It's just nice to see the East actually have their top 8 teams with a record above .500 for the first time in something like a billion years.
Ranking the six by ROAD record: 1. OKC, 12-11 (.522) 23 games 2. Portland, 12-12 (.500) 24 games 3. Houston, 11-13 (.458) 24 games 4. New Orleans, 10-16 (.385) 26 games 5. Phoenix, 9-15 (.375) 24 games 6. Memphis, 8-15 (.348) 23 games Ranking the six by HOME record: 1. New Orleans, 16-5 (.762) 21 games 2. Phoenix, 18-6 (.750) 24 games 3. Memphis, 17-6 (.739) 23 games 4. Portland, 16-9 (.640) 25 games 5. Houston, 14-8 (.636) 22 games 6. OKC, 13-10 (.565) 23 games
It's gonna get crazy down the stretch! After Joel went down, I thought we were done and I am glad they proved me wrong. Nate has done a great job with these guys.
Ranking the six by average margin of victory: 1. Portland +2.8 2. Oklahoma City +2.6 3. Phoenix +2.0 4. Houston +0.1 5. Memphis +0.02 6. New Orleans -1.0
by strength of schedule Houston - 9th at .529 Oklahoma City - 11th at .522 Phoenix - 12th at .521 Portland - 13th at .519 Memphis - 15th at .512 New Orleans - 19th at .505 A very tight grouping with all the teams having a very average strength of schedule so far.
New Orleans seems to be easily in the most tenuous position of that group. They've played the easiest schedule and are in the red for average point differential. When the schedule toughens for them and they have less luck with close games...they could fall quite hard.
BUT: 1. They were without Paul for a long time there 2. They've played the least home games of the pack, but have the best home record
Man, what a rough season for them, I sure am glad we didn't get the injuries they did and also haven't lost our superstar to some games as well... Oh wait. Seriously, I think out of all the teams to miss the Hornets and Suns will be two of them (especially if the Suns trade Amare for essentially nothing) assuming the Thunder and Grizzlies don't falter late in the stretch.
I would enlarge this tight grouping a little... When you look at teams within four losses of each other, you wind up with more than half the conference. You've got Utah 18 losses, then San Antonio with 19, then six teams with 21 losses, and Houston right there with 22. I think a team like Portland - or even a team like the Rockets that's at the back of that pack right now - could easily wind up with a 4, or even 3 seed, when the season's over. At the same time, an extended losing skid, and any of those teams could be on the outside looking in, too. If I had to predict today, I'd say the current top six make it. Other than that? Who knows - but it'd be sure fun to see Memphis and OK City in, to give those cities something to cheer for.
