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Most of the articles and podcasts have done a terrible job of covering the 8th-9th seed in the west.

Here are the schedules

Pels play: Utah, LAC, Memphis, SAC (2 days rest), Wash (B2B), SAS, SAC, ORL. Current record: 28-36

Sac plays: SAS, ORL, Dallas, NOP, BKN (B2B), HOU, NOP, LAL Current record: 28-36

Portland plays: MEM, BOS, HOU, DEN, LAC, Phil, Dallas, Brooklyn Current Record: 29-37

Memphis plays: Por, SAS, NOP, Utah, OKC, TOR, BOS, MIL
Current record: 32-33

With .5 game difference the Griz can’t be tied. To lose the 7th spot they would have to go 2-6 while the other team will have to go 6-2.

Portland wins any tie on win percentage between SAC or New Orleans.

Sac and Pels could be tied. Pels hold a 1 game lead and wins the tie breaker with a 1-1 split. If Pels go 0-2 versus Sac, SAC wins tiebreaker.

LAL can have a big say in the possible 8th seed if Sac beats New Orleans and comes into the LAL game needing the win to stay 1 game ahead of POR. A 5th or 6th win over the LAL could be critical.

Portland and Memphis both want a NO and Sac split which reduces the chance of either going 6-2 and increases the chance of Portland tying them and advancing on percentage.

With Aldridge, multiple Nets and WCS out the Kings are helped. If they can go 2-0 versus Pels 5-3 or 6-2 with LAL resting is possible

With Aldridge, Bertrans and Bogdanovic out the Pels are helped. If they can go 2-0 against the Kings 6-2 or 7-1 is possible.

I know the play in works with the 9th team having to win 2 games, while the 8th team has to win one. What would happen though if they tied for 8th. Would the team that has a slightly better division record only have to win one game?

RyderMike wrote:I know the play in works with the 9th team having to win 2 games, while the 8th team has to win one. What would happen though if they tied for 8th. Would the team that has a slightly better division record only have to win one game?

Seeding is based on percentage. Only the Kings and Pels could possibly tie for eighth on percentage. That scenario is pretty unlikely that they split and go 5-1 for the rest of their games and Memphis goes 2-6. If it were to happen, Pels would hold the tie breaker over the Kings and would need to win a single game. Kings pretty much have to beat the Pels twice.

Not that anyone cares about the Suns, but Phoenix plays 0 teams that they are chasing to have any playoff chance.
The Suns could go 8-0 and there's still a good chance they miss out.

King4Day wrote:Not that anyone cares about the Suns, but Phoenix plays 0 teams that they are chasing to have any playoff chance.
The Suns could go 8-0 and there's still a good chance they miss out.

Sorry for leaving them out but given how far back they are and they don’t play the teams they need to pass, I didn’t see how they could move up.

I honestly don’t know how the play-in works but just looking at records and schedules I predict Memphis stays as the 8th seed and Portland the 9th

They will do anything to get Zion in. They already made the entire format with Zion in mind, so if you don't think they're going to slam the Grizzlies and give Pels FTA for days you've got another thing coming.

think NO will get the 9th because of their schedule. Trust in Ja and JJJ

is it still mathematically possible for dallas to drop to 8th and lose two games to the 9th seed and out of the playoffs?

8-9th seed doesn't really matter, they are going to lose in the playoffs.

NBA expanded the bubble to 22 steams instead of 16 to get Zion in. I expect some rigging for Zion near the end of the season if the Pels are close to 8th speed, otherwise NBA got what they wanted out of the Pelicans.

Sactowndog wrote:

King4Day wrote:Not that anyone cares about the Suns, but Phoenix plays 0 teams that they are chasing to have any playoff chance.
The Suns could go 8-0 and there's still a good chance they miss out.

Sorry for leaving them out but given how far back they are and they don’t play the teams they need to pass, I didn’t see how they could move up.

Not at all. They don't deserve to be in the conversation.
I was just making a general point

Realistically, they should have made it where any team returning, if they finish within 4 games of 8, they all play each other. Then the winner plays the 8th seeded team.
As happy as I am that the Suns are playing again, it makes no sense they are in this thing when they aren't being given a shot at making the playoffs.

It's clear the league gave the Suns and Wizards the first game against each other. Each team will think they have a chance after one wins. But after that, it's a mess

hongdayuan wrote:is it still mathematically possible for dallas to drop to 8th and lose two games to the 9th seed and out of the playoffs?

