Around the League
Playoff-tology: Stunning. That's the only way to describe the last night in the NBA regular season. How in the world did the Bucks blow the chance at a fourth seed, home-court advantage in the first round, and the chance to face the Miami Heat (41 wins)? Instead, their shocking loss to the Raptors Wednesday night pushed them to a sixth seed, took away home-court advantage and gave them the honor of playing the Detroit Pistons (54 wins) in round one. One night to blow a whole season. Though I love the Heat, the Bucks had a real shot of defeating the them, especially if they had home court. They'll be steam rolled by the Pistons.
The Kings' loss to the Warriors was just as shocking. As it stood going into Wednesday's game, the Kings were one win away from securing the second seed in the West. They would've had to play the struggling Rockets in round one. Instead, they slip to fourth and are forced to face the Mavericks. The Mavs have been playing better, are a better rebounding team and have the fire power to knock out the Kings. While I still like the Kings in the matchup, it's going to be an entertaining seven-game series, I predict.
Since Friday is draft day . . . here's my quick picks for the playoffs.
Eastern Conference Round One:
Pacers over Celtics in 5.
Nets over Knicks in 6.
Pistons over Bucks in 5.
Heat over Hornets in 6.
Western Conference Round One:
Timberwolves over Nuggets in 6.
Lakers over Rockets in 6.
Spurs over Grizzlies in 6.
Kings over Mavericks in 7.
Eastern Conference Round Two:
Pacers over Heat in 6.
Pistons over Nets in 6.
Western Conference Round Two:
Kings over Timberwolves in 7.
Lakers over Spurs in 7.
Eastern Conference Finals:
Pistons over Pacers in 7.
Western Conference Finals:
Lakers over Kings in 7.
Finals: Lakers over Pistons in 7.
I know I've been saying the Kings all season . . . but the funk that they're in is downright scary. They can't seem to figure out how to use Chris Webber. Meanwhile, I believe the Lakers, despite all of the turmoil, will focus in the playoffs. The only other thing I'll say is that I believe that either the Pistons or Pacers will have a real chance in the Finals this year. It's really a toss-up between those two. If the Pistons or Pacers get the Wolves or Kings in the Finals, I think they would have a great shot to win a championship this year.
Back Draft: The last day of the season also made significant impact on the other big NBA race -- the quest for more lottery balls.
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The Suns' defeat of the Jazz on Wednesday pushed them back fairly seriously in a three-way race for the fourth-most lottery balls. The Suns would've had a 9.1 percent chance at the No. 1 pick with a loss on Wednesday. Instead, they slip to 6.4 percent.
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The Hawks and Clippers both finished tied for fourth and will split 209 lottery balls. A coin flip will determine who gets 10.5 percent and who gets 10.4 percent.
The Raptors' win over the Bucks, combined with a Sixers loss on Wednesday, also made an impact. The two now split the balls for seventh place. The league will hold a coin flip in the next week or so to determine who gets 37 balls (or 3.7 percent) and who gets 36 balls (or 3.6 percent). Had the Raptors won, they would've had a 4.4 percent chance of winning the lottery and the Sixers would've had a 2.9 percent.
The Warriors' win on Wednesday also hurt their standing. They finished tied with the Sonics and will split 18 lottery balls (or. 9 percent).
A few other draft situations were cleared up on Wednesday.
The Knicks will send the No. 16 pick in the draft (via Phoenix) to Jazz to fufill terms from the Stephon Marbury trade in December. The Suns sent the pick along to Utah as part of the Tom Gugliotta trade in February.
The Bucks will send the No. 17 or No. 18 pick in the draft (via Detroit) to the Hawks to fulfill terms from the Rasheed Wallace trade in February. The Bucks finished in a tie with the Hornets and draft order will be determined by a coin flip.
The Rockets will send the No. 21 pick in the draft to the Jazz to fulfill terms of the Glen Rice trade last summer.
