Standings watch for C's picks in 2015

[slamtheking]

STANDINGS WATCH  as of 1/14/15
Boston Pick #7 right now (based on winning %)
            Games Behind    Current Wins     Games Left    Last 10
Indiana       +.5                     15 (+2)              42                  5-5
Charlotte    +.5                      15 (+3)              42                  5-5
Detroit        even                  14 (+1)             43                   8-2
Boston        even                  13                      45                  3-7
Orlando      .5                      15 (+2)              40                  4-6
Utah            1                       13 (even)            43                  4-6
LA               2                       12 (-1)             43                  3-7

Clips Pick #22 right now
                Games Behind    Current Wins   Games Left   Last 10
Memphis       1.5 up                 27                    44                6-4
Houston          1 up                    27                   43                 6-4
Toronto           .5 up                   26                   44                 4-6
Dallas            .5 up                  27                    42                7-3
Wash              1 up                    27                   43                 6-4
Clippers          even                    26                   43                 7-3
Chicago           .5                      26                   42                 5-5
SA                2.5 back               24                   42                 6-4
PHX              4 back                 23                    41                6-4

[krumeto]

Just adding a useful little site to check the standings - http://www.tankathon.com/

[Evantime34]

Just adding a useful little site to check the standings - http://www.tankathon.com/

We are 6th now!

[TwinTower14]

Just adding a useful little site to check the standings - http://www.tankathon.com/

We are 6th now!

I feel like the C's have a chance to get to 4, don't see them catching Wolves, Knicks or 76ers....

[TwinTower14]

Just adding a useful little site to check the standings - http://www.tankathon.com/

wow, this site is awesome!!!!

[krumeto]

Just adding a useful little site to check the standings - http://www.tankathon.com/

We are 6th now!

I feel like the C's have a chance to get to 4, don't see them catching Wolves, Knicks or 76ers....

Same with me - 4-7 record seems realistic. Some good players in that tier too.

[acieEarl]

S Johnson would be nice at 5. He's got NBA size. Like to see us grab Harrell with the 2nd pick. I know he's a little undersized but I love his KG mentality. Might have to move up to 10th-15th pick to grab him but the kids a beast.

[slamtheking]

just a quick update will post new standings in a couple of days -- trying to get away from every 2 days -- not enough movement.

anyway, C's now have 5th worst record based on percentage and win total.  Orlando has more wins and a better win percentage but a 1/2 game back based on overall standings. 

[Celtics4ever]

I watched the Duke Louisville Game.  Okafor is a huge kid but is pretty earthbound.   He reminds me a lot of Eddy Curry.  I do not think he would be good to pair with Sullinger.    One could replace Sullinger with him but he will need a mobile guy to have his back.   In the NBA a lot of guys will be big and strong in the NCAA is often enough.

[slamtheking]

STANDINGS WATCH  as of 1/20/15
Boston Pick #5 right now (based on winning %)
            Games Behind    Current Wins     Games Left    Last 10
Indiana       even                     15 (+2)              39                  3-7
Utah            even                    14 (+1)              41                  4-6
Boston         even                    13                     43                  2-8
Orlando      .5                          15 (+2)             38                  2-8
LA               2.5                      12 (-1)               40                  2-8

-->Charlotte and Detroit have put some distance between them and Boston so I'm dropping them from the roll call (hopefully for good). Utah has pulled even in terms of 'games behind'.  another win and I'll throw Philly into the mix.

Clips Pick #23 right now
                Games Behind    Current Wins   Games Left   Last 10
Memphis       1.5 up                 29                    41                6-4
Houston          1 up                    29                   40                 7-3
Dallas            1 up                    29                   40                7-3
Wash              1 up                    29                   40                 7-3
Clippers          even                    28                   40                 7-3
Toronto           .5                       27                    41                 3-7
Chicago           1.5                     27                    39                 4-6
SA                2                        26                    40                 7-3
PHX              3.5                      25                   39                 7-3

Need Toronto, Chicago and SA to pick it up so they knock the Clips back some slots.  feeling less optimistic that OKC is going to catch them at 7 games back with half the season to go.

[mef730]

Just adding a useful little site to check the standings - http://www.tankathon.com/

And I know that this site is realistic because every time I click on it, the Celtics have lost the ten-minute tiebreaker!

My thoughts (for what they're worth, which isn't much):

Alas, if Utah were in the East, they wouldn't even be in competition.

Both Indiana and Orlando worry me, but Indy worries me more.  Orlando seems to be sorting itself out, while Indy is looking increasingly lost.  They could be a threat.

