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Post by LIGHTS OUT on Apr 4, 2019 10:37:28 GMT -7
Yes it is. Blake Griffin has been sitting for three games with a fake knee injury.....this is all part of the plan to ensure they slot right into the 7th seed. Detroit has three easier games to end the season and don't want to win too many and be "stuck" in 6th. Pistons lose in 5 to Philly or 4 to Milwaukee. Raptors/Pistons is a 6-7 game series that could go either way. Dwayne Casey has done the math. I don’t think your chances of ending up at 7th are that good. First of all, if you win at least 3 of your last 4 games, you will most likely end up at 6th simply based on record. I don’t see Brooklyn winning out and ending up at 42-40 (and I damn sure don’t see Miami doing that). Orlando has the best chance of winning out (albeit still unlikely) and if you tie with just them you get the tiebreaker via H2H margin. Ultimately, I think if you win 42 games, you will be the 6th spot. If you lose two games, and tie with both Orlando AND Brooklyn, then Orlando gets 6th based on being a (sorry ass) division winner. Brooklyn would get the 7th, pushing you down to 8th, based on H2H victories. To avoid the 6th spot, you need to lose at least twice, and also need either Orlando and/or Miami to win out & finish with a better record than you. Or if Brooklyn wins out and finishes with a better record than you, and you also tie with Orlando at 41-41 (assuming Miami is out of the picture) you can grab 7th. If you Brooklyn wins out and takes 6th, and you end up in a 3-way tie at 7th with Miami & Orlando with a 41-41 record, Orlando will get 7th (based on winning their division) and the 8th spot will go into some deep tie-breaking scenario which can’t even begin to be projected yet. So by dropping 2 games to the wrong teams and ending at 41-41, you will be at risk of missing the playoffs altogether. The smart move would be to win as many games you can, and at least secure a playoff spot. You can’t play around and put your fate in the hands of games you have no control over, before you even have a playoff spot clinched... My prediction: 6. Detroit 7. Brooklyn 8. Orlando Great analysis. I wasn't actually serious about the idea of Detroit losing on purpose for 7th. I see (hope) the following happens: 6. Brooklyn 41-41 (Losing to the Bucks. Beating Pacers and Heat) 7. Detroit 41-41 (Losing to the Thunder and Hornets. Easy wins over Grizzlies and Knicks) 8. Orlando 40-42 (Losing to Celtics and Hawks (have beat 76ers twice, Bucks and Jazz recently). Winning vs Hornets) 9. Miami 38-44 (Lose all games against Timberwolves, Raptors, 76ers, Nets) Blake may sit another two games for Detroit, both losses. Brooklyn takes the 6th seed in a H2H tiebreaker. Miami doesn't win again and Orlando settles for the 8th seed after an upset loss to the Hawks.
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Post by chopper31 on Apr 4, 2019 12:19:44 GMT -7
I don’t think your chances of ending up at 7th are that good. First of all, if you win at least 3 of your last 4 games, you will most likely end up at 6th simply based on record. I don’t see Brooklyn winning out and ending up at 42-40 (and I damn sure don’t see Miami doing that). Orlando has the best chance of winning out (albeit still unlikely) and if you tie with just them you get the tiebreaker via H2H margin. Ultimately, I think if you win 42 games, you will be the 6th spot. If you lose two games, and tie with both Orlando AND Brooklyn, then Orlando gets 6th based on being a (sorry ass) division winner. Brooklyn would get the 7th, pushing you down to 8th, based on H2H victories. To avoid the 6th spot, you need to lose at least twice, and also need either Orlando and/or Miami to win out & finish with a better record than you. Or if Brooklyn wins out and finishes with a better record than you, and you also tie with Orlando at 41-41 (assuming Miami is out of the picture) you can grab 7th. If you Brooklyn wins out and takes 6th, and you end up