Atlanta Hawks: On playoff seeding
Judging by the persistent questions from Tweeps, it seems there is some confusion about what happens if the No. 5 seed in the East finishes with a better record than the No. 4 seed. This is possible because division winners can finish no worse than No. 4. This season the No. 5 seed could very well have a better record than the Atlantic winner. It’s why the Hawks remain behind the Celtics (and before that, the Sixers) in the standings even though they have the better record, which only adds to the confusion.
I’ve maintained all along that the Hawks would get home-court advantage if that’s the way they finish but the questions persist. So, to put it to rest once and for all, I e-mailed NBA spokesman Tim Frank. His reply:
“Better record always gets home court.”
There it is, plainly stated. The Hawks would get home-court advantage as the No. 5 seed if their record is better than a division winner with a worst record. As it stands now, that means the Hawks would play host to the Celtics in the first round even though the Celtics would have the better seed.
You might ask why reward a division winner the No. 4 seed if it doesn’t get home-court advantage anyway. In practice, it assures that a division winner will face an opponent with no better than the fourth-best record in the conference. Normally that’s not relevant but it can be in a season like this, the best Atlantic teams are bunched together
with so-so records.
Besides, as Josh Smith wryly noted the other day when the topic came up: “They get to hang up a banner.”
Michael Cunningham, Hawks beat
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407 comments Add your comment
brigadierjerry
April 10th, 2012
6:21 am
Something to think about if Hawks get to 2nd round and play bulls
http://www.chicagotribune.com/sports/ba … 6802.story
Rose seems as if he isnt going to be 100% this year. If Hawks match up with Bulls in playoffs with Rose not 100% Hawks will have a chance to defeat them.
Buddy Grizzard
April 10th, 2012
6:46 am
Bad link brigadier.
Grandmaster JeJe (GM)
April 10th, 2012
7:22 am
Rose seems as if he isnt going to be 100% this year. If Hawks match up with Bulls in playoffs with Rose not 100% Hawks will have a chance to defeat them.
****
our chances of beating them are extremely thin, with or without Rose
Grandmaster JeJe (GM)
April 10th, 2012
7:28 am
Najeh Davenpoop
April 10th, 2012
12:29 am
“Just put your best wing on Joe in a series and let Josh take jumpshots”
True, but this becomes much harder to pull off if Joe is playing SG and Josh is playing SF.
LinkReport this comment
*****
not really. Josh will take his mandatory jumpshots no matter what position he plays, no matter who is guarding him
Slimjr
April 10th, 2012
7:42 am
Bulls in 5…Somebody missed that last beat down in Phillips? No shot.
Slimjr
April 10th, 2012
8:08 am
Hey SteveW, Check out John Todd and music..Sorry I gave you another name last week..John Todd on youtube..Fascinating stuff dude..
_________________________________________________________________–
can’t handle the truth
April 10th, 2012
2:10 am
“Phyllis Hyman was murdered because she was not as lucrative as she once was – replaced by young upstart diva Whitney Houston. Whitney died “mysteriously” was she became worth more dead than alive – replaced by young upstart diva, Jennifer Hudson. Its a dirty game the industry – it and always what it seem – you might get fool if you are on the outside…”
Thanks for info…Wow!
drmaryb.(*_*).
April 10th, 2012
9:28 am
Living All Alone!
I got that Phyliss Hyman CD, had to stop listening to it, was making me so depressed. What a troubled soul with an amazing voice. A true talent, gone too soon.
The music industry is not for the weak! Like the NBA it’s a business. Regina Belle was describing how much she was in awe of Phyliss putting out those LOW notes, like a dude – so smoothly.
John Battle! Hawks running mate w/Doc Rivers, is married to Regina. She got a man face like Tischa Arnold, LOL! Love Regina too, had all her stuff.
Where have all the great artist gone? Now, all they do is rap.
Ken Strickland
April 10th, 2012
9:32 am
How would you do if you had one of these NEGATIVE MINDED WHINNERS we have on these blogs as teammates? After all of their whinning, bitching and complaining about what the team can’t do, hasn’t done, what it has, doesn’t have or needs, and what the other team has and can do, you’d probably end up doing a SPREWELL on their negative minded A$$ES.
Najeh Davenpoop
April 10th, 2012
9:40 am
Kenneth Faried yesterday: 24 minutes, 27 points, 17 boards, 2 steals, 1 block, 12/18 shooting, +33.
