Predictions: Playoffs or Lottery?

[WuRaider]

We will go 19 and 7 to finish at 48-34 to make the playoffs as the 6th or 7th (hopefully 5th) seed.


Sun 27 @ Indiana W
Mon 28 @ New Jersey W

Wed 02 @ Boston W
Fri 04 @ Milwaukee W
Sun 06 @ Oklahoma City L
Tue 08 vs Houston W
Thu 10 vs Denver W
Sun 13 vs Orlando W
Mon 14 @ Houston W
Wed 16 @ New Orleans L
Fri 18 vs Golden State W
Sun 20 @ LA Clippers L
Tue 22 @ LA Lakers L
Wed 23 vs Toronto W
Fri 25 vs New Orleans W
Sun 27 vs Dallas W
Tue 29 @ Sacramento W
Wed 30 vs Oklahoma City L

Fri 01 vs LA Clippers W
Sun 03 @ San Antonio W
Tue 05 @ Chicago L
Wed 06 @ Minnesota W
Fri 08 @ New Orleans W
Sun 10 @ Dallas L
Mon 11 vs Minnesota W
Wed 13 vs San Antonio W

 

[mjb21aztd]

I predict we make a strong push late in the season, and make the playoff's as the 8th seed. Than we shock the world and beat the spurs in round 1!!!!

 

[FArting]

I predict we make it as the 6th seed.

 

[Errntknght]

One of the problems the Suns face in getting into the playoffs is that we have only one game against the teams (Memphis, Utah, Denver) that we have to climb over - Denver on Mar 10. Problem 2 is that we have to climb over two of them to get the 8th seed.

Thats not the end of our woes as we have six back to back pairs remaining plus our schedule is bipolar - we have 12 game against teams that we should beat, 13 against teams we will have to upset and 1 against Denver, which I'm counting as a push. Going 19 - 7 would be near miraculous with our schedule - winning all the games we should, the push game and then upsetting 6 of 13 better teams. 17-9 would be amazing and 15-11 would be good but it might not push us over even 1 team.

Memphis has been playing well of late (7-3 in their last 10, the same as us).

I've already predicted that Utah will return to their winning ways after shedding Williams and I believe shedding Carmelo is going to have the same effect on Denver. Unhappy stars are often worth less than nothing to a team and it can energize the other players to get rid of them.

If we hadn't gotten Brooks from Houston, I'd say the Suns chances of making the playoff were virtually zero. But if his wheel isn't bothering him and he jumps right in, it could win us 2-4 games putting us right on the cusp... say a 50-50 chance at the 8th seed.

 

[desertdawg]

Pencil me in for a 7th seed (playoff) prediction.

 

[Magnus]

The Suns are playing very good at the moment. Problem is, all of the teams the Suns have to climb over are also playing very good. And they have more games played, so basically the lost game numbers are virtually the same from 5th to 10th spot, yet they have a bunch more wins right now, meaning we'd have to go on a really good win streak just to break even with one of them.

The Suns are in the worst position to make the playoffs for sure, but it can happen. With a lot of luck, because it depends on many other team performances, it is a mountain to climb.

I'd say we'll go over Utah, but I don't know what the other team could be. Memphis is playing really well, Portland just got Wallace on top of everything else. Maybe Denver without Melo is our chance, but they are so far ahead right now that I don't think they'll let that lead slip, and I wouldn't bet that both the teams that lost their star player will go into a total slump.

 

[ninous26]

Playoffs baby, 4th or 5th seed if aaron brooks plays better than dragic and can run the second unit.

We will dominate western conference team from now till the end of the Rg Season.

 

[Griffin]

Well, Utah just lost to Detroit. In the loss column, the Suns are now ahead of Utah, tied with Memphis, one loss behind Denver, and two losses behind New Orleans and Portland. Realistically, the Suns still could finish as high as fifth. It seems like the Suns are farther out because they haven't played as many games, but they are right there. I think they'd have to play really bad over the last 26 games or so in order to miss playoffs altogether.

 

[BC867]

Now that Marcin Gortat has solidified the power positions (the second most important group on the roster)

Lopez/Gortat
Frye/Warrick

And the wings are in a good rotation with
Hill/Pietrus
Carter/Dudley

The most important thing will be if Aaron Brooks (and Dowdell) can hold things steady at the Point -- allowing Nash to get his needed rest and, hopefully, avoid fatigue and injury as the season winds down.

Gentry's effective coaching and the Suns chemistry and team play could propel us to 6 or 7. We are already on a winning streak.

And look what we did last year with role players surrounding a tiring Nash and a monster on offense, Amar'e.

Last year, getting bounced from the Conference finals turned out to be somewhat disappointing. This year, with 2+ roster turnovers, some playoff success would be even more of an accomplishment.

 

[Sunburn]

Now that Marcin Gortat has solidified the power positions (the second most important group on the roster)

Lopez/Gortat
Frye/Warrick

And the wings are in a good rotation with
Hill/Pietrus
Carter/Dudley

The most important thing will be if Aaron Brooks (and Dowdell) can hold things steady at the Point -- allowing Nash to get his needed rest and, hopefully, avoid fatigue and injury as the season winds down.

Gentry's effective coaching and the Suns chemistry and team play could propel us to 6 or 7. We are already on a winning streak.

And look what we did last year with role players surrounding a tiring Nash and a monster on offense, Amar'e.

Last year, getting bounced from the Conference finals turned out to be somewhat disappointing. This year, with 2+ roster turnovers, some playoff success would be even more of an accomplishment.

Nash is incredible.