in a 3-way tie at 7th with Miami & Orlando with a 41-41 record, Orlando will get 7th (based on winning their division) and the 8th spot will go into some deep tie-breaking scenario which can’t even begin to be projected yet. So by dropping 2 games to the wrong teams and ending at 41-41, you will be at risk of missing the playoffs altogether. The smart move would be to win as many games you can, and at least secure a playoff spot. You can’t play around and put your fate in the hands of games you have no control over, before you even have a playoff spot clinched... My prediction: 6. Detroit 7. Brooklyn 8. Orlando Great analysis. I wasn't actually serious about the idea of Detroit losing on purpose for 7th. I see (hope) the following happens: 6. Brooklyn 41-41 (Losing to the Bucks. Beating Pacers and Heat) 7. Detroit 41-41 (Losing to the Thunder and Hornets. Easy wins over Grizzlies and Knicks) 8. Orlando 40-42 (Losing to Celtics and Hawks (have beat 76ers twice, Bucks and Jazz recently). Winning vs Hornets) 9. Miami 38-44 (Lose all games against Timberwolves, Raptors, 76ers, Nets) Blake may sit another two games for Detroit, both losses. Brooklyn takes the 6th seed in a H2H tiebreaker. Miami doesn't win again and Orlando settles for the 8th seed after an upset loss to the Hawks. I think tonight’s Bucks/76ers game will play a role in how things shake out with the final spots. If the Bucks beat the 76ers tonight, they lock up the #1 seed, and likely coast the rest of the way. For the Nets, that would Saturday’s game vs the Bucks much more winnable. It would also make the Raptors game on Sunday against Miami meaningless, and probably be treated like a preseason game for the Raps, increasing Miami’s chances significantly in that game. If the Bucks lose tonight, they need to keep on playing, and will be going all out against the Nets on Saturday (assuming the Raps don’t lay an egg vs. Charlotte tomorrow night). If the Bucks win that game, thats another way the Heat get the gift of a likely easy game against the Raps on Sunday. However if Philly beats the Bucks tonight, and the Bulls afterwards (and/or Celtics losses somewhere in there) their game vs. Miami on Tuesday could also be treated like a preseason game. That gives Miami a second potential freebie. I don’t see Miami having a hard time beating the Timberwolves, I have no problem penciling in that win for them. That could be followed by two gift wrapped wins courtesy of the coasting Raptors and 76ers, giving them a completely possible 41-40 record heading into the final game of the season vs the Nets. Then you have the Nets potential impacts by tonight’s outcomes. They could have a gift wrapped win against the Bucks on Saturday (if the Bucks wrap things up tonight). Their matchup against the Pacers could also be impacted by how the Pacers do tomorrow night against Boston. If it looks like they are locked into the 5 spot, they are the last team I’d expect to risk injury in a meaningless game. Either way, the Nets are capable of beating the Pacers straight up, so they could very well also be sitting at 41-40 going into that final game vs. Miami. I think the Nets take that final game, and end up either at 41-41 or 42-40. That would place them at either the 6th or 7th spot (dependent on what Detroit does). Tomorrow night’s Celtics vs. Pacers game, can also have a big affect on the playoff landscape. Boston is still alive for the 3 spot, as they have the H2H tiebreaker over Philly. If Philly loses to the Bucks tonight, and Boston wins tomorrow, it’s gonna make both of those teams have to keep the foot on the gas pedal. Boston probably will either way, but with Philly it’s up in the air (which will impact Miami). The Hawks might not be the joke their record says they are, but the Magic are legit as well and have motivation, so I see them beating both the Hawks and Hornets. I don’t think they will beat Boston on the road though, so I think they end up at 41-41 and ultimately take the 8th spot (either via tiebreaker over Miami or just by having a better record than them). |
