2024 NBA Season and Playoffs

[Goldstar88]

Rockets played a healthy/decent team tonight and they lost by nearly 20pts. 

[SparzWizard]

Everything lining up for the Lakers for a cinderella-type run again. Kings' Malik Monk and Kevin Huerter out. KAT injured. OKC soft and inexperienced.

On the upside, Warriors extend their win streak to 4. Hope they can make LeBron earn it in the play-ins.

[celticinorlando]

I would really enjoy the Heat and Lakers not making the playoffs.

[Who]

NY and Orlando are the 2nd and 3rd best teams in the East for me.

Not impressed by Milwaukee at all. I have them 6th or 7th. Cleveland is solid but their pieces do not fit well together. They are similar to NYK and ORL but those teams actually fit together so I give them the nod over Cleveland. Then there is Indiana as the all-offense threat who I would also place above Milwaukee.

[Silas]

I would really enjoy the Heat and Lakers not making the playoffs.

One can only hope...

[Roy H.]

NY and Orlando are the 2nd and 3rd best teams in the East for me.

Not impressed by Milwaukee at all. I have them 6th or 7th. Cleveland is solid but their pieces do not fit well together. They are similar to NYK and ORL but those teams actually fit together so I give them the nod over Cleveland. Then there is Indiana as the all-offense threat who I would also place above Milwaukee.

Is that projecting that Randle and OGA will be back?

[Who]

NY and Orlando are the 2nd and 3rd best teams in the East for me.

Not impressed by Milwaukee at all. I have them 6th or 7th. Cleveland is solid but their pieces do not fit well together. They are similar to NYK and ORL but those teams actually fit together so I give them the nod over Cleveland. Then there is Indiana as the all-offense threat who I would also place above Milwaukee.

Is that projecting that Randle and OGA will be back?

Are they not coming back? I didn't realize they were out for the playoffs.

[celticinorlando]

NY and Orlando are the 2nd and 3rd best teams in the East for me.

Not impressed by Milwaukee at all. I have them 6th or 7th. Cleveland is solid but their pieces do not fit well together. They are similar to NYK and ORL but those teams actually fit together so I give them the nod over Cleveland. Then there is Indiana as the all-offense threat who I would also place above Milwaukee.

I can't get into the Knicks unless Randle and OG are back and close to 100 percent. I think both those guys have some real injuries to be concerned about.

Orlando has boom or bust written all over them. They just could be really good or just the opposite.

Cavs are in a nose dive. People think Miami is going to flip some switch this year but I do not think they will catch that magic in a bottle.

Still think it is the Bucks as the biggest challenge in the East. But the Pacers would be a tough draw for them.

[Roy H.]

NY and Orlando are the 2nd and 3rd best teams in the East for me.

Not impressed by Milwaukee at all. I have them 6th or 7th. Cleveland is solid but their pieces do not fit well together. They are similar to NYK and ORL but those teams actually fit together so I give them the nod over Cleveland. Then there is Indiana as the all-offense threat who I would also place above Milwaukee.

Is that projecting that Randle and OGA will be back?

Are they not coming back? I didn't realize they were out for the playoffs.

It's not a sure thing:

Ian Begley: OG Anunoby hasn’t taken any contact in a practice setting since he’s been sidelined with right elbow injury management , Tom Thibodeau says 14 hours ago – via Twitter IanBegley

Fred Katz: Tom Thibodeau on if there is concern within the medical staff that OG Anunoby could not come back this season: “Just deal with reality day to day.” 14 hours ago – via Twitter FredKatz

Ian Begley: Josh Hart says he’s not part of any medical conversations but believes the Knicks should approach games as if this is the team they’ll have and if OG Anunoby and Julius Randle come back they’ll be pleasantly surprised. 10 hours ago – via Twitter IanBegley

[Phantom255x]

NY and Orlando are the 2nd and 3rd best teams in the East for me.

Not impressed by Milwaukee at all. I have them 6th or 7th. Cleveland is solid but their pieces do not fit well together. They are similar to NYK and ORL but those teams actually fit together so I give them the nod over Cleveland. Then there is Indiana as the all-offense threat who I would also place above Milwaukee.

Is that projecting that Randle and OGA will be back?

Are they not coming back? I didn't realize they were out for the playoffs.

