SSBA

And now those team who will be traveling in the first round (if they are lucky enough to even play)

5.  Minnesota Timberwolves - Most likely, they have the 5th spot locked up right now.  There is a chance they could move up, with a great sim or a collapse from the Jazz or Grizzlies, but it is not likely.  And they are comfortably ahead of the teams behind them.  Garnett and Gatling will be in the playoffs once more, and on the road.

6. Sacramento Kings - Possibly the most shocking record after the trade deadline.  After blowing up the team for cap space, the Kings immediately go 6-2.  Apparently, Mickael Pietris's 2nd stop in Sacramento has gotten the whole team excited to play once again.  Considering the situation, no one knows if this team is for real or not, at this point.  After sim 11, the truth will be known.  This 6th spot is up for grabs.  There are 4 teams with striking distance.  It will take some very good play to maintain the 6th spot in the conference.

7.  Phoenix Suns - Exactly 0.500 since the All-Star break.  One of the steadiest team in the division.  Currently tied with the Kings for the 6th spot.  Can Shaq and company keep the Suns in the playoffs?  Exactly half of their games left at home, and half on the road.  Points per game and points allowed per game exactly the same.  

8.  San Antonio Spurs - Currently the 8th seed in the playoffs.  Easily within striking distance of the 6th spot, but also in danger of missing the playoffs as well. 17-11 since the All-Star break, the Spurs have been hot in the 2nd half of the season.  Ray Allen has been leading the charge to bring the Spurs to the playoffs after a long hiatus.

9.  Golden State Warriors - currently in a statistical tie for the final playoff spot.  Similar to the Kings, after huge moves at the trading deadline, went a surprising 7-1.  11-2 since Hinrich returned from injury.  Another team, like the Kings, that no one knows if they are for real yet.  Sim 11 will tell if this team has great chemistry, or just had a lucky post-trade sim.

10.  Dallas Mavericks - A very young team, currently 2 games below 0.500.  With one good sim, they can easily leap into contention for the 7th and 8th spots in the conference.  A 5 game road trip to end the season may make it tough, but Lebron leading the way, and Big Z's playoff experience, the Mavs have a shot at making it in the playoffs.

"6. Sacramento Kings - Possibly the most shocking record after the trade deadline"

Loosing is just not in our blood. :wink:

In the battle for the final 3 playoff spots:

Kings:  12 games remaining - 9 home, 3 away.  Record needed to reach 42-40 (6-6).  Key games: Warriors, Sonics twice, Suns, Grizzlies, Wolves.

Suns: 12 games - 6 home, 6 away.  Record needed to reach 42-40 (6-6).  Key games: Kings, Clippers, Wolves, Jazz twice, Mavs, Bulls.

Spurs: 9 games - 5 home 4 away.  Record needed to reach 42-40 (5-4).  Key games: Warriors, Pacers, Wolves twice.

Warriors: 15 games - 7 home, 8 away.  Record needed to reach 42-40 (8-7).  Key games: Kings, Spurs, Jazz, Mavs, Sonics twice, Hornets twice, Pacers.

Mavs: 12 games - 4 home, 8 away.  Record needed to reach 42-40 (8-4).  Key games: Warriors, Suns, Clippers, Jazz, Pacers, Nets.

I fear the most to miss the playoffs by one or 2 games, which mean lousy pick. Acceptable would be to make the playoffs or to lose the majority of the games so i can get something worthy at the draft.

Best case scenario for a pick, if you lose the rest of your games, you get you the 9th pick in the draft.  Practically no way you could do better then that.
Better off with the playoffs and high win rating for free agency, most likely.

Or hope for a lucky ping pong ball bounce and get a top 3 pick.   :wink:

Here are Mavs' remaining games, they all on the road. :x

Mavs@Suns ---Must win
Mavericks @ Pacers ---Please win
Mavericks @ Trailblazers ---Must win
Mavericks @ Magic ---Must win
Mavericks @ Nets ---Please let me win :lol:

It will be very hard to make the playoffs this year, unless...

... Pacers and Nets rest their stars.

THAT might influence the final outcome of the playoff race, BUT ...
- Nets play every involved team save for the Raptors from the East
- nobody can ask them to risk injuries to their stars in meaningless games. Just good luck for their opponent (and who says, the then-starting reserves don't try to make the best out of their opportunity)

 :roll:

Not a given.  As Bods pointed out he can break the record for most wins.  Also if Nets rest and Pacers don't then Pacers can take #1 seed.  Except for Hornets as the #3 seed in the east no team in either conference is really safe.

Whether or not I rest my players depends on the pacers.  i'm not really worried about the superficial record.

What a LIE. :)

And if Pacers say that whether they rest their players or not depends on you then we have a standoff.  Who will blink first?  How many times will DC be edited?  Ohhhh, the suspense builds....good thing we have an extra day to watch the chess match unfold.    :twisted:

Well, there is one little advantage here ...

... guess what it is ?

 :wink:

Pacers better do me a favor here, rest your staters so Nets can rest his. :D

no no no no no :)

Just saw that Pacers put his reg lineups in. PacersGM<-----:bash:----->MavsGM

No he didn't.

RonRon and Carmelo don't play, scrub Micah Hunter starts with RJeff. Camby and JO are still in but they might play less minutes too with a deep rotation.

Guess the risk of playing ONLY scrubs was too high (long losing streaks might influence team morale ...)
 :?: