Celtics Playoff Seeding Thread

[j804]

So what's the updated standings now that the 2 seed is looking very likely?

Not that anybody even cares right now lol

[jpotter33]

So what's the updated standings now that the 2 seed is looking very likely?

Not that anybody even cares right now lol

Cleveland (51-27) a full game up on Boston (50-28);

Boston 2.5 games up on Toronto (48-31);

Toronto .5 games up on Washington (47-31).


Boston would now have to win out and hope that Cleveland loses two more games (still possible,  especially with their schedule and resting guys) to get the number one seed due to Cleveland outright owning the tiebreaker.

The same is pretty much true of Washington and Toronto. Washington has to outright have the better record the rest of the way over Toronto in order to take over the third seed, which they have incentive to do.

Toronto's remaining schedule is: vs. MIA, @ NYK, @ CLE

Washington's remaining schedule:@ NYK, vs MIA, @ DET, @ MIA

With Detroit more than likely out of the playoffs now, it's still very doable for Washington to move back into 3rd, though it's going to require them to win out and Toronto to lose at least one of those games.

[Big333223]

Also worth noting that Miami, Chicago, and Indiana are all tied at 38-40 for the 7-8-9 positions. We're likely looking at one of those 3 in the first round but no way of knowing which.

[Phantom255x]

So now do we root for TOR to fall to #4 and WAS up to #3?

I think we're going to finish #2 for good now (unless, god forbid, we lose out or something)

[jpotter33]

Team            Record  Games Back

1. Cleveland      51-27    0
2. Boston         50-28    1
3. Toronto        48-31    3.5
4. Washington  47-31    4
5. Milwaukee     40-38    11
6. Atlanta         39-38    11.5
7. Chicago        38-40   13
8. Miami            38-40   13
9. Indiana         38-40    13
10. Charlotte    36-43    15.5
11. Detroit       35-43   16

Bold = games still yet to be played tonight/yet to be determined

Boston at Atlanta

Milwaukee at Indiana

Chicago at Philadelphia

Washington at New York Knicks

The situation the rest of the way:

Our magic number is now two. Any combination of two wins for Boston or losses for BOTH Toronto and Washington assures Boston of the second seed in the playoffs.

So everyone knows that last night was a major blow to our chances at the number one seed; however, there is still a slight chance that we could end up as the number one seed. Cleveland finishes the season on  a tough schedule vs. ATL, @ ATL (B2B), @ MIA (B2B), and vs TOR. That's compared to our @ ATL (B2B), @ CHA, vs. BRK, and vs MIL.

If we would win out and Cleveland would lose two of those games, then we'd have the overall better record and be the first seed. Now, this will largely depend upon Lebron resting. The way I see it, he will rest ONE of the games of the B2B (which one depends upon how Atlanta plays them on Friday and who they want to play in the first round), and he'll HOPE to rest the final game of the season against Toronto. However, if they happen to lose one of those games before the Toronto game, most likely the game he rests on the B2B, and we win out, then Lebron will HAVE TO PLAY the Toronto game or risk falling back to the 2nd seed.

Now this actually works really well in our favor, because it's going to essentially force Toronto to win a game in Cleveland on the last night of the season to be the third seed, that is if Washington can win out, too. Toronto and Washington are essentially tied in the standings right now (tied in the loss column), but with Toronto having the tiebreaker, Washington will have to outright have the better record than Toronto to move back into the third seed.

And they have a ton of incentive to do so, because they want to play us in the second round rather than Cleveland. Now both teams have a difficult schedule the rest of the way: Toronto has vs MIA, @ NYK, and @ CLE and Washington has @ NYK, vs MIA, @ DET, and @ MIA. Of those two, Washington looks to have the easier remaining schedule right now because it's likely that both Detroit and Miami are out of the playoff picture by the last two games of the season for them, unless Miami beats Toronto tomorrow, which is also a win for us.