The Grizzlies will send the No. 23 pick in the draft to the Blazers to fulfill terms of the Bonzi Wells trade last fall.
The Mavericks will send the No. 24 pick in the draft to the Celtics to fulfill terms of the Antoine Walker trade last fall.
The Pistons will send the No. 25 pick in the draft to the Celtics to fulfill terms of the Chuck Atkins trade in February.
Here's a look at how the entire first round will play out.
1. Orlando Magic (25 percent chance)
2. Chicago Bulls (20 percent chance)
3. Washington Wizards (15.7 percent chance)
4. Charlotte Bobcats (locked in at No. 4)
5. (tie) Atlanta Hawks (10.5 percent chance)
5. (tie) L.A. Clippers (10.4 percent chance)
7. Phoenix Suns (6.4 percent chance)
8. (tie) Toronto Raptors (3.7 percent chance)
8. (tie) Philadelphia 76ers (3.6 percent chance)
10. Cleveland Cavaliers (1.8 percent chance)
11. (tie) Golden State Warriors (.9 percent chance)
11. (tie) Seattle SuperSonics (.9 percent chance)
13. Portland Trail Blazers (.6 percent chance)
14. Utah Jazz (.5 percent chance)
15. Boston Celtics
16. Utah Jazz (via Knicks)
17. (tie) Atlanta Hawks (via Bucks)
17. (tie) New Orleans Hornets
19. Miami Heat
20. Denver Nuggets
21. Utah Jazz (via Rockets)
22. New Jersey Nets
23. Portland Trail Blazers (via Grizzlies)
24. Boston Celtics (via Mavericks)
25. Boston Celtics (via Pistons)
26. Sacramento Kings
27. L.A. Lakers
28. San Antonio Spurs
29. Indiana Pacers
Note: The Timberwolves must forfeit their pick this year as part of the punishment for the Joe Smith fiasco.
T-Mac on the block? New Magic GM John Weisbrod pulled a stunner on Wednesday when he issued an ultimatum to Tracy McGrady -- before talking to T-Mac about it.
Tracy McGrady
Shooting Guard
Orlando Magic
T-Mac has an opt out in his contract after the 2004-05 season and Weisbrod is afraid that McGrady will leave the team. If McGrady is determined to go, Weisbrod doesn't want to lose him for nothing.
"I have no intention of starting the season with an 'I don't know' [from McGrady]. That's a fair statement," Weisbrod told the Orlando Sentinel.
"I don't want it misinterpreted that we're looking for a way to trade him -- we're not. My only objective is to push things to a conclusion during the course of the offseason. I'm not an idiot. If he comes to me July 1 and says come hell and high water I'm opting out, I'd be sort of foolish to say. 'Let's see during the course of the year if he changes his mind.' "
McGrady was surprised to hear the news, but after a meeting with Weisbrod later on Wednesday, he tried to put everything in perspective. McGrady said that he wants to remain a member of the Magic, but winning is important too.
"I don't want to leave," McGrady said. "I want to be here at home, but if it doesn't happen, I'll go somewhere else. I'll tell them it's just not working out, so let's both gain something from this.
"If we make all our moves and we improve our talent by training camp, maybe I'll go ahead and make my decision. I think they deserve to know what I'm going to do before the trade deadline. If I do decide to go, I don't want to play the entire year and them get nothing for me. They helped me get to the player I am now."
The trade deadline may be too late for Weisbrod, however.
"I don't think I'd be very comfortable in February," said Weisbrod. "I can't imagine putting the ball up in air to start next season with a feeling of uncertainty of where that's going. That's counterproductive to what we're trying to do."
Look for the feeding frenzy to begin right away. A number of teams will be willing to take a chance on McGrady. With the team capped out and Weisbrod's hands tied, its only real shot of significantly improving will be if it lands Emeka Okafor in the draft, trades Juwan Howard or Drew Gooden for a starting point guard or center, lands a nice free agent with the mid-level exception and gets a healthy Grant Hill in the fall. That's a lot of ifs.
