Comments on: Rooting Interests: The NBA’s August 7th Bubble Games

By: Lucas Hann

Lucas Hann — Sat, 08 Aug 2020 01:06:19 +0000

I think Houston passing Denver is still a possibility (we may want to consider resting vs Denver if we win both games this weekend).

Utah/OKC is a coin flip at 5/6.

If Memphis finds a second (or third!) win they could potentially end up 8th, but my money is on Portland in 8th. NOP, PHX, and SAS all have a shot at overtaking a 1-7 MEM for 9th, with basically no margin for error.

By: wwshep

wwshep — Fri, 07 Aug 2020 22:43:33 +0000

With the OKC loss today, what could be interesting is if the Clips have 2 seed locked up going into the last game of the season and by some chance OKC and Utah are still battling for 5th vs. 6th if the Clipper try and knock OKC down to 6th to give Denver the tougher 1st round opponent. Still too many moving pieces and alot of if’s in these scenarios, but Houston-Utah at 4-5 and Denver-OKC at 3-6 seems like the best possible seeding scenario for the Clips.

By: wwshep

wwshep — Fri, 07 Aug 2020 22:36:51 +0000

Well my hot take aged very poorly as OKC lost to Memphis of all teams. Wow!

So that pretty much eliminates OKC from finishing any higher than 4th seed.

I still think Utah ends up in 6th assuming that is their intent there’s no reason for them to try and win another game. TWT.

Houston vs. OKC at 4-5 will be an entertaining series with the CP3/Westbrook trade subtext creating some drama.

By: G RAP OLD SCHOOL LIKE YOUR DAD

G RAP OLD SCHOOL LIKE YOUR DAD — Fri, 07 Aug 2020 21:40:18 +0000

U beat me to it Thretch

By: G RAP OLD SCHOOL LIKE YOUR DAD

G RAP OLD SCHOOL LIKE YOUR DAD — Fri, 07 Aug 2020 21:39:43 +0000

Would love that final standing!
But I got
1.Lakers
2.Clippers going 2-2 48-24
3.Denver 2-2 47-26
4.Houston 3-1 46-26
5.Utah 2-2. 45-27
6.OkC 3-2 45-27
7.Dallas 2-2. 43-32
8.Portland 2-2 34-40

Memphis 1-3 33-40

Utah could tank/rest to 0-4 remaining games but I gave em to 2 wins that they might not get.
Memphis I doubt even wins the one game but I gave it to em anyway.
Portland Memphis would end up 1/2 game difference.
Utah and OkC tie – don’t know who would get the 5 seed , tie breaking records conference W/L percentage whatever.
But shep your standings I think would make it the easiest on the clippers to have an easier path to WCF.
It makes it look like a harder path for the lakers having to go through a poetential winner of Denver-Houston
Would Denver Houston RND 2 go 6-7 games ? Giving the lakers a beaten up rockets or Denver team to breeze through?
Guess it doesn’t matter, if Utah goes out of there way to avoid rockets bracket, rockets gonna have hard battle with OkC or possibly Denver in round 1

By: Thretch

Thretch — Fri, 07 Aug 2020 21:29:19 +0000

In a way, that is my nightmare scenario. Denver and Houston slug it out and the winner limps into a LAL series. Meanwhile, OKC has little trouble with Utah and is well rested for LAC. Drop OKC to 6th and that is my dream scenario

By: wwshep

wwshep — Fri, 07 Aug 2020 20:40:12 +0000

I actually think OKC will finish ahead of the Rockets and might even be a threat to pass Denver into 3rd seed. Reason is the OKC is playing very well and has a pretty cake strength of schedule left. That’s especially true if we have 2nd seed locked up before last game of season and they get to play our 3rd string. Utah should be a lock for 6th assuming that they are tanking on purpose to the 6th seed. Because of no home court 4 vs. 5 seed is irrelevant. So really the only intrigue left is whether Clips can stave off Denver to remain 2, and whether Denver can stave off either Houston or OKC for 3rd.

My bold prediction is that we finish:

1. Lakers
2. Clippers
3. OKC
4. Denver
5. Houston
6. Utah
7. Dallas
8. Portland
9. Play in tourney loser SA

By: Lucas Hann

Lucas Hann — Fri, 07 Aug 2020 19:59:25 +0000

I think the Jazz are dropping to 6th on purpose. I get it–if it’s between HOU/LAL or DEN/LAC as 1st/2nd round opponents, and HOU has eliminated them resoundingly the last 2 years, I don’t blame them for wanting the latter.

I’d rather see Utah end up 6th because without Bogdanovic I think they’re less scary than OKC if Denver gets upset in R1. But, Denver-OKC R1 could be a really close, hard-fought series. There’s something to be said for starting R2 against a team that has just been playing their starters 40mpg for 7 games, and is beaten up and bruised and has just one day to prepare for you, compared to a team that won rather easily in 5 games and has had some time to rest and prepare.

By: G RAP OLD SCHOOL LIKE YOUR DAD

G RAP OLD SCHOOL LIKE YOUR DAD — Fri, 07 Aug 2020 19:40:09 +0000

I think the standings will end up
1. Lakers
2.clippers
3denver
4 Houston
5. Utah/OkC tie
6 Utah /OkC tie
7 Dallas
8 Portland

By: osamu6238

osamu6238 — Fri, 07 Aug 2020 18:59:05 +0000

Looks like Jazz going to lose without their starters.

Mavs with their loss yesterday, seem almost virtually guaranteed the 7th seed unless some funky things happen. Jazz seem completely uninterested in trying to hold on to the 4 spot, so I kind of assume they’ll drop to 6th, and really hoping they do.

If anything a HOU/OKC matchup would just be fun given the connection and rivalry between those teams, but those are also the 2 teams that probably scare me the most (DEN with this MPJ emergence is also a wildcard).