Jordan Crawford yesterday: 21 minutes, 20 points, 2 boards, 3 dimes, 5/5 FT, 7/12 shooting, +14.
Seriously, when is the last time Kirk scored 20 points in a game?
Lang Greene from Hoopsworld thinks Rick Sund is an Executive of the Year candidate. LMFAOROFLOLSMGDMFHFFSKTCBBQSECFBICIANSAFCCAJC
Najeh Davenpoop
April 10th, 2012
9:42 am
I just went back and checked. Kirk has scored 20 points twice in his ENTIRE TIME AS A HAWK.
Whatever good will Sund built up by fleecing Golden State for Jamal Crawford in exchange for Acie Law and Slowey Claxton was more than canceled out by this atrocity of a trade.
Najeh Davenpoop
April 10th, 2012
9:42 am
“How would you do if you had one of these NEGATIVE MINDED WHINNERS we have on these blogs as teammates?”
As long as they are not anal minded.
drmaryb.(*_*).
April 10th, 2012
9:44 am
# 5 seed with home court looks good to me, that gives us a first round pick of around #20 versus #23 or lower.
We would draw either Magic or Celtics, we match up well with both those teams when we run or Iso. Doc was saying in that first playoff series, they couldn’t stop iso-joe, no answers.
Najeh Davenpoop
April 10th, 2012
9:44 am
Anyone giving too many props to LD for his coaching job this year needs to keep in mind that Sund probably doesn’t make that trade if LD makes the no-brainer obvious decision to bench Bibby and start Teague back in January 2011.
Najeh Davenpoop
April 10th, 2012
9:45 am
Seriously, imagine this team with Faried and Ivan backing up the bigs and Jordan Crawford on the roster instead of Willie Green (who has been pretty good but isn’t nearly as versatile as Jordan). Between Faried and Ivan the Hawks would have more than enough big man depth to battle Chicago.
Najeh Davenpoop
April 10th, 2012
9:47 am
“not really. Josh will take his mandatory jumpshots no matter what position he plays, no matter who is guarding him”
Yeah, but the point is if you go with a big lineup either Joe or Josh will have a favorable matchup in the post and thus Josh probably isn’t going to take as many of them. If you watch the first game against Boston, the reason for most of Josh’s jumpers is because he couldn’t do anything in the post against KG, so every time they tried to post him up he’d back it out to the perimeter and start hoisting. That’s less likely to happen if he’s posting up someone he can take to the basket.
Slimjr
April 10th, 2012
9:47 am
“How would you do if you had one of these NEGATIVE MINDED WHINNERS we have on these blogs as teammates?”
“As long as they are not anal minded.”
Hahahahaha
46
Najeh Davenpoop
April 10th, 2012
9:49 am
Anyone supporting LD for his decision to jerk T-Mac’s playing time around for poor practice habits needs to keep in mind that Bibby pretty much decided not to do any conditioning whatsoever after signing his new contract and yet was handed a starting job for his last year and a half here despite there being a clearly better alternative buried on the bench. T-Mac right now is a better player than Bibby was at any point last year.
Slimjr
April 10th, 2012
9:53 am
“Seriously, imagine this team with Faried and Ivan backing up the bigs and Jordan Crawford on the roster instead of Willie Green (who has been pretty good but isn’t nearly as versatile as Jordan). Between Faried and Ivan the Hawks would have more than enough big man depth to battle Chicago.”
Agree… Lack of quality Bigs will ultimately be their undoing..
The guards can only hold it down for so long…
Retire SUND
O'brien
April 10th, 2012
9:55 am
Steve W,
I think they will cost us $27 mil. I think Josh gets $16 mil (and maybe more if he has another year like this next year). Plus he is still under 30 years old, and fairly healthy. Zaza $6 mil, and Teague $5 mil.
As for Ivan’s contract, I don’t think he will go from making minimum salary to the full MLE. I think he will get about $3 mil, which I think is fair.
And with JJ’s salary increasing every year, we cannot afford to keep the medium 3 together, especially since we have to surround them with vet min players.
As Melvin points out though, it’s sad how bad ownership and management is, because we are in luxury tax, despite 8 guys making the vet min, and another guy on a rookie contract.
