A Look At Scheduling and the Competition

February 24, 2010

Four teams will be battling for three playoff spots in the bottom of the Eastern Conference.

TeamsGames Left (Home/Away)Win % of OPNTS MarchWin % of OPNTS AprilTiebreakersGames left against competitionConference Record
Milwaukee Bucks27 (15/12).516 (434-407).503 (225-222)2-1 (Bulls) 1 to play
2-1 (Charlotte) 1 to play
2-0 (Miami) 2 to play		419-14
Miami Heat24 (14/10).483 (404-432).308 (122-273)0-2 (Milwaukee) 2 to play
1-1 (Chicago) 2 to play
0-2 (Charlotte) 2 to play
618-15
Chicago Bulls26 (15/11).529 (450-400).489 (217-227)1-2 (Milwaukee) 1 to play
1-1 (Miami) 2 to play
1-1 (Charlotte) 2 to play
518-16
Charlotte Bobcats27 (14/13).489 (466-487).454 (202-243)1-2 (Milwaukee) 1 to play
2-0 (Miami) 2 to play
1-1 (Chicago) 2 to play

517-18

Looking at the remaining schedules, it appears if Miami can keep it together long enough, they have a good chance to make some noise come April.  With as soft a schedule as a team could ever ask for in the final month of the season, Miami will have ample room for upward mobility.  Of course, they lost to Minnesota last night, so take nothing for granted.  Their success largely depends on the health of Dwyane Wade. Wade missed Tuesday’s game in Minnesota, but will likely be back on Saturday for an important game with the Bucks.

Miami also has the most games remaining against the other three teams, with three games each.  The Bucks only have four such games left, but hold the series lead against all three teams and the Bucks currently have the best division record too. Those records may factor into whether or not the Bucks get in, so they have some meaning.

If two of the teams tie, the tiebreakers go as such:

1. Head to head records.  Whoever has won the series between the two teams gets to keep playing.

2. If they have tied the season series AND are in the same division, then division record takes precedence.  This applies to only the Bucks and Bulls.

3. After division it comes down to whichever team has a better record against teams in conference.

For more info about multiple team ties, head over to this playoff tiebreaker explanation.

By Jeremy | Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , | Comments (0)

Toiling in Mediocrity .. But Of What Kind? (Season Preview)

October 22, 2009

In sports nothing is worse than mediocrity.  Obviously everyone strives to win as many games as possible and their sports respective championship at the end of every year, but only one team is going to pull that off.  There will then be a number of teams that fall just short, and more that are a move or two away.  At the very bottom there are teams that are a reasonable kind of hopeless.  No, they know they aren’t winning the title that year, but they see something in their core players that can be built on.

The upside to being a bad team is typically that said team is playing younger players and hoping they’ll get better.  Ideally, one of those players has an especially bright future and could potentially be a franchise cornerstone if everything goes right over the next two or three years.  That is the blueprint on a successful rebuilding job.  After two or three years of bad then mediocre then finally near playoff level play, the team hopes to add a veteran role player or if they’re lucky enough, a star to complete the puzzle.  THIS is how winning teams get built. Read More »

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And We’re Off: Bucks Training Camp Begins

September 29, 2009

There were a few key words at Bucks media day Monday.

Depth ranks high on the list.  Everyone from Scott Skiles to Andrew Bogut to Bango the Buck was excited about how many options the Bucks now have all over the court.  “We’re three deep everywhere” seemed the day’s mantra.  Of course a lot of the new depth is unproven, therefore buzz word number two was youth.  Michael Redd noted that this may be the youngest squad he’s seen since his days with Milwaukee started.

And the other two words everyone was buzzing about?

Brandon and Jennings. Read More »

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Bucks History and Retired Numbers

September 11, 2009

Overdoing anything makes it less special.  I don’t care if we’re talking about driving go-carts, going to the circus, jumping rope, eating ice cream or playing video games.  If you do it every day, it’ll become less special.  Let’s say after dinner every night you eat a big bowl of vanilla ice cream.  The first time you have that ice cream, you’re going to be ecstatic, almost nothing is better after a meal than some creamy, cold, delicious vanilla ice cream.  The next day, you’re going to enjoy that ice cream almost as much, but it’s no longer quite the same.  The next week?  You’re still loving your ice cream, but now you’re used to it.  You’ve become accustomed to this treat and it simply cannot be as special as it once was.  And let’s assume you have kids and they’re eating this ice cream too.  Now you’re children are growing up without really recognizing how much of a treat it is to get ice cream after dinner.  They think it’s just part of the dinner process and lack to ability to decipher what’s special from what is to be expected.

That’s why I have never understood the Bob Lanier thing. Read More »

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Buck Hits: 9-9

September 9, 2009

Time Warner Cable and I have had our ups and downs, but for the most part it’s a relationship that I’m compelled to keep alive.  I’d say we’re pretty serious and have long been on the verge of committing ’til death do us part style, but I just can’t give up my freedom until they make the move to bring me ESPN360.com.  How difficult is it for them to work out a deal?  Why can I not watch Eurobasket 2009?  Do I ask for that much from you TWC?

In lieu of me watching and reporting on how Ersan Ilyasova, Roko Ukic and Symon Szewczyk are doing overseas we’ll have to visit some other sources for complete Euro related coverage. Read More »

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