West photoshoot finish 5th-9th seed

[ArbitraryWater]

https://i.gyazo.com/c52f23a759573f6981fc841eaeb2e5d1.png


4 games left. 1-4 is locked up.

My call:

5) Warriors
6) Lakers
7) becomes a shit-show to call with the play-in format :lol Timberwolves (win play-in vs. LAC)
8) Mavericks (win play-in vs. Pelicans, then beat LAC)
9) Clippers
10) Pelicans

[ArbitraryWater]

predictions?

[ArbitraryWater]

http://www.insidehoops.com/forum/showthread.php?508203-Lakers-best-interest-watch-(7th-seed-goal)&p=14751260&viewfull=1#post14751260


inspo

[Jasper]

your doing well with this thread .. keep it up.:applause::cheers::applause:

[ArbitraryWater]

your doing well with this thread .. keep it up.:applause::cheers::applause:


I appreciate you

[Axe]

Damn, okc got a better record than dallas rn when they mostly have a bunch of young players. :lol

[basketballcat]

If the Clippers win today and the Mavs lose, your prediction is done. Clippers with the lead against the Pelicans. Mavs trailing the Heat.

[Xiao Yao You]

If the Clippers win today and the Mavs lose, your prediction is done. Clippers with the lead against the Pelicans. Mavs trailing the Heat.

hasn't been right yet has he?

[ArbitraryWater]

https://i.gyazo.com/5924b2dacffa6e11abadf1c495c43ab0.png

[ArbitraryWater]

The problem for the Lakers is, a lot has to go right for them to finish 6th.

They have Rockets, Jazz, Clips without PG, Suns at home, Jazz left.

Depending on how hard the Suns will want that game (or if they rest players), they could go 5-0 or at worst 3-2.

GSW has 4 games left, plays at Denver tonight, are only 1 game ahead of the Lakers and Lakers have the H2H.

So Lakers could easily fall into the 5th slot.

So Lakers on the one hand would be best served to keep going, but then they could leap GSW.

The problem is, if they drop 1 game, the Pelicans could easily leap them, because the Pelicans have a piss easy schedule (questionable how much the Kings and Grizz will want the following games before they play Knicks who are also penciled in and then at Minnesota). And the Timberwolves could also easily leap them if the Lakers drop 1 game, cause they have the H2H. Timberwolves also have a piss easy schedule: Blazers, Nets, Spurs, Pelicans away.

If GSW had just beaten the Wolves at home a week ago, we wouldnt have these problems. GSW would be more firmly secured into the 5th spot and Wolves wouldnt be too close of a threat to overtaking the Lakers.


So in the Lakers' best interest is:


GSW keep winning so they stay 5th, Lakers keep the pace to stay infront of LAC/Pels/Minny (Lakers will beat Clips to overtake them), and Pels drop 1 game in case Lakers drop 1 game (Lakers have H2H). Clips will lose enough games and Minny are behind as of now, but also have a super easy schedule and the H2H against the Lakers, so they could reasonably leap the Lakers also if the Lakers lose 1 of these 5 games which could well happen.


So the window and room for error for the Lakers to fall into that 6th spot is extremely slim.

You can take the 7th spot also, if the Pelicans finish 6th that would make a lot of sense for R2 ambitions as well; but it would then include the trickyness of a play-in, against either the Clippers or the Timberwolves.

[bladefd]

Lakers' best bet is to be 6th or 7th seed imo. Memphis and kings are most beatable in first round.

[ArbitraryWater]

Lakers' best bet is to be 6th or 7th seed imo. Memphis and kings are most beatable in first round.


Well yea buddy, thats the premise of all this.

[ArbitraryWater]

Grizzlies seem back, Lakers should go hard for the 6th seed.

[baudkarma]

Not so sure about the Mavs. OKC and Minny both have the tiebreaker advantage over Dallas. Mavs need to 3-1 or 4-0 the have any kind of chance to make the play-in game.

[ArbitraryWater]

Timberwolves drop home game to depleted bench team Blazers!! HUGE

[ArbitraryWater]

This increases the window for Lakers to drop a game (non-Clippers) by a little bit. They could lose to Suns now (who I doubt will play starters?), and they might have to drop 1 game, if GSW loses at Denver tonight.

Then the Pels final loss could come at Minnesota.

[ArbitraryWater]

The problem for the Lakers is, a lot has to go right for them to finish 6th.

They have Rockets, Jazz, Clips without PG, Suns at home, Jazz left.

Depending on how hard the Suns will want that game (or if they rest players), they could go 5-0 or at worst 3-2.

GSW has 4 games left, plays at Denver tonight, are only 1 game ahead of the Lakers and Lakers have the H2H.

So Lakers could easily fall into the 5th slot.

So Lakers on the one hand would be best served to keep going, but then they could leap GSW.

The problem is, if they drop 1 game, the Pelicans could easily leap them, because the Pelicans have a piss easy schedule (questionable how much the Kings and Grizz will want the following games before they play Knicks who are also penciled in and then at Minnesota). And the Timberwolves could also easily leap them if the Lakers drop 1 game, cause they have the H2H. Timberwolves also have a piss easy schedule: Blazers, Nets, Spurs, Pelicans away.

If GSW had just beaten the Wolves at home a week ago, we wouldnt have these problems. GSW would be more firmly secured into the 5th spot and Wolves wouldnt be too close of a threat to overtaking the Lakers.


