I agree that it doesnt matter, but I disagree with the notion that this is anything but a three-way tie.
Actually it is a three way tie to decide the 7th playoff spot, which GW won. For the 8th spot, it is a two way tie. We're talking about who gets the 8th playoff spot. GW is no longer relavent. So only the two team tie breaker rules can be used. The tie breakers are meant for breaking ties at playoff and draft positions ONE POSITION AT A TIME.
Wow…I still can’t believe the Hornets are the #1 team in the West. How dumb must the Hawks feel for passing on Paul and D.Will.
These rules are too complicated. If teams remain tied at the end of the season, there should just be a one-game playoff to determine who gets in.
i think the rules are fine. If you can not determine who is better after playing 82! games, what makes you think one or two more games is more fair than the tie breaker?
We are 8th.... After the tie is broken and GS is in 7th, it then reverts back to conference record between Houston and Denver.... Houston is 8th. DD
I think we are still in 9th place. The point about reverting back to the two-team tiebreaker would come into effect if the Rockets and Nuggets had the same record against all teams in that three-way tie (GSW, HOU, DEN). NBA.com, the most credible source of those tiebreaking rules, shows GS in 7th, Den in 8th and Hou in 9th. http://www.nba.com/statistics/playoff_picture.html
We are definitely in 9th place. (2) If a tie involves more than two teams, the tie-break criteria in subparagraph b. shall be applied in the order set forth therein until the first to occur of the following: (a) Each of the tied teams has a different winning percentage or point differential under the applicable tiebreak criterion (a “complete” breaking of the tie). In this circumstance, the team with the best winning percentage or point differential under the criterion will be awarded the best playoff position, the team with the next-best winning percentage or point differential will be awarded the next-best playoff position, and so on, and no further application of the tie-break criteria will be required.(b) One or more (but not all) of the tied teams has a different winning percentage or point differential under the applicable tie-break criterion (a “partial” breaking of the tie). In this circumstance: (x) any team(s) that performed better under the applicable criterion than any other team(s) will be awarded a higher playoff position than such other team(s); and (y) teams that had equivalent performance under the applicable criterion will remain tied, and such remaining tie(s) will be broken by applying, from the beginning, the criteria in subparagraph a.(1)-(6) above (for any remaining tie involving only two teams) or subparagraph b.(1)-(5) above (for any remaining tie involving more than two teams) and the guidelines set forth in this subparagraph c. The section in bold matches what NBA.com shows in the official playoff standings. After comparing the records against each other, GS has the best record followed by Denver then Houston. There is a "complete" breaking of the tie under the applicable criterion. The rules DO NOT revert to the two-team tiebreaker as soon as it is determined that GS has the best record. First you have to complete evaluation of that criterion which results in Denver finishing ahead of the Rockets. If the Hou and Den had the same record against teams in that three-way tie, then best conference record would put the Rockets ahead of the Nuggets. Of course this all is based on "If the season ended today..." which obviously is not the case. The bottom line is that the Rockets are still not in the playoff picture after winning 17 out of 20 games and completing the bulk of the easiest part of their schedule for the 07-08 season. We likely have to play even better than we have during this stretch just to make the playoffs.
Wrong. After fully evaluating the first criterion for More Than Two Teams Tied... (1) Better winning percentage in all games among the tied teams. Golden State .600 Denver .500 Houston .400 ...the Rockets are in 9th place.
Actually we will worry about this at the end of season, who says all three will be tied at the end of season? Could win another game against warriors and everyone will be tied in head to head.
Because its the last straw Brooksball and others are clinging to to be able to say the Rockets arent in the play-offs yet. The Rockets have gained anywhere from 2 to 4 games on every team ahead of them save Utah over the last 10. Since the season does NOT end today(or tomorrow, etc) its fairer to say the Rockets are tied for 7th. Sorry, but moving up 3 spots from 10 to 7 over the last 2-3 weeks is marked improvement. Oh, and the only team to not lose ground on Houston is only one game ahead of them in the loss column. Sorry, but to think that "well, the rockets gave it a shot, but the easy schedule is over so its hopeless" is assinine. All of the teams ahead of them save Utah have been struggling (relatively) over the last 2-3 weeks. To think the Rockets will go back down, and every other team close to them will all of a sudden turn it back on makes no sense, other than to play Debbie Downer to the folks who are pretty happy with the recent trends. Just because on some obscure tie-break that will work itself out as the season ends currently has the Rockets out of the play-offs if the season ended today.
First of all, I am a full-fledged Rockets fan. Even when I am pessimistic, that fact never changes. Not every fan has to view things the way you do. Regarding the playoff picture, I am stating facts not clinging on to some kind of whacked opportunity to claim that the Rockets aren't in the playoff picture yet.
Interestingly, ESPN.com does have the Rockets in 8th place while NBA.com still has us in 9th. I hope ESPN has got it right.
Here is an article from Jonathan Feigen stating that we are in 9th place as of today: http://www.***************/Story.asp?story_id=7420 Unless the tiebreaker rules have changed since last season, I guess we are in 9th place.
