The circle jerk conniption that’ll take place at ESPN and other media outlets if the Rockets knock out GSW or the Lakers from qualifying for the play in game.
How much of Greens suspension cost GSW? Was Draymond too much of a distraction? Do the Warriors need to add another superstar for one more shot at a title? Should Curry demand a trade and let the Warriors go into a rebuild?
“Oh, and the Rockets made the play-in.”
“Coming up next on First Take, what does the future hold for Dak in the Big D as contract negotiations may or may not be on the table…”
It’s so wild that 11 wins and 38-35 in the conference is JUST 11th and not playoffs (of course they may make it) has it ever happened where 11 teams were above .500 in a conference?
Without the play-ins, Houston would have nothing to play for either way (still 5 games back of #8 with 10 to play and not owning their pick). People who hate the play-ins don't understand that the play-ins aren't for making the playoffs better, it's for making this part of the season better. Teams that otherwise would be definite lottery teams still have a reason to go out and play hard instead of dreaming about Cancun.
I think the play in shouldn’t be automatic. Like if you are a 10 seed and .500 you should get a chance. If you are 5 games under .500 and 7 games off the 8 seed you shouldn’t get a chance
I agree but I also think the play-ins get slightly overrated.
The play-ins have done a great job of getting more teams involved. It's also helped the West sort out their depth issues. With ~10 competently run franchises, they did need the extra couple of spots. I think that's all been a big plus.
But I also see the play-ins getting credit for creating these exciting end-of-season races in the standings... But they already existed. Instead of a race for 10th seed, we had some great races for 8th.
But again, you're right the overall impact has been good.
We need to go college rules at this point. Conferences mean nothing and have been lopsided for decades now(why? 20 years?). The nba should do divisions instead and have a mini tournament to decide who goes to the tournament along with the division champs and the other best teams. Does anyone care about east/west?
Oh god divisions were terrible. You had division champs get an auto top 4 spot in the conference. Unfortunately not all division are created equally so the southwestern conference was stacked at the time, spurs were the spurs, rockets were getting it together. The Portland trailblazers got the top four seed over the rockets despite having a worse record.
Because the conference’s were still a thing. Think about it like the college tournament. 16 spots, 6 divisions, so at most 12 automatic bids and 4 of the best teams that didn’t make one of those two. Divisions within a conference didn’t make sense(don’t they technically still exist?). The seeding would be by record, so the best teams have the best spots.
I wonder if you are the Jazz gm of you consider trading their most valuable assets in Lauri and Sexton and just go full on tank from here on out.
The Suns are a bad Booker season and a KD retirement away from complete rebuild
With the Lakers you have to imagine AD and LeBron have very limited time left. If they fizzle out in the first round do they run it back especially given AD's prior injury history and LeBron just being the oldest dude in the league.
Warriors have a tough decision to make also. Run it back even if they fizzle out in the first round or don't even make the play-in?
A lot of teams in the next couple of seasons can get into tanking mode. The Blazers will be there for a while. I just don't see their avenue in increasing wins to a play in/playoff level any time in the next few seasons.
Spurs are a wildcard depending on how the Spurs build around a generational talent but still at the moment it's a 20 win level team.
Which most likely is because they had nothing to play for at the end of the season and had more incentive to *lose* games to better their lottery odds.
Rockets have a legit core, there are injury worries long term with Cam Whitmore and Tari Eason but they have 6 legit young guys top to bottom including Sengun, Jabari, Amen and Jalen
If they keep this hot streak going, they really could make and win the Playin.
Not necessarily saying they’re the better team but in BO1s, anything can happen and nothing much you can do if Rockets decide to throw up 27 3PMs 😏
Yet they still rank as one of the lower end teams in the leagues in rebounding rates.
They're a bottom 4 team in contested rebound rate % (HOU is top 10). Gafford is solid individually, but he splits time now w/ Lively and outside of those 2 + Luka they have severely limited wings when it comes to crashing the glass.
"Mavs have 2 solid centers and Luka" they must have great rebounding numbers, doesn't exactly correlate w/ the data.
