Every time I look, Dallas keeps looking closer and closer.
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Every time I look, Dallas keeps looking closer and closer.
Now 17-9 since December 18th.
NBA needs to realize how exciting this Pelicans push to the playoffs will be compared to any other story in the NBA right now and funnel a lot of resources to get eyes on it
So much is residing on this. If Zion dominates AND kicks off the Grizz from the playoff spot...then this would be an unprecedented season
Attachment 6521
Life comes at you hard.
We won’t see Blazers or Grizzlies really lose a lot and fall behind the Pelicans until March. Nothing to really see in the race for the rest of February but swapping places a game up or half a game behind back and forth.
The rest of Memphis’ February schedule has them finishing the month around 30-30. Portland look like they could be the ones falling behind the Pels this month. Portland plays Grizzlies, Pacers, and Hawks on the road, and play Pels and Celtics at home.
March and April is when the Pels have a significantly easier schedule than the Blazers and Grizzlies. Pels are set up to go 11-5/12-4ish in March, while Grizzlies and Blazers look like they both won’t be any better than 7-8/6-9.
April is practically a cake walk for the Pels if they just show up to play. Couldn’t ask for an easier last month than Wizards twice, Spurs twice, at home vs Hornets, at home vs Suns, and at home vs Sixers. April games should turn out to be 5-2 at worst
Dame appears hurt in this game. Seems like a groin issue.
On one hand, it's lucky timing: all-star break is about to give him basically a week off to recover if it's serious.
On the other hand, if it's serious and he misses, say, 3 weeks, that's basically the end of the Blazers playoff hopes.
Good News / Bad News
With Portland's loss tonight against the Grizzlies, we are now one game out of 9th place.
With Memphis' win tonight over the Blazers, we are now five games out of 8th place.
**Special shout out to Mello who shot 1 of 15. Thanks, man!!!
The grizzlies will be hard to catch but not impossible
http://www.tankathon.com/remaining_schedule_strength
Toughest schedule = Mem
Easiest = Pels
2nd easiest = Port
We aint worried about Memphis.
Yeah there scheule is tough, but I'm not counting them out . Plus who knows what stars are going to sit games out when they play them.
March is going to be the month if the pels are going to get by then ft though. If it goes to April then you have teams in playoff position possibly sitting players
Eastern Conference, but:
Tonight Indiana gave the Bucks a loss.
The same Indiana that we beat short handed....beat the Bucks by 7.
Portland Trail Blazers star Damian Lillard suffered a right groin strain (grade 1-2) and is unlikely to participate in Sunday night’s All-Star Game, league sources tell Yahoo Sports.
— Chris Haynes (@ChrisBHaynes) February 13, 2020
Will he still rap?
The only thing that stops this team from making the 8 is health.
They have more talent then the other 4 teams they are competing with and a more favorable schedule.
This is why I care more for heath + cohesion and miss the playoff than be injured and don't get reps into the players.
That's sucks for lillard
John Hollinger just pointed out on Twitter: last year, Curry had a groin strain and it took him out 11 games; from November 10th until November 29th.
Last year also, Lebron had a groin strain. It took him out 17 games; from December 27th until January 29th.
19 days out for Curry, 33 days out for Lebron.
Blazers next play February 21st; that's 8 days from now. That's against us. Dame could very very easily be out for that game; a 4-0 sweep of the Blazers sounds fitting :hihi:
Obviously we have no idea how serious Lillard's strain is yet; it could be extremely minor and maybe he'll be back after all-star break and never really miss a real game.
But let's play the interesting hypothetical game. Let's say he misses somewhere in between Curry and Lebron's absence: 26 days. How many games do the Blazers play in the next 26 days? Well, today is February 13th so 26 days from now is March 10th (leap year, so 29 days in Feb).
- vs Pelicans on Feb 21st
- vs Pistons on Feb 23rd
- vs Boston on Feb 25th
- @ Pacers on Feb 27th
- @ Hawks on Feb 29th
- @ Orlando on March 2nd
- vs Wizards on March 4th
- @ Phoenix on March 6th
- vs Kings on March 7th
- vs Phoenix on March 10th
That's 10 games. Without Dame, none of those are guaranteed wins for Portland, not even Hawks. If Lillard doesn't play, it would extremely easy for them to go something like 3-7 in that stretch.
