Playoff Watch Thread- Tracking the competition
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cavsfan_osiris
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If there is one team Philly should want to face, it's my Cavs. I think it's obvious Orlando, Detroit and Boston would all be harder opponents for the 76ers than Cleveland.
One of Cleveland's weaknesses is they can't handle a team with dynamic guard play. Dre, AI2, Lou Will and even Willie Green match up best against the Cavs and that's where everything starts and stops with Philly. Their guard play is the engine for everything they do.
Not only can Philly attack Cleveland's guards, Cleveland's guards are the easiest to match up against defensively.
Gibson/West/Damon Jones
Devin Brown/Pavlovic/Zerbiac
LeBron is the x-factor of course, but I have no doubt Philly wants to move up to #5 and play Cleveland. Really the #4 seed isn't entirely out of the question. They are down 4 in the loss column I believe. Plus Cleveland has been turrible on the road. My Cavs have some serious issues to iron out before they can think about advancing far.
One of Cleveland's weaknesses is they can't handle a team with dynamic guard play. Dre, AI2, Lou Will and even Willie Green match up best against the Cavs and that's where everything starts and stops with Philly. Their guard play is the engine for everything they do.
Not only can Philly attack Cleveland's guards, Cleveland's guards are the easiest to match up against defensively.
Gibson/West/Damon Jones
Devin Brown/Pavlovic/Zerbiac
LeBron is the x-factor of course, but I have no doubt Philly wants to move up to #5 and play Cleveland. Really the #4 seed isn't entirely out of the question. They are down 4 in the loss column I believe. Plus Cleveland has been turrible on the road. My Cavs have some serious issues to iron out before they can think about advancing far.
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tk76
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dlts20
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Wiz fan here. Heres a update on the Gil situation. Its starting to get ugly and I hope it doesnt become a distraction:
Arenas out
Gilbert Arenas wanted to play tonight but the medical staff would not clear him. Arenas went through shootaround this morning and was preparing himself to play all day long and was obviously angry at the decision. When I approached him, he said something that I can't repeat hear but the clean version is something along lines of "Now, they are messing with my mind."
He walked out of the locker room without speaking with reporters and will not be on the bench tonight because he said he does not a have sports coat (which is required by the NBA's dress code).
On his way out of the door, he said: "Ya'll don't have to write anymore. I'm not coming back this season."
That may have just been an emotional reaction but Arenas was clearly not pleased. Coach Eddie Jordan spoke to reporters a short while ago.
"He's been anxious to play ever since he got back on the floor practicing," Jordan said. "He's anxious to play, he's eager to play and he's close. We believe he's close, it's just not going to be tonight."
I asked Eddie what specific reason the medical staff gave for not clearing him.
"It's a combination of things. He's willing to test his whole body in an NBA game and the doctors say he's not ready and it's good for all parties to wait and once another week has gone by, we'll see where he is."
That would seemingly rule Arenas out for most if not all of the five-game trip that opens Tuesday night at Portland and concludes next Monday at Utah.
I'll get as much information as I can and update accordingly. Also, read tomorrow's paper where I'll have a story on the Arenas situation
Arenas out
Gilbert Arenas wanted to play tonight but the medical staff would not clear him. Arenas went through shootaround this morning and was preparing himself to play all day long and was obviously angry at the decision. When I approached him, he said something that I can't repeat hear but the clean version is something along lines of "Now, they are messing with my mind."
He walked out of the locker room without speaking with reporters and will not be on the bench tonight because he said he does not a have sports coat (which is required by the NBA's dress code).
On his way out of the door, he said: "Ya'll don't have to write anymore. I'm not coming back this season."
That may have just been an emotional reaction but Arenas was clearly not pleased. Coach Eddie Jordan spoke to reporters a short while ago.
"He's been anxious to play ever since he got back on the floor practicing," Jordan said. "He's anxious to play, he's eager to play and he's close. We believe he's close, it's just not going to be tonight."
I asked Eddie what specific reason the medical staff gave for not clearing him.
"It's a combination of things. He's willing to test his whole body in an NBA game and the doctors say he's not ready and it's good for all parties to wait and once another week has gone by, we'll see where he is."
That would seemingly rule Arenas out for most if not all of the five-game trip that opens Tuesday night at Portland and concludes next Monday at Utah.
