To be fair, there was a long stretch this season where Mo was healthy but didn't play so we know how to do this.
According to http://playoffstatus.com/nba/westernstandings.html We have an 86% chance at getting the 3-seed and a 95% chance at getting a 3 or 4 seed (HCA)
Wed need much to go right to clinch the 3rd seed on Tuesday. MIN and UTA both have 33 losses, gave each other on Sunday, and both could win a tiebreaker with us. UTA plays LAL on Tuesday. So to clinch on Tuesday, we'd need to win Sunday, have SAS lose to HOU and UTA beat MIN on Sunday as well. Then we'd need to i win Tuesday and have LAL beat UTA. To clinch the 3rd seed, we need 3 more wins. That's all. Anyone could win out and we'd still have it. 2 more wins locks it up IMO.
What positions to we struggle most against. IMO I hate playing wings and centers who can shoot from deep. Also what team has the worst guards? We need Dame and CJ to be able to attack the paint and get open on the perimeter. Here are the guard match ups in the first round. Rondo-Holiday Westbrook-Brewer Rubio- Mitchell Butler-Teague Murray- Mills I want SA (Without Leonard) or N.O Minnesota I want to avoid as Butler will be back. Utah I want to avoid as well. OKC I am unsure about in a playoff series.
So we are going to finish third. Right now it would give us a matchup against Thunder which is not perfect because the way they are playing, I want them to face Warriors instead. The gaps between the teams below us are so tiny that any of them could finish in any position. I’m not convinced if there is still any battle for the playoffs, Nuggets and Clippers both have 35 losses already and both will get to 37 minimum, probably. I don’t think any of current top 8 teams will reach 37 losses or more.
as well as we are 4-0 against them this year asnd I believe it has been 6 in a row counting last year. Westbrook has meltdowns against us also.
Blazers 47-29. MEM, @ Dal, @Hou, @ Sas, @ Den, UTA. 4-2 but depends on if Rockets sit players as they have #1 seed wrapped up. Spurs...44-32. HOU, @Lac, @ Lal, POR, SAC, NOP. 5-1...could get HCA. Does Kawhi come back for the Playoffs? Wolves 44-33. UTA, @ Den, @ Lal, MEM, DEN. Could go 4-1 or 5-0 to close the year. ChOKC 44-33. @Nop, GSW, @Hou, @Mia, MEM. Lost 3 in a row and that could get worse. Jazzzzz 43-33. @Min, LAL, LAC, @LAL, GSW, @Por. Could go 5-1 especially depending on POR possible sitting people the last game. Pelican 43-33. OKC, MEM, @Phx, @Gsw, @ Lac, SAS. Could be an easy 5-1 finish. Based on loose 'projections' (hope that doesn't cause anyone a fit): POR 51-31 SAS 49-33 MIN 48-34 UTA 48-34 NOP 48-34 OKC 47-35 Then it may come down to which team lost which came to whom to settle tie-breakers and determine who the Blazers play in the 1st round. If it was a choice between MIN, UTA and NOP, who would you choose?
So weird that, with all the tight races in the West, there isn't a single meaningful game involving any Western Conference team tonight. Guess I'll have to find some other way to spend my Saturday evening. BNM
