Which lottery team has the best chance of making it to the playoffs this season?

The west is tough, but I agree. If they are healthy, the Rockets could go.

 

Definitely the Rockets. They won 45 games and missed the playoffs by 2 games the year before, and injuries derailed them this year. Now they are much more improved and deeper. The Miami Heat also have a strong chance of making the playoffs. So I'd say these lottery teams, in this order, have the best chance of making the postseason:

1.) Miami Heat: Are already a perennial playoff team, experienced, and deep and balanced, and also play in the East.

2.) Houston Rockets: Won 45 games the year before. At full health they're much better then the 45 win team.

3.) LA Clippers: Super talented team. Coaching is suspect, so that's a concern.

4.) Chicago Bulls: I know that sounds weird, but I really like Jalen Rose and I think he can carry a team. If they get production from their big men, Jay Williams fits in well and they can pick up a decent FA or two, they can at least flirt with the 8th seed in the East.

 

I've got to agree with this. The Bulls are building a solid base (granted the concrete is still wet), but as bad as the East is, if they can stay healthy, a potential 7th or 8th seed.

 

Gotta go with the Heat in the east. If they can come together, they can be potent.

I like the Rockets in the west.

 

As much as I love the Rockets and know they'll be in the playoffs next season, come on. The team that has the best chance, the team that I am sure 100% they'll reach the postseason...the Milwaukee Bucks. Their players - or players they receive via trades/free agency - are very good. If they get Spree for Big Dog...in my mind the Bucks got the steal. But even their roster right now-

Cassell
Allen
Robinson
Thomas
Redd
Hamm
ect.

that is a playoff team in the east.

 

Why the healthy Rox of course!

 

Too much hype.

Only major addition is Jwill---and he's an unknown. I'm keeping my mind in crappy team mode until I have reason to think different.

Wouldn't want to go through the drama that a lot of Rox fans have gone through recently.

 

Clippers
Rockets
Bulls
Miami....if Zo is feeling a bit better than the past couple of years

 

You also forgot Mason. The Bucks are a playoff team, the repeated injuries to their trio held them back.

 

not to mention an anal coach that knows nothing better than to help make the players stop listening to him.

My possibilities:

1. Bulls
2. Bucks
3. Clips
4. Rockets

 

The Rockets, if they stay healthy, there is NO excuse to not make the playoffs.

 

The Bulls are abeing ridiculously overhyped.

I like Jay Williams. I'll grant you his probably success. And I also like Jalen Rose. But come on... Curry and Chandler have yet to prove they'll amount to anything, much less stars. Not saying they won't... people just take a lot for granted with regards to them. Realistically, what can you expect from the Bulls? Say Rose is Glenn Robinson and Williams is Sam Cassell (might be better eventually, but not yet)... then they're still only 2/3 of the team the Bucks are, who didn't make the playoffs last year.

From the East:

#1 Miami
#2 Milwaukee

West:

#1 Houston
#2 Clippers

 

i don't expect them to make much noise in the playoffs. i'm saying that they will make the playoffs...just as a 7th or 8th seed. that's what this thread is about anyways.

you look at this past year's playoff teams from the east:

nets: i'm pretty sure they'll be back in the playoffs
celtics: ditto
hornets: ditto b/c they have the best frontcourt in the east
orlando: barring injury to mcgrady, they'll make it again
pistons: adding billups will make them a LOT better

now for the not-so-sure teams:

sixers: forget about iverson and his issues. this team has no fire power outside of iverson. mckie is good but not good enough and snow has his spurts
pacers: they barely made it this year and quite frankly, i think they'll put themselves into a last minute race again.
raptors: with carter coming back to prove himself, he'll play with an aging olajuwon, a serviceable-but-past his prime davis, and add to that the possibility that clark will bolt. and of course, that last minute run of theirs probably won't happen again.

my reason for the bulls:

you have rose and williams. and then you have curry and chandler--who STILL needs to up their game. and i'm pretty sure that each of these guys can manage to get at least 10 ppg/8 rpg each. and then you got eddie robinson and fizer. both players have been too quiet. you might think there's a lot of ?'s but i'm thinking this team will be playoff bound. it's my risky pick for next year

my reason for the bucks:

like everyone, i'm hoping they'll get back in for their own sakes. having allen, cassell and robinson and not making the playoffs is unacceptable. this time around, i think george karl will keep his mouth shut moreso than the past season.