Astro Joe
April 10th, 2012
9:58 am
Mary, that “Living All Alone” album makes Sade sound like she is singing happy children songs. Yes, Phyllis was crazy talented and very conflicted. I’m not so sure that the “drama” we see with musicians isn’t uncommon for most artists (of all kind)… I think it is the human condition that gives them their gift but robs them of some other stuff. I’m slightly older than you but have older siblings so I appreciate music that is slightly out of my age range (like Rufus, Mother’s Finest and EWF).
Najeh Davenpoop
April 10th, 2012
10:00 am
“I will definitely check out that April 21st Jazz-Orlando game. I shot footage of Favors for CBS when he was in high school and I didn’t know he was that good of a defender.”
I am really just basing that on what I saw during that triple overtime game and the small handful of other Utah games I have seen this year. Favors is still young, and like all young players has a way to go as far as knowing how to use his body effectively on D, but he has the physical talent (length, athleticism, mobility) to play C full time on D. Al doesn’t have Favors’ level of physical talent and he has made All Star games as a C. It really just comes down to how well Favors develops, and what he has done in extended minutes this year makes him pretty promising.
Astro Joe
April 10th, 2012
10:02 am
I’d give Ivan a Mo Evans type deal, 3 years at $2.5M/per. He would love to have the stability of a 3-year deal and if we keep Josh, Al and Zaza, his role becomes more like a 12-15 minute sub.
Slimjr
April 10th, 2012
10:11 am
Superior guard play is what made the Hawks competitive in the playoffs..Its their Bigs who could not step up and get it done..
Just too small and too slow of foot on the front line..Chicago proved it and just steam rolled the Hawks..Anything changed since then?
Lose the rebound battle, lose the series…
Reality check? Yep
doc, they’re maybe a couple of others having fits of psychosis? Or would you just call them delusional? lol!
Astro Joe
April 10th, 2012
10:12 am
Jordan Crawford is enjoying a freedom to make mistakes while stil playing 30+ minutes that hw would never get on a playoff bound team. It is quite easy to wax poetic about a player like that after they had a solid performance, but when you look at the game logs, you also find more than a few stinkers throughout the season. I liked JC2 from jump and predicted that he would be better as a rookie than Teague as a 2nd year player…. dude doesn’t appear to need constant reassuring or prodding… he gets it. And i wanted the Hawks to trade JC1 to free up more time for JC2 to establish himself as the designated bench scorer. But at the same time, volume scoring SGs are a dime a dozen and can be had cheaply. I’m pretty sure JC2 makes more than Willie Green. And health notwithstanding, Willie is far more consistent. Willie may not have many 20+ games (mostly due to limited playing time), but he also isn’t as likely to have games where he shoots you into trouble. JC2 needs to have his wildness now in hopes that he calms down later. That is hard to achieve when ownership demands a steady flow of revenue from 6 home playoff games.
Najeh Davenpoop
April 10th, 2012
10:20 am
This article from ESPN Insider doesn’t directly mention the Hawks, but provides an argument for why all the long 2 point jumpers the Hawks take may not be as bad as we sometimes think.
However, there is some counterintuitive evidence that players who have the midrange jumper in their arsenal still help teams score more efficiently while on the court. Even after controlling for a player’s own rates of possession usage, shooting efficiency (as measured by effective field goal percentage, a stat that adjusts for 3-pointers being worth 1.5 times as many points as 2-pointers) and assists, the percentage of his FGA that came from 16-23 feet was actually a positive variable when predicting his impact on the team’s overall effective field goal percentage. That finding was also true when running the same test on team turnover percentage — the more of a midrange game a player has, the more he helps his team avoid giveaways.
Why might this be? One theory is that merely having the ability to score from the midrange opens the floor up for a player’s teammates. According to 82games.com, just as 3-point attempts per minute is a positive predictor of offensive impact even after holding all other stats equal, players who can knock down shots from 16-23 feet force the defense to respect them from more places on the basketball court, which in turn creates precious space for other players. There’s value in keeping the defense honest.
Najeh Davenpoop
April 10th, 2012
10:22 am
“But at the same time, volume scoring SGs are a dime a dozen and can be had cheaply. I’m pretty sure JC2 makes more than Willie Green. And health notwithstanding, Willie is far more consistent.”
It’s more about Faried than JC2, but I included JC2 to point out that the Hawks gave away 2 good players in that trade, not just one. Point taken regarding Willie Green, but I’d still trade Kirk and Green right now for Faried and JC2 without thinking twice.