I'll get as much information as I can and update accordingly. Also, read tomorrow's paper where I'll have a story on the Arenas situation
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ProcessDoctor
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dlts20 wrote:-= original quote snipped =-
Its funny because we both aknowledge that eachother are playing great but we still expect eachother to lose the really really tough games but we both keep winning those also
Very true. We're beating Boston right now as we speak, although there's still around 3 minutes left.
P.S.: And no, I don't believe in jinxes.
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The Guilty Party
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Wait... the Wizards are going out West. I wouldn't exactly say that they have an "easy" schedule since their next 5 games are on the road.
@ POR: Portland may not be in the playoffs but they are an above .500 team
@ SEA: Wizards should win this one easily
@ SAC: I don't think this an easy win but definitely a very winnable game
@ LAL: Loss.
@ UTAH: Loss.
I think the Wizards will be extremely happy if they come off of this trip 3-2.
Also... this isn't really playoff news but I do find it interesting that Elton Brand is trying to come back for the final 5-6 games of this season. He MUST be considering opting-out of his contract in order to do this. If he has no plans of opting-out, why would he do this? The team isn't in contention for anything and he would have nothing to prove to the Clippers. I think he's trying to play the final 5-6 games to shows teams like the Sixers (maybe ONLY the Sixers) that he's back and he's worth the investment.
@ POR: Portland may not be in the playoffs but they are an above .500 team
@ SEA: Wizards should win this one easily
@ SAC: I don't think this an easy win but definitely a very winnable game
@ LAL: Loss.
@ UTAH: Loss.
I think the Wizards will be extremely happy if they come off of this trip 3-2.
Also... this isn't really playoff news but I do find it interesting that Elton Brand is trying to come back for the final 5-6 games of this season. He MUST be considering opting-out of his contract in order to do this. If he has no plans of opting-out, why would he do this? The team isn't in contention for anything and he would have nothing to prove to the Clippers. I think he's trying to play the final 5-6 games to shows teams like the Sixers (maybe ONLY the Sixers) that he's back and he's worth the investment.
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Sixersftw
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i'm with you guilty. i thought that was quite curious. He had a whole season to show his worth next year if he was staying in lala land.
Miller
iguodala
thad young
brand
dalembert
that team is ecf boung
Miller
iguodala
thad young
brand
dalembert
that team is ecf boung
They say an analytics man doesn't have a heart, but I ran the numbers and nothing can be further from the truth - Sam Hinkie probably
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The Guilty Party
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The problem of course with Brand is that we do not have enough cap space to straight up sign him which means that it will have to be a sign and trade. If it's a sign and trade though, the Clippers could negotiate a deal with any team.
Then again, how much cap space would we have if we did not sign LouWill and used Iguodala's cap hold number (I believe it's $8.3M)? Wouldn't we then be around $15MIL? Brand is scheduled to make $16.4MIL next season so I could see him opting out a year early if he signed a new 5 year deal that averaged $17MIL a season and started at $15MIL.
Then again, how much cap space would we have if we did not sign LouWill and used Iguodala's cap hold number (I believe it's $8.3M)? Wouldn't we then be around $15MIL? Brand is scheduled to make $16.4MIL next season so I could see him opting out a year early if he signed a new 5 year deal that averaged $17MIL a season and started at $15MIL.
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Sixersftw
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well our cap figure has changed slightly because our draft position has gone down. perhaps now we could get rid of some more marginal players rather than trying to find someone to take on willie green or not uping lou
They say an analytics man doesn't have a heart, but I ran the numbers and nothing can be further from the truth - Sam Hinkie probably
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Johnny Broad-Street
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tk76
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TGP, I think Brand would not take as high a starting number as you expect. A player will take 80M over 5 years as more security than 17M over 1 year- especially when an injury has your career flash before your eyes.
I don't know the exact numbers it will take, but people forget how big the 10% annual raises effects the numbers. Dwight howard signed a 5/80M contract- and it starts at only 13M next year even though it averages out at 16M over the life of the contract.
So if we sign Brand to 5yr/80M it would start at13M next year (which would be our 10M + Willie Green and 2 1sts.)
I don't know the exact numbers it will take, but people forget how big the 10% annual raises effects the numbers. Dwight howard signed a 5/80M contract- and it starts at only 13M next year even though it averages out at 16M over the life of the contract.
So if we sign Brand to 5yr/80M it would start at13M next year (which would be our 10M + Willie Green and 2 1sts.)