Suns: #5 seed locked in? Utah on tap

by Alex Laugan on Mar 11, 2010 8:07 AM MST

The Suns have 17 games remaining on their schedule, yet look quite certain to finish the season exactly where they are right now: in 5th place. (well, right now they're tied for 5th, but the Thunder's occupation will be short-lived)

The Suns' most likely playoff opponent is the Utah Jazz.

Take a look at the remaining schedules for each team (click the link for schedule). Suns, Nuggets and Jazz have the easiest road ahead, while the Mavericks' road is slightly tougher and the Thunder's sked is murder (at least in April, when the opponents are tough and sphincters at the all-time tightest).

The Jazz, Nugs and Mavs all look to finish at about 56-57 wins. The Nuggets have won their season series against the Jazz, and so would finish with a higher seed if their records end up equal. The only way the Suns face the Mavs is if the Dirkies really choke some gimmies between now and the end of the year.

Suns Remaining Schedule			Thunder Remaining Schedule
March	Opponent	Prediction	March	Opponent	Prediction
Fri 12	vs LA Lakers	L	Fri 12	vs New Jersey	W
Sun 14	vs New Orleans	W	Sun 14	vs Utah	W
Tue 16	vs Minnesota	W	Wed 17	@ Charlotte	L
Fri 19	vs Utah	W	Fri 19	@ Toronto	W
Sun 21	vs Portland	W	Sun 21	@ Indiana	W
Mon 22	@ Golden State	W	Mon 22	vs San Antonio	L
Fri 26	vs New York	W	Wed 24	vs Houston	W
Sun 28	@ Minnesota	L	Fri 26	vs LA Lakers	L
Tue 30	@ Chicago	L	Sun 28	vs Portland	W
Wed 31	@ New Jersey	W	Tue 30	@ Philadelphia	W
April	Opponent		Wed 31	@ Boston	W
Fri 02	@ Detroit	W	April	Opponent
Sat 03	@ Milwaukee	W	Sat 03	@ Dallas	L
Wed 07	vs San Antonio	W	Sun 04	vs Minnesota	W
Fri 09	@ Oklahoma City	W	Tue 06	@ Utah	L
Sun 11	vs Houston	W	Wed 07	vs Denver	L
Tue 13	vs Denver	L	Fri 09	vs Phoenix	L
Wed 14	@ Utah	W	Sun 11	@ Golden State	W
			Mon 12	@ Portland	L
			Wed 14	vs Memphis	W

Remaining Games		13-4	Remaining Games		11-8
Current Record		40-25	Current Record		39-24
Final Record		53-29	Final Record		50-32

All tolled, it looks like the Suns will sit comfortably in the #5 hole (at a likely 53-29), with a 2 or 3 game cushion between them and the teams above and below them.

Just look at that closing sked for the Thunder. Geez. Hate to be them. In fact, they could drop to 7 or 8 seed before it's over. The Blazers and Spurs are too far back to finish any higher than the 6 seed, given the easy finishes by the 1-5 seeds.

Of course, I am assuming of course that no team has a debilitating injury, and that current play is indicative of the future.

So what do you think? Agree, disagree?

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Comments

this is driving me crazy

I can’t get the tables to past in right. Bear with me…

Twitter: @dahking
Too late to change the stupid twitter name. Did it as a joke to my teenager, but now I'm hooked on the news-feed aspect of twitter.

by Alex Laugan on Mar 11, 2010 8:18 AM MST reply actions

well, that's the best I can do

I had all 5 teams side by side with remaining games and predictions, but could only get 2 of them to post with good formatting. Just click the links on the other team names to see their schedules.

Twitter: @dahking
Too late to change the stupid twitter name. Did it as a joke to my teenager, but now I'm hooked on the news-feed aspect of twitter.

by Alex Laugan on Mar 11, 2010 8:54 AM MST up reply actions

late 80s revival :)

The Suns haven’t faced the Jazz in the playoffs in twenty years.

by 8472species on Mar 11, 2010 9:48 AM MST reply actions

I'll be happy with anyone but San Antonio

I’m just sick of watching those series. We haven’t played a non-SA, non-Laker team in the playoffs since 2006. Part of me says its hard to believe it been 4 years, while another part feels like its been forever.

Twitter: @dahking
Too late to change the stupid twitter name. Did it as a joke to my teenager, but now I'm hooked on the news-feed aspect of twitter.

by Alex Laugan on Mar 11, 2010 10:39 AM MST up reply actions

I'd rather face Portland or Denver...