Slimjr
April 10th, 2012
10:27 am
I like that idea floating around on the blog last night..Hawks should consider trading All NBA for Derrick Favors…
Favors is bigger, more physical and much more fluid..Huge upside….
Astro Joe
April 10th, 2012
10:41 am
Najeh, but you know how that works… you could always find 1-2 players that would have been a better draft pick than a vet that you traded the pick for. Yeah, I’d make that trade in a nanosecond also. but what if the Hawks had drafted JaJuan Johnson?
Geemack
April 10th, 2012
11:04 am
The Hawks should be able to make it to the Eastern Conference Finals.
Astro Joe
April 10th, 2012
11:23 am
Geemack, so you really believe the Hawks are a top 2 team in the conference. Do you believe that or are you saying that they have a chance to make the ECF?
Rod from College Park
April 10th, 2012
11:35 am
“I like that idea floating around on the blog last night..Hawks should consider trading All NBA for Derrick Favors…
Favors is bigger, more physical and much more fluid..Huge upside….”
Cosign. I like Favors a lot. He needs to put on some weight, but he is much more skilled than Al or Josh in the post. He also is a shot blocker. I think he will be a very good player in a couple of years. that would be a very good move for the Hawks, but I’m not sure Utah makes that deal.
Rod from College Park
April 10th, 2012
11:39 am
“Najeh, but you know how that works… you could always find 1-2 players that would have been a better draft pick than a vet that you traded the pick for. Yeah, I’d make that trade in a nanosecond also. but what if the Hawks had drafted JaJuan Johnson?”
Agreed. This is the Hawks we are talking about. The same team that drafted Marvin Williams, and Josh Childress in the top ten, with much better players behind them. No way they draft Faried.
Najeh Davenpoop
April 10th, 2012
11:53 am
I guess I am just hung up on Faried because I was saying the Hawks should draft him since February, when they still had their pick. To me he would have been the obvious no-brainer choice, although like y’all point out Sund would have probably drafted Jon Leuer or something, or sold the pick to pay the phone bill.
Astro Joe
April 10th, 2012
11:55 am
Favors seems like another guy who sometimes looks a little disinterested. I sometimes wonder if the scouts bother to actually talk to some of the draft candidates… just to see if they have any fire about them. heaven knows, the Hawks tend to find players whose pilot light doesn’t always stay lit (which was why the JC2 drafting was so surprising to me).
DawgNole
April 10th, 2012
12:14 pm
Slimjr
April 10th, 2012
10:11 am
Superior guard play is what made the Hawks competitive in the playoffs..Its their Bigs who could not step up and get it done..
Just too small and too slow of foot on the front line..Chicago proved it and just steam rolled the Hawks..Anything changed since then?
Lose the rebound battle, lose the series…
Reality check? Yep
____________________
Couldn’t agree with you more, Slimjr. Guess that makes us a couple of them negative-minded “WHINNERS” KS seems to love so much. Wonder if he meant “WINNERS”? Surely he didn’t mean “WHINERS”?!
DawgNole
April 10th, 2012
12:16 pm
Geemack
April 10th, 2012
11:04 am
The Hawks should be able to make itto the Eastern Conference Finals.
_________________
Where have you been for the past 45 years?
Rod from College Park
April 10th, 2012
12:27 pm
“Slimjr
April 10th, 2012
10:11 am
Superior guard play is what made the Hawks competitive in the playoffs..Its their Bigs who could not step up and get it done..
Just too small and too slow of foot on the front line..Chicago proved it and just steam rolled the Hawks..Anything changed since then?
Lose the rebound battle, lose the series…
Reality check? Yep
____________________
Couldn’t agree with you more, Slimjr. Guess that makes us a couple of them negative-minded “WHINNERS” KS seems to love so much. Wonder if he meant “WINNERS”? Surely he didn’t mean “WHINERS”?!”
Include me in that group as well. I have been one of the biggest Josh Smith fans on this blog, but the playoffs will be a different story. The superior guard play Slimjr speaks of was partly because of Jamal Crawford. The superior guard play will not be there, and teams will focus more on Josh, forcing him to go perimeter. Just put a long wing on Joe, and shut down the Hawks. No other real threats. You may get a good game from Willie Green once or twice, or Pargo, but not every game. Scoring in the playoffs will be the problem. TMac is the only guy on the bench who could really help the Hawks in the playoffs by being a distributor.
