Most wanted 1st and 2nd round rivals

[sfam]

Random Factoid:

538 has the Wizards with the highest chance of winning the championship of the Eastern Conference teams @ 5%

https://projects.fivethirtyeight.com/2017-nba-predictions/

Bonus Random Factoid:

Chris McCullough is considered so immaterial that Basketball Reference still has him listed as being on Brooklyn's roster - USE THAT AS MOTIVATION, CHRIS!!! SUMMER LEAGUE MVP!!!

http://www.basketball-reference.com/teams/BRK/2017.html

How do the Wizards have a higher percentage chance than Cleveland to win the title?

That don't make no sense.

[Illmatic12]

Defensively it all comes down to if Wall is motivated to play well defensively against Schroeder. Give the offense to Beal this series and use all the energy on Dennis and we should come ahead. Don't make this a no defense run and gun game and we should take it.

The last time the Wizards played the Hawks, Schröeder had 10 turnovers.

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Schroder is a spazz. That will definitely work in our favor and balance out the veteran play from Millsap and others.

[dlts20]

Defensively it all comes down to if Wall is motivated to play well defensively against Schroeder. Give the offense to Beal this series and use all the energy on Dennis and we should come ahead. Don't make this a no defense run and gun game and we should take it.

Um, no way. I want Wall to play great defense but don't tell me he needs to take offense off. Our biggest weapon by far in this match up is Wall's offense. They have no answer for him when he is pushing and dictating, not just for scoring but passing. I still didn't want to play Howard because he along with Whiteside and Ibaka are like the only 3 guys in the East who have a chance to cause problems for Wall but for the most part the #1 reason we will win this series by far is because of Wall'offense

Wall's offense as a whole will always be vital to our success, but in terms of who should be shooting more... Beal needs the most touches on the team. He is a proven number 1 option this season, and does so efficiently.

We have a better chance of beating ATL with wall dishing out 15 assists or so then him trying to drop 35 points.

I'm mostly concerned with what happens when Hardaway JR sees Bojan guarding him off the bench..

I expect Wall to do both

[dlts20]

Random Factoid:

538 has the Wizards with the highest chance of winning the championship of the Eastern Conference teams @ 5%

https://projects.fivethirtyeight.com/2017-nba-predictions/

Bonus Random Factoid:

Chris McCullough is considered so immaterial that Basketball Reference still has him listed as being on Brooklyn's roster - USE THAT AS MOTIVATION, CHRIS!!! SUMMER LEAGUE MVP!!!

http://www.basketball-reference.com/teams/BRK/2017.html

How do the Wizards have a higher percentage chance than Cleveland to win the title?

That don't make no sense.

I didn't read but maybe it's because our starting 5 has been like statistically a top 2 or 3 group all year and in the playoffs, benches don't matter as much

[Mojo Amok]

Given all this, the odds of the Celtics losing the first seed is miniscule....

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[Mojo Amok]

How do the Wizards have a higher percentage chance than Cleveland to win the title?

That don't make no sense.

I didn't read but maybe it's because our starting 5 has been like statistically a top 2 or 3 group all year and in the playoffs, benches don't matter as much

I'm pretty sure that no team with Cleveland's regular season defensive ranking has ever won the championship as well; that might be factoring into the numbers. And then their late season record is also awful.

(there actually isn't an article to read either, it's just a mathematical formula based on modeling the season a whole bunch of times).

[nate33]

Random Factoid:

538 has the Wizards with the highest chance of winning the championship of the Eastern Conference teams @ 5%

https://projects.fivethirtyeight.com/2017-nba-predictions/

Bonus Random Factoid:

Chris McCullough is considered so immaterial that Basketball Reference still has him listed as being on Brooklyn's roster - USE THAT AS MOTIVATION, CHRIS!!! SUMMER LEAGUE MVP!!!

http://www.basketball-reference.com/teams/BRK/2017.html

And the third highest chance overall (tied with Houston and the Clippers). What are they smoking?

[nate33]

Random Factoid:

538 has the Wizards with the highest chance of winning the championship of the Eastern Conference teams @ 5%

https://projects.fivethirtyeight.com/2017-nba-predictions/

Bonus Random Factoid:

Chris McCullough is considered so immaterial that Basketball Reference still has him listed as being on Brooklyn's roster - USE THAT AS MOTIVATION, CHRIS!!! SUMMER LEAGUE MVP!!!

http://www.basketball-reference.com/teams/BRK/2017.html

How do the Wizards have a higher percentage chance than Cleveland to win the title?

That don't make no sense.

I didn't read but maybe it's because our starting 5 has been like statistically a top 2 or 3 group all year and in the playoffs, benches don't matter as much

Good point.

[Illmatic12]

Given all this, the odds of the Celtics losing the first seed is miniscule....

Read on Twitter

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Boom. That's the final piece to the puzzle right there. Bucks are conceding their game to Boston, Raps not conceding to the Cavs. So I'd say there's an 80-90% probability that Boston is the #1 seed in Washington's bracket.

[Dark Faze]

I'd be surprised if we got past Boston

They have the best perimeter defense rotation available in the playoffs. If Stevens is smart he'll rotate Smart, Bradley, and Crowder on John and Brad the entire series and hide Thomas on Porter or Kelly--and Otto isn't the type who is going to consistently go after IT to make the Celtics pay for it.