A couple teams we match-up well with…Actually we match-up well with Dallas too..hopefyully they come back down to earth…

"I especially liked the part where I dunked on the McDonalds All-American dude..."

Anonymous high-school player after a Virginia basketball state championship game...

by Daryl Ray on Mar 11, 2010 10:59 AM MST up reply actions

Actually

John Hollinger on ESPN points out that its been decades since a team has won SO many close games in a row. And that the last time a team did that, they went on to lose a bunch of close ones in a row. The prevailing thinking/evidence is that close ones are 50/50 no matter how good or bad the team is. Let’s hope Dallas hits that wall right about playoff time.

Twitter: @dahking
Too late to change the stupid twitter name. Did it as a joke to my teenager, but now I'm hooked on the news-feed aspect of twitter.

by Alex Laugan on Mar 11, 2010 11:11 AM MST up reply actions

I generally feel the same way

The Jazz aren’t the easiest opponent, but as far as I know, they don’t have any thugs; they would play physical but probably would not commit any hip checks (Spurs) or low blows (Spurs, Lakers). And they don’t have any overbearing jerks on their team (Lakers). Therefore, whether or not this is more important (I suppose not), I feel this would be a clean series. I’m just tired of playoff opponents that give us a reason to despise them. Not since the second and third round in 2006 have the Suns been lucky about that.

by 8472species on Mar 11, 2010 12:02 PM MST up reply actions

Wait a minute

although the end result might be the same, I differ with how you got there. You have us beating Utah twice, when we have absolutely no response for Deron Johnson. You have us losing to the Nuggets, but I think we do well against them. You have us losing to the Fakers tomorrow, and they are playing like crap and it is in Phoenix. You have us losing to Minnesota, for God’s sakes! They have only won 14 games all year.

April 29, 2008 Total Eclipse of the Sun. Is the sky falling?

by Hawk42 on Mar 11, 2010 1:47 PM MST reply actions

haha, yeah but I have my reasons

Utah: we lost twice to them and have no answer for Deron Williams, true. but the first loss was during our “funk” and the second was last week with Nash at 50% and without Dragic and Barbosa. So, I think we’re due, and the rest of the matchups are favorable

Nuggets: we do well against the Nugs, but thats the second-to-last game and I think the team will be overhyped for the next night and will dial down the effort subconsciously against Denver

Lakers: they are pissed and spent all week having their manhood questioned, so I think they dust off their A game for the Suns, while we are still unsure about Nash and barely getting LB back.

Minny: we ALWAYS have trouble with Minny. Always. Al Jefferson tears us up, as does Kevin Love. I think that’s the clearest loss left on the board. Sorry, just my opinion.

Twitter: @dahking
Too late to change the stupid twitter name. Did it as a joke to my teenager, but now I'm hooked on the news-feed aspect of twitter.

by Alex Laugan on Mar 11, 2010 2:06 PM MST up reply actions

of course, I'd LOVE to be wrong

on the Denver and Minny losses. Because the rest of the schedule is SO favorable, if I’m wrong on those and we split against the Jazz then the Suns are really in a good spot. Hard to be better than 13-4 the rest of the way though, from a big-picture perspective.

Twitter: @dahking
Too late to change the stupid twitter name. Did it as a joke to my teenager, but now I'm hooked on the news-feed aspect of twitter.

by Alex Laugan on Mar 11, 2010 2:08 PM MST up reply actions

Spot on in your thinking But we might be playing Denver

dk97, The Suns could well be playing Denver rather than Utah. Both teams are playing well but Denver has lost Kenyon Martin for the immediate future and the Birdman Mark Anderson has a nicked up knee. I do not think they can maintain their 67% winning percentage for the remainder of the Season. On the other hand, Utah is playing at full throttle and at full strength. You might make a case that Utah and Dallas are playing the best ball in the West at present.

by da suns on Mar 11, 2010 2:14 PM MST reply actions

What? You say the Suns are going to lose to Minnesota and Chicago...I don't think so unless they play horrible, I don't think the Suns will win the Utah game though

"What I've achieved now is something that I always figured I would as a kid. I've had that type of determination since I was a youngster playing around the playgrounds, getting dirty after school." - Amare Stoudemire

by Suns R Us on Mar 11, 2010 2:58 PM MST reply actions