Our Race for the 2nd Seed With the Washington Wizards

[SparzWizard]

I read on ESPN's power rankings that the Celtics have the easiest schedule in the entire league for our final 16 games and that we only travel 3,000 miles the rest of the way as we have a lot of home games whereas the average NBA team travels 9,000 during the same stretch (crazy stats I know). This all means that we may very well get the number 1 seed, though if the Heat were the eight seed it would be a tough first round because they have the best record in the league over the last 25 games.

I honestly doubt this means that us the Wizards and the Cavaliers will have a tanking battle to avoid playing the white hot Heat in the first round (lol), but I can only speak for this team. If we do play Miami it could be an epic series like Celtics-Bulls 2009 where we had all of those close overtime games, but hopefully the Heat aren't too tough if we face them as they could feasibly upset teams if they continue to play this well.

With the way the Heat are playing, they have a good shot at passing the Bucks (1 game ahead) and Pistons (1.5 games ahead) and being the 7th seed (maybe even passing the Pacers, who are 2.5 games ahead of them, but that would be asking a lot of them).  I think our best bet is to get the highest seed we can and not worry about who we play in the first round.  If we end up playing the Heat, so be it, but we need home court (and momentum!) much more than we need an easier first round matchup.

And, honestly, none of the teams we would potentially play in the first round scare me.  The Heat have been hot (heh), but I'd still take the Celtics in 5 or 6 against the the Bulls, Heat, Bucks, Pistons, or Pacers (the Hawks scare me a little, but I don't see any reasonable scenario where we face them in the first round)

The Raptors will take care of the Hawks. And they'll also push LeBron James to the edge again. Hopefully Toronto stays at the 4th seed.

[saltlover]

If we beat the Wizards next Monday, this discussion is pretty much over.  We would very likely win the tiebreaker (conference record), giving us an extra game up on Washington.  On top of the assumed win over Washington in the premise, this means they'd need to make up 2 games out of the final 14 and 16, with the following schedules:

Home-road splits -- 10 home, 5 away vs. 6 home 11 away.
# of teams with winning records -- 4 (Home vs. WAS, CLE, IND, at ATL) vs. 7 (Home vs. ATL, at BOS, CLE, LAC, Utah, GSW, Detroit)
# of teams with bottom 5 records -- 4 (Nets x2, Philly, Phoenix) vs. 2 (Nets, Lakers)
Back-to-backs -- 2 vs. 3
# of games in different time zone than prior game -- 0 vs. 6
Miles flown -- 2,824 vs. 10,341

We should go 11-4 with that schedule.  That means Washington would need to finish out 14-3.  If they can go 14-3 with the above schedule left, I tip my cap.

[colincb]

If we beat the Wizards next Monday, this discussion is pretty much over.  We would very likely win the tiebreaker (conference record), giving us an extra game up on Washington.  On top of the assumed win over Washington in the premise, this means they'd need to make up 2 games out of the final 14 and 16, with the following schedules:

Home-road splits -- 10 home, 5 away vs. 6 home 11 away.
# of teams with winning records -- 4 (Home vs. WAS, CLE, IND, at ATL) vs. 7 (Home vs. ATL, at BOS, CLE, LAC, Utah, GSW, Detroit)
# of teams with bottom 5 records -- 4 (Nets x2, Philly, Phoenix) vs. 2 (Nets, Lakers)
Back-to-backs -- 2 vs. 3
# of games in different time zone than prior game -- 0 vs. 6
Miles flown -- 2,824 vs. 10,341

We should go 11-4 with that schedule.  That means Washington would need to finish out 14-3.  If they can go 14-3 with the above schedule left, I tip my cap.

TP

Last 10 games of the season for WAS
@ CLE (2nd of B2B)
@ LAL
@ LAC (2nd of B2B)
@ UTA
@ GSW
CHA  (fighting for playoffs)
@ NYK
MIA (fighting for playoffs)
@ DET
@ MIA (fighting for playoffs)

Good luck with that.

