Seeding Magic Number(s) Thread

[Tince]

Updated: May 9th

• 5th Seed - Magic Number = 5
  • Portland wins or Dallas losses

• 6th Seed - Magic Number = 3
  • Portland wins or Laker losses

• 7th Seed - Magic Number = 1
  • Portland wins or GSW/Memphis losess

Remaining Schedules:

• Dallas
  • @ Memphis
  • New Orleans
  • Toronto
  • @Minnesota
• Portland
  • Houston
  • @ Utah
  • @ Phoenix
  • Denver
• Lakers
  • New York
  • Houston
  • @ Indiana
  • @ New Orleans

 

[e_blazer]

Dallas has a pretty easy path to the 5th seed. It would be surprising if they lose more than 1. If LeBron can play, only the Suns and maybe the Knicks games look like possibles for a loss. If the Lakers don’t lose one, then the Blazers have to beat Houston and two of the Jazz, Phoenix and the Nuggets to clinch the 6th spot. Ouch. Avoiding the play-in is going to be tough.

 

[Fairly-Hard]

• 5th Seed - Magic Number = 5
  • Portland wins or Dallas losses

• 6th Seed - Magic Number = 3
  • Portland wins or Laker losses

• 7th Seed - Magic Number = 1
  • Portland wins or GSW/Memphis losess

Remaining Schedules:

• Dallas
  • @ Cleveland
  • @ Memphis
  • New Orleans
  • Toronto
  • @Minnesota
• Portland
  • Houston
  • @ Utah
  • @ Phoenix
  • Denver
• Lakers
  • Phoenix
  • New York
  • Houston
  • @ Indiana
  • @ New Orleans

Cool! This helps quite a bit! Seems like that 6th seed is pretty obtainable. They need those three days off.

 

[Tince]

Cool! This helps quite a bit! Seems like that 6th seed is pretty obtainable. They need those three days off.

I'll try to update this daily!

 

[Tince]

Dallas has a pretty easy path to the 5th seed. It would be surprising if they lose more than 1. If LeBron can play, only the Suns and maybe the Knicks games look like possibles for a loss. If the Lakers don’t lose one, then the Blazers have to beat Houston and two of the Jazz, Phoenix and the Nuggets to clinch the 6th spot. Ouch. Avoiding the play-in is going to be tough.

You think the Lakers are more likely to finish 6th than Portland?

 

[Fairly-Hard]

You think the Lakers are more likely to finish 6th than Portland?

I don't like "Conspiracy Takes" but i kind of think the Lakers would rather avoid the Clippers. I don't think they have a chance at catching Dallas. The guys on TNT last night were talking about a Laker vs Clippers series in the first round. They said it would be a great series to watch but that doesn't seem like a good thing at all for the league when you start talking about money. I'm not educated on the amounts of money those markets make or the possible downsides but it just seems like a missed opportunity for the league right now?

 

[e_blazer]

You think the Lakers are more likely to finish 6th than Portland?

I think the Blazers getting three wins out of their four remaining games is a tough row to hoe given the quality of the opposition, the compressed schedule and the fact that the Jazz and Suns games are on the road. If James and AD are reasonably healthy, I think the Lakers winning 4 of their final 5 games is pretty likely. It could come down to whether some of the teams on the Blazers’ remaining schedule decide to rest their stars.

 

[Tince]

I think the Blazers getting three wins out of their four remaining games is a tough row to hoe given the quality of the opposition, the compressed schedule and the fact that the Jazz and Suns games are on the road. If James and AD are reasonably healthy, I think the Lakers winning 4 of their final 5 games is pretty likely. It could come down to whether some of the teams on the Blazers’ remaining schedule decide to rest their stars.

I do appreciate the explination, but I can't tell if thats that a yes or not?

 

[Tince]

I don't like "Conspiracy Takes" but i kind of think the Lakers would rather avoid the Clippers. I don't think they have a chance at catching Dallas. The guys on TNT last night were talking about a Laker vs Clippers series in the first round. They said it would be a great series to watch but that doesn't seem like a good thing at all for the league when you start talking about money. I'm not educated on the amounts of money those markets make or the possible downsides but it just seems like a missed opportunity for the league right now?

