Who is missing playoffs: Warriors, Suns, Grizzles?

[Lakers_Kobe_Fan]

7 Phoenix 30 21

8 Golden State 31 22

9 Memphis 29 23

memphis has the easiest schedule of all 3

http://regressing.deadspin.com/heres-every-nba-teams-remaining-strength-of-schedule-1502304453

[rhowen4]

what about dallas?

[Al Thornton]

dallas??

[El Gato Negro]

Griz

[TylerOO]

Hopefully the Grizz. That team is ugly

[Genaro]

Suns or Mavs

[rhowen4]

out of the 3 or 4 i'd say probably suns

[Hamtaro CP3KDKG]

Can u imagine if the Warriors miss the playoff:biggums: :biggums: :biggums:
Their starters are all top 10 at they position:biggums: :biggums: :biggums:
west most stacked ever:biggums:

[SacJB Shady]

Can u imagine if the Warriors miss the playoff:biggums: :biggums: :biggums:
Their starters are all top 10 at they position:biggums: :biggums: :biggums:
west most stacked ever:biggums:


They will miss it though like in 08

[JohnFreeman]

What happened to the Warriors? They cans till give you hell in the playoffs doe

[Lakers_Kobe_Fan]

I think its the suns who will miss it

Depends on who makes trade to help their team

[DMAVS41]

I'd say the Suns, but I think they are likely to make a trade and improve the roster.

Have to think the Warriors make it...

Between Dallas, Suns, and Memphis...it seems like a total toss up

[SacJB Shady]

Warriors probably won't make it. It's an Oakland thing.

[Phantom_Blue]

I'm pulling for Memphis as they're the most unique of the west teams, the only one that doesn't rely solely on their offense to win games, I can see Memphis vs OKC in WCF if they get healthy.

Dallas is a Monta Ellis or Dirk injury away from falling out.

PHX is a few bad Dragic games from falling out.

The Suns gave it their all, but they're not going to make it this year.

[JohnFreeman]

I'd say the Suns, but I think they are likely to make a trade and improve the roster.

Have to think the Warriors make it...

Between Dallas, Suns, and Memphis...it seems like a total toss up
Suns want Gay and Gasol. If they get those two they have a good shot

[bballbball]

damn Southeast division might get 4 teams in the playoffs. been the best division in the league for the last 10 years.

[blackification]

Suns want Gay and Gasol. If they get those two they have a good shot
They don't need either of those two. They can make it with the roster they have and once bledsoe comes back its a near lock

[JohnFreeman]

They don't need either of those two. They can make it with the roster they have and once bledsoe comes back its a near lock
I would get one of them though.

[Ancient Legend]

Mavs will miss them. They are old and will run out of gas.

The Suns are young and hungry and so are the Warriors.

[blackification]

I would get one of them though.
Neither of them fit the style of play they need a PF and gay doesn't help much and lets not get started on his contract

Gasol could be a benefit when the game slows down but he won't fit into the starting unit because his defense is too bad to play next to Frye. And the Lakers want too much for the value he gives the suns.

There are better options out there.

[JBrizzy]

As has already been said, throw Dallas in there. But I'm gonna say Suns will drop out. For me they have over achieved.

[Lakers_Kobe_Fan]

As has already been said, throw Dallas in there. But I'm gonna say Suns will drop out. For me they have over achieved.

I think suns have overachieved...till now...

even with bledsoe coming back I dont think they can make it

[bballbball]

I think suns have overachieved...till now...

even with bledsoe coming back I dont think they can make it

They're going to be busy at the tradeline..they could get Pau and/or Thaddeus Young.

[blackification]

I like it that people have been saying the suns have over achieved as if that means anything. They've been "over achieving" for more than half of the season and have been competitive in every game against every opponent except 3 games this season. They have the lowest number of double digit losses in the entire league.

Please explain why you actually think they will miss the playoffs instead of "over achieving" or "come back down to earth" that is always thrown around in these types of threads.

I could understand being skeptical because goran might not be able to play at this level (even though history shows he plays better after the all star break) I could understand because of the difficulty of their schedule and Bledsoe being out.

But over achieving says absolutely nothing about a team thats near .600 at the all star break

[JohnFreeman]

Neither of them fit the style of play they need a PF and gay doesn't help much and lets not get started on his contract

Gasol could be a benefit when the game slows down but he won't fit into the starting unit because his defense is too bad to play next to Frye. And the Lakers want too much for the value he gives the suns.

There are better options out there.
Tell that to your FO

[blackification]

Tell that to your FO
The FO or the clueless media that plugs the sun into every trade they can so they can get a hit on their article?

The FO has only said they want players that won't provide instant gratification just to make a playoff push this year.

The media on the other hand has decided to make bullshit trade rumors every chance they get ever since the Woj article came out saying Okafor is the best trade asset in the league.