[tarheelsxxiii]

If we beat the Wizards next Monday, this discussion is pretty much over.  We would very likely win the tiebreaker (conference record), giving us an extra game up on Washington.  On top of the assumed win over Washington in the premise, this means they'd need to make up 2 games out of the final 14 and 16, with the following schedules:

Home-road splits -- 10 home, 5 away vs. 6 home 11 away.
# of teams with winning records -- 4 (Home vs. WAS, CLE, IND, at ATL) vs. 7 (Home vs. ATL, at BOS, CLE, LAC, Utah, GSW, Detroit)
# of teams with bottom 5 records -- 4 (Nets x2, Philly, Phoenix) vs. 2 (Nets, Lakers)
Back-to-backs -- 2 vs. 3
# of games in different time zone than prior game -- 0 vs. 6
Miles flown -- 2,824 vs. 10,341

We should go 11-4 with that schedule.  That means Washington would need to finish out 14-3.  If they can go 14-3 with the above schedule left, I tip my cap.

Your posts are of a higher quality than my daily work output.

[mef730]

If we beat the Wizards next Monday, this discussion is pretty much over.  We would very likely win the tiebreaker (conference record), giving us an extra game up on Washington.  On top of the assumed win over Washington in the premise, this means they'd need to make up 2 games out of the final 14 and 16, with the following schedules:

Home-road splits -- 10 home, 5 away vs. 6 home 11 away.
# of teams with winning records -- 4 (Home vs. WAS, CLE, IND, at ATL) vs. 7 (Home vs. ATL, at BOS, CLE, LAC, Utah, GSW, Detroit)
# of teams with bottom 5 records -- 4 (Nets x2, Philly, Phoenix) vs. 2 (Nets, Lakers)
Back-to-backs -- 2 vs. 3
# of games in different time zone than prior game -- 0 vs. 6
Miles flown -- 2,824 vs. 10,341

We should go 11-4 with that schedule.  That means Washington would need to finish out 14-3.  If they can go 14-3 with the above schedule left, I tip my cap.

Your posts are of a higher quality than my daily work output.

There's gotta be some measurement of posts per day or total posts where we can say, "Okay, CB is your life and work is just there to provide you a computer to access it."

Mike

[tarheelsxxiii]

If we beat the Wizards next Monday, this discussion is pretty much over.  We would very likely win the tiebreaker (conference record), giving us an extra game up on Washington.  On top of the assumed win over Washington in the premise, this means they'd need to make up 2 games out of the final 14 and 16, with the following schedules:

Home-road splits -- 10 home, 5 away vs. 6 home 11 away.
# of teams with winning records -- 4 (Home vs. WAS, CLE, IND, at ATL) vs. 7 (Home vs. ATL, at BOS, CLE, LAC, Utah, GSW, Detroit)
# of teams with bottom 5 records -- 4 (Nets x2, Philly, Phoenix) vs. 2 (Nets, Lakers)
Back-to-backs -- 2 vs. 3
# of games in different time zone than prior game -- 0 vs. 6
Miles flown -- 2,824 vs. 10,341

We should go 11-4 with that schedule.  That means Washington would need to finish out 14-3.  If they can go 14-3 with the above schedule left, I tip my cap.

Your posts are of a higher quality than my daily work output.

There's gotta be some measurement of posts per day or total posts where we can say, "Okay, CB is your life and work is just there to provide you a computer to access it."

Mike

That would be funny.  I imagine saltlover spends 2 minutes on these posts, though, and his brilliance takes care of the rest.  He's like a human catalogue of intellectual things to share whenever compelled.

[saltlover]

If we beat the Wizards next Monday, this discussion is pretty much over.  We would very likely win the tiebreaker (conference record), giving us an extra game up on Washington.  On top of the assumed win over Washington in the premise, this means they'd need to make up 2 games out of the final 14 and 16, with the following schedules:

Home-road splits -- 10 home, 5 away vs. 6 home 11 away.
# of teams with winning records -- 4 (Home vs. WAS, CLE, IND, at ATL) vs. 7 (Home vs. ATL, at BOS, CLE, LAC, Utah, GSW, Detroit)
# of teams with bottom 5 records -- 4 (Nets x2, Philly, Phoenix) vs. 2 (Nets, Lakers)
Back-to-backs -- 2 vs. 3
# of games in different time zone than prior game -- 0 vs. 6
Miles flown -- 2,824 vs. 10,341

We should go 11-4 with that schedule.  That means Washington would need to finish out 14-3.  If they can go 14-3 with the above schedule left, I tip my cap.

Your posts are of a higher quality than my daily work output.

There's gotta be some measurement of posts per day or total posts where we can say, "Okay, CB is your life and work is just there to provide you a computer to access it."