Playoff-tology: Stunning. That's the only way to describe the last night in the NBA regular season. How in the world did the Bucks blow the chance at a fourth seed, home-court advantage in the first round, and the chance to face the Miami Heat (41 wins)? Instead, their shocking loss to the Raptors Wednesday night pushed them to a sixth seed, took away home-court advantage and gave them the honor of playing the Detroit Pistons (54 wins) in round one. One night to blow a whole season. Though I love the Heat, the Bucks had a real shot of defeating the them, especially if they had home court. They'll be steam rolled by the Pistons.
The Kings' loss to the Warriors was just as shocking. As it stood going into Wednesday's game, the Kings were one win away from securing the second seed in the West. They would've had to play the struggling Rockets in round one. Instead, they slip to fourth and are forced to face the Mavericks. The Mavs have been playing better, are a better rebounding team and have the fire power to knock out the Kings. While I still like the Kings in the matchup, it's going to be an entertaining seven-game series, I predict.
Since Friday is draft day . . . here's my quick picks for the playoffs.
Eastern Conference Round One:
Pacers over Celtics in 5.
Nets over Knicks in 6.
Pistons over Bucks in 5.
Heat over Hornets in 6.
Western Conference Round One:
Timberwolves over Nuggets in 6.
Lakers over Rockets in 6.
Spurs over Grizzlies in 6.
Kings over Mavericks in 7.
Eastern Conference Round Two:
Pacers over Heat in 6.
Pistons over Nets in 6.
Western Conference Round Two:
Kings over Timberwolves in 7.
Lakers over Spurs in 7.
Eastern Conference Finals:
Pistons over Pacers in 7.
Western Conference Finals:
Lakers over Kings in 7.
Finals: Lakers over Pistons in 7.
I know I've been saying the Kings all season . . . but the funk that they're in is downright scary. They can't seem to figure out how to use Chris Webber. Meanwhile, I believe the Lakers, despite all of the turmoil, will focus in the playoffs. The only other thing I'll say is that I believe that either the Pistons or Pacers will have a real chance in the Finals this year. It's really a toss-up between those two. If the Pistons or Pacers get the Wolves or Kings in the Finals, I think they would have a great shot to win a championship this year.
Back Draft: The last day of the season also made significant impact on the other big NBA race -- the quest for more lottery balls.
**************************************
The Suns' defeat of the Jazz on Wednesday pushed them back fairly seriously in a three-way race for the fourth-most lottery balls. The Suns would've had a 9.1 percent chance at the No. 1 pick with a loss on Wednesday. Instead, they slip to 6.4 percent.
***********************************
The Hawks and Clippers both finished tied for fourth and will split 209 lottery balls. A coin flip will determine who gets 10.5 percent and who gets 10.4 percent.
The Raptors' win over the Bucks, combined with a Sixers loss on Wednesday, also made an impact. The two now split the balls for seventh place. The league will hold a coin flip in the next week or so to determine who gets 37 balls (or 3.7 percent) and who gets 36 balls (or 3.6 percent). Had the Raptors won, they would've had a 4.4 percent chance of winning the lottery and the Sixers would've had a 2.9 percent.
The Warriors' win on Wednesday also hurt their standing. They finished tied with the Sonics and will split 18 lottery balls (or. 9 percent).
A few other draft situations were cleared up on Wednesday.
The Knicks will send the No. 16 pick in the draft (via Phoenix) to Jazz to fufill terms from the Stephon Marbury trade in December. The Suns sent the pick along to Utah as part of the Tom Gugliotta trade in February.
The Bucks will send the No. 17 or No. 18 pick in the draft (via Detroit) to the Hawks to fulfill terms from the Rasheed Wallace trade in February. The Bucks finished in a tie with the Hornets and draft order will be determined by a coin flip.
The Rockets will send the No. 21 pick in the draft to the Jazz to fulfill terms of the Glen Rice trade last summer.
