3rd Seed is Perfect

[pipfan]

I think we will end up 3rd, and that is just right for me-

1. We open with Milw-they are a perfect warm up, to get Rose up to playoff speed. Plus, the travel is nothing-should be a 4 or 5 games easy series
2. Clev plays Indy in round 2-let them battle
3. We avoid ATL until the ECF-the team I fear most
4. We play and beat LBJ in round 2-we have the right team to beat him, finally.

Of course, none of this matters if we are not healthy, but if we are, we have no excuse until the ECF-ATL would be tough to beat.

[BigLos2010]

The team you're trying to avoid is Cleveland. Cleveland is going to be your 2 seed. The Bulls, therefore, would do best to get to the fourth seed. This holds off on playing Cleveland until the Eastern Conference Finals. In a perfect world, Washington gets it act together and jumps up to the third seed.

[Nagisa Kaworu]

Am I missing something ?
I think we can't be 3rd seed if Cleveland is 2nd, top 3 seeds go to the winners of each division. If that rule is still in place, we have almost no chance to face Cleveland before the ECF.

[Nagisa Kaworu]

My bad, I just found the rule on nba.com. winners of the division are guaranteed to be in the top 4, not the top 3.

[D_GoLow]

Whatever seed we get, I'd prefer to not play Washington in the first round.

[Ice Man]

Seems unlikely to me that we win enough games to be the #3 seed, even if Toronto is sucking. Yes our schedule is fairly easy from here onwards but with no Butler and Rose for most of that time, every win is a quality win.

[G I N T]

No it's not. It's by far the worst spot since we face the clear favorite and team to beat (Cleveland) in the 2nd round and without home court advantage.

Best scenarios:

1. Bulls get the 2 seed and Cavs drop to 4 seed, thus we avoid them until ECF.
2. Bulls drop to 4 seed and avoid Cavs until ECF.

[ralphisBullsFan]

i'd be happy with a good match up for us in the first round...jumping ahead is stupid remember last year?

[Chicago-Bull-E]

I agree.

I like the idea of playing Cleveland in the 2nd round. That entire team lacks experience except Lebron. Want to play them early. Also, Indiana-Chicago-Atlanta would be a tough road for them, don't want them in the finals. Tougher than Indiana-Toronto-Atl/Chi.

[TimRobbins]

1. I'm not sure Indiana doesn't jump to #6 after George comes back.

2. I'd still rather go with #4 and the Washington-Hawks route.

3. I can't see us realistically staying in front of the Raps in our depleted state.

[DanTown8587]

You're all missing the ideal situation

1. Atlanta
2. Toronto
3. Cleveland
4. Chicago
5. Milwaukee
6. Washington
7. Charlotte
8. Indiana

[Lolo]

You're all missing the ideal situation

1. Atlanta
2. Toronto
3. Cleveland
4. Chicago
5. Milwaukee
6. Washington
7. Charlotte
8. Indiana

I don't think anyone is missing it, I just think that scenario is way to highly unlikely to happen. Milwaukee has been playing like crap. They're dropping, not rising. Indiana has been on a tear, they're likely to move up. Toronto has been playing terrible, they aren't getting the 2 seed unless the injury bug hits Cleveland. It's kind of a dream scenario... But would be nice!

[Chicago-Bull-E]

You're all missing the ideal situation

1. Atlanta
2. Toronto
3. Cleveland
4. Chicago
5. Milwaukee
6. Washington
7. Charlotte
8. Indiana

Guess it depends on your opinion of Atlanta.

THIS is the ideal situation, although extremely unlikely, yet possible. Crazier things have happened, an injury to Cleveland and it could happen.

1.Atlanta
2.Chicago
3.Toronto
4.Cleveland
5.Washington
6.Milwaukee
7.Charlotte
8.Indiana

[DanTown8587]

You're all missing the ideal situation

1. Atlanta
2. Toronto
3. Cleveland
4. Chicago
5. Milwaukee
6. Washington
7. Charlotte
8. Indiana

I don't think anyone is missing it, I just think that scenario is way to highly unlikely to happen. Milwaukee has been playing like crap. They're dropping, not rising. Indiana has been on a tear, they're likely to move up. Toronto has been playing terrible, they aren't getting the 2 seed unless the injury bug hits Cleveland. It's kind of a dream scenario. I mean... Ideally, the Bulls would be the 1 seed.

Milwaukee's last seven losses: Atlanta, @ Chicago, @ Lakers, @ Utah, @ Denver (game 1 with new coach), @ Golden State, New Orleans. They aren't playing like crap, they just aren't beating good teams. The Wizards on the other hand are 5-13 their last 18 games and two of those wins were games they had 20 point second half leads and almost lost while having other\ loses to Cleveland (38), Detroit (17), Minnesota (20), Philadelphia, Chicago without Butler/Rose/Gibson, and Milwaukee.

