Jazz 2017/18 Playoff Bus! All Aboard!

[MDAV28]

If only the standings could stay exactly how they are...

 

[DasJazz]

I want New Orleans first round.

 

[Thee Idiotic Minivan K]

so, how do we beat the thunder? Hope westbrook bricks everything?

it's like the worst matchup for us.

Where are the bad matchups? Maybe Favors vs. Anthony? Crowder will shut him down when he's in there. Their worst player. Maybe PG vs Ingles, I'm not worried. Ingles will outsmart him. As far as Westbrook goes, just have Mitchell gaurd him or at least take some time with him

Facts about Thunder:

1. We beat them in the first game. Westbrook was pretty much non-existent.

2. Second game we lost by 6 with Gobert fresh off a return.

3. We got blown out in the third game without Gobert.

4. We have not played them since December.

5. They locked Donovan down with Roberson.

6. We have never faced them since the defensive emergence of Royce.

7. We have had JJ and Hood when we played them.

8. They have not faced us with Crowder.

9. They have never game-planned for the new-look Jazz.

10. Carmelo sucks.

Exactly my thoughts. The Thunder hasn't played this team

 

[framer]

Where are the bad matchups? Maybe Favors vs. Anthony? Crowder will shut him down when he's in there. Their worst player. Maybe PG vs Ingles, I'm not worried. Ingles will outsmart him. As far as Westbrook goes, just have Mitchell gaurd him or at least take some time with him

Exactly my thoughts. The Thunder hasn't played this team

Can't wait to see Anthony try to defend Favors.

 

[MDAV28]

Can't wait to see Anthony try to defend Favors.

Carmelo is actually not AS bad on bigs. He is absolutely dismal on the perimeter.

 

[Avery]

Part of not wanting to play OKC is much is I can pretty much guarantee that PG/Russ will get the superstar treatment. I worry that they'll force our guards into early fouls and we won't receive the same fairness.

 

[Gameface]

Part of not wanting to play OKC is much is I can pretty much guarantee that PG/Russ will get the superstar treatment. I worry that they'll force our guards into early fouls and we won't receive the same fairness.

Yeah, I could see that making for very frustrating games where the Jazz fall behind early and never get into a rhythm.

 

[mellow]

I don't know if I am more upset about the possibility of watching Westbrook drop 40 on the Jazz 5 games in a row, or the missed opportunity of watching OKC vs Warriors in the first round.

 

[Joe Bagadonuts]

I saw that one, but I think the tiebreaker for playoff seeding would be determined by the records of the 4 teams against each other as a whole, with Utah coming out on top above OKC, Portland, and Spurs.
What's messed up is Utah would be the 3 seed, OKC would be the 6 seed, but OKC would have home court because home court advantage is determined by head-to-head record, not by playoff seeding.

Is this true? In your scenario it seems like Utah would have the 3 and OKC would have the 4, so they wouldn't even play each other. But if they did play each other home court is determined by head to head record, not seeding? It would be possible for an 8 seed to have home court over a 1 seed? Or is this home court thing something that only kicks in in the event of a tie?

 

[Handlogten's Heros]

It's basically OKC or Porty and GS on the road. I get why people are scared of OKC.... but they play a traditional big, so Rudy is going to stay on the court. Westbrook will get 40, but PG pooped his pants last post season (kind of). They don't have the shooting that GS and Porty do.

Honestly... I'd rather see Westbrook than Dame and CJ. PG on Donovan is tough but I also think Quin is a much better coach than Billy. Plus Carmelo sucks... set picks with his guy to get separation for Donovan.

Also Ingles and Adams definitely fight. There are no easy matchups that are truly possible. I'm fine with OKC.

 

[Coach Ellis]

Memphis could make the playoffs very, very interesting if they can somehow upset OKC.

If that happens, there’s a couple of scenarios that would put any of NO, Minnesota and/or OKC opening up against Houston and Golden State. That would shake things up a bit.

 

[MDAV28]

I don't know if I am more upset about the possibility of watching Westbrook drop 40 on the Jazz 5 games in a row, or the missed opportunity of watching OKC vs Warriors in the first round.