 

[Magnus]

Well, Utah just lost to Detroit. In the loss column, the Suns are now ahead of Utah, tied with Memphis, one loss behind Denver, and two losses behind New Orleans and Portland. Realistically, the Suns still could finish as high as fifth. It seems like the Suns are farther out because they haven't played as many games, but they are right there. I think they'd have to play really bad over the last 26 games or so in order to miss playoffs altogether.

And exactly because of that, I think the Suns have to get atleast 4 more wins than the teams they are trying to get over. let's just hope the other teams are going to make it easy on us.

 

[elindholm]

It's probably simpler to pick a final W-L record as a target and ask if the Suns can get there. My guess is that the 8th seed, whoever it is, will be around 46-36. So the Suns need to go 17-9 to get there.

 

[AzStevenCal]

It's probably simpler to pick a final W-L record as a target and ask if the Suns can get there. My guess is that the 8th seed, whoever it is, will be around 46-36. So the Suns need to go 17-9 to get there.

Looking at our schedule, I think we go 16 - 9 and the last game against the Spurs will probably fall to us if Pop rests his starters. I think we pass Memphis, Utah and Portland with only a game or so separating us from Denver and New Orleans (either way). So far, Nash has had one of his healthiest seasons in years - if it continues I think we have a decent shot at the 6 seed.

Steve

 

[Proteus]

Lottery with a 42-40 record.

 

[PDXChris]

As someone who has never really been a Suns fan even after living in Phoenix for 16 years I am rooting for this team to make it. With Amare gone, this is a much more likable team for me. With Utah and Denver in transition, I think they are in great position to make and think they will and for the first time ever, I am rooting for them to. I hope they on loss thy April 5th game the rest of the way.

 

[Absolute Zero]

With a little luck and some help, we'll get the 8th seed setting up an interesting series with the Spurs.

I don't see us getting any higher than that. Even the teams we have to pass should do well down the stretch.

 

[Mainstreet]

With a little luck and some help, we'll get the 8th seed setting up an interesting series with the Spurs.

I don't see us getting any higher than that. Even the teams we have to pass should do well down the stretch.

As good as the Spurs are I would rather play them than Dallas or the Lakers so the 8th seed would be fine if the Suns make the playoffs. So I'll go with the Suns as the 8th seed.

 

[AzStevenCal]

As good as the Spurs are I would rather play them than Dallas or the Lakers so the 8th seed would be fine if the Suns make the playoffs. So I'll go with the Suns as the 8th seed.

I agree. I don't expect us to advance against any of the top teams and there's no doubt that San Antonio is playing at a high level but we have a better chance against them than LA or Dallas. I'd change my mind if I thought the Lakers were going to continue playing in the post season as they have the past month or two but they turned it on last year and probably will again this year.

Steve

 

[desertdawg]

It's really early, I don't know where the top 3 west teams will end up or who will be hot entering the playoffs but right now Dallas is the one team I don't wanna face in the first round.

East has the Knicks coming in to their own just as the West has the Suns rising at the right time (Mountain Standard time ). Both teams are are dancing away from their .500 records and can be the big spoilers in the first round.

Suns are playing very well, if someone is having an off night, others step it up, with Nash usually figuring all of this out on the fly and putting the ball in the hot hands.

Life is a bench! And that's where our team is questionable and can get bench slapped in the playoffs. Brooks has a lot of time to nurse that ankle up and groove with the second unit. He already looks like he wants to distribute the rock, and we've seen him take it to the hole rather nicely.

I understand when people bench about the trade, Brooks has a kind of TO sounding track record, plus it seems like we picked him up right when the team was just starting to come together. I still think Brooks will do more than Goran was doing here, and we might even want to re-sign him when it's all said and done with. If not, we aren't stuck with him in some bad contract so it's all good.

#0 and LOLopez, those two guys can make us or break us in the playoffs. I like how both of them show up in the playoffs, so I like our chances.

 

[JCSunsfan]

The way things are going now, the Suns could finish as high as the 5th seed. If they keep improving, ANY series would be interesting. I would love to see how a defensively oriented Suns team would actually do in the playoffs. Its sore of unheard of.

Remember that San Antonio won it all once as a 6th seed. I am not saying the Suns are true contenders, but anything can happen. This is probably Nash's last playoff run here, and I just want to be able to see it one more time.

 

[elindholm]

Remember that San Antonio won it all once as a 6th seed.

That was the 1995 Rockets, and they were the defending champions. Not quite the same thing.

 

[jagu]

Suns aren't that far from OKC, 5 games in the L column. No I'm not saying they can get that high but right now the Suns have the pieces to get to the playoffs and if Brooks can improve his health and game (I saw good things in his first game), then we might see a strong playoff team with interior defense and a pretty electric offense in both the starting 5 and the Gortat led bench. Gortat is essentially a starter but I'm glad Gentry keeps Rolo in there to see if he can get things going. Rolo has improved in the pick and roll and he has a nice touch around the rim but man the dude can't rebound for his life. Both Lopez brothers don't have an innate ability to get rebounds it seems. Keep it just like this and give Rolo more minutes in games he plays well to start it off or just go to the machine that is Gortat.

 

[Yuma]

I would love to get someone in the lottery, but after watching this team celebrate in Indy, it really makes you want to cheer these guys on. When the Suns hustle they can beat anyone. They lose when they think they can just get by on their talent alone.

 

[Irish]

I like this team (finally), but I'm not sure I wouldn't prefer a better draft position than a "one and done" playoff series. I hope I'm wrong, but this team needs stuff to be a contender.

 

[Sunburn]

Hello lottery. . .