Western Conference standings

[DaDakota]

http://i29.tinypic.com/20j39eq.jpg

Houston in first place, wow.

If you want to see the true contenders, look at a team's road record, that is a great indicator of how well they are playing.

Utah and Dallas are not contenders based upon that type of view....and the Spurs are struggling big time too.

DD

[ducks]

did that take in account of hornets loss today?

[Findog]

http://i29.tinypic.com/20j39eq.jpg

Houston in first place, wow.

If you want to see the true contenders, look at a team's road record, that is a great indicator of how well they are playing.

Utah and Dallas are not contenders based upon that type of view....and the Spurs are struggling big time too.

DD

Houston is not a contender bc Yao quit on the Rockets to save himself for the Olympics.

[Findog]

And if you go by points differential, the Lakers are the best team in the West.

[coldsweat]

http://i29.tinypic.com/20j39eq.jpg

Houston in first place, wow.

If you want to see the true contenders, look at a team's road record, that is a great indicator of how well they are playing.

Utah and Dallas are not contenders based upon that type of view....and the Spurs are struggling big time too.

DD

only 4.5 games between the first and eight seed right now - let's wait and see...

[DaDakota]

only 4.5 games between the first and eight seed right now - let's wait and see...


No doubt, but you really have to look at first and 9th.....and that is 6 and 1/2 with only 16 games to go for the Rockets.

DD

[TampaDude]

The West is as tight as a drum right now...just one win or one loss can move a team several spots...

[Banzai]

http://i29.tinypic.com/20j39eq.jpg

Houston in first place, wow.

If you want to see the true contenders, look at a team's road record, that is a great indicator of how well they are playing.

Utah and Dallas are not contenders based upon that type of view....and the Spurs are struggling big time too.

DD
:nerd :reading

[DazedAndConfused]

HOU is not a contender without Yao. Everyone here knows it except the poor Rocket fans.

[DaDakota]

HOU is not a contender without Yao. Everyone here knows it except the poor Rocket fans.

I tend to agree with you, but you just never know.

DD

[Agloco]

http://i29.tinypic.com/20j39eq.jpg

Houston in first place, wow.

If you want to see the true contenders, look at a team's road record, that is a great indicator of how well they are playing.

Utah and Dallas are not contenders based upon that type of view....and the Spurs are struggling big time too.

DD


Actually point differential is the most telling stat. Road wins is important, but the diff is what its all about.

[ludda]

You can also make a case for wins against the top eight teams as a telling factor too, but in the end stats don't mean much to me. And the standings change almost every couple days so big whoopededoo.

[DazedAndConfused]

If the Rockets hold onto the #1 spot to the playoffs they might be the 1st team in NBA history to be an under dog as the #1 seed.

[remingtonbo2001]

If the Rockets hold onto the #1 spot to the playoffs they might be the 1st team in NBA history to be an under dog as the #1 seed.

I would take GS over HOU in a series.

Nellie would outcoach Adelman.

[DaDakota]

I would take GS over HOU in a series.

Nellie would outcoach Adelman.

Man you could not be more wrong, with Yao they were a tough matchup, but without him, we go small and our chemistry and rebouding would overwhelm them.

Bring em on baby !

DD

[Bookit]

Updated standings. Stats are changing quick.

http://i25.tinypic.com/1pz2g0.jpg

[duncan228]

Updated standings. Stats are changing quick.

I think they will daily from here on.

What an amazing end of the season this is.

[Extra Stout]

http://i29.tinypic.com/20j39eq.jpg

Houston in first place, wow.

If you want to see the true contenders, look at a team's road record, that is a great indicator of how well they are playing.

Utah and Dallas are not contenders based upon that type of view....and the Spurs are struggling big time too.

DD
I remember how the 2004-05 Spurs had a really mediocre road record. Sure enough, they weren't much of a contender that postseason.

[trueD]

Each game from here on out is so meaningful to the top 9 WC teams, even Portland at #10 has a shot in hell to get in. No more winning against these teams if you are the bottom 5, just not happening.

The Rockets remind me a lot of the 2002-2003 Kings team, add more defense and Bobby Jackson brings the added umph off the bench. In fact, Rockets have a really good punch from the bench. Whether Adelman can weather the PO's without Yao, I dunno.

And I don't think Adelman was ever outcoached by Nellie, I believe Kings took them every PO series while he was in SAC.