Ra'mon
April 10th, 2012
12:47 pm
I would take the Favors deal ASAP. But I’m not sure I would want Devin Harris. However at the same time, Harris is better offensively than Kirk, but worse defensively. I probably would attempt to get Milsap and Favors for Horford and next season’s 1st round pick. And if that doesn’t work, then take out Milsap and put in Harris.
hawkville
April 10th, 2012
12:52 pm
Lol at those expecting a lot from McGrady. His best days on the court are behind him. Can he still play, yes can he give you more than what’s he done this season, no. I like McGrady, but some are asking for to much from him.
DawgNole
April 10th, 2012
1:02 pm
Rod from College Park
April 10th, 2012
12:27 pm
Include me in that group as well. I have been one of the biggest Josh Smith fans on this blog, but the playoffs will be a different story. The superior guard play Slimjr speaks of was partly because of Jamal Crawford. The superior guard play will not be there, and teams will focus more on Josh, forcing him to go perimeter. Just put a long wing on Joe, and shut down the Hawks. No other real threats. You may get a good game from Willie Green once or twice, or Pargo, but not every game. Scoring in the playoffs will be the problem. TMac is the only guy on the bench who could really help the Hawks in the playoffs by being a distributor.
_________________
Guess that makes 4 of us when you count GM JeJe. Yes, we may be negative-minded–beaten down by 45 years of failure–but I prefer to refer to us as realists. These past many years have definitely been real.
Ed Gray
April 10th, 2012
1:10 pm
LD is a moron. T-Mac could and should be so much more for this team.
Big Ump
April 10th, 2012
1:15 pm
Astro Joe
What you know about Rufus, Mother Finest and Ohio Players? (smile)
Big Ump
April 10th, 2012
1:28 pm
drmaryb, Astro Joe
dmaryb you got good taste for old school music. Astro Joe if you remember Sly and the family Stone back in the days I got lucky to perform in Rose spot on a couple of shows playing keyboards when she was unable to perform. I thought I was cool and fast back back in them days but how I was wrong. They were off the chain, so that’s why I went back to baseball. Couldn’t hang with them guys.
Slimjr
April 10th, 2012
1:48 pm
DawgNole, sometimes I have invoke the use my scroll wheel.. lol
Slimjr
April 10th, 2012
2:02 pm
“I probably would attempt to get Milsap and Favors for Horford and next season’s 1st round pick. And if that doesn’t work, then take out Milsap and put in Harris.”-Ra’mon-
C’mon Sund make it happen!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Astro Joe
April 10th, 2012
2:20 pm
Big Ump, that is a little before my time, but I definitely know about The Family Stone. It was sad to see hiw all too brief appearance a few years ago. Another example of an artist with some “issues”. I can’t even begin to imagine what those folk were like back in the “free love” days.
Astro Joe
April 10th, 2012
2:23 pm
I think that if TMac tried to play 28 minutes in two consecutive nights, that his knees and back would implode and leave shards of bone and marrow all over the broken scoreboard at Philips Arena. Y’all need to recognize that TMac, Iverson and Marbury are the basketball equivalent of Babyface, Janet Jackson and LL Cool J.
drmaryb.(*_*).
April 10th, 2012
2:39 pm
Big Ump, Astro Joe!
So good to see the Big Ump back on the block, it really is. You have been missed something awful Ump!
Marilyn McCoo & Billy Davis, Jr. , The 5th Dimension, The Spinners, The Four Tops, Otis Redding:
Imp, who sang – “One Less Bell to Answer”? “One less Bell to Ring … Hmm hmmm … But, all I do is cry” My Mom’s favorite song to sing was “Summer Time” who sang that?
Music saved our lives when the world was against us and holding us down! That and Jesus’s love … gave us dreams and hopes! Music heals the soul and, knows nothing about color barriers.
drmaryb.(*_*).
April 10th, 2012
2:51 pm
AJ!
LMAO! You wild boy! Love those music analogies. Janet making her rounds though with those weight watcher’s commercials. Ole’ Girl looking fabulous @ 40-ish.
cdog
April 10th, 2012
2:56 pm
must beat celtics and majic. no time to grin and play stupid teague, hinrich pachulia, sund and drew