Playoffs locked up. Just happened. Like a few minutes ago. Just now! All locked up!

[ducler]

Pacers matchup will be the toughest, because we're now in the head of Cavs team and know how to beat them (and I prefer to avoid Celtics). We beat the Pacers and Conference Finals can be ours!

[DetroitSho]

Pacers matchup will be the toughest, because we're now in the head of Cavs team and know how to beat them (and I prefer to avoid Celtics). We beat the Pacers and Conference Finals can be ours!

Excuse me? We're in Cleveland's head? I sincerely hope you're joking.

Sent from my SM-S918U using RealGM mobile app

[ducler]

To me we've got their attention with this W. If we play them they'll not be that confident.

[breezypeezy]

So if we finish 5th we draw the Pacers most likely.
I think the team will be ready and I like our odds.

The odds of the Pacers falling to 6th should be viewed as negligible at this point. They have so many easy wins remaining on their schedule and the Bucks just lost Lillard.

So we'd more likely face the Bucks, I mis-posted the opponent?

Im confused as puck, if were 5th seed who is our opponent 1st round, 6th seed or 4th seed?

I was under impression it wouldve been the 4th seed Pacers.

[Snakebites]

So if we finish 5th we draw the Pacers most likely.
I think the team will be ready and I like our odds.

The odds of the Pacers falling to 6th should be viewed as negligible at this point. They have so many easy wins remaining on their schedule and the Bucks just lost Lillard.

So we'd more likely face the Bucks, I mis-posted the opponent?

Im confused as puck, if were 5th seed who is our opponent 1st round, 6th seed or 4th seed?

I was under impression it wouldve been the 4th seed Pacers.

My post was reinforcing yours. I don’t think we “most likely” face Indy if we’re the 5th seed, I think that’s dead certain for all practical purposes.

The set of events that would have to take place in order for it to be us and Milwaukee in 4/5 spots are unlikely to the point they don’t warrant consideration, at least in my opinion.

[Mr Peanut]

The Pacers concern me the most of the three potential teams between them, the Knicks and the Bucks. Since a slow start they are 33-16 in their last 49 games which is a 55 win pace over a 82 game season. They have Turner and Siakam who can spread the floor and negate the interior presence of Duren/Stewart. They have several good perimeter defenders to address our biggest threats - Cade/Beasley/Thompson. It will be a high intensity series but I just can't see us winning. I hope I'm wrong.

[breezypeezy]

The Pacers concern me the most of the three potential teams between them, the Knicks and the Bucks. Since a slow start they are 33-16 in their last 49 games which is a 55 win pace over a 82 game season. They have Turner and Siakam who can spread the floor and negate the interior presence of Duren/Stewart. They have several good perimeter defenders to address our biggest threats - Cade/Beasley/Thompson. It will be a high intensity series but I just can't see us winning. I hope I'm wrong.

Have you calculated our record over those last 49 games?

Eta: In a quick purvue, I came up with 32-17.
Pretty similar imo.

[Mr Peanut]

The Pacers concern me the most of the three potential teams between them, the Knicks and the Bucks. Since a slow start they are 33-16 in their last 49 games which is a 55 win pace over a 82 game season. They have Turner and Siakam who can spread the floor and negate the interior presence of Duren/Stewart. They have several good perimeter defenders to address our biggest threats - Cade/Beasley/Thompson. It will be a high intensity series but I just can't see us winning. I hope I'm wrong.

Have you calculated our record over those last 49 games?

Eta: In a quick purvue, I came up with 32-17.
Pretty similar imo.

Yep I had a look at our last 49 games just after posting and saw it was similar. I think my concern mainly comes from their spacing bigs and perimeter defenders, neutralizing the strengths of our team. And they're 3-1 against us this season.

[breezypeezy]

The Pacers concern me the most of the three potential teams between them, the Knicks and the Bucks. Since a slow start they are 33-16 in their last 49 games which is a 55 win pace over a 82 game season. They have Turner and Siakam who can spread the floor and negate the interior presence of Duren/Stewart. They have several good perimeter defenders to address our biggest threats - Cade/Beasley/Thompson. It will be a high intensity series but I just can't see us winning. I hope I'm wrong.

