Q: Ira, they actually screwed this up. Win the video games they need to have gained (shorthanded 76ers, shorthanded Warriors, horrible Knicks) and so they might have cruised to the end. Now they've an previous workforce that has to win to maintain homecourt within the first spherical. They actually screwed this up. Simply hope they don’t run themselves into the bottom earlier than the playoffs. What say you? — Edsel.
A: First, that is when the play-in spherical is a bonus to the groups with seeds within the high six (and the Warmth might be within the high six). For these groups, the common season ends on April 10 and the playoffs don’t begin till April 16 (or April 17 for some). In order that’s a five-day break proper there. And if the Warmth are locked into their seed earlier than the April 10 finale in Orlando, it might imply a full week off for these Erik Spoelstra chooses to relaxation. That needs to be ample time for anybody. The danger is that if the Warmth must play exhausting for the ultimate week of the common season, it might create the kind of desperation that will increase the chances of accidents. So, to your level, sure they screwed up. And, sure, they seemingly should pay a value with video games with much more desperation the ultimate week of the season than initially anticipated. Then once more, primarily based on the way in which the matchups are establishing, ending high three within the East may not be all that it’s cracked as much as be.
Q: It looks like the workforce is prepared for the playoffs to begin and doesn’t rise up for groups with out their star gamers. At this level, they seemingly gained’t hold the No. 1 seed. So why not simply relaxation Jimmy Butler and P.J. Tucker? — Jeffrey, Miami.
A: Since you additionally wish to go into the playoffs with momentum and confidence, of which there principally is none in the intervening time. And, in the intervening time, the place is so tenuous that any additional let up might come at the price of homecourt benefit in ensuing rounds. Now, sitting gamers through the Chicago-Toronto back-to-back (the final of the season) on the upcoming journey? Fantastic. However there are also a pair of two-game breaks remaining within the common season (this coming Thursday-Friday, plus April 6-7). Plus, there might be a minimum of a five-day break between the April 10 regular-season finale and the earliest attainable playoff opener. So relaxation already is constructed into the schedule with out having to artificially create.
Q: The Markieff Morris experiment on the 5 is over. — Diamond.
A: Whereas there nonetheless are matchups the place it could work, it actually was uncovered at occasions final week. As with the Victor Oladipo experimentation, there should come a degree the place the Warmth reset right into a consolation zone previous to the playoffs. The query with Markieff Morris then turns into whether or not he'll advantage minutes forward of Caleb Martin within the playoff rotation. Primarily based on Saturday evening’s rotation, he effectively might be an odd man out.
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