Suns @ Grizzlies Friday game thread, 11-24-2023 - In-Season Tournament #4

[Cheesebeef]

Only the final game of the in-season tournament is extra. Everything up to then is part of the 82 and counts in the regular standings.

I’m aware of this. Have zero desire for them to play that game.

 

[Mainstreet]

None of this is how it works in Europe. The NBA pulled this out of their butt.

The announcers made some reference to point differential being used in Europe, but I didn't catch it all.

Perhaps they use it in another sport like soccer?

 

[Phrazbit]

The announcers made some reference to point differential being used in Europe, but I didn't catch it all.

Perhaps they use it in another sport like soccer?

In Europe they have domestic cups that happen during the season that are single elimination, no group stage stuff.

They also have larger, Europe wide "League Cups" where the best teams from each country play each other... in that point differential can be a tie breaker but it is only within a group. It's a 4 team group, the top 2 from each group advance, they play each other twice, if teams are tied then point difference is a tie breaker, which is fair because all 4 teams played the same schedule.

Also, none of these European cups, either domestic or Europe wide, have any impact on the standings in their seasons. They're completely separate competitions.

The finals of these foreign cups also come at the end of the year.

The NBA had to do 5 team groups because there are 30 teams... they didn't have them play each other twice, probably because it would have chewed up too much of the schedule, they have to do this dumb tie breaker system because the tournament is so rushed they couldn't do a proper playoff. And the games count for both the season record and the tournament because the NBA couldn't add more games to the already brutally long schedule (European leagues play like 40 game seasons) and for some dopey reason the NBA decided to rush the whole thing and have it end 2 months after it starts.

The result is an incoherent mess.

I wasn't against the idea, but the execution has been horrible.

 

[Phrazbit]

Once the NBA expands to 32 teams, the competition could actually make sense.

Do 8 groups with 4 teams, they play each other twice, top 2 advance. 16 team, single elimination playoff follows. Have NONE of this impact the league standings.

To make room on the schedule, cut it down to 72 games.

And get rid of these revolting courts.

 

[Phrazbit]

Well, Nuggets certainly are not going to do me a solid tonight. They're getting thrashed.

 

[Raindog]

Houston is blowing out Denver, BTW... although only late first half.

The Rockets have been surprisingly decent early this season. I think most predictions had them just about the worst team in the league. And Orlando has been equally surprising, just a hair behind the Celtics for best record in the East, after blowing out Boston today.

 

[Mainstreet]

Lindsey wins the pet contest. Okay, I'm a bit prejudiced towards both.

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[Phrazbit]

Hard to see how we don't end up the Wild Card. The other teams in the running all play each other and have a ton of ground to make up on point differential.

 

[Mainstreet]

Hard to see how we don't end up the Wild Card. The other teams in the running all play each other and have a ton of ground to make up on point differential.

If it's any comfort, Booker cares about the Tournament.

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[Hoop Head]

Winning the tournament could be a huge bonus for all the minimum guys. Booker gets it, he knows they signed here for peanuts and getting them a 50-60% pay bump will encourage others to take a chance here like EG, Eubanks, Yuta, KBD, etc. Plus of course the chance of a chip later.

 

[GatorAZ]

Good game to rest KD!

 

[Ouchie-Z-Clown]

IMO, a point differential should never be a decider in a team advancing in the NBA In-Season Tournament. It doesn't make sense at this level. There must be a better decider.

I agree. It just makes it more likely a star gets hurt in meaningless minutes.

 

[Suns_fan69]

Hard to see how we don't end up the Wild Card. The other teams in the running all play each other and have a ton of ground to make up on point differential.

Houston just beat Denver by a big margin. They have one more game and if they beat Dallas by 19 or more, they'd overtake the suns.

 

[Phrazbit]

Houston just beat Denver by a big margin. They have one more game and if they beat Dallas by 19 or more, they'd overtake the suns.

The only way the Suns don't go through is if Houston beats Dallas by 19+, in Dallas... seems unlikely

or if Minnesota beats Oklahoma by 38+, in OKC, seems extremely unlikely.

Also, if the Pelicans lose to the Clippers tonight then the Houston result won't matter to us. It will only be Minnesota needing to obliterate the Thunder.



The Warriors and Kings both have a chance to get through but they have to play each other and there is no math that allows both teams to finish ahead of us after that game.

 

[Ouchie-Z-Clown]

Got my Covid update, flu shot, and second (final) shingles shot at the half.

Did that last weekend. Wiped me out for a day.

 

[Mainstreet]

I'm reading Suns fans should be rooting for the Clippers.

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[Pda4976]

The only way the Suns don't go through is if Houston beats Dallas by 19+, in Dallas... seems unlikely

or if Minnesota beats Oklahoma by 38+, in OKC, seems extremely unlikely.

Also, if the Pelicans lose to the Clippers tonight then the Houston result won't matter to us. It will only be Minnesota needing to obliterate the Thunder.



The Warriors and Kings both have a chance to get through but they have to play each other and there is no math that allows both teams to finish ahead of us after that game.

We also are going to get the Lakers because they are the top seed correct? That couldn't work out any better. If we have KD back we should take care of them and advance to Vegas.

 

[Mainstreet]

Figuring out who advances is like a puzzle.

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[Vacard]

Nugs got blown out. Suns out??

 

[Mainstreet]

Nugs got blown out. Suns out??

The Suns are still in it.

As I understand it, the Suns would significantly benefit if the Clippers beat the Pelicans tonight.

 

[Phrazbit]

The Suns are still in it.

As I understand it, the Suns would significantly benefit if the Clippers beat the Pelicans tonight.

I honestly don't think it will matter. The odds of Houston beating Dallas by 19 on the road or the Wolves beating OKC by a million are very very slim.

I'd say we've got about... 98% odds to make it.

 

[Hoop Head]

I don't see the big issue with point differential being a tie breaker considering there's 4 games in group 1. I suppose they could do regular season record as a tie breaker but that makes the tournament less inclusive.

 

[DJ Tabooh]

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Barring something drastic, the Suns will get the final spot for the IST.

 

[Superbone]

And…

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[Chris_Sanders]

Got my Covid update, flu shot, and second (final) shingles shot at the half.

I got just the flu and covid together once and felt like dog poo the next day