So for the next week we should want:

Boston to win out (not only for the Brooklyn pick but to also keep the pressure on Cleveland)

Cleveland to lose (at the very least one game in order to force Lebron to play against Toronto)

Toronto to lose (with the 1 seed very unlikely, we should root for Toronto to lose every game)

Washington to win (we want them at the 3 seed instead of Toronto, especially since the 1 seed is unlikely now for us)

Hopefully this will set up a win/win scenario for us on the final day of the season next Wednesday. If Boston and Cleveland are tied in record (requiring 1 Cleveland loss and 0 Celtics losses) and Toronto and Washington are both tied in record (requiring both teams to pretty much play identically the rest of the way), then as long as Boston can beat Milwaukke and Washington can beat Miami that night, we'll get an ideal match whatever the result of the Toronto/Cleveland game. If Cleveland wins, then Washington would overtake Toronto for the third seed; if Toronto wins, then Boston would overtake Cleveland for the first seed. Essentially, in that scenario Toronto is screwed, but they can't really do anything about it leading up to that game, since they don't know where Cleveland and/or Boston will end up.

But when we get to the bottom half of the playoff bracket, things are a bit more confusing.

For Milwaukee and Indiana tonight, you can look at it two ways. On one hand, an Indiana win (combined with a Chicago win) would essentially knock the Hornets out of the playoffs, who we play on Saturday, which would help our chances of winning that night. Further, it would go a long way to ensuring that Indiana made the playoffs, which is a better potential first round matchup for us. On the other hand, it's not inconceivable to see the Bucks slide to the 7th spot, which we do NOT want at all for a possible first round matchup. So a win tonight would go a long way in ensuring that wouldn't happen. Further, a win tonight would make it more likely that they rest their guys the final night of the season against us, which would be beneficial for us, as well.

As for Chicago at Philadelphia, they should win that pretty easily. And they're pretty much guaranteed for the playoffs at this point with their soft schedule. However, if they win enough and Atlanta loses enough, that could very well push Atlanta to the 7 seed being only 2 losses better than the Bulls. And at this point, I'm not sure which team I'd rather see in the playoffs.

So there's still lots to root for and against in the final week. Hopefully we can get a good draw (like the Pacers) and matchup with Washington in the second round rather than Toronto.

[jpotter33]

Seems like Indiana is playing better recently. Perhaps it might be better to avoid them and take the Chicago matchup instead. We saw the other night how dangerous PG13 can be when the game is on the line.

[j804]

^^well shoot go Bucks then don't want no part of those guys. could see them upsetting someone and the way we look recently could be us

[j804]

Seems like Indiana is playing better recently. Perhaps it might be better to avoid them and take the Chicago matchup instead. We saw the other night how dangerous PG13 can be when the game is on the line.

Yea the order of teams I'd rather not see from the top down

Cle
Tor
Ind
Mil
Wiz
Heat
Chi
Atl

[j804]

Seems like Indiana is playing better recently. Perhaps it might be better to avoid them and take the Chicago matchup instead. We saw the other night how dangerous PG13 can be when the game is on the line.

Yea the order of teams I'd rather not see from the top down

Cle
Tor
Ind
Mil
Wiz
Heat
Chi
Atl

Uhh I should probably rethink that lol

[bopna]

The Hawks have full confidence in a series against the Cs .
TBH all 7th seedables are capable of knocking us off.

[SparzWizard]

Just a week ago some of the Celtics fans were talking about how the Celtics can take on the Cavs in a 7 game series with HCA.

Now...how are the Celtics going to get past the first-round???

[j804]

The Hawks have full confidence in a series against the Cs .
TBH all 7th seedables are capable of knocking us off.

Sadly true could see any one of those teams upsetting the C's in the first round

[mef730]

Rooting big-time against Toronto. Our magic number vs them, with three games left, is two. They host Miami tonight and play @NYK and @Cleveland for their final games. There's a very good chance that they go 3-0, since CLE will probably be resting players.

We are at Charlotte tomorrow night and then home against BKN and Milwaukee. I'd love to win the CLT and BKN games so there is no pressure against Milwaukee.

Mike

[apc]

Should be entraining first round.
I think all match ups will be close other than Cavs .
At this point Pacers would be my preferred oponent .

[jpotter33]

Rooting big-time against Toronto. Our magic number vs them, with three games left, is two. They host Miami tonight and play @NYK and @Cleveland for their final games. There's a very good chance that they go 3-0, since CLE will probably be resting players.

We are at Charlotte tomorrow night and then home against BKN and Milwaukee. I'd love to win the CLT and BKN games so there is no pressure against Milwaukee.

Mike

Not only that, but since we didn't take care of business last night if we want any chance of Washington passing Toronto in the standings, then tonight is probably their best chance of getting a loss. Unless something drastic happens, I can't see Lebron playing against the Raptors at home in the final game of the season, meaning the Raptors best chance at a loss is tonight.