[deneem4]

I'd be surprised if we got past Boston

They have the best perimeter defense rotation available in the playoffs. If Stevens is smart he'll rotate Smart, Bradley, and Crowder on John and Brad the entire series and hide Thomas on Porter or Kelly--and Otto isn't the type who is going to consistently go after IT to make the Celtics pay for it.

Kelly will and otto will jus shoot over it...

[Illmatic12]

I'd be surprised if we got past Boston

They have the best perimeter defense rotation available in the playoffs. If Stevens is smart he'll rotate Smart, Bradley, and Crowder on John and Brad the entire series and hide Thomas on Porter or Kelly--and Otto isn't the type who is going to consistently go after IT to make the Celtics pay for it.

Boston might not even make it to face us. Their lack of rebounding and not having any true big men could really do them in.. playoffs are a different ballgame from the regular season.

[nate33]

I'd be surprised if we got past Boston

They have the best perimeter defense rotation available in the playoffs. If Stevens is smart he'll rotate Smart, Bradley, and Crowder on John and Brad the entire series and hide Thomas on Porter or Kelly--and Otto isn't the type who is going to consistently go after IT to make the Celtics pay for it.

We haven't beaten them with a healthy Avery Bradley.

That said, I question if the Celtics have "an extra gear". I think they did so well through the regular season thanks to good coaching, a lot of team depth, and a somewhat unorthodox offensive game with perimeter-shooting bigs and unique PG who gets into the lane and then stops on a dime to allow the trailing player to run into him. I'm not sure if that strategy will hold up in a 7-game series when teams can scout them.

I note that Isaiah averaged 29.9 points with an ORtg of 124 before the All-Star Break, but just 27.4 points and an ORtg of 116 afterwards. I think teams are starting to figure him out.

[Mojo Amok]

Isaiah Thomas has playoff scoring numbers that are well south of his regular season efficiency as well (ORTG of 103), so it's not even a theory so much as 'things which have happened thus far.' Crowder and Bradley have rather bad playoff numbers too. Overall they just can't match the top talent on the East's other high seed teams which just doesn't really fly in the playoffs.

For the 'guys on the Celtics who can play at least as well as they did during the regular season during the playoffs' I'm thinking maybe Horford and Amir Johnson are the best bets, but they're more complementary players rather than big dogs.

I've definitely got the under on the Celtics in general aside from any homerism on the Wizard's matchup.

I'm expecting something like this, though maybe not in the first round:

http://www.basketball-reference.com/teams/MIA/1999.html

[dlts20]

Atlanta won so it's the Hawks and I heard that the 1st game maybe Sunday at 5:30 on TNT since the Caps play Saturday.

It sucks because Atlanta is starting to look like a 60 win team again. I guarantee that the 1st game will be played at a super high level. I think they will look like a 60 win team and we will look like our 18-3 pre all star team. Whoever loses will be hard for them to recover because the winning team will stay at a high level while the losing team will lose confidence

[Illmatic12]

Atlanta won so it's the Hawks and I heard that the 1st game maybe Sunday at 5:30 on TNT since the Caps play Saturday.

It sucks because Atlanta is starting to look like a 60 win team again. I guarantee that the 1st game will be played at a super high level. I think they will look like a 60 win team and we will look like our 18-3 pre all star team. Whoever loses will be hard for them to recover because the winning team will stay at a high level while the losing team will lose confidence

I think this comment is stretching things. The Hawks have a completely different core from that 60 win team.

Downgrade at point guard from Teague/Schroder to Schroder/Delaney, no Korver (who I believe led that 60-win team in RPM), and instead of Horford they have Dwight who can be a dominant defender/rebounder but also an offensive liability + cannot be in the game in crunchtime due to his FT shooting.

Atlanta has a top 5 defense, but a bottom 5 offense. They also rank 24 out of 30 in 3pt shooting. On paper, this should be a series where Washington is able to run out in transition off of Atlanta's missed shots and empty possessions (and there will be many of those from the Hawks) , and if the pace is kept high the Hawks won't quite be able to keep up with the Wizards offensive firepower. But if their shooters like Hardaway and Bazemore randomly get hot, that's how they'll be able to steal an extra game or two.

[dangermouse]

After breaking a wing, and then still trying to play to win, and ultimately losing the series... There is NO WAY John Wall doesn;t get his revenge this off season.

I'd bet the god damn house on it.

[gambitx777]

Is there any way we can cut ochifu or burke and sign larry saunders for the play offs?

[Kanyewest]

Is there any way we can cut ochifu or burke and sign larry saunders for the play offs?

No, I believe the deadline has passed for a player to be signed to be eligible for a playoff roster spot. Also, the Wizards already waived House to make room for Jennings.

[gambitx777]

Is there any way we can cut ochifu or burke and sign larry saunders for the play offs?

No, I believe the deadline has passed for a player to be signed to be eligible for a playoff roster spot. Also, the Wizards already waved House to make room for Jennings.

It says ochifu, but other teams are signing guys for the play offs and saunders did not play a full season. ? So is he eligible on another team was my question. Cuz i think we would all be very happy with that move, if it could be made.