Eastern playoff bracket

[MarkOU]

If the season ended today four eastern teams under .500 would make the playoffs. What are the chances this number remains constant? I think we will see at least two teams under .500. On a side note currently the grizzles sit in 9th place in the west and would miss the playoffs. If they were in the east they would be the three seed.

 

[Desean12345]

If the season ended today four eastern teams under .500 would make the playoffs. What are the chances this number remains constant? I think we will see at least two teams under .500. On a side note currently the grizzles sit in 9th place in the west and would miss the playoffs. If they were in the east they would be the three seed.

The east has been the far weaker conference since the turn of the century.

 

[BOTSLAYER]

I would say there is a really good chance that seeds 5-8 in the East have losing records...and this is obviously bad for the Heat because they struggle against weaker competition

 

[bksballer89]

I think only the 7th and 8th seeds will finish with a losing record. I think Brooklyn & Washington both finish over .500

 

[TurnUpTheHeat]

I think only the 7th and 8th seeds will finish with a losing record. I think Brooklyn & Washington both finish over .500

Throw the a Bulls in there also.

I think most people feel Heat/Pacers is inevitable.

The sleeper team, IMO, if there is one is Brooklyn.

If they are healthy when the playoffs start, they will be a stubborn out.

 

[Flauge]

The east has been the far weaker conference since the turn of the century.

the last 10 titles are split 5-5 between east and west. so the very top of east conference has been good. but top to bottom.. the west has been better for about 15 years. cant argue that.

 

[Flauge]

Throw the a Bulls in there also.

I think most people feel Heat/Pacers is inevitable.

The sleeper team, IMO, if there is one is Brooklyn.

If they are healthy when the playoffs start, they will be a stubborn out.

... my guess on teams under .500 making playoffs in east is 3.

 

[Desean12345]

the last 10 titles are split 5-5 between east and west. so the very top of east conference has been good. but top to bottom.. the west has been better for about 15 years. cant argue that.

There's no doubt about that. The 2 best teams in the NBA are the Heat and Pacers. The east has the cream of the crop. In terms of depth though, the West has far more quality teams.

 

[BOTSLAYER]

A lot of teams in the east can give fits in a game or 2, I do not see too many teams winning more than a game against IND or MIA though, and MIA loves to give away the 1st one.

 

[BOTSLAYER]

There's no doubt about that. The 2 best teams in the NBA are the Heat and Pacers. The east has the cream of the crop. In terms of depth though, the West has far more quality teams.

OKC, there are 3 true title contenders (as long as healthy) this year and I have a hard time ranking the 3 in any order.

 

[OutlawImmortal]

No, Nets suck. All the Heat and Pacers have to do is show up for the first 2 rounds.

 

[Steelboy84]

Heat/Pacers

No one else is going to matter.

 

[podsox]

Embarrassing that my bulls are currently a 3 seed. They had a better team last yr

 

[Hambombs]

A lot of teams in the east can give fits in a game or 2, I do not see too many teams winning more than a game against IND or MIA though, and MIA loves to give away the 1st one.

Give away? Stop it lol

 

[BOTSLAYER]

Heat/Pacers

No one else is going to matter.

In the east? or no faith in OKC? I really think OKC is more dangerous than they have ever been. I think it is paper rock scissors. OKC beats IND, IND beats MIA, MIA beats OKC...but MIA should also beat IND.

Embarrassing that my bulls are currently a 3 seed. They had a better team last yr

Not embarrassing for the bulls, they are a well run, efficiently motivated team, they would be the 3 seed with out the East being a joke after the top 4.

 

[seattlefan75]

I think it would be a more interesting playoff if they just took the top 16 teams in the league instead of the top 8 west teams and top 8 east teams. but if the season were to end today the only HUGE snub would be the memphis grizzlies but other than that there arent a whole lot of other western teams that is super deserving to be in the playoffs, you can argue that a team like the timberwolves would be the 3rd best team if they played in the East or Denver/NO would easily be above .500 if they played in the east too.

 

[BOTSLAYER]

@Seattlefan,



That is all.

 

[BOTSLAYER]

I would like to see a no conference league though, everybody plays every body the same amount of times and the top 16 teams are seeded in a 16 team playoff.

 

[Arizona_Sting]

This is how the playoff bracket should look. Top 16 teams make it. Way more competitive this way.

1 vs. 16
8 vs. 9

4 vs. 13
5 vs. 12

3 vs. 14
6 vs. 11

2 vs. 15
7 vs. 10

 

[YourFriendGannon]

The last time a Western conference team with a winning percentage over .524 missed the playoffs was the Suns in 2009, who won 46 games (.562). The #9 seed in the west right now is at .558.

Likely one of two things will happen, or somewhere in between: there will be one of the best teams ever to miss the playoffs or a team will sink in the standings with injuries quite possibly being a factor.