It's starting to sizzle.
We love to use full season stats. That's a bit weird with this team since we have gone through so many stages and arena completely different team than the start of the season. These are the stats since our 13 game losing streak (from The Bird Writes).
Attachment 6525
Feed me LIFE.
#Grizzlies starting lineup of
— Fastbreak Breakfast (@fastbreakbreak) February 22, 2020
J. Morant
D. Brooks
K. Anderson
J. Jackson Jr
J. Valanciunas
before trade deadline:
100.6 Off rating, +8.3 net rating 54.9 eFG%
after trade deadline:
76.5 Off rating, -37.0 net rating 38.6 eFG%
PELS WILL GET THE 8th seed
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I had said Portland would be the biggest challenge, but I think I am underestimating the Spurs because of Pops.
Thankfully still got 3 games against the Spurs.
Pelicans just have to keep playing and believing they are a top 10 team in the league and keep cutting out the dumb turnovers. And Jrue just needs to play average. No more cluster **** eggs and they'll get that 8th seed.
Add the kings to a team to watch. 5 back of the grizz now and 1 back of the pels and they have a top 10 easy schedule the rest of the easy
Memphis F Jaren Jackson Jr., has a sprained knee and will be re-evaluated in two weeks, team says.
— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) February 23, 2020
Key injury to an important player for Memphis.
2 weeks from now takes us until March 8th. Memphis play
- @Clippers
- @Rockets
- VS Kings
- VS Lakers
- @Hawks
- @Nets
- @ Mavericks
- VS Hawks
That's not a favourable schedule for them. I could easily imagine them going 3-5 in those games even with JJJ, without him 2-6 could be easily on the cards.
So if OKC holds this lead and beats the Spurs tonight, and we take care of the Warriors, we should be in 9th by the end of the night. My body is ready.
Wait scratch that. The Blazers play the Pistons. Well that was a nice thought for 11 seconds.
Just under 4 minutes to play and the game is tied. The Pistons were up by 10 just a little while ago. They are one of the more stupid teams I have seen play. Portland will win this.
Imagine if we did not have that like 13 game losing streak in December
It's only the first quarter, but right now the Clippers are beating the brakes off Memphis. Score is 35-9 with 1 minute left in the first quarter.
End of the first quarter: Clippers are up 40-14 over Memphis
Man, Paul George has taken such a step back over the last year or so.
Halftime. Clippers up, 66-37.
Ouch.
Start of the 4th quarter. Clippers up 90-66.
Unless Grizz have an absolute explosion, I feel like this game is going our way.
Expected loss
But the pels dont have it any easier tommorow
I have more faith in our ability to beat the Lakers than I do in Memphis to beat the Clippers :hihi:
Partially because while we're 0-2 against the Lakers this year, both games were competitive. We lost the first one by 4 points at home, and the second one by 10 on the road.
Memphis are about to get 30 balled and it's been 25+ since halfway through the first quarter.
Also want to point out that not only are Memphis losing, not only are they losing badly, but they're losing against a Clippers team that isn't even playing massively well.
Kawhi has 25, which is normal for him. Montrezl has 22, but only 3 rebounds. Paul George hasn't cracked 10 points; he's 3/11 shooting for 27.3% on the night. Marcus Morris has the 2nd most points in the starting lineup, with 13. Lou Will has 8 points. Pat Bev has 6.
Don't get me wrong, they've scored efficiently (50% shooting overall, 40% from 3!) but this isn't like a dominating team performance where they have 5 guys score at least 18 points and Kawhi goes for 40 or something.
This is just a relatively normal night for LAC, with a couple of bad performances from starters. And they're just annihilating Memphis.
Memphis lose, 124-97.
We are now only 3 games behind Memphis for the #8 seed.
I feel like it will be, as long as Paul George gets it together in time for the playoffs; his step back this year has been jarring. Part of it is due to injury, and part is due to the load management slowing down their chemistry building, but there's not that much time left!
Bucks will win though, regardless of who they face imo. Just too good.