Finishing 4th instead of 3rd

[Uncle_Si]

So I found this interesting.....

Eastern Conference
ACTUAL PROJECTED ODDS (%)
TEAM W L W L BEST WORST PLAYOFFS DIV NO.1 FINALS CHAMP LOTTERY
Indiana 51 19 58 24 63-19 52-30 100.0 100.0 65.9 21.0 5.8 0.0
Miami 47 21 57 25 61-21 50-32 100.0 100.0 34.1 34.7 11.8 0.0
Toronto 39 30 48 34 52-30 41-41 100.0 86.4 0.0 17.2 3.9 0.0
Chicago 39 31 46 36 51-31 40-42 100.0 0.0 0.0 11.5 2.2 0.0
Brooklyn 37 31 45 37 51-31 38-44 100.0 13.6 0.0 5.8 0.8 0.0*
Washington 36 34 43 39 48-34 36-46 100.0 0.0 0.0 4.7 0.8 0.0
Charlotte 34 36 41 41 46-36 34-48 99.5 0.0 0.0 3.7 0.5 0.0
Atlanta 31 37 38 44 45-37 32-50 91.1 0.0 0.0 1.2 0.0 0.0*

New York 29 41 34 48 40-42 29-53 8.1 0.0 0.0 0.3 0.0 0.0*
Cleveland 27 44 32 50 38-44 27-55 1.1 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 2.4
Detroit 25 44 30 52 37-45 25-57 0.3 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 3.8
Boston 23 47 28 54 34-48 23-59 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 6.4
Orlando 19 52 23 59 30-52 19-63 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 14.4
Philadelphia 15 55 16 66 21-61 15-67 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 23.1
Milwaukee 13 57 16 66 22-60 13-69 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 22.6

[special1]

I would agree with this statement speaking in the abstract (ie in any random sport, any random season). But, in this particular set of circumstances, where 3-6 are likely to finish a game or two away from each other (and thus in the grand scheme of things are pretty similar teams) - I would chose the match up. In this case, I think the first round match ups are close enough, that I would default to the better 2nd round match up.

As people have said here, obviously if Miami gets ahead of Indiana, Id prefer to be 3rd/6th, but to me, Indiana is a MUCH easier 2nd round opponent.

I've always been a believer in playing to win and let the chips fall where they may. Why worry about something you can't control (whether Miami gets the #1 seed or whether Chicago/Brooklyn get #4/5/6)?

I say we try to be the 3rd best team in the east this year and enjoy the spoils that come from it. I assure you that no one wants to play the Raptors because we are one scrappy bunch. So let them worry about us and we take all comers!

[RepTdot]

finish 3rd. finish as the best of the rest in the east behind the big dogs- Ind & Mia and match up against WAS in the 1st round. The Wizards are the best matchup for us in the 1st round. Chicago & Brooklyn are battle tested playoff veterans, we always struggle against Charlotte for some reason and the 8th seed most likely goes to the Knicks who are the hottest team in the league right now and will get all the calls from the refs. doesn't matter who we play in the 2nd round..its about getting there.

[BigCamB]

I honestly don't want to think about the Second Round at all, the First Round is going to be extremely difficult to win for starters, and winning it would be a huge effort.


But if I had a choice.............Both Indy and Miami are slumping, but I back Miami to be able to switch it on in the playoffs, and I would not want to play them. I think we matchup rather well with Indy overall.

[mountio]

That's a losers mentality. You think Demar and Kyle go into any game, or will be going into the playoffs, saying "We're not going to win the Championship"?

I think they all believe that they can beat anybody if given 7 games to do it. They have to.


And so is the OP in the my opinion. You play to be the best. ALWAYS.
And I think playing the 6th seed vs the 5th will, 99 times out of 100, be the better option.

I would agree with this statement speaking in the abstract (ie in any random sport, any random season). But, in this particular set of circumstances, where 3-6 are likely to finish a game or two away from each other (and thus in the grand scheme of things are pretty similar teams) - I would chose the match up. In this case, I think the first round match ups are close enough, that I would default to the better 2nd round match up.