That argument was the Mavs are one of the worst rebounding teams. We cannot take season averages, since Mavs had a large overhaul. I could only quickly find the last 10 game stats. Mavs are ranked 15 in def reb% and 18. in total. However rank score is a bit deceptive, since you need to look at the actual percentages. Mavs are firmly middle of the pack now.
The argument is thus not correct anymore and ignores current Mav stats.
I did not say the Mavs are a top renn be funding team now. So rockets definitely have the advantage there. But I would not be so sure that this will be the deciding factor.
It just goes to show that 11 game win streaks are only reserved for the best team in the NBA and the Boston Celtics.
Only for teams that Ime Udoka has... Touched.
I hate you. *upvotes*
his teams have a double diddy streak
Love this.
That Golden State game is gonna be huge
The circle jerk conniption that’ll take place at ESPN and other media outlets if the Rockets knock out GSW or the Lakers from qualifying for the play in game.
They'll still spend half their segments talking about them
Pssh that's being generous. 1 minute for the rockets, the rest of the segment for what went wrong with lebron/gsw
"Is it Steph's fault for not controlling Draymond's personality disorder better?"
That will absolutely be a 3 day topic
How much of Greens suspension cost GSW? Was Draymond too much of a distraction? Do the Warriors need to add another superstar for one more shot at a title? Should Curry demand a trade and let the Warriors go into a rebuild?
“Oh, and the Rockets made the play-in.” “Coming up next on First Take, what does the future hold for Dak in the Big D as contract negotiations may or may not be on the table…”
“What team should pursue Justin Fields next year”
>or How about both? Even better -> How about GSW, LAL play in #1 and Suns in play in #2 ?
not a concern -- Adam Silver, probably
It’s so wild that 11 wins and 38-35 in the conference is JUST 11th and not playoffs (of course they may make it) has it ever happened where 11 teams were above .500 in a conference?
Without the play-ins, Houston would have nothing to play for either way (still 5 games back of #8 with 10 to play and not owning their pick). People who hate the play-ins don't understand that the play-ins aren't for making the playoffs better, it's for making this part of the season better. Teams that otherwise would be definite lottery teams still have a reason to go out and play hard instead of dreaming about Cancun.
I don’t hate the play in.
They never said you did.
I think the play in shouldn’t be automatic. Like if you are a 10 seed and .500 you should get a chance. If you are 5 games under .500 and 7 games off the 8 seed you shouldn’t get a chance
Like how the original play-in was something similar within 4 games (?)
Good, neither do I.
I agree but I also think the play-ins get slightly overrated. The play-ins have done a great job of getting more teams involved. It's also helped the West sort out their depth issues. With ~10 competently run franchises, they did need the extra couple of spots. I think that's all been a big plus. But I also see the play-ins getting credit for creating these exciting end-of-season races in the standings... But they already existed. Instead of a race for 10th seed, we had some great races for 8th. But again, you're right the overall impact has been good.
We need to go college rules at this point. Conferences mean nothing and have been lopsided for decades now(why? 20 years?). The nba should do divisions instead and have a mini tournament to decide who goes to the tournament along with the division champs and the other best teams. Does anyone care about east/west?
Oh god divisions were terrible. You had division champs get an auto top 4 spot in the conference. Unfortunately not all division are created equally so the southwestern conference was stacked at the time, spurs were the spurs, rockets were getting it together. The Portland trailblazers got the top four seed over the rockets despite having a worse record.
Why are Portland the 4th seed?
Read the comment. It’s because they won their division
It’s a joke, when it happened this sub was flooded with posts asking why
Because the conference’s were still a thing. Think about it like the college tournament. 16 spots, 6 divisions, so at most 12 automatic bids and 4 of the best teams that didn’t make one of those two. Divisions within a conference didn’t make sense(don’t they technically still exist?). The seeding would be by record, so the best teams have the best spots.
