Eye on Basketball @EyeOnBasketball 1m Al Jefferson suffered a knee injury and has gone to the locker room because this season is the worst. Dallas doesn't play D. SAS and OKC should get them easy. Memphis could trouble OKC, not SAS though.
http://espn.go.com/nba/team/schedule/_/name/SA/year/2011/seasontype/3/san-antonio-spurs The key players are mostly the same. Randolph, Gasol, Conley, Parker, Duncan, Ginobili. Spurs lost Hill and Jefferson, added Diaw and Leonard (and Splitter now plays major minutes). Memphis key losses: Battier and Mayo. It wouldn't be an easy series for the Spurs, that's for sure. I think Dallas would be easier.
Dallas is definitely easier. Maybe I'm overrating the regular season series but I see SAS over DAL in 4 and over MEM in 5
I've always thought Memphis could beat anyone in a series. They're very unlikely to make the finals because winning three road series in a row in the West is virtually impossible, but they should be a tough out. Hollinger's stats have them 8th in the NBA. http://espn.go.com/nba/hollinger/powerrankings (not sure why Indiana is so low, even with the prolonged slump) Stein has them 6th, and says Memphis badly wants to play OKC (they were 1-3 vs. OKC this season, and none of the losses came down to the final seconds, so that's no treat either) http://espn.go.com/nba/powerrankings
I agree, Memphis has the ability to beat anyone in a series, I just see the Spurs being too good this year and taking them out in 5. I completely understand thinking it could be much tougher for them, I'm just not feeling that right now. Memphis/OKC is a fun matchup.
Hardwood Paroxysm @HPbasketball 2m Clippers went from "WE CAN GET THE 2 SEED!" to "Wai, who got injured for Golden State? NAH, WE'RE GOOD"
If all scores hold, Raptors vs Nets, Bulls vs Wizards. Granted, Wizards should know the result of Bobcats/Bulls before halftime ends. So they could tank the second half to avoid Chicago BUT that puts them in Miami's bracket
Assume Brooklyn plays the Raptors and win, who do they play next if they are the lowest seed remaining? How does it work in NBA? Similar to NFL or no?
Brackets are set. 1/8 winner plays winner of 4/5 matchup. 2/7 plays winner of 3/6. So Nets get Miami if they beat Toronto.
Thanks. You think this is the better bracket for Nets or no? I like that Nets are playing against Raptors and Heat instead of Pacers and Bulls but let me see what our expert think?
I just post a lot not an expert haha. The first round seems like a better shot for the Nets to upset, but second round, I'd rather face Indiana. Chicago/Indiana are tough defense with a very inconsistent or no show offense. Miami and Toronto are above average defensive teams and above average offensive teams. We have a few Nets fans on here, so I would like to hear their opinion. For me, an outsider, I thought BK would prefer CHI/IND although it could be argued I'm looking too far ahead. But staying out of the Miami half even with the 4-0 record seems smarter than playing into it just to avoid Chicago.
Everything is set in the West except the 7/8 seed. OKC made it a nail biter, but in the end LAC gets an injured GS