This is the same media that claimed the suns were trying to trade dragic earlier in the year while the suns FO and Hornacek repeatedly stated that both Dragic and bledsoe were here to stay

[OmniStrife]

I like it that people have been saying the suns have over acachieveved as if that means anything. They've been "over achieving" for more than half of the season and have been competitive in every game against every opponent except 3 games this season. They have the lowest number of double digit losses in the entire league.

Please explain why you actually think they will miss the playoffs instead of "over achieving" or "come back down to earth" that is always thrown around in these types of threads.

I could understand being skeptical because goran might not be able to play at this level (even though history shows he plays better after the all star break) I could understand because of the difficulty of their schedule and Bledsoe being out.

But over achieving says absolutely nothing about a team thats near .600 at the all star break

Preach.
people here are plain retarded if they think it's possible to just "over-achieve" your way to a .600 record in the Western Conference this year.

With Bledsoe back we'll have 2 legit all-star level studs that play their hearts out, a good bench a rim protector, a wing defender and a good-ass coach to boot.

Suns are here to stay, and perhaps to upset any team not named the Thunder in the 1st round.

[wagexslave]

lol People are STILL doubting the Suns? Wow. They've held onto their playoff spot without even having Eric Beastsoe around, and you think they're going to somehow fall off the map with him coming back and the Suns most likely making a trade to add ANOTHER difference making before the deadline? If you think this Suns team is going to magically fall off, you know nothing about this Suns team. They have the most heart out of any team in the league. They don't give up. They always bounce back and grow from their mistakes. And they're only going to get better. What they've done so far is just the tip of the iceberg.

[wally_world]

Griz miss it on their current form. ZBo and Marc just dont seem like the dominant bigs they were last season. Suns and GSW will make it.

[AnaheimLakers24]

suns

[wagexslave]

It's getting kind of annoying how all of these people who are claiming that the Suns are magically going to get worse and fall off haven't given 1 single good reason as to why they are. If it's such a unanimous agreement that they're going to fall off you'd think there'd be some reason to lead people to believe it. How is a team of young driven players, a rookie head coach, a load of salary cap and assets to make blockbuster trades, and the player who many people keep arguing is the best player on the team coming back going to get WORSE? It really makes no sense.

All signs are pointing up for this team, yet everyone wants/expects them to collapse for some reason, but can't explain why. Can at least 1 person who thinks the Suns are going to fail at least give some insight as to why you feel that way? People were saying that they were going to fall off 10, 20, 30 games ago and every 10, 20, 30 games they still haven't fallen off, even with their #1/2 best player injured they're still competing at a high level beating winning teams and bringing the defending champs right down to the wire. So why now that they'll be getting him back? What more does this team have to do to prove themselves?

[JohnFreeman]

It's getting kind of annoying how all of these people who are claiming that the Suns are magically going to get worse and fall off haven't given 1 single good reason as to why they are. If it's such a unanimous agreement that they're going to fall off you'd think there'd be some reason to lead people to believe it. How is a team of young driven players, a rookie head coach, a load of salary cap and assets to make blockbuster trades, and the player who many people keep arguing is the best player on the team coming back going to get WORSE? It really makes no sense.

All signs are pointing up for this team, yet everyone wants/expects them to collapse for some reason, but can't explain why. Can at least 1 person who thinks the Suns are going to fail at least give some insight as to why you feel that way? People were saying that they were going to fall off 10, 20, 30 games ago and every 10, 20, 30 games they still haven't fallen off, even with their #1 or #2 best player out. So why now that they'll be getting him back? What more does this team have to do to prove themselves?
I think in the playoffs they might have some trouble.

[wagexslave]

I think in the playoffs they might have some trouble.
Oh don't get me wrong. I agree that they might have some trouble in the playoffs like most young up-and-coming teams. I don't think they're a championship team this year by any means. They might not get out of the 1st round with their current roster. But their current roster isn't likely to be their final roster come playoff time, and that's what's scary about them. I'll be surprised if they don't make a trade to bring in a player or 2 who can help reinforce some of their weaknesses. But people seem to forget that they have the biggest opportunity to make major improvements to the team before the trade deadline, more of a chance than any other playoff team.

But anyways, my original point was just that I don't see at this point how they'll completely MISS the playoffs especially if they've held onto their seed this well with Bledsoe out, and he's most likely coming back before playoff time. This team is getting only better as they keep playing, gaining experience, learning from their mistakes, and building confidence. They feel like they can beat anyone, and it shows. Teams almost never have easy nights against them, and they've already earned the respect of teams around the league.

They're just a balanced team many players who can step it up and score 10-15 points to spread out the load. The Heat thought they could destroy the Suns by simply double teaming Dragic practically every posession, yet LeBron had to go god-mode for the Heat to finally pull away late in the 4th. I think the balance of the Suns scoring load and effort on defense makes them dangerous not just this year but in the future even moreso, especially when you consider a lot of their players haven't even peaked yet.