Pretty sure Dallas would need to go 0-8 (.533) while Memphis goes 7-1 (.534) or Dallas 1-7 while Memphis goes 8-0. It won't happen.

Metallikid wrote:They will do anything to get Zion in. They already made the entire format with Zion in mind, so if you don't think they're going to slam the Grizzlies and give Pels FTA for days you've got another thing coming.

If they wanted to do anything to get Zion in, they would have gone for best of 16 like they thought about doing. The Pels have a better chance to overtake the 8th seed in the East than in the West. Personally, I rather see the Pels/Grizzlies/Blazers in the playoffs than the Nets (who will probably take the 8th seed in the East), so I wish they did it.

Crizzle wrote:think NO will get the 9th because of their schedule. Trust in Ja and JJJ

They have a better than average shot. The key will be the two games against the Kings. Hard to know how match-ups will play out.

Metallikid wrote:They will do anything to get Zion in. They already made the entire format with Zion in mind, so if you don't think they're going to slam the Grizzlies and give Pels FTA for days you've got another thing coming.

Pelicans got screwed about 5 different ways. The way their original schedule was setup to start with all of their tough games at the beginning of the year. Then being the odds on favorite to take the 8th and this happening, now they play less games against tougher teams than they were set to face. They have to stay in front of a now healthy Portland team and close to a now healthy Memphis team, and even THEN they have to beat Memphis twice. And oh yeah, let’s throw their two toughest matchups in the first two games to make sure those teams try hard. Same as the regular season. Nothing the league has done has been to the benefit of the Pelicans, unless you mean the fact they simply didn’t end their season early entirely.

Metallikid wrote:They will do anything to get Zion in. They already made the entire format with Zion in mind, so if you don't think they're going to slam the Grizzlies and give Pels FTA for days you've got another thing coming.

How does this conspiracy theory work? Who devised it? Who broke it to all the owners? How did they convince all the refs? And lastly how did they get all these people with different agendas to go along and stay quiet?

Jon1798 wrote:

Metallikid wrote:They will do anything to get Zion in. They already made the entire format with Zion in mind, so if you don't think they're going to slam the Grizzlies and give Pels FTA for days you've got another thing coming.

Pelicans got screwed about 5 different ways. The way their original schedule was setup to start with all of their tough games at the beginning of the year. Then being the odds on favorite to take the 8th and this happening, now they play less games against tougher teams than they were set to face. They have to stay in front of a now healthy Portland team and close to a now healthy Memphis team, and even THEN they have to beat Memphis twice. And oh yeah, let’s throw their two toughest matchups in the first two games to make sure those teams try hard. Same as the regular season. Nothing the league has done has been to the benefit of the Pelicans, unless you mean the fact they simply didn’t end their season early entirely.

they easily could have gone straight to the playoffs. They benefit from having a chance now

Crizzle wrote:

Jon1798 wrote:

Metallikid wrote:They will do anything to get Zion in. They already made the entire format with Zion in mind, so if you don't think they're going to slam the Grizzlies and give Pels FTA for days you've got another thing coming.

Pelicans got screwed about 5 different ways. The way their original schedule was setup to start with all of their tough games at the beginning of the year. Then being the odds on favorite to take the 8th and this happening, now they play less games against tougher teams than they were set to face. They have to stay in front of a now healthy Portland team and close to a now healthy Memphis team, and even THEN they have to beat Memphis twice. And oh yeah, let’s throw their two toughest matchups in the first two games to make sure those teams try hard. Same as the regular season. Nothing the league has done has been to the benefit of the Pelicans, unless you mean the fact they simply didn’t end their season early entirely.

they easily could have gone straight to the playoffs. They benefit from having a chance now

Wow. “I know you were probably the better team and going to get the 8th seed. But now we have done everything for Zion because we didn’t end your season prematurely more than we already have?” Is that the stance we are standing behind?

leolozon wrote:

Metallikid wrote:They will do anything to get Zion in. They already made the entire format with Zion in mind, so if you don't think they're going to slam the Grizzlies and give Pels FTA for days you've got another thing coming.

If they wanted to do anything to get Zion in, they would have gone for best of 16 like they thought about doing. The Pels have a better chance to overtake the 8th seed in the East than in the West. Personally, I rather see the Pels/Grizzlies/Blazers in the playoffs than the Nets (who will probably take the 8th seed in the East), so I wish they did it.

You can't do best 16 because then it impacts all 15 other teams, and messes up the storylines that have been building up all season.