I wouldn't even consider this a conspiracy take. The #1 team the Lakers should want to avoid in the 1st round is the LAC (and the same is true for the LAC). If the Clippers aren't going to tank for the 4th seed, the Lakers would actually be wise to stay in the 7th seed.

 

[Fairly-Hard]

I just looked at the Mavs schedule. They play Sun, Tues, Wed, then again Friday.
4 games in 5 days with the game Tuesday in Memphis and Wed in Dallas. The Pels will have a day off after playing in Memphis on Monday.
This season is crazy.

 

[e_blazer]

I do appreciate the explination, but I can't tell if thats that a yes or not?

That’s partly because I don’t know whether LeBron’s ankle is going to keep him out of more games or not, and partly because I can’t stand saying yes about the freaking Lakers.

 

[KSF-ERIC]

If we beat Rockets on Monday, Blazers can clinch on Tuesday if Suns and Knicks beat Lakers. Then we can rest Dame for final 3 games of season.

 

[e_blazer]

If we beat Rockets on Monday, Blazers can clinch on Tuesday if Suns and Knicks beat Lakers. Then we can rest Dame for final 3 games of season.

I like the way you think.

 

[Tince]

If we beat Rockets on Monday, Blazers can clinch on Tuesday if Suns and Knicks beat Lakers. Then we can rest Dame for final 3 games of season.

I think we're unlikely to rest Dame if there is still a possibility of us obtaining the 5 seed and playing Denver. Unless resting Dame for 2 weeks turns him in a 6'8" All-NBA defender, I would rather go for the 5 seed.

 

[KSF-ERIC]

I think the Blazers getting three wins out of their four remaining games is a tough row to hoe given the quality of the opposition, the compressed schedule and the fact that the Jazz and Suns games are on the road. If James and AD are reasonably healthy, I think the Lakers winning 4 of their final 5 games is pretty likely. It could come down to whether some of the teams on the Blazers’ remaining schedule decide to rest their stars.

We only need to win on Monday to clinch. Knicks and Suns will beat Lakers. Remember, Kings beat Lakers with LeBron. LeBron has only played with Drummond twice all season. Lakers are disorganized. LeBron said he’ll never be 100% again. Father Time beats everyone.

 

[Tince]

That’s partly because I don’t know whether LeBron’s ankle is going to keep him out of more games or not, and partly because I can’t stand saying yes about the freaking Lakers.

I think for the Lakers to obtain the 6th seed they need the following to happen:

• Beat Phoenix & NYK
• LBJ gets healthy
• AD stays healthy
• No rust/chemistry issues for Lakers
• All of the Blazers final 3 opponents want to win badly

It's possible all those things happen, but I think the Blazers finishing 6 is more likely.

 

[THE HCP]

We only need to win on Monday to clinch. Knicks and Suns will beat Lakers. Remember, Kings beat Lakers with LeBron. LeBron has only played with Drummond twice all season. Lakers are disorganized. LeBron said he’ll never be 100% again. Father Time beats everyone.

Oh is LeBron "old" again. I think you were saying this last year as well. Remember how old he looked during the FINALS?

 

[KSF-ERIC]

I think we're unlikely to rest Dame if there is still a possibility of us obtaining the 5 seed and playing Denver. Unless resting Dame for 2 weeks turns him in a 6'8" All-NBA defender, I would rather go for the 5 seed.

Just cuz we rest Dame, it doesn’t mean we can’t still try to win the games with Simons, CJ, and Powell. We beat Sixers without Dame. Resting Dame (and keeping him safe from freak injury) is more important than 5 seed though. Clippers are weak mentally.

 

[KSF-ERIC]

Oh is LeBron "old" again. I think you were saying this last year as well. Remember how old he looked during the FINALS?

Even LeBron would say he is old. He was old last year. He’s older this year. He himself said he’ll never be 100% again. Frankly, the Lakers should be the team everybody wants to play.

 

[THE HCP]

Even LeBron would say he is old. He was old last year. He’s older this year. He himself said he’ll never be 100% again. Frankly, the Lakers should be the team everybody wants to play.

