Wishful thinking playoff scenario--anyone think this can happen?

[DeadlyDynasty]

Final WC standings:

1. Lakers
2. Spurs
3. Thunder
4. Mavericks

To preface, I realize this has an extremely low probability of happening, but whatever, I'm bored and just entertaining the idea.

Remaining schedules...

Dallas (52-21):

@LAC
@LAL
@GSW
@POR
DEN
LAC
PHX
@HOU
NOH

Oklahoma City (48-24):

GSW
@PHX
@POR
@LAC
@DEN
LAC
DEN
@LAL
@SAC
MIL

LA Lakers (53-20):

DAL
@UTH
DEN
UTH
@GSW
@POR
OKC
SAS
@SAC

San Antonio (57-17)

BOS
@HOU
PHX
@ATL
SAC
UTH
@LAL
@PHX



As a Laker fan, I'd like them to avoid OKC till the WCF (if they even play each other)...but this is going on the wild assumption that both LAL and OKC make up their 3.5 game deficits against SAS and DAL with only 9 games to play.

Pipe-dream or a possibility?

[Jodelo]

Final WC standings:

1. Lakers
2. Spurs
3. Thunder
4. Lakers

You really love the Lakers or?

[DeadlyDynasty]

You really love the Lakers or?

my bad, fixed.

[Axe Murderer]

Naw

only team that will fall would be SA without Duncan. Dallas will atleast save the collapse for the playoffs (get it???? cause Dallas always chokes in the playoffs!!!!!!!!!!!!:lmao:lmao:lmao:lmao:lmao:lmao :lmao:lmao:lmao:lmao:lmao:lmao:lmao)

[Neo.]

Lakers may be able to catch the Spurs because of the injury bug, but I doubt that the Thunder catches the Mavs.

[Jodelo]

Naw

only team that will fall would be SA without Duncan. Dallas will atleast save the collapse for the playoffs (get it???? cause Dallas always chokes in the playoffs!!!!!!!!!!!!:lmao:lmao:lmao:lmao:lmao:lmao :lmao:lmao:lmao:lmao:lmao:lmao:lmao)

Clever.

[Bito Corleone]

It's definitely possible the way things have been going in the last week or so.

[Giuseppe]

As a Laker fan, I'd like them to avoid OKC

That's chickenshit, Deads.

Tell that to Bryant face-to-face.

We quit runnin' when Vuj led everybody to the ft line last June.

Let us proceed...

[The Gemini Method]

I don't care who the Lakers play, really...why avoid anyone? 3 years of reaching the finals, the Lakers aren't some playoff neophyte. Bring all teams and let the chips fall as they may. I just want the playoffs to hurry up and get here already.

[Rummpd]

Got to respect the Lakers and they are on full bore right now playing absolutely dominant basketball; but a lot can happen in the last 9 games. Lakers have some tough tests again (finally) and Spurs will play better and getting Hill and Splitter going may well turn out to be a blessing in disguise. It may also help the Spurs to have some need to actually focus and win some games down the stretch. Time will tell.

Mavs meanwhile have one of the lowest point differentials since their collapse last year and in their 67 win season and unless Caron Butler comes back they might lose in the first round (again, and it would not shock me at all - Chandler is over-rated and having to play zone portends they cannot play one on one defense to cover other weaknesses like Kidd and Dirk an entire series)

[Giuseppe]

Lakers have some tough tests again (finally)

Who?

[The Gemini Method]

Who?

OKC and Dallas tbh...maybe Portland...

[Rummpd]

Dallas, Thunder, Portland, Spurs - if LAL runs that gauntlet and wins out they fully deserve the top seed if the the Spurs cannot win 5 games.

[JamStone]

Anything is possibleeeeeeeeeeeeeee!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

http://www.bostoncelticsreport.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/01/kevin-garnett-screaming.jpg

[Giuseppe]

OKC and Dallas tbh...maybe Portland...

If Portland doesn't shit themselves. As to the others above...

- "Nobody comes into our house and pushes us around. Nobody."

- "Dan Devine" - "Rudy"

[Neo.]

Mavs meanwhile have one of the lowest point differentials since their collapse last year and in their 67 win season and unless Caron Butler comes back they might lose in the first round (again, and it would not shock me at all - Chandler is over-rated and having to play zone portends they cannot play one on one defense to cover other weaknesses like Kidd and Dirk an entire series)

The Mavs don't play nearly as much zone as you suggest, and don't play it as frequently as they did early in the season.

Butler is not the key and never was the key for the Mavs. He was simply a nice 3rd/4th option. The key will be the combo of JET and Roddy, and whether they can combine to give scoring punches on a nightly basis.

Quit talking about the Mavs as if you know shit about them, because you clearly don't know shit about them, nor do you know shit about your own team, or know shit about basketball, period.

lol thinking a short 10-game stretch of late season basketball will magically morph Splitter into a seasoned playoff veteran that will for the first time in his career contribute to his team winning a game, when he has been a worthless sack of shit all through the regular season and cant even get off the bench in favor of a guy with no ACLs (or MCLs? cant remember) or a 50 year old undersized bigman with a vagina on his fucking forehead.

[nkdlunch]

At this point it does not matter to the Spurs. Where they end up or who they face. Main thing is to get healthy and try to integrate Splitter into rotation.

