The Road to the Top of the East(09-10 version)pg. 41

[ma 6]

Phoenix is really struggling with the new coaching style since people were used to the fast pace offense, maybe defense a bit mindset for so many years. It looks like they are in limbo, and Stoudamire is really not contributing anything.

 

I guess the only guy who is not struggling is Shaq since he is used to half-court defensive mindset.

 

quote:

Originally posted by ball junkie:

Looks like the defending NBA Champs have awakened from their slump...The Celtics lead the Suns at halftime, 64-34.

 

Yikes...!!!

 

Oh well, can't wait for Thusday...should be interesting.

[ball junkie 277]

From Brian Schmitz blog:

 

quote:

Good Morning, NBA: Magic Own Best Record As Cavs Fall

 

 

The news for the Magic just keeps getting better: They won Monday night without breaking a sweat.

 

Thanks to the L.A. Lakers' win over the Cleveland Cavs, the Magic won the top spot in the NBA standings. The Boston Celtics beat the Phoenix Suns on Martin Luther King Day.

 

The Magic are 33-8 and have won seven straight.

 

The standings:

 

 

 

1. Orlando 33-8 .805 This is the Magic's inauguaration

 

2. L.A. 32-8 .800 Magic beat Lakers last week

 

3. Cleveland 31-8 .795 Cavs-Magic yet to play this season

 

4. Boston 34-9 .791 Celts on roll again, look out below --- or above

 

The Celtics visit Orlando Thursday.

 

http://blogs.orlandosentinel.com/sports_magic/2009/01/g...rd-as-cavs-fall.html

[SmackDaddy 30]

Uh oh. Looks like it's not so easy for an opponent to win in Los Angeles after all.

The Cavs got spanked in that 4th quarter.

[Jareth Cutestory 678]

So when do they determine who coaches the All Star teams? Is it literally the last game before the break?

[You're Fat, Pat! 98]

According to wikipedia:

 

 

quote:

The coaches who currently lead the team with the most wins in their conference through the Sunday two weeks before the game coach their respective conferences. However, the same coach cannot coach the team in consecutive seasons

 

So I guess whoever's got the best record by February 1st gets the nod.

 

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/National_Basketball_Association_All-Star_Game

[Skywise316 211]

quote:

Originally posted by You're Fat, Pat!:

According to wikipedia:

 

 

quote:

The coaches who currently lead the team with the most wins in their conference through the Sunday two weeks before the game coach their respective conferences. However, the same coach cannot coach the team in consecutive seasons

 

So I guess whoever's got the best record by February 1st gets the nod.

 

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/National_Basketball_Association_All-Star_Game

 

The Cavs have 6 games left before then, the Magic have 4.

 

The Cavs-Magic game on the 29th very well could determine who coaches the All Star Game.

[ball junkie 277]

I got this from a poster at RealGM...he studied the remaing schedules of the Celts, Cavs and Magic...he feels we are/should be the favorite now to win the East...I thought it was interesting enough to post:

 

quote:

I made analysis what is ahead of the top 3 teams in East:

 

 

Home Vs. away games

 

ORL 24:19

BOS 18:21

CLE 21:22

 

 

Now lets look the quality of the oponent teams.That is why I will devide teams in 2 groups:

 

- Good teams: Top 9 Western teams + top 8 Eastern teams(Bos,Orl,Cle,Atl,Det,Mia,Phi,Mil)

- Avarage teams: Other 13 teams

 

 

Home games against avarage teams Vs. good teams

 

ORL 13:11

BOS 9:9

CLE 8:13

 

 

Away game against avarage teams Vs. good teams

 

ORL 9:11

BOS 5:16 *!!!

CLE 10:12

 

Away games Vs. top 9 Western teams:

 

ORL 2 (NOH, HOU)

BOS 6 (NOH, DAL, UTA, PHO, DEN, SAS)

CLE 5 (POR, UTA, HOU, SAS, PHO)

 

 

 

Looking at the schedule Orlando is the favorite to finish first:

- They have the fewest away games(19)

- They have a majority of home games against average teams(13:11)

- They have the fewest away games against good teams(11)

- They have the fewest away games against top 9 Eastern teams(2)

 

http://www.realgm.com/boards/viewtopic.php?f=25&t=872889

[You're Fat, Pat! 98]

Yummy.