I don't see how anyone can say Washington is playing well enough to hold anyone off.

Regarding Indiana and Charlotte, those two teams are tied. If you want me to say Indiana/Miami as 7 and 8 then that's a similar good thing.

[ATRAIN53]

I love how we have an all Central Div bracket shaping up....

meaning do we want to play 2 teams from our own division before we see ATL or WAS (TOR and CHA are not advancing)

or

would we rather have that 4th seed and play WAS 1st and not see another Central team until the ECF?

I'd rather have the 4th seed and see WAS when the playoffs start and we are coming off a couple of days rest.
If we can't get past them, we stand no shot at CLE anyways...

Then again looking at this I see...
http://www.nba.com/standings/playoff_picture.html

that TOR is 3-0 vs WAS!

I would not mind them taking WAS out and then TOR falling to ATL...

I'd love an Bulls/ATL ECF because they have never beat us in a playoff series. They may be having a great season but it's still the Atlanta Hawks and they will be out of gas if they make it that far. None of those guys have seen a 2nd round match up, much less the ECF.

1 month!

[Lolo]

You're all missing the ideal situation

1. Atlanta
2. Toronto
3. Cleveland
4. Chicago
5. Milwaukee
6. Washington
7. Charlotte
8. Indiana

I don't think anyone is missing it, I just think that scenario is way to highly unlikely to happen. Milwaukee has been playing like crap. They're dropping, not rising. Indiana has been on a tear, they're likely to move up. Toronto has been playing terrible, they aren't getting the 2 seed unless the injury bug hits Cleveland. It's kind of a dream scenario. I mean... Ideally, the Bulls would be the 1 seed.

Milwaukee's last seven losses: Atlanta, @ Chicago, @ Lakers, @ Utah, @ Denver (game 1 with new coach), @ Golden State, New Orleans. They aren't playing like crap, they just aren't beating good teams. The Wizards on the other hand are 5-13 their last 18 games and two of those wins were games they had 20 point second half leads and almost lost while having other\ loses to Cleveland (38), Detroit (17), Minnesota (20), Philadelphia, Chicago without Butler/Rose/Gibson, and Milwaukee.

I don't see how anyone can say Washington is playing well enough to hold anyone off.

Regarding Indiana and Charlotte, those two teams are tied. If you want me to say Indiana/Miami as 7 and 8 then that's a similar good thing.

I didn't say Washington was playing well. They're playing terrible basketball too.
I can see Indiana jumping both Milwaukee and Washington before it's all said and done. And I've watched Milwaukee play, MCW isn't giving them what they need right now (offense or defense. He was terrible against Nola), and they have almost no shooting. They aren't a team on the rise. Also, did you really just call the Lakers are good team?! While the Bucks aren't beating good teams and they're losing to some pretty lousy ones as well (Den and Lal are very lousy). Doesn't sound like a team that's making a run for the 5 seed.

Also, Toronto is 1-9 in the last 10 games. How exactly are they getting a 2 seed? You used Washington's 5-13 record to indicate why they're going to fall to 6 (and get passed by Mil) yet you think the Raptors are going to outpace the Cavs?

Like I said before, no one is missing this ideal scenario... It's a dream scenario.

[CB4L]

Toronto despite being healthy is just not that great of a team. Jump shooting teams struggle to get easy buckets and it is showing every game now.

[pipfan]

Don't you guys want to play Lebron? That is the matchup I am waiting for-it would be FUN. I think Atlanta wipes us out, with their ball movement and teamwork

[BigLos2010]

pipfan, the general consensus among even NBA experts is that Atlanta is something of a regular season champ who will lose in a seven game series against a real contender. I tend to agree with that. LeBron scares me much more than Atlanta.

The ideal scenario, no matter the seeding, is to have Atlanta, Cleveland, and Washington on side of he bracket, and Chicago on the other. Cleveland/Washington as your 4/5 would be nice with Atlanta as the 1, but it's highly unlikely. Far more likely is that Atlanta/Cleveland finish 1/2, in which case you'd much rather be the 4/5/8 than the 3/6/7.

[DROSEMVP]

I think we need to look at this from another perspective, Out of the teams with seeds 5-8, Indiana is the team we don't want to play in the first round. They are the hottest team in the nba right now and paul george is coming back soon. If Washington stays on this cold streak the pacers could end up as high as the 3rd seed. Toronto, Milwaukee, and Washington are playing bad as of late. A possible seeding I like for the playoffs is this:

1)Atlanta
2)Cleveland
3)Indiana
4)Toronto
5)Chicago
6)Washington
7)Miami or Milwaukee
8)Milwaukee or Miami

We get Cleveland against the Pacers in the second round. We avoid completely avoid Washington. Miami could force a long series against Cleveland depending on D-Wade.