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Post by LIGHTS OUT on Apr 4, 2019 12:32:24 GMT -7
Great analysis. I wasn't actually serious about the idea of Detroit losing on purpose for 7th. I see (hope) the following happens: 6. Brooklyn 41-41 (Losing to the Bucks. Beating Pacers and Heat) 7. Detroit 41-41 (Losing to the Thunder and Hornets. Easy wins over Grizzlies and Knicks) 8. Orlando 40-42 (Losing to Celtics and Hawks (have beat 76ers twice, Bucks and Jazz recently). Winning vs Hornets) 9. Miami 38-44 (Lose all games against Timberwolves, Raptors, 76ers, Nets) Blake may sit another two games for Detroit, both losses. Brooklyn takes the 6th seed in a H2H tiebreaker. Miami doesn't win again and Orlando settles for the 8th seed after an upset loss to the Hawks. I think tonight’s Bucks/76ers game will play a role in how things shake out with the final spots. If the Bucks beat the 76ers tonight, they lock up the #1 seed, and likely coast the rest of the way. For the Nets, that would Saturday’s game vs the Bucks much more winnable. It would also make the Raptors game on Sunday against Miami meaningless, and probably be treated like a preseason game for the Raps, increasing Miami’s chances significantly in that game. If the Bucks lose tonight, they need to keep on playing, and will be going all out against the Nets on Saturday (assuming the Raps don’t lay an egg vs. Charlotte tomorrow night). If the Bucks win that game, thats another way the Heat get the gift of a likely easy game against the Raps on Sunday. However if Philly beats the Bucks tonight, and the Bulls afterwards (and/or Celtics losses somewhere in there) their game vs. Miami on Tuesday could also be treated like a preseason game. That gives Miami a second potential freebie. I don’t see Miami having a hard time beating the Timberwolves, I have no problem penciling in that win for them. That could be followed by two gift wrapped wins courtesy of the coasting Raptors and 76ers, giving them a completely possible 41-40 record heading into the final game of the season vs the Nets. Then you have the Nets potential impacts by tonight’s outcomes. They could have a gift wrapped win against the Bucks on Saturday (if the Bucks wrap things up tonight). Their matchup against the Pacers could also be impacted by how the Pacers do tomorrow night against Boston. If it looks like they are locked into the 5 spot, they are the last team I’d expect to risk injury in a meaningless game. Either way, the Nets are capable of beating the Pacers straight up, so they could very well also be sitting at 41-40 going into that final game vs. Miami. I think the Nets take that final game, and end up either at 41-41 or 42-40. That would place them at either the 6th or 7th spot (dependent on what Detroit does). Tomorrow night’s Celtics vs. Pacers game, can also have a big affect on the playoff landscape. Boston is still alive for the 3 spot, as they have the H2H tiebreaker over Philly. If Philly loses to the Bucks tonight, and Boston wins tomorrow, it’s gonna make both of those teams have to keep the foot on the gas pedal. Boston probably will either way, but with Philly it’s up in the air (which will impact Miami). The Hawks might not be the joke their record says they are, but the Magic are legit as well and have motivation, so I see them beating both the Hawks and Hornets. I don’t think they will beat Boston on the road though, so I think they end up at 41-41 and ultimately take the 8th spot (either via tiebreaker over Miami or just by having a better record than them). Loving this breakdown....although it is scaring me a little bit. Detroit has the ability to go 0-4 against anyone the way this season has gone up and down. With all these gift wrap opportunities for the teams around them, they just need to win to avoid missing the playoffs all together (although unlikely, I have seen it happen in the past). Forget the 7th seed, not worth the headache, lol.
