Celtics Playoffs Standings Watch thread (27-22, tied for 3rd place)

[PhoSita]

I think the 2-10 spots in the East are gonna be a bit of a dice roll this year.

[mr. dee]

I have a feeling teams will get shake up after the trade deadline. Some teams will get better or worse.

[celticsclay]

I will admit it pains me to update this thread when we are currently out of playoff position, but I think we should be back in it sooner rather than later. Our next 4 games are winnable. We will be slight underdogs at Detroit and at Charlotte, moderate favorites at home versus Knicks and big favorites at home versus LA. I would be very happy with 3-1 for this stretch.

[CelticPride2016]

I will admit it pains me to update this thread when we are currently out of playoff position. ...

It shouldn't. I remember why you wrote this thread. Someone else had started one with a Celtics draft pick watch.

We will easily make the playoffs.

[CelticPride2016]

A home and away against Brooklyn is also in the immediate future.

[CelticPride2016]

We're two games out of second place in the Eastern Conference. We've had a tough schedule so far. Toronto and Atlanta are 18-12. We are only one game back in the loss column to those teams. Just because some people are drowning in negativity, it doesn't mean they understand basketball.

[csfansince60s]

A home and away against Brooklyn is also in the immediate future.

Home and homes don't help us with Brooklyn. In general, I like them. They use to have a lot of those with the Original Six in hockey, but it's hard to beat a team twice in a row, as evidenced by our annihilation of and then loss to Brooklyn a few weeks ago.

[Kuberski33]

I have a feeling teams will get shake up after the trade deadline. Some teams will get better or worse.

Not so sure.  I think if more teams are in contention for the playoffs, they are less likely to make major moves - though this may create an opportunity for the Celtics.  I don't think Danny really cares whether they make the playoffs - if they can add a core player for the future.

[CelticPride2016]

A home and away against Brooklyn is also in the immediate future.

Home and homes don't help us with Brooklyn. In general, I like them. They use to have a lot of those with the Original Six in hockey, but it's hard to beat a team twice in a row, as evidenced by our annihilation of and then loss to Brooklyn a few weeks ago.

That is a good point. Maybe it is like doubleheaders in baseball. Those seem very difficult to sweep.

Perhaps based on your theory, we will beat Detroit. They beat us. Now it should be their turn to lose.

The drafting uncertainty should make for some extra nail biting during the upcoming Brooklyn games.

Someone mentioned that the next 20-30 games is the true patch to keep an eye on, that this is the time to climb towards the top of the Eastern Conference, that it's not about the next five to ten games, but double or triple that number.

The NBA is basically a brutal league. All these teams we are in the hunt with below Golden State, San Antonio, Cleveland and Oklahoma are just as vulnerable as we are to hit a rut due to the fact only Philly and the Lakers are automatic wins.

I think it looks like we will have a season similar to the ones Washington and Toronto had last year, with the caveat that we will become more efficient as the year unfolds to eventually approximate those 2014-15 w-l records.

Doing well in this easy stretch will not necessarily translate to playoff performance. But it may let us know going into the second half of the season whether we are more like those Toronto/Washington teams or the Brooklyn one which barely scraped into the playoffs.

[celticsclay]

Sorry haven't been as active on the boards to update this. We are now in a 4 way tie for 5th place. If we can win the games we should the next 3 we really could get some nice separation and breathing room to be comfortable in the playoffs at 21-13. With this team though, nothing is a given. One game at a time. Lets beat the Lakers!

[celticsclay]

Well.. it stinks to update again with us out of the playoffs. I thought with our easy stretch of games over the last few weeks we would be moving up towards 5th or 6th and not down to 9th. The good news, despite our horrible stretch we are still only 3 games out of 5th place.

There are actually 9 teams teams that already have 5 or more losses than us and many of those teams are playing worse than us right now (only bucks and lakers even have equal record in the last 10). In other words, it remains a lot more realistic and easy for this team to make a jump in the standings than drop way down.

That being said, I think I will finally make a decision on this team after their upcoming 10 game stretch. The good news 5 of those games are against sub .500 teams and it is an even 5 games on the road and 5 games at home. I really hope we win tonight against a Pacer team that has been playing quite well.

[PhoSita]

If the Celts drop two more games in the standings they'll be alone in 12th place in the East.

[celticsclay]

If the Celts drop two more games in the standings they'll be alone in 12th place in the East.

To be clear this means that they not just lose two games, but the teams below them win more games than these two losses. I get being bummed about this team for sure. However, you realize the teams you mention one has the same record in their last 10 (washington) and we have actually gained two games on Charlotte who are plummeting down the standing with 7 straight losses. As bad as the celtics are playing, there is nothing to suggest these teams are going to catch fire below us.

So like I said, as painful as it has been lately we are still more likely to move up than move down right now.

I'll add Charlotte has two wins since December 16th... so definitely taking a glass half empty approach with the 12th spot post.

[PhoSita]

If the Celts drop two more games in the standings they'll be alone in 12th place in the East.

To be clear this means that they not just lose two games, but the teams below them win more games than these two losses. I get being bummed about this team for sure. However, you realize the teams you mention one has the same record in their last 10 (washington) and we have actually gained two games on Charlotte who are plummeting down the standing with 7 straight losses. As bad as the celtics are playing, there is nothing to suggest these teams are going to catch fire below us.

I agree.  There are teams ahead of the Celts who could easily go on a losing streak, and the teams below the Celts aren't setting the world on fire, either.  Yes, it's glass half empty to note that they're 2 games out of the 12th spot.  But you already covered the glass half full part.  I just think it's important to note that it's really easy to go either way right now.

With the way this team is playing right now, it wouldn't be that shocking to see them go 3-7 over the next 10, while Charlotte or Washington goes 5-5 over the same span.

There is a ton of parity between the 4/5 spot and the 12th spot in the conference.  You have the Cavs, Raptors, Hawks, and Bulls at the top and then the Bucks, Nets, and Sixers on the bottom.

In between, a total mess.

[slamtheking]

If the Celts drop two more games in the standings they'll be alone in 12th place in the East.

To be clear this means that they not just lose two games, but the teams below them win more games than these two losses. I get being bummed about this team for sure. However, you realize the teams you mention one has the same record in their last 10 (washington) and we have actually gained two games on Charlotte who are plummeting down the standing with 7 straight losses. As bad as the celtics are playing, there is nothing to suggest these teams are going to catch fire below us.

I agree.  There are teams ahead of the Celts who could easily go on a losing streak, and the teams below the Celts aren't setting the world on fire, either.  Yes, it's glass half empty to note that they're 2 games out of the 12th spot.  But you already covered the glass half full part.  I just think it's important to note that it's really easy to go either way right now.

With the way this team is playing right now, it wouldn't be that shocking to see them go 3-7 over the next 10, while Charlotte or Washington goes 5-5 over the same span.

There is a ton of parity between the 4/5 spot and the 12th spot in the conference.  You have the Cavs, Raptors, Hawks, and Bulls at the top and then the Bucks, Nets, and Sixers on the bottom.

In between, a total mess.

I'm not ready to throw the Bucks in with Philly and the Nets yet.  there's definitely a talent difference between the Bucks and the other 2.  the 2 bottom feeders are no mystery while it's very baffling why Milwaukee is playing so poorly based on that roster.  I'm not saying they're a contending roster but they should be much better than they have been this year.  Could say the same about NO too this year (different conference obviously)