Uh Oh... People think the Bullets are getting into the Play-In Tournament

[Kanyewest]

What a dog fight, three-way tie currently for the 10th spot, the Bulls have improved post-trade and Toronto is scrappy as-well.

I thought the Bulls improved post-trade, but they've actually been horrible. They're 4-9 following the trade. And now Lavine is out for several games due to Covid protocols.

Toronto has more talent than us, but they might be tanking. They sat their 4 best players last game despite none of them having a serious injury.

The Wiz appear to be the most motivated of the 3 - management is obviously pulling for a win, and Beal and Westbrook really want it - while their teammates want to make them happy. They're arguably the least talented, but I'll go with the most motivated team taking it.

The Bulls could be motivated given that they gave up a couple first round picks for Vucevic including in this year's draft and took a bit more salary for Theis (as opposed to Wagner). That being said, they get to keep their pick this season as it has a top 4 protection.

[Ruzious]

I thought the Bulls improved post-trade, but they've actually been horrible. They're 4-9 following the trade. And now Lavine is out for several games due to Covid protocols.

Toronto has more talent than us, but they might be tanking. They sat their 4 best players last game despite none of them having a serious injury.

The Wiz appear to be the most motivated of the 3 - management is obviously pulling for a win, and Beal and Westbrook really want it - while their teammates want to make them happy. They're arguably the least talented, but I'll go with the most motivated team taking it.

The Bulls could be motivated given that they gave up a couple first round picks for Vucevic including in this year's draft and took a bit more salary for Theis (as opposed to Wagner). That being said, they get to keep their pick this season as it has a top 4 protection.

Vucevic has continued to put up numbers for them since the trade, but they're still losing. Maybe I'm overrating their talent, and now their backcourt is a disaster without Lavine and with Sato having restrictions - leaving them to start Temple and White. And Theis starting with Vuc isn't exactly a quick frontcourt - they should use Thad more. Lauri appears lost. TBJ might be their most motivated player.

[closg00]

TF man, the Celtics have their win-streak stopped by the Bulls.

[FAH1223]

Bulls and Raptors have tie breaker

Maybe critical for ping pong balls

[FAH1223]

Shid

We are the 10th seed

[closg00]

New challenges with all the injuries, Toronto and Bulls are still right-there

[montestewart]

I have to say, after one plus year of Covid, fanless basketball, game delays and cancellations, the reconfigured NBA playoffs with its play in is just what DC needed. Thanks to this late season win streak, the Wizards have an 11th hour opportunity to fight for their basketball lives, to snag one more breath of oxygen, to fall out of lottery eligibility (TBD), to play--how many games are play in series?--more games.

9th Seed used to be all about pride, but now 10th seed offers so much more. Or at least a little more. Well, more. Maybe. But 10th seed, 11th seed, it's not about winning. It's about playing with pride. And giving Brooks an audition for his next gig. Which could possibly be with the Washington Wizards, thanks to their improbable "success" (that will be the word Terd drops if Brooks' contract is extended).

So much at stake! Some of the most excruciatingly nail biting Washington basketball ever.

[Ruzious]

I have to say, after one plus year of Covid, fanless basketball, game delays and cancellations, the reconfigured NBA playoffs with its play in is just what DC needed. Thanks to this late season win streak, the Wizards have an 11th hour opportunity to fight for their basketball lives, to snag one more breath of oxygen, to fall out of lottery eligibility (TBD), to play--how many games are play in series?--more games.

9th Seed used to be all about pride, but now 10th seed offers so much more. Or at least a little more. Well, more. Maybe. But 10th seed, 11th seed, it's not about winning. It's about playing with pride. And giving Brooks an audition for his next gig. Which could possibly be with the Washington Wizards, thanks to their improbable "success" (that will be the word Terd drops if Brooks' contract is extended).

So much at stake! Some of the most excruciatingly nail biting Washington basketball ever.

Ted must have some stroke with rule changes; last season we were the last team that qualified to play in the bubble, and this season, we're benefitting from the play-in tourney.

Ted is all about managing expectations. If the fans don't expect much, give them a tiny bit more than they expect, and they'll be happy. Trying to build a championship team is for suckers.

[pancakes3]

i bought tickets for Wiz/Pacers on May 3 and i am PUMPED.

[dobrojim]

I actually looked up how the play-in tournament works.
9/10 seeds would have to win 2 games. 7/8 seeds have
2 chances to win one game.