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Post by chopper31 on Apr 5, 2019 9:04:05 GMT -7
I think tonight’s Bucks/76ers game will play a role in how things shake out with the final spots. If the Bucks beat the 76ers tonight, they lock up the #1 seed, and likely coast the rest of the way. For the Nets, that would Saturday’s game vs the Bucks much more winnable. It would also make the Raptors game on Sunday against Miami meaningless, and probably be treated like a preseason game for the Raps, increasing Miami’s chances significantly in that game. If the Bucks lose tonight, they need to keep on playing, and will be going all out against the Nets on Saturday (assuming the Raps don’t lay an egg vs. Charlotte tomorrow night). If the Bucks win that game, thats another way the Heat get the gift of a likely easy game against the Raps on Sunday. However if Philly beats the Bucks tonight, and the Bulls afterwards (and/or Celtics losses somewhere in there) their game vs. Miami on Tuesday could also be treated like a preseason game. That gives Miami a second potential freebie. I don’t see Miami having a hard time beating the Timberwolves, I have no problem penciling in that win for them. That could be followed by two gift wrapped wins courtesy of the coasting Raptors and 76ers, giving them a completely possible 41-40 record heading into the final game of the season vs the Nets. Then you have the Nets potential impacts by tonight’s outcomes. They could have a gift wrapped win against the Bucks on Saturday (if the Bucks wrap things up tonight). Their matchup against the Pacers could also be impacted by how the Pacers do tomorrow night against Boston. If it looks like they are locked into the 5 spot, they are the last team I’d expect to risk injury in a meaningless game. Either way, the Nets are capable of beating the Pacers straight up, so they could very well also be sitting at 41-40 going into that final game vs. Miami. I think the Nets take that final game, and end up either at 41-41 or 42-40. That would place them at either the 6th or 7th spot (dependent on what Detroit does). Tomorrow night’s Celtics vs. Pacers game, can also have a big affect on the playoff landscape. Boston is still alive for the 3 spot, as they have the H2H tiebreaker over Philly. If Philly loses to the Bucks tonight, and Boston wins tomorrow, it’s gonna make both of those teams have to keep the foot on the gas pedal. Boston probably will either way, but with Philly it’s up in the air (which will impact Miami). The Hawks might not be the joke their record says they are, but the Magic are legit as well and have motivation, so I see them beating both the Hawks and Hornets. I don’t think they will beat Boston on the road though, so I think they end up at 41-41 and ultimately take the 8th spot (either via tiebreaker over Miami or just by having a better record than them). Loving this breakdown....although it is scaring me a little bit. Detroit has the ability to go 0-4 against anyone the way this season has gone up and down. With all these gift wrap opportunities for the teams around them, they just need to win to avoid missing the playoffs all together (although unlikely, I have seen it happen in the past). Forget the 7th seed, not worth the headache, lol. Yep, you guys just gotta take care of business, and let the chips fall. I think you win 42 and take the 6th. The Bucks win last night actually helps your chances for 7th a bit though, because Brooklyn has a better chance of winning out now. With the Bucks winning last night, they are now locked in #1, and as a result Raptors locked in #2. I imagine the Bucks go conservative now for the rest of the season, including the upcoming game against the Nets, as they have absolutely nothing to play for. It’s tough to predict what the Raptors do at this point. Going conservative is probably the smart move, but if they win 2 of the last 3, they would finish better than any Western Conference team and guarantee home court afsvantage in the NBA Finals should they make it there. We should know what their approach will be tonight. The nice thing is, I think they can rest Leonard & Siakim and still beat the Hornets. If that happens, I think they go ultra conservative vs Miami on Sunday, and then go full speed ahead against the Timberwolves to close things out and roll into the PO’s clicking on all cylinders. But the one thing we can almost certainly say, is the Heat will not get a gimme game against the 76ers, as they are not yet locked into the 3 spot, and need to finish with a better record than Boston to seal it. BUT... if Indiana beats Boston tonight, that could put the 76ers into coast mode by the time they play the Heat |
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Post by LIGHTS OUT on Apr 5, 2019 10:25:43 GMT -7
Loving this breakdown....although it is scaring me a little bit. Detroit has the ability to go 0-4 against anyone the way this season has gone up and down. With all these gift wrap opportunities for the teams around them, they just need to win to avoid missing the playoffs all together (although unlikely, I have seen it happen in the past). Forget the 7th seed, not worth the headache, lol. Yep, you guys just gotta take care of business, and let the chips fall. I think you win 42 and take the 6th. The Bucks win last night actually helps your chances for 7th a bit though, because Brooklyn has a better chance of winning out now. With the Bucks winning last night, they are now locked in #1, and as a result Raptors locked in #2. I imagine the Bucks go conservative now for the rest of the season, including the upcoming game against the Nets, as they have absolutely nothing to play for. It’s tough to predict what the Raptors do at this point. Going conservative is probably the smart move, but if they win 2 of the last 3, they would finish better than any Western Conference team and guarantee home court afsvantage in the NBA Finals should they make it there. We should know what their approach will be tonight. The nice thing is, I think they can rest Leonard & Siakim and still beat the Hornets. If that happens, I think they go ultra conservative vs Miami on Sunday, and then go full speed ahead against the Timberwolves to close things out and roll into the PO’s clicking on all cylinders. But the one thing we can almost certainly say, is the Heat will not get a gimme game against the 76ers, as they are not yet locked into the 3 spot, and need to finish with a better record than Boston to seal it. BUT... if Indiana beats Boston tonight, that could put the 76ers into coast mode by the time they play the Heat Just don't let this happen again: 
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Post by LIGHTS OUT on Apr 5, 2019 18:26:56 GMT -7
Hornets beat the Raptors. They will have something to play for Sunday in Detroit.