So in the Lakers' best interest is:


GSW keep winning so they stay 5th, Lakers keep the pace to stay infront of LAC/Pels/Minny (Lakers will beat Clips to overtake them), and Pels drop 1 game in case Lakers drop 1 game (Lakers have H2H). Clips will lose enough games and Minny are behind as of now, but also have a super easy schedule and the H2H against the Lakers, so they could reasonably leap the Lakers also if the Lakers lose 1 of these 5 games which could well happen.


So the window and room for error for the Lakers to fall into that 6th spot is extremely slim.

You can take the 7th spot also, if the Pelicans finish 6th that would make a lot of sense for R2 ambitions as well; but it would then include the trickyness of a play-in, against either the Clippers or the Timberwolves.



With the Grizzlies losing, Kings still have 2nd seed to play for. So plenty of motivation for them to win at New Orleans in 2 days. Good stuff.

[ArbitraryWater]

Props to Suns nor GSW tanking, theyre sticking to the 4th and 5th slots. For now.

Of course Suns wanna make sure they hold on to 4th for home court and GSW isnt really safe enough yet to drop one.

[kawhileonard2]

I think it is clear that Sacramento loses to whomever they play in round 1 with HCA.

[ArbitraryWater]

I think it is clear that Sacramento loses to whomever they play in round 1 with HCA.

if its the Pels or George-less Clips they got a shot.

[RRR3]

Props to Suns nor GSW tanking, theyre sticking to the 4th and 5th slots. For now.

Of course Suns wanna make sure they hold on to 4th for home court and GSW isnt really safe enough yet to drop one.
Only Denver is taking. Pathetic as the first seed to be so shook.

[ArbitraryWater]

Only Denver is taking. Pathetic as the first seed to be so shook.


thats called resting

[ArbitraryWater]

This is bad now. Lakers will need to drop a game somewhere to fall behind the Warriors (while winning the Clippers one) and hope GSW win out, but somehow hope Clippers and Pelicans drop a game somewhere so they can still stay 6th. Odds of Lakers finishing 6th now are extremely slim.

[Genaro]

This is bad now. Lakers will need to drop a game somewhere to fall behind the Warriors (while winning the Clippers one) and hope GSW win out, but somehow hope Clippers and Pelicans drop a game somewhere so they can still stay 6th. Odds of Lakers finishing 6th now are extremely slim.

BCS for the Lakers is going 3-1, 3-way tie with Warriors and Clippers. Pelicans drop at least one, they have a hard schedule. Clippers goes 5th, Lakers 6th, Warriors 7th and Pelicans 8th.

[Nike D'Antoni]

BCS for the Lakers is going 3-1, 3-way tie with Warriors and Clippers. Pelicans drop at least one, they have a hard schedule. Clippers goes 5th, Lakers 6th, Warriors 7th and Pelicans 8th.

I think Lakers go 4-0. Phoenix will rest all there players last two games. Jazz is easy. And Clippers have Westbrook.

[NugzFan]

Only Denver is taking. Pathetic as the first seed to be so shook.


What the **** are you talking about?

[Xiao Yao You]

I think Lakers go 4-0. Phoenix will rest all there players last two games. Jazz is easy. And Clippers have Westbrook.

Jazz haven't been easy all year why now with Lauri back?

[ArbitraryWater]

BCS for the Lakers is going 3-1, 3-way tie with Warriors and Clippers. Pelicans drop at least one, they have a hard schedule. Clippers goes 5th, Lakers 6th, Warriors 7th and Pelicans 8th.

Clippers dont look good enough to win out, and if Lakers go 3-1 the loss would have to be to the Clips, which seems unlikely.

Clippers also suck so them as 5th will be easy for Suns. GSW needs to somehow finish 5th which requires Lakers to drop at least 1 game. In such case, the Lakers will only maintain 6th if Clippers drop another game out of the H2H match and the Pels drop another game which can happen, yes.

[Xiao Yao You]

Tim MacMahon: Source: Jazz rookie center Walker Kessler is entering concussion protocol, likely ending his season (https://*********.com/social/). Kessler is expected to be an All-Rookie selection after averaging 9.2 points, 8.4 rebounds and 2.3 blocks while shooting 72% from the floor.
– via Twitter espn_macmahon (https://twitter.com/espn_macmahon)

[Xiao Yao You]

Ben Anderson: Collin Sexton, who hasn’t played since before the All-Star break has been upgraded to questionable for tomorrow’s game against the @lakers (https://*********.com/social/). Lauri Markkanen is also questionable. Jordan Clarkson (finger sprain), Rudy Gay (back soreness), Walker Kessler (concussion) are out.

– via Twitter BensHoops (https://twitter.com/BensHoops)




not shut down after all!

[RRR3]

Lol the Jazz should be tanking. Ainge is gonna be mad if they keep playing Markkanen.

[Xiao Yao You]

can't quit me

[Manny98]

can't quit me

:oldlol:

[ArbitraryWater]

There is one tiny silver lining here if the Lakers indeed seem destined to finish 5th.

The Suns, could theoretically, finish 3rd if they win out and the Kings lose out.


Now that might seem absolutely insane, but the Kings could genuinely lose all remaining games. I dont think they will be favored in even one of them.

Where as the Suns have not yet lost with KD.

Kings play at New Orleans, at Dallas, vs Golden State, at Denver.

Suns play vs. Spurs, vs Nuggets, @ Lakers, vs Clippers.

Suns have the tiebreaker due to division record.

Kings could put an end to this possibility by winning at New Orleans tonight, which would also be welcoming for the Lakers since they are then more likely to afford losing another game to drop out of the 5th spot and would only need to hope Clippers lose another game somewhere and GSW win out.