Also - keep an eye on the Clippers... they have been quietly slipping in the standings. Their upcoming schedule: @HOU CHI MIL MIN @Chi @NOP Houston is a really good home team, so I could see another letdown there. Chicago is probably a win for them, but then again, Chicago can surprise anybody on any given night. We just saw them lose to the Giannis-less Bucks, and then they barely beat MIN last week on the road, and then there's the Pels who seem to always have the Clippers number. If the Clippers get 3-4 losses in this 6 game stretch...things can get interesting. Reason being is that they still got these teams even after this 6-game stretch: Philly 2x (Embiid back? One home One away) Indiana @Orlando @Sacramento Denver Cleveland Phoenix 2x (one home one away)
Pelicans got: @TOR - W @Phi - L @ATL - W Cleveland - L Clippers - W Blazers - W @BKN - W @ORL - L @MIA - L @DET -W OKC - L MIL - L BOS - L PHX - W ORL - W SAS - W @PHX - L @POR - W @SAC - L @GS - L LAL - L They would end the season 46-36. Is that going to be good enough to be out of the play-in?
Dallas got: IND - L MIA - L @DET - W @CHI - W GS - W @OKC - L DEN - L @SAS - W UTA - W @UTA - L @SAC - L @SAC - W @HOU - L @GS - L ATL - W GS - W HOU - W @CHA - W @MIA - L DET - W @OKC - L 45-37 record for Dallas - where does that land them?
Phoenix got (a lot of this will depend on Booker's injury too): @DEN - L TOR - W BOS - L @CLE - L @BOS - L @CHA - W @MIL - L PHI - W ATL - W @SAS - W @SAS - W @DEN - L @OKC - L @NOP - L CLE - L MIN - L NOP - W LAC - W @LAC - L @SAC - L @MIN L This would put them at 43-39...boy their schedule is actually prettyyyy brutal with or without Booker!
Golden State got: MIL - L CHI - W SAS - W @SAS - W @DAL - L @LAL - L NYK - W (but this depends on if NYK is healthy) MEM- W IND - W @MIN - L @MIA - L @ORL - L @CHA - W @SAS - W DAL - W @HOU - L @DAL - L UTA - W @LAL - L @POR - W NOP - W UTA - W This would put Warriors at 45-37.
Sacramento has: @LAL - L SAS - W HOU - W MIL - L LAL - L NYK - W MEM - W @TOR - W @WAS - W @ORL - L PHI - L DAL - W DAL - L UTA - W LAC - L @NYK - L @BOS - L @BKN - W @OKC - L NOP - L PHX - L POR - W This would put SAC at 44-38. But we absolutely need to beat them twice for this to come true!!!
We have: SAC - W MIL - L MIN - L @SAC - W GS - W ATL - W PHI - W IND - W @MIL - L @MEM - W @IND - L @BKN - W @TOR - W @WAS - W CLE - L MIN - W GS - W @MEM - W @NOP - L This would put us at 47-35.
The standings from 5-10 would shake out to the following according to what i have above: 5. Lakers - 47-35 6. Pelicans - 46-36 7. Warriors - 45-37 8. Mavs - 45-37 9. Kings - 44-38 10. Suns - 43-39
I mean look I have us losing a few home games this week against MIL and MIN...so if we get even one of those...it's huge! But we absolutely have to smack the Kings and Warriors in all 4 remaining games that have - ESPECIALLy since 3 out of 4 are at home. If we split those or go 1-3...we're likely in the play-in.
OK for fun, I'll do the Clippers: @HOU - L CHI - W MIL - W MIN - L @CHI - W @NOP - L ATL - W @POR - W @POR - W PHI - W IND - W @PHI - L @ORL - L @CHA - W @SAC - W DEN - L UTA - W CLE - L @PHX - L PHX - W UTA - W HOU - W Clippers would end with a 53-29 record, so yeah I think even if things get "interesting" for them, they're likely boxed into that 4th seed unless the wheels COMPLETELY fall off, which I don't see happening. I think best case scenario from a wins perspective for any team below the Clippers right now is probably 50 wins, which is still below what the Clippers will likely end up at.
Going to put this all in one post so everyone can revisit this and keep track! Clippers got: @HOU - L CHI - W MIL - W MIN - L @CHI - W @NOP - L ATL - W @POR - W @POR - W PHI - W IND - W @PHI - L @ORL - L @CHA - W @SAC - W DEN - L UTA - W CLE - L @PHX - L PHX - W UTA - W HOU - W Record: 53-29 Lakers have: SAC - W MIL - L MIN - L @SAC - W GS - W ATL - W PHI - W IND - W @MIL - L @MEM - W @IND - L @BKN - W @TOR - W @WAS - W CLE - L MIN - W GS - W @MEM - W @NOP - L This would put Lakers at 47-35. Kings have: @LAL - L SAS - W HOU - W MIL - L LAL - L NYK - W MEM - W @TOR - W @WAS - W @ORL - L PHI - L DAL - W DAL - L UTA - W LAC - L @NYK - L @BOS - L @BKN - W @OKC - L NOP - L PHX - L POR - W This would put SAC at 44-38. Warriors got: MIL - L CHI - W SAS - W @SAS - W @DAL - L @LAL - L NYK - W (but this depends on if NYK is healthy) MEM- W IND - W @MIN - L @MIA - L @ORL - L @CHA - W @SAS - W DAL - W @HOU - L @DAL - L UTA - W @LAL - L @POR - W NOP - W UTA - W This would put Warriors at 45-37. Suns got (a lot of this will depend on Booker's injury too): @DEN - L TOR - W BOS - L @CLE - L @BOS - L @CHA - W @MIL - L PHI - W ATL - W @SAS - W @SAS - W @DEN - L @OKC - L @NOP - L CLE - L MIN - L NOP - W LAC - W @LAC - L @SAC - L @MIN L This would put them at 43-39 Mavs got: IND - L MIA - L @DET - W @CHI - W GS - W @OKC - L DEN - L @SAS - W UTA - W @UTA - L @SAC - L @SAC - W @HOU - L @GS - L ATL - W GS - W HOU - W @CHA - W @MIA - L DET - W @OKC - L 45-37 record for Dallas Pelicans got: @TOR - W @Phi - L @ATL - W Cleveland - L Clippers - W Blazers - W @BKN - W @ORL - L @MIA - L @DET -W OKC - L MIL - L BOS - L PHX - W ORL - W SAS - W @PHX - L @POR - W @SAC - L @GS - L LAL - L They would end the season 46-36 The standings from 4-10 would shake out to the following according to what i have above: 4. Clippers - 53-29 5. Lakers - 47-35 6. Pelicans - 46-36 7. Warriors - 45-37 8. Mavs - 45-37 9. Kings - 44-38 10. Suns - 43-39
We sure do have an opportunity to finish 7th or 8th but watch us trailing by 15-20 in the 1st quarter against SAC and lose the game .
Lol jesus I hate how accurate this was. This team has been so up and down all year, but then again, this new starting lineup is what, 9-2? 10-2? We HAVE been playing better lately and honestly even though we lost to Denver, we were right there with them and just don't have enough to win yet against defendingn champs.
Suns should lose this one. Not too confident the other two will swing our way tonight, but we'll see.
I'd much rather be in 7th or 8th, facing Minn or OKC, than 5th or 6th, and having to play the Nuggets or Flippers, in the 1st rd. I'm not afraid of a playin game, I'll still take Lebron and AD, in a 1 game, winner take all scenario.
Mavs losing was huge because it was sort of a toss up game... UGH - hate that the Suns might actually steal this one in Denver. Can't count on Denver to do us any favors huh?
