Dallas and Phoenix, the battle to the death for the #1 seed thread

With how strong the West is this year the #1 seed could make all the difference. There are 7 teams who have a decent chance at coming out of the West so getting that #8 seed and having home court throughout could be crucial. These two teams have been amazing this year. Only TWELVE teams in history have had 2 winning streaks of 10 or more before February and two of those have happened this year with the Suns and Mavs each having very long winning streaks. This is such a crazy race, the Suns were a couple possessions away this season from being on a 28 game win streak but still can't gain ground on the Mavs and Dallas just can't build their lead. The Suns just lost Kurt Thomas for probably more than a month and that'll hurt with San Antonio and Utah coming up but hopefully the Suns can prove themselves against the top teams then. The team that gets the #1 seed will probably need 63 or 64 wins, it's gonna be a tight race. 1. * Dallas -- 2. * Phoenix 1.0 3. San Antonio 4.5 4. * Utah 6.5 5. LA Lakers 6.0 6. Houston 6.5 7. Minnesota 10.5 8. Denver 11.5

 

yeah, the west is stacked.

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (tHe_pEsTiLeNcE @ Jan 17 2007, 11:15 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}></div><div class='quotemain'>yeah, the west is stacked.</div>I agree dude the west is loaded.Dallas will pull out ahead though. I will like to see the mid-season trades and pickups that each of the big three make. Morris Peterson to Dallas? :shifty2:

 

Interesting idea in that Suns article today about Atlanta pick and Banks or Kurt for Mike Miller but I would rather not go that way....it could work out but I really am lovin James Jones right now as a back-up SF. But MMiller is a damn good bench player.

 

Yeah, West is ridiculous. Phoenix, Dallas, SA, Houston and LA are really, REALLY good when healthy.

 

I still view the Mavs as the best team in the NBA. The one thing that they have over Phoenix is their defense, and until the Suns can prove to me that they can play good defense, I am going to up agaisnt them. That or until they win a championship...Because I believe that the style of ball that they play wont win them a title. Now, they are a VERY talented offensive team, and I dont know if anyone has the firepower to stop them on the defensive end, but Dallas has enough defense to slow them down a little bit, AND they can still score in bunches if they need to as well. I think its Dirks year this year...Once they got the right mentality, I think that it was no looking back for them. They know they are better than San Antonio, and I think thats all they needed. No team in the East is good enough to stop them once they get to the finals...

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (SunnyD @ Jan 17 2007, 10:32 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}></div><div class='quotemain'>I agree dude the west is loaded.Dallas will pull out ahead though. I will like to see the mid-season trades and pickups that each of the big three make. Morris Peterson to Dallas? :shifty2:</div>Rok and I were discussing that a few weeks ago. We both agreed that a trade like that would put us over the top. If we dont get him in a trade, we'd love to see him sign here in the offseason. Stackhouse and Croshere are both coming off the books this year and frees us up a good amount of money. He could defanitly be a great 6th man or even starter and have Jason Terry come off as the 6th man and be like a Nick Van Exel from a few years back. Either way, I'd love Mo-Pete in a Dallas uni. :worthy: Gosh, I didnt know that Phoenix is only a game back. I knew they were close, but damn, you dont really think that they would be only a game back since the Mavericks have won 17 of 18 and are 32-4 since the 0-4 start. Thats pretty incredible. It's a great time to be a Mav fan.

 

I hear Dallas has the easier schedule going into the second half of the season this is where they will gain ground on Phoenix. San Antonio is almost out of it.

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (mavsfan1000 @ Jan 18 2007, 02:20 AM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}></div><div class='quotemain'>I hear Dallas has the easier schedule going into the second half of the season this is where they will gain ground on Phoenix. San Antonio is almost out of it.</div>I hate to agree with you, but its pretty much true. Phoenix and Dallas have clearly passed San Antonio. I am hoping that once SA gets Elson back that they get alot better, but I dont think that is going to happen. Just a fan hoping....Once playoff time comes, it is obvious that Dallas and Phoenix will have a better record than SA, but that doesn't always mean that much. The Spurs are just going to have to play great in the playoffs...period. The Mavs are better than the Spurs, but when they play each other, its not like Dallas ever blows out the Spurs. Same with Phoenix...Im trying to stay optimistic, but its hard right now.

