jason brown
03-03-2005, 06:53 AM
CD’s Bonus Hits (http://www.vegasinsider.com/document_display.cfm?document_id=349043)
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Just over a quarter of the season remains and it’s safe to say that 12 of the 16 playoff seeds appear to be set. The Eastern Conference are represented by Detroit, Miami, Cleveland and Washington, who should all be locks barring a collapse. All four teams have 31-plus victories and I would guesstimate that 41 victories should get you a spot in the show. Seems like a safe bet!
Kobe Bryant and the L.A. Lakers control their own destiny with the No. 8 spot.
The remaining four slots are up in the air, especially since the Atlantic Division gets an automatic bid, which will wind up as the No. 3 seed. Boston, Philadelphia, New Jersey, Toronto and New York are all separated by five games, with the Celtics holding a one-game lead over the Sixers for first place. The five teams are all scheduled to face one another four times, and only Boston and New Jersey have seven games left against divisional opponents. It would be a smart idea to keep an eye on those games, which should be viewed as preliminary playoff battles.
The other teams in the mix are Chicago, Orlando and Indiana. The Bulls and Magic have been surprises this year, while the Pacers have been considered a disappointment, both on and off the court. Rick Carlisle’s team is the most experienced and dangerous of the bottom four teams and could be favored in a first round matchup if they make the playoffs.
The West has seven out of eight seeds pretty knotted up, including all division winners with San Antonio, Phoenix and Seattle. Dallas and Sacramento should put up a nice fight for the coveted fourth seed, while Memphis and Houston round out the group.
The lucky eighth seed should be claimed by one of three teams. The L.A. Lakers currently hold the spot, while Minnesota and Denver are within striking distance. The Lakers have the toughest schedule remaining out of the three, playing 16 of their final 27 games away from home.
The Nuggets are 2-4 versus both the Wolves and Lakers and have two games left on the docket. Meanwhile, Minnesota is 2-3 versus the Denver and Los Angeles, including two losses to the Lakers. So, head-to-head tiebreakers go to L.A. right now over Minnesota. The Nuggets can even up their series with remaining games against both teams. If the Lakers beat Denver on Mar. 24 at Pepsi Center, then the Lakers will control its own destiny amongst the three clubs.
Whoever makes the playoffs out of this trio won’t have much time to celebrate. Currently, San Antonio holds the No. 1 seed in the West and the Spurs are 6-0 against all three of these teams. The eighth seed doesn’t look too promising now.
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Just over a quarter of the season remains and it’s safe to say that 12 of the 16 playoff seeds appear to be set. The Eastern Conference are represented by Detroit, Miami, Cleveland and Washington, who should all be locks barring a collapse. All four teams have 31-plus victories and I would guesstimate that 41 victories should get you a spot in the show. Seems like a safe bet!
Kobe Bryant and the L.A. Lakers control their own destiny with the No. 8 spot.
The remaining four slots are up in the air, especially since the Atlantic Division gets an automatic bid, which will wind up as the No. 3 seed. Boston, Philadelphia, New Jersey, Toronto and New York are all separated by five games, with the Celtics holding a one-game lead over the Sixers for first place. The five teams are all scheduled to face one another four times, and only Boston and New Jersey have seven games left against divisional opponents. It would be a smart idea to keep an eye on those games, which should be viewed as preliminary playoff battles.
The other teams in the mix are Chicago, Orlando and Indiana. The Bulls and Magic have been surprises this year, while the Pacers have been considered a disappointment, both on and off the court. Rick Carlisle’s team is the most experienced and dangerous of the bottom four teams and could be favored in a first round matchup if they make the playoffs.
The West has seven out of eight seeds pretty knotted up, including all division winners with San Antonio, Phoenix and Seattle. Dallas and Sacramento should put up a nice fight for the coveted fourth seed, while Memphis and Houston round out the group.
The lucky eighth seed should be claimed by one of three teams. The L.A. Lakers currently hold the spot, while Minnesota and Denver are within striking distance. The Lakers have the toughest schedule remaining out of the three, playing 16 of their final 27 games away from home.
The Nuggets are 2-4 versus both the Wolves and Lakers and have two games left on the docket. Meanwhile, Minnesota is 2-3 versus the Denver and Los Angeles, including two losses to the Lakers. So, head-to-head tiebreakers go to L.A. right now over Minnesota. The Nuggets can even up their series with remaining games against both teams. If the Lakers beat Denver on Mar. 24 at Pepsi Center, then the Lakers will control its own destiny amongst the three clubs.
Whoever makes the playoffs out of this trio won’t have much time to celebrate. Currently, San Antonio holds the No. 1 seed in the West and the Spurs are 6-0 against all three of these teams. The eighth seed doesn’t look too promising now.
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