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Post by Miege22 on Jan 30, 2024 16:23:28 GMT -5
Here we go. An official loser leaves town match... well, semi-official. The Thunder will be done, for sure, if they lose. The Rockets could still, technically, make it in, but losing would make it very hard for them to jump OKC as OKC would have the tiebreaker. Can Steph and Dame lead them back into the playoffs at the last minute? Will both still be on the team by the end of the week? A lot will change depending on the outcome of this match-up.
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Post by Miege22 on Feb 5, 2024 14:10:07 GMT -5
Not a lot of drama on the floor this week, but the trade deadline was popping as multiple East teams made big moves to try and boost their chances at a title run. The playoff field in the East is set, all that's left is seeding, while the West has just one spot up for grabs. We'll race through week 15 as we head into the final week of the regular season. Houston Rockets (8-7) over OKC Thunder (6-9), 7-2The Rockets laid the smackdown on the Thunder to keep their slim playoff hopes alive, and the road here is simple. A win and a Golden St. loss, and the Rockets squeak in as the fifth seed. A loss or a Warriors win, and the season is over. Given the run GS has been on of late, it was not a total surprise to see the Rockets sell off some of their depth for picks. Though they did, ultimately, hold onto their big guns in case things break their way this week. And it's a decision that makes sense with the week Steph Curry just had (39-7-6 with 22 threes and a 60-burger to end the week). Steph may be getting up there in age, but he still looks like a guy worthy of a re-sign. Surely no one wants to see him in a playoff match-up. The Rockets close with the Swannies as they try and keep their season alive. Tampa Bay Bull Sharks (10-5) over Miami Heat (6-9), 5-3-1Tampa Bay made some of the biggest moves at the deadline, bringing back LeBron James to help the top of the roster, while landing Deni Avdija and Mike Conley to help shore up the depth. Rumor has it they were on Curry, and the rest of the East is surely breathing a sigh of relief that that deal did not happen. The Bull Sharks also completed a late comeback to beat the Heat and keep their hopes of avoiding the play-in game alive. They control their own destiny of that front as well, despite being 0-2 against Orlando. Beat Memphis in week 16, and Tampa Bay will clinch at least the third seed. With the addition of LeBron, and the way the bigs have been playing, this is not a team that anyone will want to face... though you could probably say that about every team in the East at this point. Washington Wizards (9-6) over Toronto Raptors (2-13), 6-3Like the Tampa/Miami match-up, this was another one that was a little closer than the favorite would have liked, but Washington did end up holding on. They'll need some help to avoid the play-in, namely Orlando and Tampa both losing. To prepare for the play-in, the Wizards made their own moves at the deadline, moving a number of picks, Moses Moody, and Gordon Hayward for CJ McCollum and Al Horford. CJ gives them some nice Bane insurance, in the event he doesn't make it back in time for the play-in, and Al Horford is a solid depth piece at the big man spot. If the Wizards are going to make it to the conference semis, it's almost certainly going to be on the back of Giannis, who had another incredible week (34/8/8/2/1). With one week to go, Giannis has one more chance to make his case for MVP, and a win would go a long way. Memphis Grizzlies (10-5) over Orlando Magic (10-5), 6-3The Grizz and Magic were the two East playoff teams to sit out the deadline, and it's hard to fault them for it. The Grizz might have the most top-end talent in the conference, and the Magic are arguably the deepest team in the East. Memphis landed a major win, sweeping the season series, and guaranteeing the 2 seed with a win. They could still, technically, stay in the 2/3 match-up with a loss, though that would require Orlando losing to Toronto. Donovan Mitchell and Kawhi Leonard were dominant, and when they're playing like that, Memphis is tough to beat. They outdueled Franz Wagner and Miles Bridges, and the Magic's other guys couldn't quite do enough to overcome it. Still, a win over Toronto, and the Magic avoid the play-in, so they have to feel pretty good right now. Portland Trailblazers (11-4) over Seattle Supersonics (9-6), 8-1A dominant performance for the Blazers this week to guarantee a top-3 spot, and we have to mention Cam Whitmore. The rookie from Villanova was an afterthought early in the