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

Will the Spurs get HCA in the '25-26 Playoffs?

  • Total voters
    68
Been thinking about this and the Nuggets are basically just choosing the order in which they'll play the Thunder and the Spurs.
I can't see any of those three teams being eliminated by anyone else, assuming everyone is healthy.

If I was on the Nuggets, I'd rather play the Rockets and the Thunder because their odds of beating the Thunder would be way lower if they go the Timberwolves-Spurs-Thunder route, with the Thunder having two easy series.
Beating them after taking care of the Rockets isn't that unrealistic.
 
Two games to play and the Lakers trail the Nuggets by one game. The Lakers have the Blazers and the tanking Jazz. They also hold the tiebreaker over the Nuggets. The Nuggets have a game against the Thunder and the Spurs. Now the Thunder could do the smart thing and rest everyone against Denver but that starts the narrative that they are ducking them. Plus you don't want to give a rival confidence with any type of victory against you. So hopefully they will play 4 da win. If the Thunder does win, it would behoove the Spurs to go all out for the win Sunday because moving Denver to OKC's side of the bracket would be huge! I don't fear Denver or OKC but the ring is the thing so let's be smart about this. I feel the plan was get Wemby his 20 min game against Dallas and then rest til playoffs but trying to win Sunday might make our path to ring #6 that much easier.
 
the thing with denver is you are going to have to go through both OKC and SA regardless (in all likelihood), so jostling for a better round 2 matchup when you will presumably play the other one in round 3 anyway is kind of a fools errand, as opposed to at least giving yourself the easier round 1
 
Maybe they think the Spurs are easier prey than the Thunder. I think they're wrong but they're a veteran squad looking across at a team with zero playoff experience together tbh.
 
BatManu20 said:
https://twitter.com/x/status/2042392955315765454
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I think Portland would still have to beat Sacramento to get the 8 seed even if they beat the Clippers (assuming the Clips beat GSW).

The difference between being 8 or 9 is huge.

If you're 8 you have two chances to make the playoffs and may even get the 7 seed by winning your first game against Phoenix.

Even if you lose that first game, you get a home game against the winner of 9-10 to make the playoffs.

If you're 9, it's one and done -- and even if you win that first game you have to quickly go on the road and win just to get the 8 seed.
 
Mugen said:
Maybe they think the Spurs are easier prey than the Thunder. I think they're wrong but they're a veteran squad looking across at a team with zero playoff experience together tbh.
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im sure they do, and probably justifiably so. jokic to a large extent neutralizes wemby's defensive impact both by being able to space him out (and denver doesnt have anybody for wemby to cheat off of) and also being able to score against him one on one when needed. the spurs also have the experience issue, and in a crunch time game, id rather deal with Fox and Castle than SGA

but either way, they're going to have to get thru both to reach the finals anyway
 
I thought the OKC injury report was by one of those NBA Centrel type spoof accounts. They are such Warriors, playing through all these injuries until the very end :cry::st-cry::cry::st-cry:😭😭:st-cry::cry::st-cry::cry:. A reminder that hard fouling people doesn't just hurt the other person, it hurts you too.
 
Robz4000 said:
OKC is literally sitting their entire rotation tbh.
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They’re going with players 11-15, plus 3 two way players to make the requisite 8 man minimum. This is exactly why I wanted us to keep winning to put pressure on them. We forced them to play starters and rotation players all the way up to game #80. No rest for the wicked.
 
$pursDynasty said:
Two games to play and the Lakers trail the Nuggets by one game. The Lakers have the Blazers and the tanking Jazz. They also hold the tiebreaker over the Nuggets. The Nuggets have a game against the Thunder and the Spurs. Now the Thunder could do the smart thing and rest everyone against Denver but that starts the narrative that they are ducking them. Plus you don't want to give a rival confidence with any type of victory against you. So hopefully they will play 4 da win. If the Thunder does win, it would behoove the Spurs to go all out for the win Sunday because moving Denver to OKC's side of the bracket would be huge! I don't fear Denver or OKC but the ring is the thing so let's be smart about this. I feel the plan was get Wemby his 20 min game against Dallas and then rest til playoffs but trying to win Sunday might make our path to ring #6 that much easier.
Click to expand...
OKC is resting their top TEN players, going with their 11-15 guys, plus 3 two way players to hit the requisite 8 dressed players. They’re not winning this game, but obviously dumping it.
 
Clippers-Blazers should be a fun game, actually looking forward to watching that one. Surprised national TV didn't pivot away from OKC v DEN G-League matchup.
 
Mugen said:
Maybe they think the Spurs are easier prey than the Thunder. I think they're wrong but they're a veteran squad looking across at a team with zero playoff experience together tbh.
Click to expand...
They may be right, there's always the chance 2026 All Star Game Murray shows up....
 
Mugen said:
Maybe they think the Spurs are easier prey than the Thunder. I think they're wrong but they're a veteran squad looking across at a team with zero playoff experience together tbh.
Click to expand...
IMO, the Spurs look ferocious when clicking, possibly the best team in the NBA, but the massive question and hurdle is how they react to the playoffs. To me, that's a safe bet that they'll face significant growing pains this postseason.
 
Suns going to try to win or 100 tank? I don't think they'll 100% tank but will they play their starters?

The Flamers now have Lebron with a possible jacked up wrist when he tried to recreate his epic Finals chasedown block of the 2016 Fake dynasty Warriors. He did get the block last night too but left the game....
 
$pursDynasty said:
Two games to play and the Lakers trail the Nuggets by one game. The Lakers have the Blazers and the tanking Jazz. They also hold the tiebreaker over the Nuggets. The Nuggets have a game against the Thunder and the Spurs. Now the Thunder could do the smart thing and rest everyone against Denver but that starts the narrative that they are ducking them. Plus you don't want to give a rival confidence with any type of victory against you. So hopefully they will play 4 da win. If the Thunder does win, it would behoove the Spurs to go all out for the win Sunday because moving Denver to OKC's side of the bracket would be huge! I don't fear Denver or OKC but the ring is the thing so let's be smart about this. I feel the plan was get Wemby his 20 min game against Dallas and then rest til playoffs but trying to win Sunday might make our path to ring #6 that much easier.
Click to expand...
Lakers play the Suns, not the Blazers.
Booker, Goodwin, and Highsmith are ruled out and Green is a GTD. Lakers are favored now. If they win tonight and against Utah, Spurs decide the 3 seed.
 
Fabbs said:
Suns going to try to win or 100 tank? I don't think they'll 100% tank but will they play their starters?

The Flamers now have Lebron with a possible jacked up wrist when he tried to recreate his epic Finals chasedown block of the 2016 Fake dynasty Warriors. He did get the block last night too but left the game....
Click to expand...
Per ESPN Booker, Goodwin, and Highsmith are ruled out tonight. I think this means Booker will be ineligible for awards too, think he needed 20min in each of the last 2.
 
I know most would rather play the Lakers in R2, but could their MVP LakerRef make an appearance?
Wemby with 3 fouls in the 1st qtr etc.
 
Fabbs said:
I know most would rather play the Lakers in R2, but could their MVP LakerRef make an appearance?
Wemby with 3 fouls in the 1st qtr etc.
Click to expand...
Absolutely 1000%. I’d still want to play them because no way both Luka and AR are 100%
 
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