson Jr., who could be out until 2027 with a torn MCL. However, even when he was healthy, their defense was terrible. With Jackson on the floor, the Jazz were in the third percentile in defensive rating (per Cleaning the Glass). Head coach Will Hardy is as bright as they come, but I'm not sure even he is savvy enough to get out of this mess.