We are pretty much in same boat as Boston Celtics.

[kamikazi_player]

With the way the Spurs are playing and injuries starting to pile up, I don't see why the Lakers won't get the #1 spot

[Giuseppe]

It all hinges on this Boston game Thursday evening. If the Spurs lose & we back it up with a win immediately after Vs. Dallas the door swings wide open and the race is on.

[Venti Quattro]

I just want LA to ignore the standings and keep winning. Then they can take a look where they land after the regular season

[The Gemini Method]

Just worry about sending the Mavs to the tree of playoff woe and we straight...one game at a time, eh!

[Venti Quattro]

I'm more worried against OKC rather than Dallas. This is not to discredit the Mavs but their game plays right to LA's strengths.

If Westbrook raped Fisher last year, imagine what he's going to do to him this year.

[Giuseppe]

I'm more worried against OKC rather than Dallas. This is not to discredit the Mavs but their game plays right to LA's strengths.

If Westbrook raped Fisher last year, imagine what he's going to do to him this year.

Well, if you'd uncross your fingers we might could stand a chance.

[picc84]

Fisher won't be on Westbrook. And if we'd have done that earlier last year, OKC would have gone home fishing in 5.

[Venti Quattro]

Fisher won't be on Westbrook. And if we'd have done that earlier last year, OKC would have gone home fishing in 5.

Not really cos Kobe had an injury and he got his knee drained in gm 5 or gm 6 if I remember it right

[Rummpd]

The Mavs don't play nearly as much zone as you suggest, and don't play it as frequently as they did early in the season.

Butler is not the key and never was the key for the Mavs. He was simply a nice 3rd/4th option. The key will be the combo of JET and Roddy, and whether they can combine to give scoring punches on a nightly basis.

Quit talking about the Mavs as if you know shit about them, because you clearly don't know shit about them, nor do you know shit about your own team, or know shit about basketball, period.

lol thinking a short 10-game stretch of late season basketball will magically morph Splitter into a seasoned playoff veteran that will for the first time in his career contribute to his team winning a game, when he has been a worthless sack of shit all through the regular season and cant even get off the bench in favor of a guy with no ACLs (or MCLs? cant remember) or a 50 year old undersized bigman with a vagina on his fucking forehead.

You obviously are soft skinned but here is a little eduction for the Mavs fans:

Fact: 10 games "will not transform" Splitter he is a proven Euro star and MVP of a Spanish League and has played numerous times against top flight competition. His upside is better than anyone on the Mavs period.
Fact: Point differential is historically the biggest predictor of playoff and championship success but why let the facts stand in the way of the Mavs choking more than any top tier team in history at least three times?
Fact: Spurs when healthy and motivated have toyed with the Mavs the last two years including last years playoff and you are trying to tell us losing Caron Butler, a stud NBA player respected by Kobe and the entire league is not a loss? Fact is that unless Butler returns Mavs do not have the lineup or the cred to beat the Spurs or the LAL. Mavs only hope is that the one they are to play somehow gets knocked off.
Fact: Mavs currently have a point differential of 4.34 at least a point lower than the Spurs, Boston, Heat, LAL, and Bulls. Some of that is due to Dirk missing a stretch of games but why the hell did Chandler and the psuedo depth of the Mavs step up? The fact is that the depth of the Mavs is vastly over-rated and has been exposed.
Fact: Chandler has not really helped the defense and his PER ranks him 5th in the West (3 spots behind Duncan in similar minutes despite Duncan's age). Chandler shoots a good percentage only because his range is so limited. He blocks a PATHETIC 1.1 shots a game, while Duncan at his age is blocking 1.9 and is STILL A MUCH BETTER DEFENDER when it counts. No debate on that period.http://espn.go.com/nba/player/hollinger/_/id/215/tim-duncan
http://espn.go.com/nba/player/hollinger/_/id/984/tyson-chandler
Fact: Spurs defense this year is not as good as previosly but the Mavs remains definetely middle of the road: http://www.nba.com/statistics/sortable_team_statistics/sortable2.html?cnf=1&prd=1
Fact: Mavs are an older team than the Spurs and the Spurs are also developing better and younger players - St. Roddy is over-rated. His PER of 14.89 is below the league average and he looks lost out there as much as he contributes.http://espn.go.com/nba/player/_/id/3963/rodrigue-beaubois





Fact expect the over-hyped Mavs to go softly in the night again this year based on the PER, their psuedo-depth, their psuedo improvement on defense and the fantasy that they are a greatly improved team. The facts bluntly speak otherwise.

FACT: Hell Dirk IMO should get serious cred for the MVP for carrying this team this far, he has been that damm good and a bright spot on an otherwise over-hyped team that absolutely crashed without him. At least the Spurs played competitive against good teams without Duncan.

Fact - next time bring some facts!

[picc84]

Knee drained or not, no neophyte playoff rook like Westbrook was going to get his on mamba.

[Cessation]

If this was the playoffs, all the "injured" spurs could have played. You guys are stretching, it would take a miracle and a complete meltdown for them to lose home court. They've been playing for it all year, no way they fuck it up.

[cobbler]

Doesn't matter how we finish in the west. Who cares how it plays out. Nobody is beating the Lakers in the West no matter the schedule. The only thing that matters is staying in front of the East cost teams for HCA in the finals.