The Grizzlies will send the No. 23 pick in the draft to the Blazers to fulfill terms of the Bonzi Wells trade last fall.
The Mavericks will send the No. 24 pick in the draft to the Celtics to fulfill terms of the Antoine Walker trade last fall.
The Pistons will send the No. 25 pick in the draft to the Celtics to fulfill terms of the Chuck Atkins trade in February.
Here's a look at how the entire first round will play out.
1. Orlando Magic (25 percent chance)
2. Chicago Bulls (20 percent chance)
3. Washington Wizards (15.7 percent chance)
4. Charlotte Bobcats (locked in at No. 4)
5. (tie) Atlanta Hawks (10.5 percent chance)
5. (tie) L.A. Clippers (10.4 percent chance)
7. Phoenix Suns (6.4 percent chance)
8. (tie) Toronto Raptors (3.7 percent chance)
8. (tie) Philadelphia 76ers (3.6 percent chance)
10. Cleveland Cavaliers (1.8 percent chance)
11. (tie) Golden State Warriors (.9 percent chance)
11. (tie) Seattle SuperSonics (.9 percent chance)
13. Portland Trail Blazers (.6 percent chance)
14. Utah Jazz (.5 percent chance)
15. Boston Celtics
16. Utah Jazz (via Knicks)
17. (tie) Atlanta Hawks (via Bucks)
17. (tie) New Orleans Hornets
19. Miami Heat
20. Denver Nuggets
21. Utah Jazz (via Rockets)
22. New Jersey Nets
23. Portland Trail Blazers (via Grizzlies)
24. Boston Celtics (via Mavericks)
25. Boston Celtics (via Pistons)
26. Sacramento Kings
27. L.A. Lakers
28. San Antonio Spurs
29. Indiana Pacers
Note: The Timberwolves must forfeit their pick this year as part of the punishment for the Joe Smith fiasco.
T-Mac on the block? New Magic GM John Weisbrod pulled a stunner on Wednesday when he issued an ultimatum to Tracy McGrady -- before talking to T-Mac about it.
Tracy McGrady
Shooting Guard
Orlando Magic
T-Mac has an opt out in his contract after the 2004-05 season and Weisbrod is afraid that McGrady will leave the team. If McGrady is determined to go, Weisbrod doesn't want to lose him for nothing.
"I have no intention of starting the season with an 'I don't know' [from McGrady]. That's a fair statement," Weisbrod told the Orlando Sentinel.
"I don't want it misinterpreted that we're looking for a way to trade him -- we're not. My only objective is to push things to a conclusion during the course of the offseason. I'm not an idiot. If he comes to me July 1 and says come hell and high water I'm opting out, I'd be sort of foolish to say. 'Let's see during the course of the year if he changes his mind.' "
McGrady was surprised to hear the news, but after a meeting with Weisbrod later on Wednesday, he tried to put everything in perspective. McGrady said that he wants to remain a member of the Magic, but winning is important too.
"I don't want to leave," McGrady said. "I want to be here at home, but if it doesn't happen, I'll go somewhere else. I'll tell them it's just not working out, so let's both gain something from this.
"If we make all our moves and we improve our talent by training camp, maybe I'll go ahead and make my decision. I think they deserve to know what I'm going to do before the trade deadline. If I do decide to go, I don't want to play the entire year and them get nothing for me. They helped me get to the player I am now."
The trade deadline may be too late for Weisbrod, however.
"I don't think I'd be very comfortable in February," said Weisbrod. "I can't imagine putting the ball up in air to start next season with a feeling of uncertainty of where that's going. That's counterproductive to what we're trying to do."
Look for the feeding frenzy to begin right away. A number of teams will be willing to take a chance on McGrady. With the team capped out and Weisbrod's hands tied, its only real shot of significantly improving will be if it lands Emeka Okafor in the draft, trades Juwan Howard or Drew Gooden for a starting point guard or center, lands a nice free agent with the mid-level exception and gets a healthy Grant Hill in the fall. That's a lot of ifs.