Yeah I think there is a very slim chance of OKC getting 7th, even if they lose. They'd have to lose, we would have to lose both games, and Nuggets and Pelicans would have to win is the only way OKC is 7th I think. Weirdly enough if I'm looking at it right I think Denver jumps all the way to 4 in this scenario and has home court against us.

 

[Joe Bagadonuts]

Idk. memphis clinched (? not even sure if this is right word to use here) the 2nd worst record. Maybe gasol will play 30+ min and go ******* to beat thunder

This is a great point. Memphis will not benefit from losing that game.

 

[MDAV28]

.

 

[Et tu Brute]

The West is TRASH!
I can't believe how bad Portland are. They are literally a one man team. Their offense stinks. I can't believe I watched that game last night. And the Spurs!!! Give Pop coach of the year - that is the worst Spurs team in 22 years!
Denver sucks, Pelicans suck and OKC can suck a lot. Jimmy Buttler is one tough puppy - so he can get that team competitive. But man.... The West sucks.

Only 3 teams can come out of the West. That is 101% (Utah is obviously one of them)

 

[Coach Ellis]

Yeah I think there is a very slim chance of OKC getting 7th, even if they lose. They'd have to lose, we would have to lose both games, and Nuggets and Pelicans would have to win is the only way OKC is 7th I think. Weirdly enough if I'm looking at it right I think Denver jumps all the way to 4 in this scenario and has home court against us.

The one I was looking at said if the Jazz win out, they’re in 3rd, Portland 4th.

Pels best the Spurs, so NO gets 5th (playing Portland), San Antonio 6th (playing the Jazz).

If OKC loses to Memphis, and Minnesota beats Denver, that puts OKC at 7 and Minnesota at 8.

This is what I’m rooting for, although I’m pretty happy with whatever the results are.

 

[Joe Bagadonuts]

The one I was looking at said if the Jazz win out, they’re in 3rd, Portland 4th.

Pels best the Spurs, so NO gets 5th (playing Portland), San Antonio 6th (playing the Jazz).

If OKC loses to Memphis, and Minnesota beats Denver, that puts OKC at 7 and Minnesota at 8.

This is what I’m rooting for, although I’m pretty happy with whatever the results are.

It would be so awesome to see OKC knock Durrant out of the playoffs that it simply has to happen. This season has been too epic (from a Jazz fan perspective) to allow us to miss out on a side story as potentially fantastic as that.

If Memphis was not locked into their lottery position I would give this a 1% chance of happening. Since a win will not change their fate I put their chances of beating OKC now at 15%. It all really depends on how pissed Gasol is. I thought he was super pissed in that fourth quarter against us.

 

[MDAV28]

The one I was looking at said if the Jazz win out, they’re in 3rd, Portland 4th.

Pels best the Spurs, so NO gets 5th (playing Portland), San Antonio 6th (playing the Jazz).

If OKC loses to Memphis, and Minnesota beats Denver, that puts OKC at 7 and Minnesota at 8.

This is what I’m rooting for, although I’m pretty happy with whatever the results are.

No in that situation Spurs, Thunder and Wolves all have 47 wins. Spurs and Wolves are 4-3 head to head and Thunder would be 3-5. So Thunder would be 8th for sure and then I think it would be Spurs in 6th and Wolves in 7th.

I'm pretty positive there is only ONE way Thunder are 7th. We lose out, Thunder loses to Grizz, Wolves and Spurs win.

 

[MDAV28]

What's crazy is the Jazz have a 8:30 tip so they can see everything take shape before them. There's a situation in which the Jazz may want to lose to Portland to get them in the first round instead of the Thunder.

 

[Avery]

What's crazy is the Jazz have a 8:30 tip so they can see everything take shape before them. There's a situation in which the Jazz may want to lose to Portland to get them in the first round instead of the Thunder.

Guess it depends on how the FO sees the matchup. If we beat GSW tonight, no question, they'll go for the win. A loss tonight and depending on the matchups tomorrow could make them funnel minutes differently if they feel POR is a better matchup than OKC.

It wouldn't be an all-out tank starting lineup, but I could see the starters limited to 15 minutes with guys like Udoh, Niang, Stockton playing 30+ minutes. They'll do it under the guise of resting their guys for the big push seeing as how they'd be back in POR in just a few short days.