Will the top WC teams be jockeying for the #2 seed?

[Bartleby]

Or, to put it another way, which teams (if any) can you see deliberately losing games at the end of the season to avoid OKC once they lock down their playoff position?

[Venti Quattro]

Houston will be the 2nd seed. Always. Why hasn't anyone taken note of this?

[Beaverfuzz]

Who the fuck cares about OKC?

[Bartleby]

I'm more interested in where the Spurs will finish. If OKC lands in the #8 spot that could have a big impact on how that shapes out. (Seems pretty obvious, but I guess it has to be spelled out for some people).

[Beaverfuzz]

I'm more interested in where the Spurs will finish. If OKC lands in the #8 spot that could have a big impact on how that shapes out. (Seems pretty obvious, but I guess it has to be spelled out for some people).

I see a lot of If If If. What if OKC finishes 7th?

[Bartleby]

I see a lot of If If If. What if OKC finishes 7th?

Yeah, that could change the dynamic at the top as well.

[barbacoataco]

Way too early.

[taps]

Way too early.

You say that now but once we lose the December Championships you'll be whistling a different tune.

[tmtcsc]

I don't care where okc ends up, I just hope the Spurs get to face Houston in the playoffs at some point. Spurs owe them a playoff beatdown.

[baseline bum]

I see a lot of If If If. What if OKC finishes 7th?

Dallas is currently the 7 seed and on pace for 58 wins. OKC would need to go 49-11 the rest of the season to tie that. Their only hope at a 7-seed would be a star player ahead of them having a season ending injury in the next month or two.

[Mal]

On one hand tough 1st round was good for Spurs last year, on the other hand going against healthy OKC, before someone bruised them, it`s not a good thing

[sharkenleo]

Teams will avoid the Spurs, not the other way around.

[cjw]

Everyone is now freaking out after they beat three eastern conference roadkill teams and Cavs minus Lebron?

[Beaverfuzz]

Dallas is currently the 7 seed and on pace for 58 wins. OKC would need to go 49-11 the rest of the season to tie that. Their only hope at a 7-seed would be a star player ahead of them having a season ending injury in the next month or two.

That is a lot of wins for a 7th seeded team.

[BatManu20]

That is a lot of wins for a 7th seeded team.

58 wins for a 7th seed would have to be a record, right? That's nuts.

[tmtcsc]

OKC has its own problems to worry about and one of them is making the playoffs and finding ways to give Westbrook and Durant a break. They don't have enough to challenge for the title. Not enough bench help from role players and scorers in the playoffs.

[tmtcsc]

58 wins for a 7th seed would have to be a record, right? That's nuts.

That would be a record but its not going to get there. As Manu says, there will be a regression to the mean. Western conference teams have feasted on the Eastern conference and patsies in the West so far. Once the top 8 start playing each other, things will normalize. I think 48 wins gets you the 8th seed.

[tmtcsc]

On one hand tough 1st round was good for Spurs last year, on the other hand going against healthy OKC, before someone bruised them, it`s not a good thing

OKC is irrelevant. Spurs will crush them with or without a fully healthy team. They want no part of San Antonio.

[Beaverfuzz]

That would be a record but its not going to get there. As Manu says, there will be a regression to the mean. Western conference teams have feasted on the Eastern conference and patsies in the West so far. Once the top 8 start playing each other, things will normalize. I think 48 wins gets you the 8th seed.

That is more what I was thinking. Around 50 W's SHOULD get you into the playoffs.

[Proxy]

seems pretty dense to act high and mighty over a team that played SA better than anyone, without Ibaka in the first two games.

SA needed 4 miracles to close that G6 out @ okc

Manu's 3
TD's OT performance
Kawhi's steal on WB
and our backup PGs picking up Enrique's slack per par

[baseline bum]

That would be a record but its not going to get there. As Manu says, there will be a regression to the mean. Western conference teams have feasted on the Eastern conference and patsies in the West so far. Once the top 8 start playing each other, things will normalize. I think 48 wins gets you the 8th seed.

45 wins will easily get you the 8 seed this year. The West is really good teams and real shit teams this year, with no middle ground other than Phoenix.

[baseline bum]

That is more what I was thinking. Around 50 W's SHOULD get you into the playoffs.

Huge dropoff from 7 to 8 right now. 45 wins will be more than enough to get the 8 seed.

[tmtcsc]

Houston will be the 2nd seed. Always. Why hasn't anyone taken note of this?

Houston? They will be 5th at best.