Here are the updated standings http://www.nba.com/standings/team_record_comparison/conferenceNew_Std_Div.html
Can you believe the Grizz lost at home to the Hornets? J.R. Smith went off for 33 (including 6/9 from 3 pt)! I am more concerned about keeping ahead of the Grizz than catching the Kings. You heard it here first: even after their loss today, the Grizz will finish the year ahead of the Kings. They are the Rox' true competition for #5. I can even see the Kings falling to #8 behind the Nuggets. For that matter, the Nuggets could end up in front of Memphis and battle the Rox for #5. The seeding of the final 4 spots in the WC may be the most exciting thing left in the regular season (for me at least).
Here is my favorite link for viewing the NBA standings. http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/stand...rence&column=playoffs&order=null&seasontype=2
I'm not sure if #5 is a good place. However #4 would be NICE - Home Court Advantage. Rox are tracing Mavs!
In the loss column, the Rox are 4 behind the Mavs. The only way they catch them is for the Mavs to tank, which doesn't seem likely. I had doubts about Avery, but not any more. He is a good change of pace from Nellie and the timing may help them get on a roll at the right time.
The bigger picture is that Dallas' next two games are on the road against Detriot (hopefully Richard hamilton will be back then) and Boston on Monday and Wednesday I believe. Meanwhile we will be playing depleted Spurs and Utah teams as well as a rebuilding Portland team albeit on the road. If we sweep the those three games and Dallas loses the next two (conceivable), we could find ourselves only about 1.5 game back of Dallas next week Thursday. Ah let me stop - I just hope I did not jinx our team.
Rockets' home record and road record are almost identical, of course it would be nice to get home court advantage but the TC hasn't been exactly the 6th man.
I'd still rather play Seattle. I don't like our spot right now. Dallas can shoot lights out for 48 minutes. It seems like we always keep up with them for 3 quarters, but the 4th is the problem. However, our totally new team might favor better, but Seattle still seems like a more favorable matchup.
those were my sentiments...and then i thought about the difference in coaching. i think van gundy....on an x and o level, is as good or better than any coach in the league. if you give him 4-7 consecutive games against the same team....he will have his team better prepared with a solid gameplan that gets better with every game. avery...though hes shown some promise..doesnt have the experience and isnt the tactician that van gundy is.
Is anyone else worried about Denver? They are pretty scary right now. I seriously think that they can even overtake Memphis AND the Kings with the excellent basketball they are playing right now. The Kings are not the team they are used to be. They, like the Suns and the Sonics, are an offensive team that live and die by perimeter shooting, but they have way less offensive fire than those teams.
apostolic3's suggestion is the one I look at all the time. This site is a little more in-depth on the playoff matchups from ESPN: http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/matchups
Can you believe what this tournament would be like if JR Smith had ended up going to UNC instead of turning pro??? That's some scary stuff.
regular season yes, playoffs no its a freakin george karl team man! karl would have been considered an amazing coach if it werent for his annual april/may choke jobs.
Let us see how Denver does on its next two road games. They have had home cooking for a good while. Suns on Monday, if they beat the Suns then they are a scary team.
it'll change once the playoffs start...hopefullly. sometimes going to the game is deadly quiet, so i know what you mean
Seattle would be nicer, but better to keep the winning trend going and end up with Dallas. Plus I love whipping up on Dallas just to stick it to my family that lives up there p.s. i think cbs has the most eye-friendly standings page. http://www.sportsline.com/nba/standings
What makes everyone assume the Sonics will be the 3rd seed? They're not too far back from San Antonio to overtake them for 2nd place. Especially if the Rockets win tomorrow afternoon. Ironically, losing to the Spurs would increase the odds of a Seattle-Houston first round matchup.
Last year's games against the Lakers in the playoffs were very very loud. The croud was in it from the beginning and stayed loud throughout the entire games. I expect the same this year so playing at the TC in the post season will be a much bigger advantage than it has been during the regular season.
I don't think the seeds are set quite yet so I would want as high a seed as possible and let the chips fall where they may. Seattle lost Rad for the year and they have 2 games remaining with the Mavs, so the Mavs have a opportunity to take the 3. The Kings are a shaky 5 without Miller, we are better than the Kings IMO. SA will miss Duncan and may fall to 2. I think the eventual 1-6 seeds might look like this so we may face Seattle anyway in the 5th seed. Suns Spurs Mavs Seattle Rox Kings