season, but he has exploded at the perfect time for this Blazers team. He averaged 19 ppg last week and knocked down 9 threes. He's had some pretty eye-popping performances over the last couple weeks, and if he's a real piece, this Portland team almost feels like they added at the deadline without giving up anything. A win and a KC loss puts Portland in first. Seattle is officially limping to the finish line following a third straight loss, their 4th in 5 weeks. The good news for them is Colorado's loss clinched a playoff spot, so week 16 becomes irrelevant. They're locked into the play-in, and they'll get GS with a loss (or Houston with a win and a Houston win). Chicago Bulls (7-8) over New York Knicks (7-8), 5-4The Bulls swept the season series with the Knicks, as New York was officially eliminated from the playoffs. The writing was on the wall for the Knicks by the deadline with Embiid out for the rest of our season/playoffs, so they moved on from both CJ and LeBron to recoup some assets. The Knicks are now in an interesting spot this summer with multiple re-sign spots, and just Joel Embiid worthy of one of them. We'll see what they do in July. In the meantime, both the Grizzlies and Suns will be watching the Bulls and Knicks with keen interest as they own those respective picks. Brooklyn Nets (13-2) over Atlanta Hawks (0-15), 7-2The Nets wrapped up their first regular season title since their undefeated 2020 season with a rout of the Hawks. They welcomed back Evan Mobley, who closed out the week with an impressive 28-point, 10-rebound performance (3 threes!), making the Nets, arguably, the strongest frontcourt in the league. With the Wizards and Bull Sharks both making moves at the deadline, the Nets also pushed their chips to the center of the table, cashing in on 3 picks, Shaedon Sharpe, and Dyson Daniels to bring back Kyrie Irving, and fortify their depth with Gary Trent and Kevin Huerter. The move for Kyrie was probably a surprising one for the league given the very public breakup between the two. If Kyrie can stay healthy, though, he gives this team something they've missed all year at the point guard spot (though Coby White has been really darn good and Scoot is coming along). The Nets close the season with Chicago, but with the bye, they won't play a meaningful game until February 26th. Golden St. Warriors (9-6) over Las Vegas Gamblers (2-13), 7-2No surprises here. The Warriors throttled Vegas to move one step closer to the postseason. The Warriors have now won 6 of their last 8, and they close with Seattle. The spotlight this week is on Donte DiVincenzo, who averaged a ridiculous 27-5-4 and hit 19 threes. This team is really peaking at the right time, and they will definitely be a tough out should they clinch their spot. Utah Jazz (11-4) over Phoenix Suns (2-13), 7-2The Utah Jazz easily dispatched the Suns last week, but they actually clinched their 11th double-digit win season in franchise history in week 14, but we forgot to mention that. It's tied with the Brooklyn Nets for the most double-digit win seasons in league history. Just an incredible feat for this franchise, and they've really found something in Brandon Miller. The rookie averaged 28/4.5/4/1/1 last week while knocking down 16 threes. He's seized his opportunity in Charlotte, and the Jazz are riding the wave. They've clinched a top-3 seed already, but a win and Portland loss can give them the 1 seed. Kansas City Kings (11-4) over Colorado Swannies (7-8), 7-1-1The Kings put an end to the Swannies season with an emphatic victory, and another brilliant week from SGA (31/6.5/9/2.5/2 on 56/90 splits). The Kings have the inside track on the 1 seed thanks to their win over Portland earlier this year. Beat the Jazz, the Kings land the bye, and, possibly, SGA wraps up the MVP.
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Post by Miege22 on Feb 5, 2024 17:58:13 GMT -5
The Houston Rockets become the first two-time team of the week after the single most dominant performance of week 15. The Rockets are going to finish first in points and threes by a fairly significant margin, and it's the greatness of Steph and Dame that has kept them in contention for a playoff spot.
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Post by Miege22 on Feb 5, 2024 18:01:09 GMT -5
Both of these teams are already in the postseason, so there's no pressure there. However, the loser will almost certainly drop to the play-in game, which would also force them to play against Brooklyn in round 2. Suffice it to say, both of these teams likely want to stay in that 2/3 spot and avoid playing against next week.
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