[Findog]

And I don't think Adelman was ever outcoached by Nellie, I believe Kings took them every PO series while he was in SAC.

Two out of three.

[DazedAndConfused]

Adelman is a good coach and he has done a bangup job with HOU this season. He deserves all the credit in the world.

But lets be serious, the Rockets are not contenders without Yao Ming. They have a midget frontline that will be abused by Shaq+Amare, Gasol+Bynum, and Duncan.

[bobbyjoe]

Two out of three.

With the one loss being when Webber went out of a series in 2003 in Game 2 and missed the rest of the yr.

[1Parker1]

Spurs are winning at a .667 % rate and that's only good enough for the 6TH seed. Meanwhile in the East, the 6th seed is about 2 games under .500. :wow

[Taco]

http://i29.tinypic.com/20j39eq.jpg

Houston in first place, wow.

If you want to see the true contenders, look at a team's road record, that is a great indicator of how well they are playing.

Utah and Dallas are not contenders based upon that type of view....and the Spurs are struggling big time too.

DD


GOOD FOR YOU

NOW GO REMIND YOUR PT GD HE'S PLAYING IN THE NBA

[DaDakota]

Spurs are winning at a .667 % rate and that's only good enough for the 6TH seed. Meanwhile in the East, the 6th seed is about 2 games under .500. :wow


I know...and you lose 2 or 3 in a row and you are out of the playoffs all together, just amazing stuff.

You have to think that this 2 months of basketball will toughen up the teams in the western conference.

They are playing for their lives each and every night.

And, it is the best the NBA has been in a LONG time, players actually caring about the regular season...very refreshing.

DD

[Findog]

With the one loss being when Webber went out of a series in 2003 in Game 2 and missed the rest of the yr.

And the game he went down in they were getting beat by 35 points. Those were two evenly-matched teams, Dallas could've beaten them with Webber.

[Indazone]

And if you go by points differential, the Lakers are the best team in the West.

Those are season pt differentials, the pt differential in the last 10 games is much more meaninful. The Rockets have the highest pt differential lately.

[Bruno]

:lol @ fans pimping the stat where their favorite team is first.

[DazedAndConfused]

Those are season pt differentials, the pt differential in the last 10 games is much more meaninful. The Rockets have the highest pt differential lately.

No, season PT differential is far more important.

In the last 10 games any team could have played a ton of garbage EC teams. Therefore their point differential would be much higher than a better team who was playing tough WC teams. Stop being stupid.

[Indazone]

lol yeah right, like you are gonna say the part of the season where the rockets went 16-14, didn't get the offense, trying to integrate a bunch of new players into the system matters today. The pt differential back in 2007 was probably barely positive. If anything, you just look at the Rockets 2008 pt differential number which still spanks all the other teams.

[Flight3107]

Those are season pt differentials, the pt differential in the last 10 games is much more meaninful. The Rockets have the highest pt differential lately.


Are you retarded?

[Indazone]

No but your argument is

[Findog]

Those are season pt differentials, the pt differential in the last 10 games is much more meaninful. The Rockets have the highest pt differential lately.

No, that would be the Mavericks curbstomping their last five opponents by an average of 23 points a game. Of course, nobody cares because they played New Jersey, New York, Charlotte, Indiana and Miami.

Season point differential is much more important.

[DazedAndConfused]

lol yeah right, like you are gonna say the part of the season where the rockets went 16-14, didn't get the offense, trying to integrate a bunch of new players into the system matters today. The pt differential back in 2007 was probably barely positive. If anything, you just look at the Rockets 2008 pt differential number which still spanks all the other teams.

That's a whole lot different than saying the point differential in the last 10 games is more important than the entire season. And if you want to go by 2008 stats the Lakers are still right up there with the Rockets. Your team is on a glorified hot streak right now and your hot shooters will come back down to earth, the law of averages will come into effect like it always does. Jump shooting teams not led by MJ and Phil Jackson historically don't get far in the playoffs.

[Findog]

lol yeah right, like you are gonna say the part of the season where the rockets went 16-14, didn't get the offense, trying to integrate a bunch of new players into the system matters today. The pt differential back in 2007 was probably barely positive. If anything, you just look at the Rockets 2008 pt differential number which still spanks all the other teams.