Magic break records vs Atlanta.
Miami leading Minnesota.
Pistons leading a great game @ OKC. 31 for Griffin at halftime, welcome back Blake. This would a nice victory for playoff confidence.
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Post by chopper31 on Apr 5, 2019 20:01:53 GMT -7
Hornets beat the Raptors. They will have something to play for Sunday in Detroit. Magic break records vs Atlanta. Miami leading Minnesota. Pistons leading a great game @ OKC. 31 for Griffin at halftime, welcome back Blake. This would a nice victory for playoff confidence. Yeah, I very much dislike Jeremy Lamb. So the Raptors will surely be trying to win both of their last two games (unless Golden State slips up tonight). I think Miami is as good as sunk now. They pretty much need to win out, and it’s extremely unlikely they do that with both the Raptors & Sixers playing for realz (not to mention a highly motivated Nets team). You actually may end up being right about them not winning another game at all. No biggee for the Pistons losing to OKC, I don’t think anyone expected anything differently. You just gotta win at least 2 of the last 3, which is more than likely with that schedule. Things are looking pretty favorable right now for Detroit, Brooklyn and especially Orlando. After tonight, I’d even give Charlotte a better chance than Miami. Oh yeah, nice call on the Hawks upsetting the Magic, haha ! |
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Post by chopper31 on Apr 7, 2019 19:44:12 GMT -7
OK, after Sunday’s results, here is the latest for the Eastern Conference:
Bucks are locked into #1, and have HCA throughout playoffs.
Raptors are locked into #2 for the East, but will likely still play to win on Tuesday, to hold HCA over any Western Conference team, should they make it to the NBA Finals.
76ers are locked into the #3 seed, and have no reason to play to win in their last two games.
Boston is locked into the #4 seed, and have no reason to play to win in their last two games.
Indiana is locked into the #5 seed, and have no reason to play to win in their last two games.
Brooklyn has clinched a playoff spot, and will end up at either #6 or #7. They hold H2H tiebreakers over both Orlando & Detroit, but in the case of a 3-way tie with those teams, they would end up in the middle as Orlando’s division title would place them at the top of the 3-way tie. If they win vs Miami on Wednesday, they are guaranteed the #6 spot.
Orlando has clinched their division and a playoff spot. They can end up at 6, 7 or 8 though. There is still a lot that needs to be determined to know where they will fall, but if Brooklyn wins on Wednesday, they have no chance to move to the #6 spot.
Detroit is the favorite to get the last playoff spot, but is no lock, and could still miss the playoffs altogether if they lose both remaining games. They have no chance of getting the #6 seed anymore but can claim either the #7 or #8 seed.
