East Chase for #8: Nets, Hawks, Hornets

[ArbitraryWater]

Nets: 34-33
Hawks: 31-34
Hornets: 32-35

Nets play the Hornets at home 3/28 to decide the season series, and @ Atlanta 4/3 (already won season series).

Estimation:

Nets:
vs Knicks: W
@ Orlando: W
vs Mavericks: L
vs Blazers: W
vs Jazz: L
@ Memphis: L
@ Miami: L
vs Charlotte: W
vs Detroit: W
vs Bucks: L
@ Atlanta: L
vs Rockets: W
@ New York: W
vs Cavaliers: W
vs Pacers: W

43-39

Hawks:
vs Clippers: W
vs Pacers: W
vs Blazers: W
@ Hornets: W
vs Grizzlies: L
vs Pelicans: W
@ New York: W
@ Detroit: W
vs Warriors: L
@ Indiana: W
@ Oklahoma: W
vs Cavaliers: W
vs Nets: W
@ Toronto: L
vs Wizards: W
@ Miami: W (resting starters)
@ Houston: W

45-37

Hawks have a great schedule and MUST seaze the opportunity and go on a run here. They could afford an L somewhere but not in the home game to the Nets.

Hornets:
@ Pelicans: W
@ Oklahoma: W
vs Hawks: L
vs Mavericks: L
vs Pelicans: W
vs Knicks: W
vs Jazz: L
@ Brooklyn: L
vs Nuggets: W
@ New York: L
@ Philadelphia: L
@ Miami: L
vs Magic: W
@ Chicago: L
vs Wizards: W

36-42


If Hornets beat Hawks at home, we might need to swing with them as potential saviors to topple the Nets and they have to go all-in to win at Brooklyn and get the H2H, and get other games they shouldn't be winning.

[ShawkFactory]

The Hawks should win 11-12 for sure. Just need to bring a sense of urgency that has been lacking.

[fourkicks44]

Would be great to see a Hawks vs Nets play in game.

We could see Curry and Heuter renew their playoff rivalry.

[Gruppenführer]

Nets not making the playoffs would be nice.


I say Hawks.

[insight]

The Hawks have a favorable schedule, but they are too inconsistent to anticipate what they will do down the stretch. Nate brought in his own coaching staff and they seem to struggle getting the team prepared on a nightly basis. The Nets look like they maybe back on track Durant and Kyrie are injury prone so there is no guarantees they will stay healthily down the stretch.
I hope the Hawks can get it together because they are a very dangerous team when they play with urgency and give maximum effort.

[ArbitraryWater]

Everything as predicted so far except Hawks took the L against the Hornets.

Big.

Hawks can make up for it by beating the Grizzlies tomorrow.

[Real Men Wear Green]

Sucks for the #1 seed that they will possibly have to deal with the Nets. Might be a good idea to start letting higher seeds choose their opponent from the lower seeds with higher seeds getting higher picks.

[ArbitraryWater]

Huge stretch coming up.

Hornets a game behind the Nets.

Nets next 3:
vs Jazz, @ Memphis (3/24), @ Miami

Hornets next 2:
vs Pelicans, vs Knicks (3/24)

on March 24, the Hornets could ideally be a game ahead.

And just a few days later the teams will meet in Brooklyn to decide the season series and likely who would finish ahead of the other.

[ArbitraryWater]

The Hawks are still most likely to finish 8th, for me.

Nets have a brutal schedule now and Hornets have a brutal schedule late.

Hawks could win the next 7, then have the Nets at home, then at Toronto, vs Wizards, at Miami (Heat might rest), @ Houston...

[Real Men Wear Green]

Nets have Kevin Durant. Regardless of who they face if you have a healthy KD you have a good chance. And in the road he will have Irving. So the other potential 8 seeds can't just play a little over .500 they have to legit be good teams.