Predictions for rest of the year

[kingkirk]

4th seed with 52 wins.

We face Washington in the 1st round. If Beal plays, we lose. If he doesn't, we win.

Should Beal not play and we make the 2nd round, we play the Cavs and lose in 6.

Basically, i have this team based on current metrics and play as nothing more than a 2nd round exit team, which would be disappointing given that's what we were hovering around the last 2 seasons as a best case scenario without Derrick Rose.

[Madhouse]

Feb. 21 Phoenix 7:00
Feb. 23 Milwaukee 7:00 W
Feb. 25 Charlotte 7:00 L
Feb. 27 Minnesota 7:00 W
Mar. 1 Los Angeles 12:00 W
Mar. 3 Washington 7:00 W
Mar. 5 Oklahoma City 7:00 L
Mar. 6 at Indiana 6:00 W
Mar. 8 at San Antonio 12:00 L
Mar. 9 Memphis 7:00 L
Mar. 11 at Philadelphia 6:00 W
Mar. 13 at Charlotte 6:00 W
Mar. 15 at Oklahoma City 12:00 L
Mar. 18 Indiana 7:00 W
Mar. 20 Toronto 7:00 W
Mar. 21 at Detroit 6:30 W
Mar. 23 Charlotte 7:00 W
Mar. 25 at Toronto 6:30 L
Mar. 28 New York 7:00 W
Apr. 1 at Milwaukee 7:00 W
Apr. 3 Detroit 7:00 W
Apr. 5 at Cleveland 2:30 L
Apr. 8 at Orlando 6:00 W
Apr. 9 at Miami 7:00 L
Apr. 11 Philadelphia 7:00 W
Apr. 13 at Brooklyn 6:30 L
Apr. 15 Atlanta 7:00 W

52-30

4th seed

1 Atlanta 60-22
2 Cleveland 55-27
3 Toronto 54-28
4 Chicago 52-30
5 Washington 49-33
6 Milwaukee 46-36
7 Miami 38-44
8 Indiana 37-45

we'll play WSH and lose in 6 games

Cleveland will win the East and will play the Warriors in the Finals

[Drellberg]

Everyone is cutting this too fine.

Toronto and Atlanta are impressive in regular season mode. I see no evidence that this will translate into the same amount of playoff success, and the two are different. The Bulls are the exact opposite -- mediocre regular season play but much foundation for playoff success. Cleveland will finish the regular season strong AND can be expected to raise the bar come the playoffs.

The top four teams in terms of how strongly they finish down the stretch: Cleveland, Bulls, Atlanta, and Toronto. All four will make it out of the first round, meaning that the Wiz are the odd team out.

The Bulls will not lose until they play the Cavs, and they have a 33% chance of winning that series.

I believe that this is how Thibs and the FO think, which likely means that the Bulls jockey to avoid the Cavs until the ECF (and to a lesser extent the Cavs do likewise), or at least have home court against them. This means in turn that unless the bulls gain 1.5-2 games on the Raps over the next 2 weeks, they will let the Cavs pass them by and settle into the 4th seed, focusing instead on getting their players ready and waiting to turn up the intensity until near the end of the regular season.

But to repeat the bottom line, I see the Bulls as favorites until they come up against the Cavs.

[blumeany]

Gotta keep it real. If this team keeps playing the way it has, we're talking a just above .500 record here on out and a first round bounce. This team, as it is playing now, is not ready for prime time.

Worst part is that Thibs is going to be bounced, but the FO will survive. At best, both are equally culpable.

[Madhouse]

Gotta keep it real. If this team keeps playing the way it has, we're talking a just above .500 record here on out and a first round bounce. This team, as it is playing now, is not ready for prime time.

Worst part is that Thibs is going to be bounced, but the FO will survive. At best, both are equally culpable.

FO and Thibs have to go. Hire Hoiberg, rebuild in 2017 and all will be good.

[TimRobbins]

4th seed with 52 wins.

We face Washington in the 1st round. If Beal plays, we lose. If he doesn't, we win.

Should Beal not play and we make the 2nd round, we play the Cavs and lose in 6.

Basically, i have this team based on current metrics and play as nothing more than a 2nd round exit team, which would be disappointing given that's what we were hovering around the last 2 seasons as a best case scenario without Derrick Rose.

Assuming the Cavs get the #2/#3 seed in your scenario, the second round would be vs. the Hawks. I do agree that in our current level of play, we're not getting past the second round.

[kingkirk]

Assuming the Cavs get the #2/#3 seed in your scenario, the second round would be vs. the Hawks. I do agree that in our current level of play, we're not getting past the second round.

Yep. You're correct. An oversight on my end.