 

I seriously believe the most important title in the NBA season this year is #1 seed in the East. As we always mention, whoever gets that spot gets Homecourt through the ECF, if not Finals, AND gets to play the winner of a 2-3 matchup after they likely got beat up by the loser and went 6 or 7 games.

 

#1 seed, I'd say, has a 70% better chance than the winner of the #2-#3 in the ECF.

 

But of course, this is the NBA and there's no guarantee these teams will reach the ECF...heck, there's no guarantee these teams will get outta the first round!

[Skywise316 211]

quote:

Originally posted by You're Fat, Pat!:

Yummy.

 

I seriously believe the most important title in the NBA season this year is #1 seed in the East. As we always mention, whoever gets that spot gets Homecourt through the ECF, if not Finals, AND gets to play the winner of a 2-3 matchup after they likely got beat up by the loser and went 6 or 7 games.

 

#1 seed, I'd say, has a 70% better chance than the winner of the #2-#3 in the ECF.

 

But of course, this is the NBA and there's no guarantee these teams will reach the ECF...heck, there's no guarantee these teams will get outta the first round!

 

LOL just ask the Dallas Mavericks. But in that year in the West every single playoff team was a threat to do damage.

 

In the East this year, there are three clear tiers of power. At the top, Orlando-Cleveland-Boston. Then in the second, ATL, Detroit, and Miami. Then in the third, there's basically all the other Eastern teams headed by the Nets, Philly, and Milwaukee. For now, anyway.

 

Oh... and I mean every other Eastern team except Washington. They're in a level of suck all their own.

 

But the point is, there's a clear advantage to each playoff seed over another. Even when it just comes to the first round, you want to be 1st or 2nd because it's wise to avoid Dwayne Wade in the opening round.

 

And like YFP mentioned, staying away from would should be a 2nd seed v. 3rd seed bloodbath in the semis is of paramount importance. Not that ATL or Detroit (if the rankings stay close to the same) can't put up a fight, but both teams also clearly have their weaknesses.

[ball junkie 277]

There's a new number 1 team...and it ain't the Magic.

 

1.) Celtics - 35-9

2.) MAGIC - 33-8 GB .5

3.) Lakers - 33-8 GB .5

4.) Cavs - 32-8 GB 1.0

 

Man, you talk about a tight race...and this is only the mid-point of the season...should be exciting the closer we get to the end of the regular season.

 

Thankfully the team that is ahead of us in the standings is coming to Amway Arena tonight...Boy, the last few games the Celtics have been blowing people out!

 

Strap on your boots...it should be a Great Game Tonight!!!!!

[Skywise316 211]

quote:

Originally posted by ball junkie:

There's a new number 1 team...and it ain't the Magic.

 

1.) Celtics - 35-9

2.) MAGIC - 33-8 GB .5

3.) Lakers - 33-8 GB .5

4.) Cavs - 32-8 GB 1.0

 

Man, you talk about a tight race...and this is only the mid-point of the season...should be exciting the closer we get to the end of the regular season.

 

Thankfully the team that is ahead of us in the standings is coming to Amway Arena tonight...Boy, the last few games the Celtics have been blowing people out!

 

Strap on your boots...it should be a Great Game Tonight!!!!!

 

What's funny is if you go by winning percentage it's totally different.

 

1a. MAGIC .805

1b. Lakers .805

3. Cavaliers .800

4. Celtics .795

 

That's how tight it is with the Top Four, with all of them within a game of each other to boot. Pretty sick! I like that Orlando's playing Boston tonight, the winner clearly #1 in the East (if Boston wins, they'll be tied with Cleveland with a .800 winning percentage, but with 36 wins to 32, obviously they'd be the common sense #1 in the East to that point. If the Magic win, they'd go a half game ahead of Boston and would also get a bit of separation in winning percentage).

[You're Fat, Pat! 98]

Boston 36 9 .800 -

Cleveland 33 8 .805 1

Orlando 33 10 .767 2

 

 

Cleveland currently losing to Utah at half.