Detroit gets the #7 spot, if and only if:
* They win both remaining games & Orlando loses to Charlotte
Detroit gets the #8 spot, if any of the following happen:
* They win out & Orlando defeats Charlotte
Or
* Brooklyn, Orlando & Detroit all end up 41-41
Or
* They win 1 game, and Charlotte loses 1 game
Detroit misses playoffs if:
* They lose another game & Charlotte wins both remaining games
Charlotte has chance to steal the #8 spot if, and only if:
* they win both remaining games AND Detroit loses at least 1 game
Miami is an extreme long shot to make the playoffs, but can do so if and only if:
* They win both of their remaining games, Charlotte loses to Orlando & Detroit loses both of their remaining games
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Post by LIGHTS OUT on Apr 8, 2019 5:57:43 GMT -7
OK, after Sunday’s results, here is the latest for the Eastern Conference: Bucks are locked into #1, and have HCA throughout playoffs. Raptors are locked into #2 for the East, but will likely still play to win on Tuesday, to hold HCA over any Western Conference team, should they make it to the NBA Finals. 76ers are locked into the #3 seed, and have no reason to play to win in their last two games. Boston is locked into the #4 seed, and have no reason to play to win in their last two games. Indiana is locked into the #5 seed, and have no reason to play to win in their last two games. Brooklyn has clinched a playoff spot, and will end up at either #6 or #7. They hold H2H tiebreakers over both Orlando & Detroit, but in the case of a 3-way tie with those teams, they would end up in the middle as Orlando’s division title would place them at the top of the 3-way tie. If they win vs Miami on Wednesday, they are guaranteed the #6 spot. Orlando has clinched their division and a playoff spot. They can end up at 6, 7 or 8 though. There is still a lot that needs to be determined to know where they will fall, but if Brooklyn wins on Wednesday, they have no chance to move to the #6 spot. Detroit is the favorite to get the last playoff spot, but is no lock, and could still miss the playoffs altogether if they lose both remaining games. They have no chance of getting the #6 seed anymore but can claim either the #7 or #8 seed. Detroit gets the #7 spot, if and only if: * They win both remaining games & Orlando loses to Charlotte Detroit gets the #8 spot, if any of the following happen: * They win out & Orlando defeats Charlotte Or * Brooklyn, Orlando & Detroit all end up 41-41 Or * They win 1 game, and Charlotte loses 1 game Detroit misses playoffs if: * They lose another game & Charlotte wins both remaining games Charlotte has chance to steal the #8 spot if, and only if: * they win both remaining games AND Detroit loses at least 1 game Miami is an extreme long shot to make the playoffs, but can do so if and only if: * They win both of their remaining games, Charlotte loses to Orlando & Detroit loses both of their remaining games Thank you to your Raptors for winning in OT vs Miami. That buzzer beater from Miami in regulation was 0.1 late, phew! I am with you on Lamb. Hornets swept the season series vs Detroit and you are not the only team to struggle against Charlotte. Detroit should beat Memphis and the Knicks....right....right? I said earlier that Detroit is fully capable of losing the last 4 games and missing the playoffs, but I am sticking with my prediction of them losing to OKC/Hornets and beating Grizzlies/Knicks to end up at 41-41. Blake Griffin is playing on one leg right now....he is almost single handedly carrying the team. Unless he goes out on a stretcher, he won't let Detroit lose to two tanking teams with a playoff spot on the line. Correction(I think):Detroit gets the #7 spot, if and only if: * They win both remaining games, Orlando loses to Charlotte and Brooklyn beats MiamiDetroit to 7th still a reasonable possibility: - They should be the favourite in both games. - If they beat the Grizzlies (who have shut down everyone) and the Hornets beat the Cavs on Tuesday then..... - Wednesday at 8pm becomes VERY interesting with Charlotte, Brooklyn and Detroit playing at the same time. - Charlotte will be playing for their season at home vs Orlando (may be resting), Brooklyn (please don't rest) should beat Miami (who should be eliminated by now) at home, and... - Detroit will beat the Knicks and setup what everyone is hoping for: Detroit vs Toronto in Rd 1. P.S. Yes, my Atlanta over Orlando prediction was a bit off, haha. The Hawks just had some nice wins and had that end of the season spoiler feel to them.
