Friday, January 21, 2011

A Bobcats-Miami playoff series??

We're only halfway through the season, but if it ended today, guess what the playoff matchups in the Eastern Conference would include:

No.7 seed Charlotte (17-24) vs. No.2 seed Miami (30-13)

Here are the current NBA standings if you want to take a closer look.

By virtue of last night's home win over Philadelphia fueled by point guard D.J. Augustin's 31 points, Charlotte leapfrogged a couple of teams and currently holds the No.7 spot in the East. That's exactly where the Bobcats ended up last season, when No.2 seed Orlando swept them right out of the playoffs in four straight games.

Facing the LeBron-D.Wade-Bosh trio in a first-round series would end up as another first-round exit out of the playoffs almost certainly, but it sure would be entertaining. (The two teams also play Feb.4th here in Charlotte).

Looking at these standings also reminds me that as many problems as the Bobcats have had this season -- and there have been a ton, from the firing of Larry Brown to last night's announcement that Tyrus Thomas will be out 8 weeks with a knee injury -- they are still very much in the playoff picture.

The Eastern Conference has divided itself into 5 teams with 27 or more wins at the season's approximate halfway mark (Boston, Miami, Chicago, Atlanta and Orlando).

The other 11 teams are scrabbling around, well below those numbers, hoping to make something happen. Charlotte remains in that mix, but as I wrote in my blog yesterday (see the item after this one), only a big-time move like a trade for Carmelo Anthony or a major draft-pick coup will get this Bobcats' team to move from the "have-not" category to the "haves." These guys may well make the playoffs, but they will be very hard-pressed to win more than one game when and if they get there.

8 comments:

GK said...

Granted it's still pretty early in the season, but I find it rather humorous that a team with such a lousy record (0.4146) could be mentioned in the same breath as the word playoffs. Sure, they could turn it around, maybe even wind up with a record better than 0.500, but I think that's pretty unlikely.


That they could still qualify for the playoffs still makes me chuckle, given how much crap was made about how the Seattle Seahawks qualified for the NFL Playoffs with a losing record. Heck, their record of 7-9 (0.4375) would be an improvement to the Bobcat's situation, yet I don't see anyone (besides myself) pontificating about how silly it is for a team with such a lousy record to be considered for the NBA Playoffs. But, fortunately, the season is young.

Anonymous said...

Scott ,Please don't mention BB on the Panthers page...you will have plenty of time to write about the boobcats during the NBA lockout...What about the Checkers there one of the BEST teams in the AHL and can win the Calder cup this year!...At least there winning!..and the parent team the Hurricanes HAVE WON a championship!

Unknown said...

A move for Chris Paul seems a lot more likely than going after Anthony. I'm not saying Anthony wouldn't be a great addition, but he's looking for big city sponsorship dollars, which he's just not going to get in Charlotte.

Anonymous said...

Marty Hurney and Don Gregory are lacking the skills necessary to be in the front office of any NFL team?

When will these two be led to the door? I hope they get rid of these two sooner than later.

Anonymous said...

Marty Hurney should be fired for picking that stupid waste of breathe Jimmy Clausen

Anonymous said...

Wonder why so many HATE Jimmy Clausen? -- here's part of it...
Take a look at our QB

http://ymswwc.com/2008/08/06/jimmy-clausen-notre-dame-qb-drinker-and-fashion-faux-pas/

get ready to be disgusted

Thomas said...

Jimmy Clausen "CAN NOT PLAY DEAD IN A WESTERN MOVIE" according to two ex-Panther coaches and a high ranking NFL executive!

NICE GOING MARTY HURNEY(former newspaper reporter)! You should of stuck to sports writing because you SUCK as an NFL GM!

Until Hurney is gone the Panther's will find ways to screw this organization up.

Anonymous said...

Now my brother in law, who is an openly gay man, says he read in one of his latest 'lifestyle' magazines that Clausen is in the closet, but some of his 'friends' from college are starting to talk openly about his 'escapades' now that Jimmy boy is ignoring their calls.

Thats his business and I won't judge, but why in the crap does our team have to be saddled with this?

Thanks a lot Hurney - This oughta sell tickets