You used the term in a derogatory manner and boy were you proven wrong. Of course he's "older this year", but he still brings it at a Top 5 level. He has been resting waiting for the playoffs. They don't care about the play in or what seed their in. I can promise you this. NOBODY wants to play them in the first round and those top 4 teams' coaches are NOT sleeping thinking about what would happen if they have to face them in round 1.

 

[Tince]

Just cuz we rest Dame, it doesn’t mean we can’t still try to win the games with Simons, CJ, and Powell. We beat Sixers without Dame. Resting Dame (and keeping him safe from freak injury) is more important than 5 seed though. Clippers are weak mentally.

The odds of us passing Dallas is not high with a healthy roster. Wouldn't you agree that resting Dame decreases those odds?

 

[Tince]

You used the term in a derogatory manner and boy were you proven wrong. Of course he's "older this year", but he still brings it at a Top 5 level. He has been resting waiting for the playoffs. They don't care about the play in or what seed their in. I can promise you this. NOBODY wants to play them in the first round and those top 4 teams' coaches are NOT sleeping thinking about what would happen if they have to face them in round 1.

This.

And when the playoff odds come out I can almost assure you the 7th seed Lakers will be more likely to win it all than the #4 Nuggets, #5 Mavs, and #6 Blazers combined.

 

[Further]

According to this betting odds site, here are the odds as of right now after beating the Spurs:

Blazers odds @5th 16.10%, @6th 51.90% @7th 30.80%, @8th 1.20%

Lakers odds @5th 4.40%, @6th 30.90%, @7th 62.10%, @8th 2.40%

Dallas @4th 0.20%, @5th 79.30%, @6th 16.70%, @7th 3.80% @8th 0.00%


https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.actionnetwork.com/nba/nba-playoff-picture-standings-scenarios-projections-play-in-tournament-2021?amp=1

 

[KSF-ERIC]

You used the term in a derogatory manner and boy were you proven wrong. Of course he's "older this year", but he still brings it at a Top 5 level. He has been resting waiting for the playoffs. They don't care about the play in or what seed their in. I can promise you this. NOBODY wants to play them in the first round and those top 4 teams' coaches are NOT sleeping thinking about what would happen if they have to face them in round 1.

I just stated facts, he’s old. I wasn’t proven wrong. He didn’t become younger. In Finals, he needed 6 games to beat a 5 seed (in East) Miami team playing without Bam and Dragic. Sooooo impressive.

 

[KSF-ERIC]

The odds of us passing Dallas is not high with a healthy roster. Wouldn't you agree that resting Dame decreases those odds?

Sure but you have to rest him. He already said a couple months ago that once we clinch top 6, he’s resting.

 

[KSF-ERIC]

This.

And when the playoff odds come out I can almost assure you the 7th seed Lakers will be more likely to win it all than the #4 Nuggets, #5 Mavs, and #6 Blazers combined.

Doubt it. #7 seed has never been to the Finals let alone won the title.

 

[THE HCP]

I just stated facts, he’s old. I wasn’t proven wrong. He didn’t become younger.

Please stop. It hurts bro. Just stop.

 

[blazerkor]

Despite the way we've been playing. If the teams we have left to play that aren't the Rockets play the whole game and don't sit anyone and if LeBron is playing for the Lakers. We will find ourselves in the play-ins and I think Steph is going crazy right now so that will be a dangerous game and then we'll likely have to play the Grizz for the eighth seed.

We just have to be prepared to either miss the playoffs all together or get absolutely handled by whoever we face in the first round.

 

[Tince]

Sure but you have to rest him. He already said a couple months ago that once we clinch top 6, he’s resting.

He'll get a week of rest if we're the 6th seed. Which would you prefer:

Dame with 1 weeks rest vs Denver or Dame with 2 weeks rest vs LAC?

Dame could rest a year and we'd still be heavy underdogs vs the Clippers.

 

[blazerkor]

We only need to win on Monday to clinch. Knicks and Suns will beat Lakers. Remember, Kings beat Lakers with LeBron. LeBron has only played with Drummond twice all season. Lakers are disorganized. LeBron said he’ll never be 100% again. Father Time beats everyone.

If LeBron is playing you can't count on either the Knicks or Suns to beat the Lakers.