If we use your argument, Dallas > Houston by virtue of better point differential over the last five games. Dallas > Houston anyway, but your argument doesn't make sense.

[sribb43]

none of this shit matters....the real season starts the weekend of April 19th

[DazedAndConfused]

none of this shit matters....the real season starts the weekend of April 19th

Amen.

$10 bucks says after all the dust settles the Mavs, Spurs, Lakers, and Suns are the only ones to advance in the playoffs.

[Indazone]

The pt differential is showing that the Mavs are playing well together right now. Props to them. A dangerous team. So if you were interested, here are the top 10 teams in pt differential during the last 10 games. It's simple the 10 game stat basically is like a team getting hot in the third qtr. Shows you how the team is performing against other teams. Yes strength of schedule matters but this is still a good snapshot.

Even explains why the Sixers are beating teams right now.

1 Houston +15.00
2 Boston +13.50
3 Denver +13.50
4 Orlando +11.30
5 Dallas +9.90
6 Golden State +9.20
7 Utah +8.70
8 Philadelphia +7.50
9 L.A. Lakers +6.20
10 New Orleans +5.40

[DazedAndConfused]

It doesn't matter, the Rockets are going nowhere in the post season and we all know it except for the Rocket fans.

[Cry Havoc]

Amen.

$10 bucks says after all the dust settles the Mavs, Spurs, Lakers, and Suns are the only ones to advance in the playoffs.

I'd take Utah over Phoenix in a best of 7 right now.

Current pairs indicate the Mavs vs. the Lakers. If the Lakers have Gasol and Bynum, give me L.A. Without Bynum, I'd have to pick the Mavs.

Spurs over Hornets in a tough 7 game series.

And the Rockets vs Golden State? Could it be more of a toss-up? To hell with it, the Warriors become the first 8 seed in history to knock off the #1 seed in the playoffs in consecutive years.

2nd Round: GS vs. Utah, Utah wins, Spurs vs. Mavs, Spurs win.

Utah vs. SA in the WCF, and Stern goes on a bender and shoots 47 children and bombs the Nielsen TV Ratings center.

[Indazone]

Denver is playing freaking unbelievable right now. Not sure I want any part of them

[DazedAndConfused]

DEN is just not a consistent team. I don't see them doing much in the playoffs given that they will probably have to face the #1 or #2 seed without HCA.

[Cry Havoc]

DEN is just not a consistent team. I don't see them doing much in the playoffs given that they will probably have to face the #1 or #2 seed without HCA.

Agreed. They look pretty good at times, but a great defensive team will frustrate them into making a ton of mental errors, and then they start playing like And-1 punks from the street instead of guys who know how to pass the ball.

[Findog]

Denver is playing freaking unbelievable right now. Not sure I want any part of them

I don't care about them scoring 200 points against Seattle. Let's see how well they're playing after they finish the road trip they're about to start.

[DaDakota]

Denver is a joke of a team, they are NOT a playoff team, what is their record against the better teams in the West?

When they play a team that plays defense they wilt.

DD

[Indazone]

Doesn't matter. If a team gets hot for the playoffs or gels right about now, that team could be very dangerous. Remember the Warriors from last year?

[DazedAndConfused]

Yea and how far did the Warriors get? Oh that's right bounced in the 2nd round. A team can get lucky and squeak past the 1st round, but they eventually get exposed if they are frauds. Which is what the Rockets are without Yao, frauds. A jumpshooting team with ZERO inside game.

[jacobdrj]

Yea and how far did the Warriors get? Oh that's right bounced in the 2nd round. A team can get lucky and squeak past the 1st round, but they eventually get exposed if they are frauds. Which is what the Rockets are without Yao, frauds. A jumpshooting team with ZERO inside game.
IMHO they have what amounts to 'Mini-C-Webb' with T-Mac passing the way he does, it encourages jumpshooters to easily cut to the basket creating an inside game. I love what I saw from him yesterday.

[Indazone]

Did I say anything about the Nuggets advancing far into the playoffs? No, all I said is they would be a very dangerous team if they gelled and came together. I think eventually their inconsistancy would kill them. A very tough first round opponent. It could end up like the NCAA tournament where there are always a few giant killers in the first and second rounds.

[1Parker1]

Denver's stat is overinflated as they just played 3 straight games against lottery teams (Memphis, Twolves, and Sonics). Plus the 52 point win over the Sonics probably helped as well.