The Lakers are going to be hard to catch.  Their pick is only protected 1-5, so not tanking would cost them, huge.  I'd sit Kobe every other game for the rest of the year and save him for next year, when they are only protected 1-3.  Mathematically, being the 4th worst is most likely to get you the 5th pick, so that's their floor/ceiling.

They only have $36m on the books for 2015-16, plus a $9m team option on Jordan Hill, and you have to figure that there's at least one superstar looking to move to sunny LA (And I heard they have Connect-4 sets in CA, too.).  If they can make it through this year, they can probably sign somebody at the end of the season and have virtually no salary obligations into 2016.

New York is done, but that's not a surprise.  So is Philly. 

Call me crazy (or maybe), but the one team that could surprise us in the second half of the season is Minnesota.  I know, Rubio's boo-boo could be used to keep him on the bench all year, but Martin should be back soon and Pekovic is already back.  Wiggins is ramping up and starting to look like the player everyone thought he would be. 

Ultimately, here's how I think it will shake out, worst to 5th worst:

New York
Philadelphia
LAL
Minnesota
Boston/Indiana

We end up with the sixth pick again.

Final thought: I know that we're all looking forward to next year when we have the Nets pick, but I see them as a playoff team again.  Not because they will be any good, but because everyone else will still be bad.  I think they have just enough talent to push them into the eight seed and they have no incentive to tank.  They'll be a year older with that many more injuries, but I don't see them catching the bottom of the league.  I'm thinking that the best we do with their pick is that they are the 5th worst (which, I realize, is not bad at all, but that's a best-case scenario).

Mike

[Quetzalcoatl]

Just adding a useful little site to check the standings - http://www.tankathon.com/

Both Indiana and Orlando worry me, but Indy worries me more.  Orlando seems to be sorting itself out, while Indy is looking increasingly lost.  They could be a threat.

The Lakers are going to be hard to catch.  Their pick is only protected 1-5, so not tanking would cost them, huge.  I'd sit Kobe every other game for the rest of the year and save him for next year, when they are only protected 1-3.  Mathematically, being the 4th worst is most likely to get you the 5th pick, so that's their floor/ceiling.

They only have $36m on the books for 2015-16, plus a $9m team option on Jordan Hill, and you have to figure that there's at least one superstar looking to move to sunny LA (And I heard they have Connect-4 sets in CA, too.).  If they can make it through this year, they can probably sign somebody at the end of the season and have virtually no salary obligations into 2016.

Final thought: I know that we're all looking forward to next year when we have the Nets pick, but I see them as a playoff team again.  Not because they will be any good, but because everyone else will still be bad.  I think they have just enough talent to push them into the eight seed and they have no incentive to tank.  They'll be a year older with that many more injuries, but I don't see them catching the bottom of the league.  I'm thinking that the best we do with their pick is that they are the 5th worst (which, I realize, is not bad at all, but that's a best-case scenario).

TP for a great post.  My takes are:

I think we are going to be neck and neck with the Lakers and will most likely finish 4-5.  The thing is though that Lil' Buss is an idiot and they are run very poorly.  The team is the Buss family's main source of revenue, so I really doubt they sit Kobe.  On top of that, Kobe is an egomaniac and can still win a few games on his own here and there.  I really doubt he lays down, although he has been saying he might play differently and had 19 assists the other night.  I just don't buy it for a whole season.

Also, I don't think the Nets miss the playoffs, because they're pick swapping with the Hawks and if they gave ATL a lotto pick, it would be really bad. 

Indy is scary, but I have heard Paul might be back with some time left in the season.  They might win a few games in the end if they're trying to get their team in order for next season.  Paul George is a legit superstar and it's even more evident watching them and Lance try to play without him drawing attention.

Seriously, 21.7 PPG / 3.5 APG / 6.8 RPG / 36.4% 3PT%  and #1 in Defensive Win Shares.  That is so beastly. 

So yeah, I think it's safe to pencil us in for 4.5th worst right now.  As we learned last year, the difference between 4th and 5th worst is pretty big, as 5th worst has no chance at the 4th pick.  In a draft with a clear top 3 (again), having the choice of the best of the rest is a pretty big deal.  Here's hoping.

[Tr1boy]

This is going to be a great draft for Ainge. I have a feeling

[Rondo9]

Personally if the Celtics get a top 2 pick, they should go after Karl Towns than Jahil Okafor.

[PickNRoll]

Kobe's probably out for the year, so the Laker's record could improve.