Our race for a playoff spot

Denver already threw a game. They were miraculously beating Portland without 3 starters, so they benched the other two for the fourth quarter. They let Isaiah Thomas run the team into the ground. He was terrible, but they kept him in the game because the coaches clearly did not want to win.

 

I don't fear Utah at all. But the problem with facing them is that it would mean we're in the Warriors bracket and get them in the Semifinals.

 

Yeah, the Clips vs. Jazz is really the only true question mark left. I picked Clips because they're playing in LA and the Jazz will be on day 2 of a back-to-back after they get spanked at home by Denver.

Also.. IMHO:

True Contenders:
Golden State
Denver
Houston

Dangerous:
San Antonio
OKC

Not-a-chance:
Portland
Clippers
Utah

 

The two interesting games will be Houston @ OKC and Denver @ Utah. Houston and OKC both will be fighting hard to win. Denver and Utah have reasons to both want to win and lose that game.

If Houston beats OKC. Utah will "rest" vs the Clippers. I think Milwaukee legitimately rests vs OKC. Spurs beat Dallas. That gives you the 3 way tie scenario with OKC still ending up 8th, Clips 7th, SA 6th.

 

good job agent 94!

 

Is it Wednesday yet?

 

Give them to us as soon as possible. We've waited long enough to take another crack at them.

 

See, I don't get that logic. The deeper we get into the playoffs without facing them, the greater the likelihood that A) they get upset by someone and B) they sustain an injury. Look at the biggest injuries they've dealt with during their dynasty. Most have come later in the postseason. Curry's in 2016 was early on in the first round against the Rockets. But Iggy last season occurred in the WCF and carried into the Finals. And Bogut went down in Game 5 of the Finals in 2016 and was the turning point of that series.

 

nobody is upsetting GS besides houston if it happens. there's not much likelihood there. all that is, is wishful thinking.

them sustaining some kind of injury applies exactly to houston as well but GS has a much higher room for error there since they have multiple stars. houston suffering an injury to one of their core decimates their chances instantly.

at this point, it sucks to say but who's more likely to suffer an injury between the two to their immediate core in the long run. I wouldn't say GS. right now Houston is healthy and in the right zone right now on all accounts since the AS break. There's absolutely nothing wrong with wanting to play them asap. at full health, I'd want to take out the team to beat by far, no matter what round it is.

 

Yep. The Rockets have their mojo flowing, the path is going through GS regardless, and injuries could happen on either side at any time, so trying to plan and predict around that makes little sense.

 

Goes both ways

 

True but if you admit we are the strong underdog, if the likelihood of a major injury is roughly equal per game played, it behooves us statistically to wait as long as possible to even the playing field. Much like the whole strategy of shooting a ton of 3-s helps an underdog due to high variance....waiting longer is tantamount to 'shooting more 3s' in the hopes of landing a major injury on their side.

 

I don't want anyone else to eliminate them and I don't want to play them with injuries on either side. I want us to beat them fair and square on our way to a title. That said, I do prefer to face them in the WCF, only because that series should be 'best of the west.' Hoping we get 2 seed because I always hope we finish as strong as possible and have as much home court as we can get. I'm not scared of OKC or any other opponent in the playoffs. They'll all be tough but I'm confident our Rockets will be tougher.

 

Were you expecting a 16-0 jaunt through the playoffs?? Lol.