Post by kipper on Sept 28, 2023 14:58:26 GMT -6
With 1 sim done after the all star break, here is the playoffs picture in the league. Note I have made the standings based on the win percentage. Nuggets dropped from 2nd to 6th because of that.
For the East:
1-Knicks 43-6
2- raptors 39-6
3- 76ers 30-22
4- Hornets 27-22
5- Celtics 26-22
6- Magic 23-26
7- Cavs 19-23
8- Nets 19-24
The picture is very different in a lot of ways in the East compared to the West. If we look at the East first for example. You have 2 power houses battling it out followed by a couple of good teams in the 76ers, Hornets and Celtics and then a load of team that are all under .500. There is 7 teams right now, beside the top 5, that are battling for a playoffs spot. From the Magic at 6th all the way down to the Heat at 12th, they all have between 23 and 18 wins. Magic have 23 wins, Wizards 21, then Hawks and Heat at 19 wins and finally Bulls at 18. They are all in the hunt for a playoffs spot and they could all get in. The win percentage goes from 0.469 for the Magic all the way to 0.396 for the Heat. So they are all basically there, it is a matter of schedule and who will finish better. All these teams are trying to get the #6 so that they can at least face 1 of the middle of the pack teams instead of the 2 juggernauts. I would think that it will be either a sweep or gentlemen sweep for Knicks and Raptors. Even the #3 I would think 4-1 or 4-2 at worse.
Knicks and Raptors are locked in 1 and 2. Raptors can still catch up to the Knicks to take #1, we will see if they will do it. Then you have the #3 to #5 battle. All of those teams are battling out to try and avoid to play another one of those teams in the playoffs. Basically are fighting for the #3 which on paper would be a much easier matchup than #4 vs #5 since those would be 2 teams above 0.500.
For the West:
1- Kings 40-14
2- Lakers 33-16
3- Blazers 34-18
4- Suns 30-16
5- Sonics 30-17
6- Nuggets 28-19
7- Mavs 26-20
8- Rockets 25-22
The West is totally different. There is 1 top team in the Kings and then a lot of middle of the pack teams. Lakers, Blazers, Suns and Sonics are probably the slightly better middle of the pack teams, and then you have Nuggets, Mavs, Rockets and Clippers. All teams above 0.500 that are fighting to not be the one left out of the playoffs. This is also the 2nd big difference this season between East and West. There is 9 above 0.500 team while the East has 5 only. The battle for the playoffs will be very interesting in the West as basically just 1 of them will miss the playoffs, but the playoffs will have better match ups.
So thinking about it, the playoffs race will be more interesting in the East, but is just because so many teams can make it in. The playoffs matchups are better in the West since most of the team are successful which will make for better matchups. To the point where I think that Kings vs #8 will probably be a 4-1 and then #2 vs #7 could be 4-2 or even 4-3. There will be closer matchups there for sure.
For the East:
1-Knicks 43-6
2- raptors 39-6
3- 76ers 30-22
4- Hornets 27-22
5- Celtics 26-22
6- Magic 23-26
7- Cavs 19-23
8- Nets 19-24
The picture is very different in a lot of ways in the East compared to the West. If we look at the East first for example. You have 2 power houses battling it out followed by a couple of good teams in the 76ers, Hornets and Celtics and then a load of team that are all under .500. There is 7 teams right now, beside the top 5, that are battling for a playoffs spot. From the Magic at 6th all the way down to the Heat at 12th, they all have between 23 and 18 wins. Magic have 23 wins, Wizards 21, then Hawks and Heat at 19 wins and finally Bulls at 18. They are all in the hunt for a playoffs spot and they could all get in. The win percentage goes from 0.469 for the Magic all the way to 0.396 for the Heat. So they are all basically there, it is a matter of schedule and who will finish better. All these teams are trying to get the #6 so that they can at least face 1 of the middle of the pack teams instead of the 2 juggernauts. I would think that it will be either a sweep or gentlemen sweep for Knicks and Raptors. Even the #3 I would think 4-1 or 4-2 at worse.
Knicks and Raptors are locked in 1 and 2. Raptors can still catch up to the Knicks to take #1, we will see if they will do it. Then you have the #3 to #5 battle. All of those teams are battling out to try and avoid to play another one of those teams in the playoffs. Basically are fighting for the #3 which on paper would be a much easier matchup than #4 vs #5 since those would be 2 teams above 0.500.
For the West:
1- Kings 40-14
2- Lakers 33-16
3- Blazers 34-18
4- Suns 30-16
5- Sonics 30-17
6- Nuggets 28-19
7- Mavs 26-20
8- Rockets 25-22
The West is totally different. There is 1 top team in the Kings and then a lot of middle of the pack teams. Lakers, Blazers, Suns and Sonics are probably the slightly better middle of the pack teams, and then you have Nuggets, Mavs, Rockets and Clippers. All teams above 0.500 that are fighting to not be the one left out of the playoffs. This is also the 2nd big difference this season between East and West. There is 9 above 0.500 team while the East has 5 only. The battle for the playoffs will be very interesting in the West as basically just 1 of them will miss the playoffs, but the playoffs will have better match ups.
So thinking about it, the playoffs race will be more interesting in the East, but is just because so many teams can make it in. The playoffs matchups are better in the West since most of the team are successful which will make for better matchups. To the point where I think that Kings vs #8 will probably be a 4-1 and then #2 vs #7 could be 4-2 or even 4-3. There will be closer matchups there for sure.