Analysis The Race for Home-Court Advantage - 25/26 Playoffs Seed Tracker

[spurraider21]

I like how the bracket looks right now. I would rather be on the HOU/LAL side than the DEN/MIN side

pretty sure lakers own the tiebreak against most of these teams too, so they are very likely to wind up 3rd

 

[scott]

Almost. Portland moving up to 8 and winning their play-in game would be ideal. I’d rather play Portland than the suns or clippers

Am I the only one a little weary of the Blazers? They've played us tough both games (both without Wemby... first game needed Fox going for 37 and a big 4th quarter with an exhausted Deni missing 6 FT to beat them, second game was also without Wemby and we lost) and have a couple of guys who are exactly the type who tend to go off for big games against us (Deni, Sharpe, Toumani). Clingan is no match for Wemby but at least is a capable big man who provides rim protection against our slashing guards.

I think we win in 5 or 6 against them, but it would push our team. Maybe that's a good thing. We'll see what the final game against them looks like if both teams are at full strength. They also have Jrue and Scoot back and both are playing fairly well. Maybe I'm just higher than consensus on POR because I think they have some exciting pieces. I think they should have tanked for one more piece, but I still think they have a good base to build on with Dame coming back next year... we'll see what he looks like.

All of the play-in teams (depending on whether Curry is back for GSW) give me more pause than HOU or LAL.

Power Ranking the Western Conference teams in terms of how they specifically match up against us (with #1 being the toughest matchup)

1. MIN
2. OKC
3. DEN
4. LAC
5. PHO
6. POR
7. GSW
8. LAL
9. HOU

 

[spurraider21]

Am I the only one a little weary of the Blazers? They've played us tough both games (both without Wemby... first game needed Fox going for 37 and a big 4th quarter with an exhausted Deni missing 6 FT to beat them, second game was also without Wemby and we lost) and have a couple of guys who are exactly the type who tend to go off for big games against us (Deni, Sharpe, Toumani). Clingan is no match for Wemby but at least is a capable big man who provides rim protection against our slashing guards.

I think we win in 5 or 6 against them, but it would push our team. Maybe that's a good thing. We'll see what the final game against them looks like if both teams are at full strength. They also have Jrue and Scoot back and both are playing fairly well. Maybe I'm just higher than consensus on POR because I think they have some exciting pieces. I think they should have tanked for one more piece, but I still think they have a good base to build on with Dame coming back next year... we'll see what he looks like.

All of the play-in teams (depending on whether Curry is back for GSW) give me more pause than HOU or LAL.

Power Ranking the Western Conference teams in terms of how they specifically match up against us (with #1 being the toughest matchup)

1. MIN
2. OKC
3. DEN
4. LAC
5. PHO
6. POR
7. GSW
8. LAL
9. HOU

i guess, but man... its the playoffs. gotta play somebody.

Portland has some nice players for sure, i like what's brewing there. but im not more worried about them right now than I am the Suns. on paper, the warriors shoudnt be too much of a concern with Butler out, and now Moody who was bombing away against us last time, but they are well coached and have guys like Gui Santos, Will Richard, Quentin Post being productive within a system. and if theres a healthy Curry, thats always terrifying for obvious reasons... but it took superhuman games from him to eek out those two wins earlier in the year, and those were with Butler

 

[scott]

i guess, but man... its the playoffs. gotta play somebody.

Portland has some nice players for sure, i like what's brewing there. but im not more worried about them right now than I am the Suns. on paper, the warriors shoudnt be too much of a concern with Butler out, and now Moody who was bombing away against us last time, but they are well coached and have guys like Gui Santos, Will Richard, Quentin Post being productive within a system. and if theres a healthy Curry, thats always terrifying for obvious reasons... but it took superhuman games from him to eek out those two wins earlier in the year, and those were with Butler

Yeah, that's why I have GSW below POR.

Ultimately, the true Spurs haven't played the true Blazers yet so I'm not completely sure how we match up. To your point... we've gotta play somebody... but I'm not as confident against POR as some others. They'll be a good test for us, which might actually be a good thing to acclimate us to playoff basketball.

 

[100%Duncan]

Yeah, that's why I have GSW below POR.

Ultimately, the true Spurs haven't played the true Blazers yet so I'm not completely sure how we match up. To your point... we've gotta play somebody... but I'm not as confident against POR as some others. They'll be a good test for us, which might actually be a good thing to acclimate us to playoff basketball.

