I'm thinking Memphis is gonna drop a spot. The Grizzlies are the only team that doesn’t have any more games against opponents that are playing the second night of a back-to-back. Every other team has at least two of those games remaining. Memphis has three more soft games this week, but their schedule gets much, much tougher starting next Monday. Seventeen of their final 20 games are against teams over .500 or on the road. This is from an nba.com article. This http://hangtime.blogs.nba.com/2016/...akdown/?ls=iref:nba:specials:homepage:feature
Game plan: start Dame on Westbrook, then bring in Henderson to cover him, then sit back while he trips over himself to score all the points.
Durant is unstoppable. Rouq would have his hands full. We need to do something to disrespect Westbrook so he takes it personally; than give him uncontested midrange jumpers and tell him he can't make any. He'll put up 30+ shots a night then. Would prefer to face them as the 5th seed
There is one primary reason why I want to face the Spurs (and it's not Aldridge). They don't shoot free throws. I am terrified of getting jobbed by the refs in the first round. Superstars like Durant, Westbrook, CP3, Griffin..... they get a lot of fouls shots. Here are the current rankings in FTA per game: LA Clippers #3 - 26.8 FTA per game OKC Thunder #8 - 25.1 FTA per game Golden State #18 - 22.8 FTA per game SA Spurs #28 - 20.1 FTA per game The Spurs are the third worst team in the league at drawing fouls. They don't have a guy like Harden or Paul or Westbrook, who can get in the lane, draw contact, and get to the line.
Kawhi Leonard is tied for 34th in the league in FTA per game. Aldridge is 49th. Parker is tied for 110th. Those are their top 3 guys in FTA.
The flip side to this is they are efficient. Remember our series against them? They murdered us with TP getting open shots via screens and practically never missing threes (although that was a historic run for that team).
I get why people want us to miss the playoffs but giving up the pick isn't exactly losing an asset because suddenly we have a 1st to trade and that seems to be a big bargaining unit in todays NBA. Also regardless of who we draw it looks like it will be a fun series to watch even if we don't have a great chance of winning. GSW we lose in 4 or 5 but we would get to watch Lillard drop 40 every game, SA we would probably lose in 5 or 6 but upsetting LMA or cause him to sweat out a tough first round would be ever so sweet. OKC, there is no team I wish would never advance past the first round, except the lakers, more then the Thunder. The Clippers I actually think we have a shot at upsetting them because of how they lost last year and all the lack of success CP3 has had in the post season. They seem like a team you can get into their heads and if we steal a game in LA and then win our first game at home you could bet that would get into their heads big time.
Glad you guys are so sure they will make the playoffs. this is only the 5th game of the 15 game crunch. they are 3-2 so far? The shots are starting to come a little tougher. The schedule doesn't get any easier at all. the 3 home games they have are all one game turnarounds. Unless Stotts sits a couple guys at some point they will struggle to go 5-5 in the next 10. That would be really really good by the way. Talk to me at the end of March when they end the season with a string of games at home.
I haven't heard anyone lately say they want to miss the playoffs. We lose a 2016 pick in a weak draft but gain a 2017 pick in a deeper draft. Plus we get to watch a playoff series? I don't see the downside. If we had a chance at a top5 pick sure we'd have considered playing the lottery; but that's not possible this year, or probably ever with Dame as he's an MVP level performer. Honestly if there's a Blazer fan rooting for the team to lose today with the way this team has played the last month I question what the hell kind of delusional sick fan you are?
FWIW, the Bulls apparently turned down a trade offer by the Celtics for Jimmy Butler involving 2 of Boston's 1st round picks (including the Nets' one).
Of course Chicago turns that down, would be stupid to trade Butler for completely unknown picks. Is this the trade Ainge hinted at in the media? Ive heard a lot of rumblings that GMs are sick of Ainge and not gonna help him out.