As people have said here, obviously if Miami gets ahead of Indiana, Id prefer to be 3rd/6th, but to me, Indiana is a MUCH easier 2nd round opponent.

[rocwell]

That's a losers mentality. You think Demar and Kyle go into any game, or will be going into the playoffs, saying "We're not going to win the Championship"?

I think they all believe that they can beat anybody if given 7 games to do it. They have to.


And so is the OP in the my opinion. You play to be the best. ALWAYS.
And I think playing the 6th seed vs the 5th will, 99 times out of 100, be the better option.

Losers mentality? Oh no buddy. I'm not there playing on the court.. I'm just a fan who's sharing realistic 'thought'.

Our boys think differently than me. They play to be the best, just like you said.

[Jordan Evans]

A lot could happen in this last stretch. NY could get the 8th seed, knocking ATL out, and also Miami could move up to the 1st seed. If Miami does that, we won't have to play them in the second round. We're matched up with the Wizards for the first round and I believe we can beat them. Now if Indiana drops to the second spot, we get them in the second round. So, it's not about how we do, it's about how everyone else does. We just have to maintain third seed.

[Joey]

We are not winning championship this year anyway.

Just go with the flow. I'm sure we'll get what we deserve.

That's a losers mentality. You think Demar and Kyle go into any game, or will be going into the playoffs, saying "We're not going to win the Championship"?

I think they all believe that they can beat anybody if given 7 games to do it. They have to.


And so is the OP in the my opinion. You play to be the best. ALWAYS.
And I think playing the 6th seed vs the 5th will, 99 times out of 100, be the better option.

[mountio]

Also, there's no guarantee that Indy will win the conference. Also, I actually think we've got a better chance against the Heat than we do the Pacers.

True .. no guarantee, but up 3 games with 12 to go ... seems fairly likely. Looks like there will be a lot more movement between 3rd and 6th (2.5 games total between us and Washington in 6th .. super tight) than there will be between 1st and 2nd).

All Im saying, is when I think about my priorities, they are, in order
1) Home court
2) Indiana in the 2nd round over Miami
3) Whoever it happens to be between Chi, Brook, Washington

[Mack North]

You play to win and just let the chips fall where they may. Miami hasn't been playing well either. Toronto is something like 0-13 since the "Heatles" joined, but they are also much older and they must be tired (3 straight years in the finals can't be good for a body) and one injury could derail a series for them.

Not that I like their chances against Miami.. but it's not like I like their chances against Indiana anyway.

[ezz_bee]

Also, there's no guarantee that Indy will win the conference. Also, I actually think we've got a better chance against the Heat than we do the Pacers.

[planetmars]

You play to win and just let the chips fall where they may. Miami hasn't been playing well either. Toronto is something like 0-13 since the "Heatles" joined, but they are also much older and they must be tired (3 straight years in the finals can't be good for a body) and one injury could derail a series for them.

Not that I like their chances against Miami.. but it's not like I like their chances against Indiana anyway.

[Jclaw]

I've got to admit, there may be some logic to that. It would not be as sweet to have a potential first round win rewarded by facing the heat. BTW…is there a version of "C**ltics" that we can come up with for the heat?. I guess we would have to finish ahead of just one of chi/bkn but not both (and not be ahead of both). But, I guess, don't count the chickens yet. I'd rather have Washington in the first round and then worry about who we face next rather than having chi/bkn in the first round and having less of a chance of making it out. So many interesting possibilities. On the plus side…just try and remember what you were wasting your time on this time last year and smile.

[mountio]

Either third or fourth it doesn't bother me. I'd like to get home court advantage though, would be cool for the city of Toronto. I'm sure the atmosphere would be amazing, and would be fun to see if they could step up to that challenge.

Agree with that first and foremost, would take either 3rd or 4th with a shittier match up than 5th with a good match up. Ill be at every home game, so the more the better ...

[mountio]

We are not winning championship this year anyway.

Just go with the flow. I'm sure we'll get what we deserve.

Agreed with that .. but having a hope in the 2nd round (assuming we can get there of course, which is a big assumption for now) sounds a lot better to me than being up against the Heat ...