Only a few games last night, but some big impact on the Sixers ability to get the OKC pick.
Sixers pick (Currently slotted 2nd):
- No changes here, as the Sixers were idle, as were New York, Minnesota, Lakers, and Orlando. Sixers still have the 2nd worst record, 1.5 games behind New York for the worst record, and 0.5 up on Minnesota, 2.5 up on the Lakers, and 6 up on Orlando, who have won 3 in a row.
Lakers pick (top 5 protected, currently 4th):
- Once again, no real action here. Detroit and Indy both lost, which there’s 8.5 games of separation between them and the Lakers, so no real games of consequence.
Miami’s pick (top 10 protected, currently 16th):
- Detroit lost (bad?): I keep going back and forth on whether I want Indy and Detroit to lose. Again, all 4 of Charlotte, Indy, Detroit, and Brooklyn passing Miami would be bad, but 3 out of 4 of them passing Miami would be great. I’m counting on Indiana and Detroit to pass Miami. It’s a bit of a gamble, but I’m willing to gamble on that pick to get it as close to the top 10 as possible.
- Indy lost (bad?): Same situation as Detroit. In fact, Indiana and Detroit are both tied at 23-33, 2 games behind Miami. You kind of don’t want Miami to fall off of a cliff, as the more they struggle, the more chance that even more teams, such as Utah (21-34), and Boston (21-33) come into play. So Indy and Detroit winning, and Miami playing slightly below average ball, is probably the best hope here.
Thunder’s pick (top 18 protected, currently 18th):
- OKC won (good): Oklahoma City beat Indiana. They’ve now won 7 in a row and 9 of their last 10, even as Durant continues to miss time.
- Washington lost (good): Tough draw for Washington, as they played Golden State tough for most of the game, but the loss, combined with OKC’s win, pulls OKC to within a game of the 19th slot, and thus conveying the pick to the Sixers.
Tonight’s games:
- Sixers @ Milwaukee: Big not only for the Sixers positioning, but for the OKC positioning as well, as the Thunder are 0.5 games ahead of Milwaukee for the 18th spot. It’s kind of a win-win, but the Sixers pick is more important than the OKC pick.
- Miami @ Orlando: I suppose you want to root for Orlando to win, although if they do, their ability to remain out of the top 10 concerns me a little bit. Orlando has won 3 in a row.
- Knicks @ Boston: Boston’s in that 8-10 range where they’re really not in play to impact anything, unless Boston really goes on a run or Miami really goes on a slide. But the Knicks winning would not only help the Sixers pick, but also help the Heat pick, pushing the Celtics one game further away from Miami.
- Brooklyn @ New Orleans: Brooklyn is at 15th, 0.5 games from Miami. At this point, I’m hoping Brooklyn wins and passes Miami.
- Charlotte @ Chicago: Charlotte is the team I’m kind of counting on to falter down the stretch and *not* pass Miami, thus preventing Miami from falling to #10, and giving the Sixers a 97%+ chance of keeping that pick.
- Washington @ Minnesota: Minnesota winning here could help the Sixers in two ways: it could put some space between Minnesota and the Sixers in the race for that #2 slot, and it could help push Washington away from that 19th spot, and thus help the OKC pick convey.
- Lakers @ Utah: A Lakers win would be huge, not only to increase the (slight) chance the Lakers pick can fall outside of the top 5, but also to put some space between the Lakers and Sixers in a race for a top pick. This is a game you’d typically think the Lakers would have a chance, but the Jazz are coming off wins against the Spurs and Blazers in their last two games.
- Memphis @ Sacramento: Sacramento (and Orlando) are the teams the Lakers would have to pass in order to fall out of a top 5 slot. Odds are really low, but they’re there.