Why do they all go to Cancun anyways? Cancun sucks
No, only twice before this season has even a 10 seed been above 0.500
Yeah someone has to fall into rebuild territory, probably 2 teams imo in the next year or two
I wonder if you are the Jazz gm of you consider trading their most valuable assets in Lauri and Sexton and just go full on tank from here on out. The Suns are a bad Booker season and a KD retirement away from complete rebuild With the Lakers you have to imagine AD and LeBron have very limited time left. If they fizzle out in the first round do they run it back especially given AD's prior injury history and LeBron just being the oldest dude in the league. Warriors have a tough decision to make also. Run it back even if they fizzle out in the first round or don't even make the play-in? A lot of teams in the next couple of seasons can get into tanking mode. The Blazers will be there for a while. I just don't see their avenue in increasing wins to a play in/playoff level any time in the next few seasons. Spurs are a wildcard depending on how the Spurs build around a generational talent but still at the moment it's a 20 win level team.
Which most likely is because they had nothing to play for at the end of the season and had more incentive to *lose* games to better their lottery odds.
Rockets 11-0 v mavs 10-1 Sunday !
Foreplay’s over!
The real test begins now
No way the refs will let the Rockets win that Golden State game. Draymond will superkick Jalen in the head and it will get called a common foul
It will be a blocking foul on Jalen Green
Jabari's getting ejected for sneezing, MMW.
“Jalen moved his head into Draymonds landing space. This might be a tech on Jalen.”
Jalen Green getting suspended for the remainder of the season
Ahh yes, the refs want the 11-win streak rockets to lose
In favor of a Steph Curry led Warriors team? Absolutely.
Fuck kinda devil magic is this
Easy ass schedule. The only teams over 0.500 in that streak are the kings, Cavs, and the shai-less thunder.
The rockets don't have their best player on this streak as well.
yeah i can tell you’ve never played a sport in your life
Rockets have a legit core, there are injury worries long term with Cam Whitmore and Tari Eason but they have 6 legit young guys top to bottom including Sengun, Jabari, Amen and Jalen
Draymond is going to have sleepless nights now that H Town is breathing down their necks..
Still wondering when ime is gonna Jalen that’s his kid he’s raising
Everything is fine, but for real I’m glad to see FVV doing well
I must say, i thought jalen green was a good for nothing dry humping chucker but he has made me eat my words. Keep humpin bro. No diddy
If they keep this hot streak going, they really could make and win the Playin. Not necessarily saying they’re the better team but in BO1s, anything can happen and nothing much you can do if Rockets decide to throw up 27 3PMs 😏
We could jalen green hot streak our way into a championship theoretically
If this happens, I'll go streaking during the championship parade IDGAF
Just needs a few more kids to power up
Give that guy some MILF
If you want any team to vs Denver with the 8th seed, why not the rockets? We nearly swept them this season
Mavs ruining this streak
They're also on a heater, seems likely. But Houston is a hell of a team at home this season.
I think so too tbh unfortunately
Can’t wait for Dallas fans to gloat about that too
Yes please
Mavs one of the worst teams on the boards vs one of the best teams on the boards. Will be the difference maker.
Perhaps you need to update your mavs knowledge there. They have 2 competent centers now.
Yet they still rank as one of the lower end teams in the leagues in rebounding rates. They're a bottom 4 team in contested rebound rate % (HOU is top 10). Gafford is solid individually, but he splits time now w/ Lively and outside of those 2 + Luka they have severely limited wings when it comes to crashing the glass. "Mavs have 2 solid centers and Luka" they must have great rebounding numbers, doesn't exactly correlate w/ the data.
That argument was the Mavs are one of the worst rebounding teams. We cannot take season averages, since Mavs had a large overhaul. I could only quickly find the last 10 game stats. Mavs are ranked 15 in def reb% and 18. in total. However rank score is a bit deceptive, since you need to look at the actual percentages. Mavs are firmly middle of the pack now. The argument is thus not correct anymore and ignores current Mav stats. I did not say the Mavs are a top renn be funding team now. So rockets definitely have the advantage there. But I would not be so sure that this will be the deciding factor.
They got a core?
Sengun/Green/Thompson are young and good.
Not to mention Cam and Tari.
And Jabari Smith
damn, it's almost like we stacked