NBA: Who claims the 8th playoff spot?

[rayjayjohnson]

i think the lakers sneak in, and then get unceremoniously raped by either the spurs or the thunder

[rayjayjohnson]

Lakers will get the 8th seed--and if they can avoid a first-round matchup with OKC then they're pretty much guaranteed a WCF berth.

got

[StrengthAndHonor]

i think the lakers sneak in, and then get unceremoniously raped by either the spurs or the thunder

Raped by the Thunder yes, Spurs? It would be a 7 game series for sure.

[Raven]

i call dallas ahead of lakers.. houston should make it in the PO but dallas could come just short...

[DeadlyDynasty]

got

Your team will never win in your lifetime

[spursmartyr]

Where's the option for Utah? They've been slumping a bit. Lost to the ty Sonics last night...

[Bynumite]

Seattle SuperKings putting in the work for the purple and gold. Back 2 back W's against Utah and Houston

[GuerillaBlack]

Stern will want Utah kicked out so the Lakers can get in. I don't think he would mind the Rockets being in the playoffs this year with the beard and lin.

[HarlemHeat37]

Mavs are still in it, considering the ty teams ahead of them..

[Mugen]

Seattle SuperKings putting in the work for the purple and gold. Back 2 back W's against Utah and Houston

Back in August, did you think you'd have to care so much about a Rockets/Kings game in early February?

[StrengthAndHonor]

Lakers, Portland and Houston dropped all of their games last night. I thought the Rockets would win for sure being up by 10 in the 3rd quarter giving them a 5 1/2 game advantage. All these teams are avoiding the 8th seed like a plague.

[StrengthAndHonor]

Next 10 games. With a projected W-L record


LAKERS (6-4)


Phoenix-W
LA Clippers-L
Boston-W
Portland-W
Dallas-W
@Denver-L
vs Minnesota-W
vs Atlanta-L
@OKC-L
@NOH-W



Rockets (5-5)

@ GSW- W
@ LAC-L
vs OKC-L
@ Brooklyn-L
@ Washington-W
vs Milwaukee-W
@ Orlando-W
vs Dallas-L
@ Dallas-W
@ GSW-L


Portland (5-5)

@ Miami-L
@ NOH-W
vs Phoenix-W
@ LAL-L
vs Boston-W
vs Denver-L
vs Minnesota-W
vs Charlotte-W
@ Memphis-L
@ San Antonio-L


Assuming both Rockets and Blazers plays 500 within the next 10 games. Lakers must at least go 8-2 to finally reach the 8th seed. That's their best case scenario. If noth Houston and Portland goes hot, say 7-3 or 8-2 and the Lakers goes out 4-6 in this span, its safe to say the Lakers playoff hopes ends right there, which is around 2nd week of March as I predicted.

[Suspect]

I can see the league help setting up a potential lakers/spurs and rockets/thunder first round

[StrengthAndHonor]

I've added the Jazz


Jazz

vs OKC
@ Minnesota
vs GSW
@ LAC
vs Boston
vs Atlanta
vs Charlotte
@ Milwaukee
@ Cleveland
@ Chicago

[SpursIndonesia]

Out of those 4 teams (discounting the Mavs which haven't shown any kind of life & consistency to chase that elusive 8th spot), i think the Jazz and the Lakers have the biggest question marks. The Jazz, whether the management will decide to make the best effort of making the playoff OR tanking with trade to get better in the future. The Lakers, whether the health of their geriatric & injured core will hold up after all star break + the dynamic of team chemistry, considering that this team is the only team that can be considered a humongous underachiever. The other 3 teams can lose the race for the playoff and won't be roasted by their fanbase, management, and media. Not so much about dem Lakers, the pressure will be stratospheric.