The thing with Portland is Deni is not as good as Booker or Nephew.

Though their frontcourt might be the best among the three.

 

[MannyIG]

Am I the only one a little weary of the Blazers? They've played us tough both games (both without Wemby... first game needed Fox going for 37 and a big 4th quarter with an exhausted Deni missing 6 FT to beat them, second game was also without Wemby and we lost) and have a couple of guys who are exactly the type who tend to go off for big games against us (Deni, Sharpe, Toumani). Clingan is no match for Wemby but at least is a capable big man who provides rim protection against our slashing guards.

I think we win in 5 or 6 against them, but it would push our team. Maybe that's a good thing. We'll see what the final game against them looks like if both teams are at full strength. They also have Jrue and Scoot back and both are playing fairly well. Maybe I'm just higher than consensus on POR because I think they have some exciting pieces. I think they should have tanked for one more piece, but I still think they have a good base to build on with Dame coming back next year... we'll see what he looks like.

All of the play-in teams (depending on whether Curry is back for GSW) give me more pause than HOU or LAL.

Power Ranking the Western Conference teams in terms of how they specifically match up against us (with #1 being the toughest matchup)

1. MIN
2. OKC
3. DEN
4. LAC
5. PHO
6. POR
7. GSW
8. LAL
9. HOU

The only two teams I am leary of right now are (other than OKC obviously) are Denver and Boston. Boston obviously doesn't matter until the Finals, but Denver with Jokic is just a team I am worried about. But I'm not worried about the Suns, I am not worried about Portland, I am not worried about the Clippers. Maybe Minnesota a little bit but not really over 7 games.

 

[Mugen]

If the Spurs made it to the Finals, the only thing I'd be worried about is whether they ring at home or on the road tbh.

 

[ace3g]

https://twitter.com/x/status/2036812862211948637

 

[ace3g]

 

[ace3g]

Come on Boston

 

[ace3g]

 

[ace3g]

 

[SpursFan86]

Boston win here would be huge. C'mon Celtics!

 

[LeBowen]

Celtics get the W.
We're just 2 losses behind, but just 1 in reality since we own the tier-breaker.

Thunder schedule:

They still have 2 b2bs against good teams, it's not out of the realm of possibility...

 

[spursistan]

Boston are legit. Beating a fully healthy OKC team with D-While having a bad game is a good sign..

Spurs back to trailing Thunder by 2 games with 9 to go..We still have a race for Top seed, which would have been ridiculous to say it back in December.

 

[ace3g]

 

[100%Duncan]

regardless of seeding, we should target the lakers/rockets semis

 

[spursistan]

Boston are legit. Beating a fully healthy OKC team with D-While having a bad game is a good sign..

Spurs back to trailing Thunder by 2 games with 9 to go..We still have a race for Top seed, which would have been ridiculous to say it back in December.

I'm officially Boston > Denver as a threat to OKC

 

[scott]

Celtics get the W.
We're just 2 losses behind, but just 1 in reality since we own the tier-breaker.

Thunder schedule:
View attachment 1372
They still have 2 b2bs against good teams, it's not out of the realm of possibility...

Still 2 losses behind... in other words, they need to have two more losses than us the rest of the way for us to be tied, in which case we get the tie-breaker (not trying to be picky... but it's a real 2-game deficit).

But, I see 7 potentially losable games here. OKC will rightfully be favored in all of them... but there is a lot of possibility on the menu here... Knicks win on Sunday would be huge.

Realistically, we need to win out though.

 

[MannyIG]

Well at least the door is cracked open now. Thanks Boston

 

[Mugen]

 

[ace3g]

 

[bozhemoi]

OKC would be 60-13 already if not for the Spurs. They're having a hell of a season.

 

[spursistan]

Still 2 losses behind... in other words, they need to have two more losses than us the rest of the way for us to be tied, in which case we get the tie-breaker (not trying to be picky... but it's a real 2-game deficit).

But, I see 7 potentially losable games here. OKC will rightfully be favored in all of them... but there is a lot of possibility on the menu here... Knicks win on Sunday would be huge.

Realistically, we need to win out though.

I think they will lose one of the Lakers games + the away game at Denver (Nuggets are due one after 2 heartbreaks). Can the Spurs run the table from here? Probably not. So i think this will end with with one game gap between 2 60-win teams setting up a much-anticipated WCF..

 

[Mugen]

OKC would be 60-13 already if not for the Spurs. They're having a hell of a season.

^Thunder homer tbh