Joe Bagadonuts
Well-Known Member
This is a great point. Memphis will not benefit from losing that game.
Jazz 2017/18 Playoff Bus! All Aboard!
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Et tu Brute
Well-Known Member
The West is TRASH!
I can't believe how bad Portland are. They are literally a one man team. Their offense stinks. I can't believe I watched that game last night. And the Spurs!!! Give Pop coach of the year - that is the worst Spurs team in 22 years!
Denver sucks, Pelicans suck and OKC can suck a lot. Jimmy Buttler is one tough puppy - so he can get that team competitive. But man.... The West sucks.
Only 3 teams can come out of the West. That is 101% (Utah is obviously one of them)
I can't believe how bad Portland are. They are literally a one man team. Their offense stinks. I can't believe I watched that game last night. And the Spurs!!! Give Pop coach of the year - that is the worst Spurs team in 22 years!
Denver sucks, Pelicans suck and OKC can suck a lot. Jimmy Buttler is one tough puppy - so he can get that team competitive. But man.... The West sucks.
Only 3 teams can come out of the West. That is 101% (Utah is obviously one of them)
Coach Ellis
Well-Known Member
The one I was looking at said if the Jazz win out, they’re in 3rd, Portland 4th.
Pels best the Spurs, so NO gets 5th (playing Portland), San Antonio 6th (playing the Jazz).
If OKC loses to Memphis, and Minnesota beats Denver, that puts OKC at 7 and Minnesota at 8.
This is what I’m rooting for, although I’m pretty happy with whatever the results are.
Joe Bagadonuts
Well-Known Member
It would be so awesome to see OKC knock Durrant out of the playoffs that it simply has to happen. This season has been too epic (from a Jazz fan perspective) to allow us to miss out on a side story as potentially fantastic as that.
If Memphis was not locked into their lottery position I would give this a 1% chance of happening. Since a win will not change their fate I put their chances of beating OKC now at 15%. It all really depends on how pissed Gasol is. I thought he was super pissed in that fourth quarter against us.
MDAV28
Well-Known Member
No in that situation Spurs, Thunder and Wolves all have 47 wins. Spurs and Wolves are 4-3 head to head and Thunder would be 3-5. So Thunder would be 8th for sure and then I think it would be Spurs in 6th and Wolves in 7th.
I'm pretty positive there is only ONE way Thunder are 7th. We lose out, Thunder loses to Grizz, Wolves and Spurs win.
Avery
Well-Known Member
Guess it depends on how the FO sees the matchup. If we beat GSW tonight, no question, they'll go for the win. A loss tonight and depending on the matchups tomorrow could make them funnel minutes differently if they feel POR is a better matchup than OKC.
It wouldn't be an all-out tank starting lineup, but I could see the starters limited to 15 minutes with guys like Udoh, Niang, Stockton playing 30+ minutes. They'll do it under the guise of resting their guys for the big push seeing as how they'd be back in POR in just a few short days.
Coach Ellis
Well-Known Member
If that’s the case, get Donovan his rookie three point record and then sit the starting 6 - Gobert, Favors, Crowder, Jingles, Mitchell and Rubio.
Filter big minutes to Udoh, Bradley, Jerebko, Niang, O’Neale, Burks, Exum and Neto. Might have to lean on one of those guys over the next few weeks. Get them out there to get some film and then work to help them get better.
MDAV28
Well-Known Member
Personally I would rather play OKC. Dame is playing MVP-caliber level and I definitely am more scared of him than Russell "shoot my team out of games" Westbrook. PG is a scary matchup, but so is McCollum. Adams is better than Nurk but not by an extreme margin. I'm not scared of Melo in the slightest, but there's always that chance he goes off.
Sneakers
Well-Known Member
Even if we're in the position to do we are not going to tank the Portland game to ensure a first round matchup against Portland vs. homecourt against OKC. Any possible benefit from a Portland matchup is outweighed by the benefits (on court and off) of getting home court, winning the division, and not being branded as "ducking" OKC
framer
Well-Known Member
I just don't get the fear of OKC. They are mediocre at best. They are a team that depends on low-assist iso ball and getting the putback if they miss. They aren't efficient and are 25th in the NBA in 3 point percentage. That sounds like a team the Jazz were built to defend, especially given an entire series to prepare.
As far as Westbrook goes, he's good, but the Jazz are probably the worst possible matchup for him with elite rim protection and 4 guys (Rubio, Mitchell, Exum, and O'Neale) who can stick him hard on defense and with length. He'll play 40 minutes, but will never be covered by a Neto or Mack.
I'm OK with Paul being covered by Ingles and O'Neale. We just have to frustrate them enough to force Westbrook into a lot of contested shots and box Adams off the boards. Keep that up and maybe we get hero ball Melo, which pretty much seals the deal.
As far as Westbrook goes, he's good, but the Jazz are probably the worst possible matchup for him with elite rim protection and 4 guys (Rubio, Mitchell, Exum, and O'Neale) who can stick him hard on defense and with length. He'll play 40 minutes, but will never be covered by a Neto or Mack.
I'm OK with Paul being covered by Ingles and O'Neale. We just have to frustrate them enough to force Westbrook into a lot of contested shots and box Adams off the boards. Keep that up and maybe we get hero ball Melo, which pretty much seals the deal.