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Post by chopper31 on Apr 8, 2019 8:38:22 GMT -7
OK, after Sunday’s results, here is the latest for the Eastern Conference: Bucks are locked into #1, and have HCA throughout playoffs. Raptors are locked into #2 for the East, but will likely still play to win on Tuesday, to hold HCA over any Western Conference team, should they make it to the NBA Finals. 76ers are locked into the #3 seed, and have no reason to play to win in their last two games. Boston is locked into the #4 seed, and have no reason to play to win in their last two games. Indiana is locked into the #5 seed, and have no reason to play to win in their last two games. Brooklyn has clinched a playoff spot, and will end up at either #6 or #7. They hold H2H tiebreakers over both Orlando & Detroit, but in the case of a 3-way tie with those teams, they would end up in the middle as Orlando’s division title would place them at the top of the 3-way tie. If they win vs Miami on Wednesday, they are guaranteed the #6 spot. Orlando has clinched their division and a playoff spot. They can end up at 6, 7 or 8 though. There is still a lot that needs to be determined to know where they will fall, but if Brooklyn wins on Wednesday, they have no chance to move to the #6 spot. Detroit is the favorite to get the last playoff spot, but is no lock, and could still miss the playoffs altogether if they lose both remaining games. They have no chance of getting the #6 seed anymore but can claim either the #7 or #8 seed. Detroit gets the #7 spot, if and only if: * They win both remaining games & Orlando loses to Charlotte Detroit gets the #8 spot, if any of the following happen: * They win out & Orlando defeats Charlotte Or * Brooklyn, Orlando & Detroit all end up 41-41 Or * They win 1 game, and Charlotte loses 1 game Detroit misses playoffs if: * They lose another game & Charlotte wins both remaining games Charlotte has chance to steal the #8 spot if, and only if: * they win both remaining games AND Detroit loses at least 1 game Miami is an extreme long shot to make the playoffs, but can do so if and only if: * They win both of their remaining games, Charlotte loses to Orlando & Detroit loses both of their remaining games Thank you to your Raptors for winning in OT vs Miami. That buzzer beater from Miami in regulation was 0.1 late, phew! I am with you on Lamb. Hornets swept the season series vs Detroit and you are not the only team to struggle against Charlotte. Detroit should beat Memphis and the Knicks....right....right? I said earlier that Detroit is fully capable of losing the last 4 games and missing the playoffs, but I am sticking with my prediction of them losing to OKC/Hornets and beating Grizzlies/Knicks to end up at 41-41. Blake Griffin is playing on one leg right now....he is almost single handedly carrying the team. Unless he goes out on a stretcher, he won't let Detroit lose to two tanking teams with a playoff spot on the line. Correction(I think):Detroit gets the #7 spot, if and only if: * They win both remaining games, Orlando loses to Charlotte and Brooklyn beats MiamiDetroit to 7th still a reasonable possibility: - They should be the favourite in both games. - If they beat the Grizzlies (who have shut down everyone) and the Hornets beat the Cavs on Tuesday then..... - Wednesday at 8pm becomes VERY interesting with Charlotte, Brooklyn and Detroit playing at the same time. - Charlotte will be playing for their season at home vs Orlando (may be resting), Brooklyn (please don't rest) should beat Miami (who should be eliminated by now) at home, and... - Detroit will beat the Knicks and setup what everyone is hoping for: Detroit vs Toronto in Rd 1. P.S. Yes, my Atlanta over Orlando prediction was a bit off, haha. The Hawks just had some nice wins and had that end of the season spoiler feel to them. You are correct, you will also need Brooklyn to beat Miami in order to get the 7th spot. Detroit can only finish below Brooklyn at this point, so you will want them to finish 6th as opposed to 7th. A few notes: * Memphis has indeed shut down some key players, but make no mistake they are not tanking. They actually have a reason to try and win their remaining 2 games. They owe a conditional draft pick to Boston, and they are in a spot right now where winning their final 2 games could have a big impact on that pick. But with that said, I still fully expect Detroit to beat them (and the Knicks). * I’d be really surprised if Orlando tries to rest anyone, as with a loss they can still slide to the 8th spot, and I don’t think anyone wants a piece of the Bucks. Toronto may in