So depending on the trades they make and the matchups they get, I could see them winning a playoff series or even 2 if everything fell into place perfect. They've already proven they can beat almost anyone, and this team is on the uprise not the downfall. It'll be interesting to see what kinds of players they go after. Pau Gasol a cancer not the answer, so I hope those rumors are dead for good. Young or Monroe might be good pickups though...

[rhowen4]

It's getting kind of annoying how all of these people who are claiming that the Suns are magically going to get worse and fall off haven't given 1 single good reason as to why they are. If it's such a unanimous agreement that they're going to fall off you'd think there'd be some reason to lead people to believe it. How is a team of young driven players, a rookie head coach, a load of salary cap and assets to make blockbuster trades, and the player who many people keep arguing is the best player on the team coming back going to get WORSE? It really makes no sense.

All signs are pointing up for this team, yet everyone wants/expects them to collapse for some reason, but can't explain why. Can at least 1 person who thinks the Suns are going to fail at least give some insight as to why you feel that way? People were saying that they were going to fall off 10, 20, 30 games ago and every 10, 20, 30 games they still haven't fallen off, even with their #1/2 best player injured they're still competing at a high level beating winning teams and bringing the defending champs right down to the wire. So why now that they'll be getting him back? What more does this team have to do to prove themselves?
I don't think they'll fail, I just think the other teams mentioned will make it over them. If they make a trade that really helps them or Bledsoe comes back soon, it'd instill a lot more confidence. They would knock off memphis or the mavs in that order. It'll be a close race for the 6-8 seed regardless.

By the way, you're talking as if Bledsoe is indeed coming back soon. Is there some news out there I've missed? All I've heard is that he's shooting around with teammates.

[wagexslave]

I don't think they'll fail, I just think the other teams mentioned will make it over them. If they make a trade that really helps them or Bledsoe comes back soon, it'd instill a lot more confidence. They would knock off memphis or the mavs in that order. It'll be a close race for the 6-8 seed regardless.

By the way, you're talking as if Bledsoe is indeed coming back soon. Is there some news out there I've missed? All I've heard is that he's shooting around with teammates.
From everything I've heard from the local sports news reporters/insiders it seems as if he's made progress at a faster rate than originally expected and will likely be back sooner rather than later. I don't really have an article I can think of to link you to or anything like that, it's just what I've heard said on local sports TV(including the Suns announcing crew)+ radio. Everyone seems positive that he'll be back before playoffs hit for sure, and possibly earlier. Haven't heard a single negative thing said about his progress thus far.

[KDthunderup]

Bledsoe should be back soon, I think they will stay in the top 8. I see the Grizz missing, leaving their run too late and are in a tough division.

[blackification]

By the way, you're talking as if Bledsoe is indeed coming back soon. Is there some news out there I've missed? All I've heard is that he's shooting around with teammates.

The Suns players and staff get a pick-me-up at every practice and when they walk through the training room.

They have been seeing rehabilitating point guard Eric Bledsoe taking shots on the court and running on a treadmill.

Friday will mark five weeks since Bledsoe’s right-knee surgery. No timetable for a recovery or return was shared, but many believed he could return not long after the All-Star break.

“He’s making good progress on his rehab,” Suns President of Basketball Operations Lon Babby said. “He’s progressing as expected. We’re still optimistic that he’ll return some time after the All-Star break.

“He’s been working diligently with our training staff and the reports are encouraging.”

When Bledsoe has been seen on the court, he has done spot shooting with some lift off the floor.

Bledsoe has been unavailable for comment this week.

“Every day, they are doing something a little bit more,” Suns coach Jeff Hornacek said. “They just want to make sure, he’s a big part of our future, that we don’t rush him back just for the sake of getting back in the playoff race. If he comes back, that’s going to be great. If he doesn’t come back, we know we’re going to have him for multiple years so we don’t want to take that chance. So they’re going to probably be on the cautious side of when he comes back, but we still think it’ll be some time before the end of the season.”
http://www.azcentral.com/sports/suns/articles/20140212phoenix-suns-pg-eric-bledsoe-progressing-toward-return-season.html

Posted yesterday, suns medical staff won't give a false prediction but all we know is its some time after all star break and some time before the playoffs

[leMVP]

Well, Memphis has turned its season, it's a lock imo.

I think it's going to be the suns, As much i love them, but unlike the Warriors (who've been struggling lately i know), they can't play defense to save them, an off-night by Dragic = a loss.

The Warriors with bogut are legit team.

[DMV2]

I wanna see fresh blood in the playoffs, so I hope to see the Suns in it.

Also wanna see how Monta + Dirk do in a series as well. Always enjoyable to watch Curry and Klay.

Grizzlies....I just feel that their time is up.

[wally_world]

Cant wait to see my Suns prove the people in this thread wrong :cheers: