There are couple of other situations, also. 1) Knicks continue to win and end up with a better record than the Rockets. 2) Knicks continue to lose and miss the playoffs. They end up with a better record than the Rockets and maintain their draft position. Rockets maintain their draft position 3) Knicks continue to lose and miss the playoffs. They end up with a better record than the Rockets and win the 1st pick. The Rockets would not be able to swap. 4) Knicks continue to lose and miss the playoffs. They end up with a better record than the Rockets, but win the 2nd or 3rd pick. Rockets maintain their draft position. There is also at least 3 different situations where the Knicks end up worse than the Rockets. I don't feel like listing them, because I doubt the Rockets will have a better record.
Tanking, ah tanking. In a world with no trades OR injuries between now and April if the Rox did tank they'd be unlikely to fall too many slots. In a best/worst case scenario they could nab the 8th, but likely will be +/-13th. The fear, the giant fear, is a perpetuation of mediocrity, aka NBA purgatory. One hope: the 'roster' of players likely to be cut adrift could include some pretty good players for 'free' (thinking the last time the NBA allowed teams to discard players without salary repercussions will, in fact, be trotted back out with the ratification of new CBA). Okafor, Brand, Kaman, Biedrins, Hayward - - no Yao's but help at no 'cost', just to rattle off a few. I am a big Battier guy but he eats a lot of minutes that are not going to his ultimate replacement(s) assuming, of course, he/they are on current roster. Same with Scola.
THE rockets are a very flawed team. I would surprised if we had a better record than the knicks especially since they play in the east.
Why? The West has 11 teams with at least 20 wins. The East has 6. The concern is more about the Knicks likely making the playoffs in the top-heavy but shallow East, while the Rockets miss the playoffs in the much deeper West, moreso than about regular season record. The Rockets are only a small handful of games behind the Knicks, record-wise. And that's BEFORE Amare has suffered any injuries.
I would be very surprised also. It's not totally out of the possibility, though. The Rockets are only 3 games behind the Knicks. http://espn.go.com/nba/standings/_/group/1 The Knicks have been dropping games left and right, as their schedule gets more challenging. As flawed as the Rockets are, they swept the Knicks, this season. The Knicks defense is even worse than the Rockets.
AL and or BTE: Knixies are 4.5 games in front of 7th and 8th, 5 over 10th. Rox 4 (5 with tie-break) out of 8th. Teams lined up between Rox and Blazers; Clips coming, Warriors, too. Math does not look favorable for Rox being above Knixies in Lotto standings, from which draft pix are determined.
I wish the Clippers and Warriors were ahead of the Rockets. It's too bad, that the Rockets will probably end up with a lower pick than the Clippers and Warriors and be drafting another 12th-14th guy. Stop trying to make me feel better. It's not working. We are bouncing around in the late lotto.
If your entire strategy on the pick is banking on Amare' being injured that is one ****ed up strategy. DD
I think it may take 'stealing' a discarded player or two (after new CBA when players will be cut without tax implications IMHO) to give the boost needed to amp up to 6-8th place status (ouch). Feel better now?
What strategy? It's out of our hands now. We will pick no later than the Knicks' pick. And few saw them winning this many games in the first half of the season. Que sera, sera.
Huh? It would mean they would be drafting 16th-20th, if they picked up a discarded player. I would dread that even more. I think you misread my post. I want them to draft higher than the Clippers and Warriors not lower. I want a high lotto pick, not another first round elimination. P.S. If that still confuses you, I want them to draft Perry Jones or Enes Kanter, instead of another Patterson.
But that's not going to happen. So, dealing with the more realistic alternatives, I'd rather pick 4-5 spots later and make the playoffs.
I know it's not going to happen, that is why I told Xiki to stop trying to cheer me up. It's unlikely that the Clippers and Warriors will have better records.
The value of that pick which Morey got tons of credit for, is moot. The Knicks were always going to play in the weaker east, and the only way that pick had value is if Yao ming held up and the Rox made a run. Which as we all know is an utter failure as a strategy. DD