Have you calculated our record over those last 49 games?

Eta: In a quick purvue, I came up with 32-17.
Pretty similar imo.

Yep I had a look at our last 49 games just after posting and saw it was similar. I think my concern mainly comes from their spacing bigs and perimeter defenders, neutralizing the strengths of our team. And they're 3-1 against us this season.

We are also 19-8 since that 3rd loss to Indy.
We wont know how the series will turn out till the games are played, but I am not convinced that this team will be stopped in the 1st round.

We have something special brewing, not yet a champion team, but we can take a series, I believe it.

[SuperBad]

I think we can take a first round two, Indiana and Milwaukee haven’t played us since we added Schroeder, we were always losing ground when Cade went out, now with Schroeder we can still compete when he is out, it was the teams biggest flaw, and we covered it well, the team has continued to progress, at this point I’m believing that anything COULD happen, but a first round victory is probably closer to 50/50 now

[MotownMadness]

A series win would be incredible but I’m satisfied this year with winning a playoff game or two

[Kalamazoo317]

I for one am not putting any ceiling on what this team can accomplish. That said, for this year at least, it's all gravy from here on out. No expectations either way, but a ton of belief that the sky is the limit.

[breezypeezy]

Well said^^^

[flow]

Our magic number to secure a playoff spot (and avoid the play-in) remains 2 after we lost & Orlando won yesterday.

Orlando hosts the Clippers tonight. Go Clips.

.

[Canadafan]

Bucks have a very easy schedule left. Knicks are still in play 1st rd if Cade don't hurry back.
Those last 2 games vs Bucks could be quite meaningful. Or telling. Depending on if there's a preference for Indy or Knicks from either of us

[zeebneeb]

https://athlonsports.com/nba/minnesota-timberwolves/detroit-pistons-isaiah-stewart-backlash-parkway-pizza-brawl

Can't make this **** up.

BANNED

[NYPiston]

A series win would be incredible but I’m satisfied this year with winning a playoff game or two

Yes, that's a reasonable expectation. This team has never faced playoff intensity outside of THJ and Tobias who has been a notoriously poor playoff performer. The NBA is unforgiving to teams that lack playoff experience so I expect the Pistons to learn a harsh lesson once the intensity ramps up tenfold. I just hope they don't get swept, I think expecting a playoff series win is an unreasonable expectation for this group IMO.

[flow]

With Orlando's loss last night, we can clinch a 1-6 playoff spot tomorrow if both of the following happen:

1. Atlanta loses tonight
2. We win tomorrow

.

[blog_pistons]

A series win would be incredible but I’m satisfied this year with winning a playoff game or two

Yes, that's a reasonable expectation. This team has never faced playoff intensity outside of THJ and Tobias who has been a notoriously poor playoff performer. The NBA is unforgiving to teams that lack playoff experience so I expect the Pistons to learn a harsh lesson once the intensity ramps up tenfold. I just hope they don't get swept, I think expecting a playoff series win is an unreasonable expectation for this group IMO.

Beasley and Schröder too.

[Cowology]

A series win would be incredible but I’m satisfied this year with winning a playoff game or two

Yes, that's a reasonable expectation. This team has never faced playoff intensity outside of THJ and Tobias who has been a notoriously poor playoff performer. The NBA is unforgiving to teams that lack playoff experience so I expect the Pistons to learn a harsh lesson once the intensity ramps up tenfold. I just hope they don't get swept, I think expecting a playoff series win is an unreasonable expectation for this group IMO.

All of this makes perfect sense and is reasonable. Teams that rely on things like "outworking you", sorta lose their advantage when everybody else steps up their intensity.

On the flip side, this team has done some other unusual things such as having a winning road record and we very rarely blow 4th quarter leads. Our defense is also approaching elite and while we do need to make shots, this team is not overly reliant on 3pt shooting. We tend to be the aggressor at both ends.

I don't expect an upset, but it's definitely not off the table.