MIN vs DEN is gonna be an elimination game if Pelicans win over Clips tonight. Sent from my E6533 using Tapatalk
I disagree for the simple reason of experience. Mitchell has been huge for their success, but he’s a rookie, and he’d be going up against a good defender in either Russ or George. Rubio, never been in the playoffs. Gobert, one year of playoff experience. Favors, been 2 times separated by like 6 seasons. Then on the other side you have the reigning MVP who has been to the Finals, and PG and Melo who have each been to conference finals. Experience like that isn’t everything, but it matters. I’d be way more comfortable with them facing the experience of GS, and maybe a little more comfortable with them facing the clutch Lillard and having to go into Portland, an equally crazy crowd playoff atmosphere to OKC.
I said back when we beat them in that revenge game that I hoped they missed the playoffs by one game, and it was because of us. Well, here we are, they’re tied with Minnesota, and they play them in the final game of the season. Go T-Wolves!
Totally disagree with the Utah assessment. They would be a tough out for any team at the moment. Their defense is crazy good since RudyG got back from injury (they're 5 points better in defensive rating than the next team...Their defense is legit!) The inexperience that Utah has balances when you consider Snyder vs Donovan and game to game adjustments. Okc won the head to head matchup vs Utah this year but most of that came when Rudy was out/had foul trouble, those games came before the Crowder trade and during a time when Utah was 9 games out of .500. Imho the worst draw for OKC is being in a bracket where they go against Utah in the 1st round, Houston in the semis and the Dubs in the conference finals (w/Curry back). As of right now that's the 1-4 bracket. Disclaimer: seeding talk up ahead, so if not interested move on haha. 3 key games determine western conference seeding: Utah @ Portland, SA @ NO, Denver @ Minny all to be played on the last day of the regular season For Utah to be 4, they need to go 1-1 (losing to Portland tomorrow) and OKC needs to lose to the Griz...So maybe that 4-5 matchup doesn't look as realistic. NO plays SA and that determines the 5th seed. Minny plays Denver and that determines who’s in and who’s out of the playoffs. NO loses a tiebreaker to both Denver and Minny. SA wins the tiebreaker to both Denver and Minny. So whoever loses that NO vs SA game determines if they’re the 7th seed (if SA loses) or the 8th seed (if NO loses). Utah wins tiebreakers against everybody except OKC and still faces Portland so whoever wins that game decides the 3rd seed. OKC doesn't own the tiebreaker against anybody except Utah so if they beat the Griz then Utah has to go 2-0 in these next 2 nights otherwise OKC is the 4th seed and Utah is the 5th seed with the winner between SA v NO being the 6th seed and Minny, Denver or SA being the 7th seed and Minny, Denver or NO being the 8th seed. If Utah wins out and OKC beats the Griz, then Utah is the 3 seed, Portland is the 4 seed, either NO or SA is the 5th seed, OKC is the 6th seed and the 7th seed is either SA, Minny or Denver and the 8th seed is either NO, Minny or Denver. If Utah goes at least 1-1 and OKC loses to the Griz then OKC is the 8th seed and Utah is the 4th seed.
No scenario will put the Nuggets in 8th. Either they end up higher or they're out. Sent from my E6533 using Tapatalk
My bad... You're right. Got me on a ridiculous tiebreaker. Okay, allow me to make this claro.. Spurs vs Pels decides alot of things. Pels lose the tiebreaker to the Nugs. Currently SA owns the tiebreaker vs the Nugs, but if they lose to the Pels and the Nugs win vs the Wolves, then even though the Nugs and Spurs would have the same records and have a 2-2 tie going head to head vs each other this year, the Spurs with the loss to NO would be 9-7 within their division while the Nugs with a win vs the Wolves would be 10-6 in their division...making them the tiebreaker winners, right? Wrong. According to playoff seeding rules, a division tiebreaker is decided if both teams are in the same division. SA is in the southwest division while there Nugs are in the northwest division. So the next tiebreaker is the conference record. However Spurs with a Pels loss is 29-23 and the Nugs with a Minny win is 29-23 haha. So the next tiebreaker is records vs playoff teams in their conference. This is where the Nugs (16-14) have the Spurs (12-18) beat so that would enable them to win the tiebreaker vs the Spurs. So Spurs would be the 8th seed and Denver the 7th under that scenario only if OKC wins vs the Griz... Otherwise OKC would be the 8th seed. It's crazy that the 3-9 seeds in the west won't be decided till the last day of the season.
FML! I shoulda just waited for the visual demonstration instead of wasting my time botching up my explanation this morning. Oh well....here's every scenario for those that are still curious and of the tl;dr/visual demographic (which, lets be honest, is everybody).
If Paul George makes an All NBA team (I think he has a shot at making All NBA 3rd team), does OKC get to offer him a bigger contract than everyone else?
No...you have to be with said team for X amt of yr 1st, it wouldve only mattered if he was still with indy
They still can offer him more and more years, but the difference isn't NEAR as drastic. That super-max deal, while it seems good on the surface for small market teams, is turning out to be pretty debilitating for teams caps. It is such a huge contract.
I’m with you on Utah man! Gobert is the best defender in the league, they’ve got great defensive guards and a lot of long, athletic forwards to throw at people. For a team that doesn’t shoot the 3 well like OKC, you’re betting you can attack the paint and get out in transition against a slow it down, tough, defensive team. I’m not overly optimistic. Utah is stomping GSW right now...
Everyone is stomping GSW lately. They don't care... and without Curry they play like s***. First round exit baby... Haren in the Finals <puke>
I don't think Denver has a chance. Denver is weak sause on the road and Minny plays extremely well at home. This one is done, Denver is out.