Mike

That would be funny.  I imagine saltlover spends 2 minutes on these posts, though, and his brilliance takes care of the rest.  He's like a human catalogue of intellectual things to share whenever compelled.

Haha.  The good ones take me a bit, but I have an hour on trains (when there are no delays) each way to and from work, so that's enough time to go on posting binges.  Add in the occasional lunch post, a quick witticism when I'm waiting for a conference call to start, and decades of insomnia, and you too can create a Celticsblog addiction!

[tstorey_97]

My thought with regards to the dreaded Wiz.

25 wins to 8 losses in their last 33 starts....a shazzamlike .757

On the other "hand", if this sleight of "hand"  is to continue, they may pull a rabbit out of their hats and catch Cav's.

I suggest that statistical probability will have its' way with the Washingtonians (simply because I want it to) and they will get evicted from the Emerald City and have a 5-5 stretch not unlike our Celtics recent streak.

Call your broker and short the Wizards...50 to 52 wins with a stop loss at 52 1/2.

"Wizards" is a stooopid name for a basketball team...they must vanish from the two seed.

(Sorry guys, I couldn't help it)

[straightouttabahstun]

Time to get after it. Minny just did us a solid and beat the Wizards. We play Minny tomorrow folllowed by Simmons/Embiid less Sixers. Time to gain some ground. Let's go!!

[nickagneta]

Time to get after it. Minny just did us a solid and beat the Wizards. We play Minny tomorrow folllowed by Simmons/Embiid less Sixers. Time to gain some ground. Let's go!!

I think a lot of teams will be doing us a solid. Washington has a lot of away games left and another west coast trip. The losses are goung to happen.

[ImShakHeIsShaq]

Time to get after it. Minny just did us a solid and beat the Wizards. We play Minny tomorrow folllowed by Simmons/Embiid less Sixers. Time to gain some ground. Let's go!!

Wednesday.

[Stig]

If we beat the Wizards next Monday, this discussion is pretty much over.  We would very likely win the tiebreaker (conference record), giving us an extra game up on Washington.  On top of the assumed win over Washington in the premise, this means they'd need to make up 2 games out of the final 14 and 16, with the following schedules:

Home-road splits -- 10 home, 5 away vs. 6 home 11 away.
# of teams with winning records -- 4 (Home vs. WAS, CLE, IND, at ATL) vs. 7 (Home vs. ATL, at BOS, CLE, LAC, Utah, GSW, Detroit)
# of teams with bottom 5 records -- 4 (Nets x2, Philly, Phoenix) vs. 2 (Nets, Lakers)
Back-to-backs -- 2 vs. 3
# of games in different time zone than prior game -- 0 vs. 6
Miles flown -- 2,824 vs. 10,341

We should go 11-4 with that schedule.  That means Washington would need to finish out 14-3.  If they can go 14-3 with the above schedule left, I tip my cap.

Good analysis.

I don't think we can assume a win on the next Wizard game though. We'll be on a back to back and first home after a two game road trip, and the Wizard will have a day's rest.

If we lost to them on next Monday, assuming both teams have won the 3 games before that (which is likely), our record will be 45/26 and theirs 45/25, we'll still have a big advantage with 8 home / 3 road games left, while they have 4 home / 8 road games left. We'll probably lose two games (home vs Cavs and next day road vs Hawks), the wizards have to win more than 8 games in their last 12 to finish better than us, which is pretty much mission impossible.   Unless GSW and Cavs decide to rest their starters at home, or they keep on struggling...

So all we need to do is don't lose to rubbish teams at home.

[hodgy03038]

I just read the NBA 2 minute report on the Portland/Washington game and they admit it was an Incorrect Non Call and that Morris did step out of bounds at 2.7 seconds left in OT. That is potentially the biggest incorrect non call of the season that could prevent Portland from making playoffs and/or affecting Washington's placement in the seeding of the East. Coaches should have maybe a couple challenge calls for situations like that.

This is the link:

http://official.nba.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/4/2017/03/L2M-WAS-POR-03-11-17.pdf

[Moranis]

bad loss for the Wizards last night. 

[chilidawg]

bad loss for the Wizards last night.

They went 4-1 on their road trip (all below .500 teams though).  These losses happen.

We just need to focus on playing well and going into the playoffs solid.  Seeding will take care of itself.