fact be their preference, as they have also had some success against us. I think they will be going all out on Wednesday, in what should be an excellent game. * Philly in all likelihood will rest key players vs Miami on Tuesday, so don’t be surprised if Miami’s slim hopes are still alive come Wednesday, and their game against Brooklyn is for real. Also keep in mind it most likely will be Dwayne Wade’s final game, and they will probably want to send him out with a win. One way or another, I think Miami will be going all out for a win on Wednesday. Even under completely normal circumstances, a Nets/Heat game could go either way. * It’s questionable how Brooklyn will approach their final game. In a way, they almost get to chose who they play in the first round. If they would rather have Toronto than Philly, they can just rest players and treat it like a preseason game, as they would definitely need an L to fall to 7th. They could even pull a stunt like purposely allowing Dwayne Wade to hit an uncontested game winner if they wanted to. The Orlando/Charlotte matchup should be a very good game, and should have a big hand in how the 6-8 seeding plays out. I can’t stick with my original prediction anymore, as Detroit can no longer get the 6th seed, so my revised prediction is: 6. Orlando (42-40) 7. Brooklyn (41-41) 8. Detroit (41-41) I hope the above works out that way too, as Brooklyn would definitely be my preference of the 3, to face in the first round...
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Post by LIGHTS OUT on Apr 8, 2019 8:51:57 GMT -7
* Memphis has indeed shut down some key players, but make no mistake they are not tanking. They actually have a reason to try and win their remaining 2 games. They owe a conditional draft pick to Boston, and they are in a spot right now where winning their final 2 games could have a big impact on that pick. But with that said, I still fully expect Detroit to beat them (and the Knicks). I can’t stick with my original prediction anymore, as Detroit can no longer get the 6th seed, so my revised prediction is: 6. Orlando 7. Brooklyn 8. Detroit I hope the above works out that way too, as Brooklyn would definitely be my preference of the 3, to face in the first round... Now you have me worried about the Memphis game, damn you Chopper! Remember, the Pistons are fully capable of losing to anyone and extending their 4 game slide. I think it will stay the same with: 6. Brooklyn 7. Orlando 8. Detroit But if Orlando and Detroit happen to switch spots I will not complain.
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Post by chopper31 on Apr 8, 2019 9:00:26 GMT -7
* Memphis has indeed shut down some key players, but make no mistake they are not tanking. They actually have a reason to try and win their remaining 2 games. They owe a conditional draft pick to Boston, and they are in a spot right now where winning their final 2 games could have a big impact on that pick. But with that said, I still fully expect Detroit to beat them (and the Knicks). I can’t stick with my original prediction anymore, as Detroit can no longer get the 6th seed, so my revised prediction is: 6. Orlando 7. Brooklyn 8. Detroit I hope the above works out that way too, as Brooklyn would definitely be my preference of the 3, to face in the first round... Now you have me worried about the Memphis game, damn you Chopper! Remember, the Pistons are fully capable of losing to anyone and extending their 4 game slide. I think it will stay the same with: 6. Brooklyn 7. Orlando 8. Detroit But if Orlando and Detroit happen to switch spots I will not complain. Just think of it this way...any team still in the hunt, would LOVE to be in control of their playoffs hopes and only have to beat the Grizzlies & Knicks to be guaranteed a spot. I dont particularly look forward to facing the Pistons in the playoffs, but if you don’t mind taking out the Bucks & Celtics on the way, I’d definitely embrace it !
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Post by chargerfreak on Apr 8, 2019 9:29:08 GMT -7
Does it take this much talky talk to crown GSW ? Again.
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Post by chopper31 on Apr 8, 2019 9:42:50 GMT -7
Does it take this much talky talk to crown GSW ? Again. Their run is over. Houston finally takes them out this year... |
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Post by chargerfreak on Apr 8, 2019 12:41:44 GMT -7
Does it take this much talky talk to crown GSW ? Again. Their run is over. Houston finally takes them out this year... Any amount you want.
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