There's been a lot of discussion about who you would want to face in the 1st round... well, the professional gambler people came up with some odds, which could help in the debate.
I really don't want Utah or San Antonio at this point. They're both playing great basketball. I would take OKC, NOP, or Minny. I think NOP would be my preference, but they're playing so badly that I think they could even drop out of the playoffs entirely.
Why do people say this? My buddy says this too. IDGAF who we play. To be the best you gotta beat the best.
I was dead set against SA when Kawhi was supposed to return. Not sure what to make of them now. Stay away from Utah. I want Minny/OKC/NO. In that order. I think.
Because to me the goal is to stay in as long as possible, so I want the most favorable matchup. Utah is built in a way that would give us a hard time. I don't really want to get knocked out in the first round. That would suck.
That's one way to look at it. I see the other side of the coin. When we BEAT Utah we will be more prepared to face easier defenses.
The whole point of getting home court advantage or one of the best records in the league is to face an easier opponent in the first round because you know the next round is going to be a dog fight. Most likely last six or seven games. If you're in a tough first round that goes deep, it can lead to injuries or just a lot of fatigue for the next round.
Not scared of any team. Not sure why you guys are freaking out about Utah. We would dispose of them in 5 or 6 games.
Of course, although there will be no easy opponents this year. I'm all on board with the Spurs and Jazz in the 4/5 slots, which appears to be the highly likely scenario. I'm sure the Rockets will be greatly looking forward to facing one or the other of those in round 2. But I'm pretty sure that neither Minny (especially if Butler returns) nor OKC will be first-round cakewalks. I think we're going 6 or 7 no matter who we face.
OKC is such an enigma. They have the talent to be a real headache if they put it together. But Westbrook is such a horrible teammate. I like New Orleans. I think they would be the best matchup. Minny without Butler would be great.
LOL. Underdogs against Utah when we have HCA? Why the hell is Utah getting so much hype all of a sudden.
