Denvers gotta make the post season first... they've got 3 away games compared to GSW's 4 home games in the final 5 remaining...
I agree with the original post except for the seeding. We are going to play the lakers in the first round and hopefully we will beat them. They are the only play-off team we have a winning record against.
DENVER ? They are fighting just to get in the playoffs ! They might not even be in the playoffs and they are losing again tonight !!!!!
NEARLY PERFECT SCENARIO 1. SAS 58-24 SAS IN 5 8. GSW 50-32 2. NOH 57-25 NOH IN 6 7. DAL 52-30 3. LAL 55-27 HOU IN 6 (LAL loses to NOH and SAS in regular season) 6. HOU 55-27 (Hou has home court) 4. UT 54-28 PHX IN 7 5. PHX 55-27 SECOND ROUND 1. SAS 58-24 PHX IN 7 5. PHX 55-27 2. NOH 57-25 HOU IN 7 6. HOU 55-27 CONF CHAMPIONSHIP 5. PHX 55-27 6. HOU 55-27 In this scenario, HOU plays LAL with home court instead of UT in the first round. LAL is not playing well lately, Utah is. HOU gets NOH in the second round and their playoff inexperience may enable HOU to win this series. HOU vs. PHX in the conference finals. HOU avoids SAS all together. It would be a tall order for HOU to beat PHX in a series unless PHX suffers an injury to Shaq or Stoudamire.
Brave pick. Hornets have the Tie Break on the Spurs, so they have to make up 2 games in the last 5. The Hornets Magic Number to win the division is 4. Spurs: Suns, Sonics, @Lakers, @Kings, Jazz Hornets: @Wolves, @Lakers, @Kings, Clippers, @Mavs It's pretty easy to come up with a combination of 4 Spur losses and Hornet victories from that list, but if there's one thing this season has show us, it's that the expected rarely happens.
It is pretty obvious we are going to be either the 5 or 6 seed and face either Utah, LA or Phoenix depending on how they finish. It is very doubtful we will have home court based upon strength of schedule. Houston- 54-28 Utah- 55-27 Phoenix- 55-27 LA- 56-26 Since we have the tie breaker with the Jazz we have to win that game and beat either Phoenix at home or Denver away to get home court. I'm not sure about that happening (assuming we mop up on Seattle. We don't have the tie breaker with Phoenix And I am pretty sure LA is finishing with 56 wins- meaning we would have to sweep our remaining games to have home court with them. Unless we sweep our remaining games I think odds are we will not have home court in the first round. I actually think we don't need home court, especially the way Tracy seems to shoot better on the road. I would like to see us play Utah, split the first 2 games on the road and win it in 6 games at home.
FIRST ROUND: (1)Hornets - (8)Warriors (2)Spurs - (7)Mavs (3)Lakers - (6)Rockets (4)Jazz - (5)Suns CONFERENCE SEMI'S: (1)Hornets - (5)Suns (2)Spurs - (3)Lakers CONFERENCE FINALS (2)Spurs - (5)Suns
Well, because I live in Denver and because I hate the entire Nuggets team, I'm banking on them missing the playoffs. Their game Thursday against Golden State will determine their fate. If GS wins, they get the tiebreaker, which will mean a lot considering the Nuggets' upcoming schedule. Denver has to play the Jazz in Utah, where I think the Jazz have lost a total of 5 games. Also, the Rox play the Nugs on Sunday, and that will be a tough game for both teams. I shall be sitting right behind the Rockets bench though. Any way you look at it, though, Golden State will be a tough matchup for anyone in the first round. Cod
I think there are 3 teams that we need to avoid in the first round or we are done. Those teams are SA, Phoenix, and LA. I think the loss of Yao makes it highly improbable that we could beat those teams in a 7 game series. All others we have a chance with. The best we can hope for is that we get Utah in the first round and NO in the second. My biggest fear is that we end up with a 3 vs 6 with either Phoenix or SA, which would be one and out.
I actually think we have a chance against Phoenix, Dallas, GS, Denver and even NO. It is the defensive teams that I'm more concerned with-Utah, LA and of course SA A team that can lock down defensively over a series has a definite edge. If our defense gets nasty and Landry, Rafer, Jackson and Battier play well I think Scola, Tmac and Deke are pretty consistent as far as what they bring each game. If Rafer and Battier are hitting 3's and Landry returns to form our offense will be OK- Defense will carry us (thank you JVG )