[montestewart]

I actually looked up how the play-in tournament works.
9/10 seeds would have to win 2 games. 7/8 seeds have
2 chances to win one game.

Feeling lucky? Put all your chips on 00!

Sorry, I sound a little like Glum.

[nate33]

I actually looked up how the play-in tournament works.
9/10 seeds would have to win 2 games. 7/8 seeds have
2 chances to win one game.

Yeah, I thought it was 10 plays 7 while 9 plays 8, and with the lower seeds needing to win two consecutive games to advance, but if the higher seed wins once, they're in.

I like the way they're actually doing it better.

I'm not to excited about playing Toronto in a potential 9/10 matchup. I'd rather play Chicago or Indiana.

But the way things are going, we might catch Charlotte and the 8th seed.

[dobrojim]

^ (to MS' comment)
it wouldn't be nearly as interesting if we knew in advance what would happen.

[nate33]

Our last 6-game win streak was in January of 2017, the season we won 49 games.

[dobrojim]

I actually looked up how the play-in tournament works.
9/10 seeds would have to win 2 games. 7/8 seeds have
2 chances to win one game.

Yeah, I thought it was 10 plays 7 while 9 plays 8, and with the lower seeds needing to win two consecutive games to advance, but if the higher seed wins once, they're in.

I like the way they're actually doing it better.

I'm not to excited about playing Toronto in a potential 9/10 matchup. I'd rather play Chicago or Indiana.

But the way things are going, we might catch Charlotte and the 8th seed.

Right.

For those who haven't looked or heard. The winner of the 7/8 matchup is in as 7th seed.
The winner of the 9/10 matchup plays the loser of the 7/8 matchup for the 8th seed.

So if you're 7/8 seed you have two chances to get in. 9/10 seeds have to win twice to become 8 seed
and if they lose a game, they're out.

[keynote]

With Deni, we were already rolling out one of the least impressive group of SFs in the league. Without Deni...oof. Is there a less impressive set of SFs in the NBA than Matthews, Bonga, and Hutchison? Is there a team in the league weaker at any one position than we currently are at SF?

i don't begrudge any of those players' talent level, given their low cost of acquisition. But again: it's not like we were lousy with high quality SFs before Deni's injury. Instead, we were just lousy.

In any event, Deni's injury has me less enthusiastic about winning our way out of the top end of the lottery. It's hard to win games, let alone win the play-in tourney, without at least mediocre SF play.

[FAH1223]

Read on Twitter

[MDStar]

Effectively 4 games back (Charlotte owns the H2H tiebreaker) of Charlotte with 14 games to play. Charlotte is 3-7 in the last 10, whereas Washington is 8-2. Both teams have similar SOS remaining, with Washington having the slight easier path at .472 vs. .478. We've been talking about them in the play-in game for much of the past week or so, but is it conceivable that they catch Charlotte for the outright 8th seed?

Not that it would matter very much this year as they still would be required to play the play-in but would be extremely surprising and impressive considering the 4-12 start to the season.

[dobrojim]

With Deni, we were already rolling out one of the least impressive group of SFs in the league. Without Deni...oof. Is there a less impressive set of SFs in the NBA than Matthews, Bonga, and Hutchison? Is there a team in the league weaker at any one position than we currently are at SF?

i don't begrudge any of those players' talent level, given their low cost of acquisition. But again: it's not like we were lousy with high quality SFs before Deni's injury. Instead, we were just lousy.

In any event, Deni's injury has me less enthusiastic about winning our way out of the top end of the lottery. It's hard to win games, let alone win the play-in tourney, without at least mediocre SF play.

Spoken partly facetiously and ducking for cover IOW, not endorsing this but just saying this is our reality

Westbrook is now our SF (since we've been starting Neto and Beal as well)

[closg00]

With Deni, we were already rolling out one of the least impressive group of SFs in the league. Without Deni...oof. Is there a less impressive set of SFs in the NBA than Matthews, Bonga, and Hutchison? Is there a team in the league weaker at any one position than we currently are at SF?

i don't begrudge any of those players' talent level, given their low cost of acquisition. But again: it's not like we were lousy with high quality SFs before Deni's injury. Instead, we were just lousy.

In any event, Deni's injury has me less enthusiastic about winning our way out of the top end of the lottery. It's hard to win games, let alone win the play-in tourney, without at least mediocre SF play.

Welp, this is where Ernie would say we have a 1st round SF on our team in Chandler Hutchison, his number may be called