It's not a sure thing:

Ian Begley: OG Anunoby hasn’t taken any contact in a practice setting since he’s been sidelined with right elbow injury management , Tom Thibodeau says 14 hours ago – via Twitter IanBegley

Fred Katz: Tom Thibodeau on if there is concern within the medical staff that OG Anunoby could not come back this season: “Just deal with reality day to day.” 14 hours ago – via Twitter FredKatz

Ian Begley: Josh Hart says he’s not part of any medical conversations but believes the Knicks should approach games as if this is the team they’ll have and if OG Anunoby and Julius Randle come back they’ll be pleasantly surprised. 10 hours ago – via Twitter IanBegley

If they aren't that close now then honestly it probably doesn't look good for their chances of a return. I guess if the Knicks make a deep run they could come back but even then how effective can they realistically be.

Like we say the same with Embiid but Embiid is likely returning this very week so he can knock off some rust. If Randle and OG aren't close now on April 1 then it's likely they will miss more time. Playoffs are in less than 3 weeks.

[Moranis]

There are regular season teams and then there are playoff teams. And there are often differences. In fact, in the East Boston is the only team I'd have in the top 4 for each (and they are 1 in both).

Regular season
Boston, Orlando, New York, Cleveland

Post season
Boston, Milwaukee, Miami, Philly (with Embiid)

To win in each requires different things.  To win in the playoffs you need a top level reliable player and you just don't need that in the regular season where quality depth is far more important to winning. Take the Cavs, they have a bunch of really good players and very solid overall depth, but they don't have a top 15 player to take over when you need him to in the playoffs.  The depth has allowed them to withstand injuries and win at a good level in the regular season, but they aren't a deep playoff contender.  And conversely a team like the Bucks can look like a train wreck at times in the regular season, but when push comes to shove they have 2 top level players they can rely on to finish games. 

[celticsclay]

There are regular season teams and then there are playoff teams. And there are often differences. In fact, in the East Boston is the only team I'd have in the top 4 for each (and they are 1 in both).

Regular season
Boston, Orlando, New York, Cleveland

Post season
Boston, Milwaukee, Miami, Philly (with Embiid)

To win in each requires different things.  To win in the playoffs you need a top level reliable player and you just don't need that in the regular season where quality depth is far more important to winning. Take the Cavs, they have a bunch of really good players and very solid overall depth, but they don't have a top 15 player to take over when you need him to in the playoffs.  The depth has allowed them to withstand injuries and win at a good level in the regular season, but they aren't a deep playoff contender.  And conversely a team like the Bucks can look like a train wreck at times in the regular season, but when push comes to shove they have 2 top level players they can rely on to finish games.

Isn’t Mitchell someone that can take over a playoff game for the Cavs? He has had some pretty good success in the last individually https://www.statmuse.com/nba/ask/donovan-mitchell-playoff-stats 

[celticinorlando]

If embiid does come back this week I would love to see the Heat get to the 6 seed, the Sixers be the 7th seed and Boston get the winner of the Bulls/Pacers play in

[Roy H.]

If embiid does come back this week I would love to see the Heat get to the 6 seed, the Sixers be the 7th seed and Boston get the winner of the Bulls/Pacers play in

Works for me.  I don't worry about the Sixers, necessarily, but we sometimes don't bring our best effort with lower seeds.  I'd be happy if the Bucks drew the Sixers.

[Moranis]

There are regular season teams and then there are playoff teams. And there are often differences. In fact, in the East Boston is the only team I'd have in the top 4 for each (and they are 1 in both).

Regular season
Boston, Orlando, New York, Cleveland

Post season
Boston, Milwaukee, Miami, Philly (with Embiid)

To win in each requires different things.  To win in the playoffs you need a top level reliable player and you just don't need that in the regular season where quality depth is far more important to winning. Take the Cavs, they have a bunch of really good players and very solid overall depth, but they don't have a top 15 player to take over when you need him to in the playoffs.  The depth has allowed them to withstand injuries and win at a good level in the regular season, but they aren't a deep playoff contender.  And conversely a team like the Bucks can look like a train wreck at times in the regular season, but when push comes to shove they have 2 top level players they can rely on to finish games.

Isn’t Mitchell someone that can take over a playoff game for the Cavs? He has had some pretty good success in the last individually https://www.statmuse.com/nba/ask/donovan-mitchell-playoff-stats

and yet that led to very limited team success.