 

Have the Suns even played anyone besides Toronto and Charlotte?

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (Justice @ Jan 18 2007, 04:19 AM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}></div><div class='quotemain'>Have the Suns even played anyone besides Toronto and Charlotte?</div>Yes they have also played Boston :happy0144:

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE </div><div class='quotemain'>I hear Dallas has the easier schedule going into the second half of the season this is where they will gain ground on Phoenix. San Antonio is almost out of it.</div>I pointed this out in the Rockets forum, I don't think Dallas has that much of an easier schedule but we've definately played a tougher one so far than the Suns. Someone on another board brokedown the teams and the Suns have really dodged great teams, although they've played them, not to the extent Dallas has.I think that's going to be a edge in the race but the Suns are a good team and are really built for the regular season. So I expect a tight one all the way to the end for first.

 

You know how you can tell the West is so much better than the East?Dallas is 32-8PHX is 30-8.The most wins in the East is 23 by the Cavs.So that's a full 7 game lead on the Cavs by PHX, and 9 behind Dallas. I don't thin I've ever seen one conference, or any team, have that much of a lead over the other conferences best team...that's just crazy.What's more amazing?30-2 by PHX, or 32-4 by Dallas over better competition really?

 

And the Suns have lost once to the East this season and that was after the blizzard, in a close game when Arenas just went crazy. Dallas has only 2 losses against the East so far. I like it. Whatchoo talkin bout in your last sentence Marvin?

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (ASUFan22 @ Jan 18 2007, 04:54 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}></div><div class='quotemain'>And the Suns have lost once to the East this season and that was after the blizzard, in a close game when Arenas just went crazy. Dallas has only 2 losses against the East so far. I like it. Whatchoo talkin bout in your last sentence Marvin?</div>Yeah, Arenas went crazy, but do you know who Dallas lost to in the East... THE WIZ ended both your streaks.Anyways although this is a close run I'm stickign w/ who I've been saying will win it all this year. Dallas, although many believe that the Suns have bad defense they are able to rebound much better than the other "D-less" teams and run it/score FAST. However Dallas has the firepower of a cannon w/ a stacked bench filled w/ veterans who know the game well. A starting line filled w/ young stars and an MVP candidate who revolutionized big man play and a great young coach in Avery Johnson who in just his second year as a coach brought the Mavs to the finals!

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (ASUFan22 @ Jan 18 2007, 03:54 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}></div><div class='quotemain'>And the Suns have lost once to the East this season and that was after the blizzard, in a close game when Arenas just went crazy. Dallas has only 2 losses against the East so far. I like it. Whatchoo talkin bout in your last sentence Marvin?</div>I was basically asking what's more impressive, what Dallas had done going 32-4 over better competition, or PHX going 30-2 with a few possesions seperating them from being 28-0.Remember, Dallas coughed up a decent sized lead in their last loss against the Lakers...or they would have a pretty damn long win streak of their own. LOL>

 

Unless the Lakers catch up, which I doubt, the Mavs are about to get their 33rd win and are right on pace for 66... :shok: The Bulls better watch out. A few lucky breaks here and there and one of these teams could do it. The Suns have played like 4 less games than the Mavs though, that bugs me...I like it when it's more even-like.

 

^Hey...that just means they're missing a few losses

 

The west is powerful man. You got the Mavs and Suns, then you got the Spurs, and the surprising Jazz. Then the one man show in the Los Angeles Lakers, then you have Rockets, and Tmac is lighting it up.The Battle for the #8 seed, Minnesota is leading, but the Clippers, Hornets, and Warriors are trying to claim it.

 

We are still at the same spot now, still 1 game behind the Mavs. After a total pwnerization of the Wizards the Suns are at 33-8 with a 14 game winning streak but the Mavs are about to beat Orlando so they are at 35-8 now. San Antonio is 4 games behind.