 

I think I might be a little biased, like many, but I think not only will
the Rox make the playoffs, I think they will have an 82-0 season and win the championship as well.

My real prediction is for them to get 45-50 wins and get the 6th,7th, or 8th seed. However if injuries hit again, we are in trouble, especially if Collier gets hurt.

I sure love smilies

 

Gettinbranded I don't mean to pick on you. You said in the post that J Will is an unknown, but in your signature you also said you know he will make Rockets pay. So is J Will a 'known' or an unknown to you?

 

My playoff predictions for the 2002-2003 season:

Eastern Conference:
1-Nets (~50-55 wins)
2-Celtics (~46-50 wins, one of the most underrated teams in the league will re-sign Rogers despite incurring the luxury tax)
3-Tragic (ditto, if Hill returns)
4-Heat* (ditto, if good health prevails)
5-Knicks* (~41-46 wins, even with Thomas at center)
6-Bucks* (ditto)
7-Charlotte (ditto)
8-Raptors (ditto)
---
9-Sixers (~.500, this is a bold prediction, having gutted their roster of scorers and traded away a key part of their backcourt rotation (Claxton))
10-Pistons (ditto, Billups will be one of the worst free-agent signings of the season; he's highly overrated, though he is an upgrade over Atkins and will provide a desperately-needed slashing guard)
11-Pacers (below .500, and seemingly always will be if Thomas remains head coach)
12-Hawks* (~three games below .500)
13-Gizzards* (~35-40 wins, horrible draft, though getting rid of Alexander is a plus - he is a very selfish scorer who eats up team possessions and must start; resembles J.R. Rider in that fashion)
14-Bulls* (~30-35 wins)
15-Cavs* (~25 wins)

Western Conference:
1-Mavericks (~60 wins)
2-Kings (~55-60 wins)
3-Phakers (~50-55 wins)
4-Spurs (ditto)
5-Sonics (~41-46 wins)
6-Jailblazers (ditto)
7-Timberwolves (~.500)
8-Rockets* (ditto, if good health prevails)
---
9-Suns* (below .500)
10-Jazz (ditto)
11-Clippers* (~35-40 wins at the very best)
12-Warriors* (~25-30 wins, great talent held back by poor coaching)
13-Grizzlies* (ditto, improved by adding backcourt depth (Person) and another good forward)
14-Nuggets* (bottom feeder, probably holding the worst record in the league)

*lottery

 

The Pistons fall from 2nd to tenth? Did they trade Stackhouse and Wallace for Langhi and Collier when I wasn't looking? That would explain why they need a slashing guard I suppose.

 

No, they traded Stackhouse, Wallace for Glen Rice, Kevin Willis and cash. They also traded this year's first rounder to Chicago for Eddie Robinson and donuts.

In all seriousness, it was only a year before that they won 32 games (after Hill's departure). Yes, they've added an versatile player (Robinson) who fills their frontcourt holes and backcourt depth (Barry), but they really overacheived. Nearly everyone else is a one-dimensional role player.

They didn't play as well as their record (50 wins) indicates, so I'd say that there should be a lapse next season of at least two games. Their point guard play remains horrible and cannot take pressure off of Stackhouse (unless Atkins and Jones are shooting well... at least Jones is a good playmaker), which is part of the reason he's shooting under 40%.

If they try to develop Rodney White, a player who's about as consistent at this point as Jerome Moiso, their record will take an even greater hit. I'd say that 42 wins is a good prediction.

 

I think that with Jared Jeffries, Juan Dixon, Rod Grizzard, and Juan Carlos Navarro, the Wizards now have a chance to make the playoffs.

They now have a deeper 1-2-3.

PG-Whitney/Lue/Navarro
SG-Hamilton/Davis/Dixon
SF-Jordan/Grizzard/
PF-Jeffries/Brown/Laettner
C-White/Haywood
IR-Simmons, Thomas, whichever guard they decide to place here...

A trade for a better front court player seems in order.