The Official Rank the Tank Thread

[GameTime]

That's what i'm thinking. They should be able to do it as long as we don't surge.

I don't want to be 13th though. I hope everyone surges and we get a 5th-8th lotto ball.

[Guest]

I think the only team we can reasonably pray overtakes us for the right to be swept in the first round is the Knicks. Cle and Det are both so putrid I can't see them doing it. NYK tho has incentive to try and win and they may finally get their crap together enough do to it.

Agreed - The Knicks next face 7 of 8 teams with losing records: Sixers, Celtics, Bucks, Pacers, Sixers, Cavs, Lakers and Kings. If they can't win 6 of 8 then we are doomed. 4 at home, 4 away.

Edited March 10, 2014 by JayBirdHawk

[Dnice]

6ers twice? Hell yeah. lol

[IheartVolt]

Dat NY schedule is like a bad Saturday Night Live skit.. lmao

[Jody23]

New York and Philly are tied at the half. Charlotte is up by 11 over Denver in the fourth quarter. Charlotte has ample opportunity as the seventh seed to distance themselves from the Hawks.

[JSmooooove]

I don't want to be 13th though. I hope everyone surges and we get a 5th-8th lotto ball.

theres no point in stressin about what pick da hawks get. its da hawks. even if dey got a 5-8 theyd still end up wit da 10th pic LOL!

[AHF]

With 20 games to go:

Atlanta

New York 3.5 games behind

Detroit 3.5 games behind

Cleveland 4 games behind

We need NY to go 5-2 or so in their next 7 games against Indiana and the dregs of the league.

[macdaddy]

With 20 games to go:

Atlanta

New York 3.5 games behind

Detroit 3.5 games behind

Cleveland 4 games behind

We need NY to go 5-2 or so in their next 7 games against Indiana and the dregs of the league.

3.5 is actually a lot to make up in 20 games. Especially for teams that can't even play .500 ball. I'm just not seeing it.

[AHF]

3.5 is actually a lot to make up in 20 games. Especially for teams that can't even play .500 ball. I'm just not seeing it.

It is doable but I agree that it becomes a higher hill to climb the longer this goes on. I am on record predicting we make the playoffs but I have reversed my view that I want that to happen. I am now giving up on any redeeming feature in the original plan for this team and want to see us salvage what we can get from the draft. To that end, I think a big run by NY (like 5-2) would be huge and their competition is so weak that it could happen.

On the other hand, they have been so weak that they could go 3-4 and leave us with an increasingly narrow window of opportunity - especially if the return the Sap brings a few more wins.

[macdaddy]

It is doable but I agree that it becomes a higher hill to climb the longer this goes on. I am on record predicting we make the playoffs but I have reversed my view that I want that to happen. I am now giving up on any redeeming feature in the original plan for this team and want to see us salvage what we can get from the draft. To that end, I think a big run by NY (like 5-2) would be huge and their competition is so weak that it could happen.

On the other hand, they have been so weak that they could go 3-4 and leave us with an increasingly narrow window of opportunity - especially if the return the Sap brings a few more wins.

I'm in the same boat as you. Although I can't watch and cheer for them to lose. So i'm not watching. I'm ok either way really.

Bud may be on board. I think they've been trying to figure out if they could get out of the playoffs because if not it would be a good idea to move up the standings. That ship has definitely sailed though. We could get to 7th but that's it at this point. I'm expecting that we don't go all out to win games until it becomes obvious the Knicks aren't going to make it.

[macdaddy]

http://www.peachtreehoops.com/2014/3/11/5492498/nba-standings-playoff-race-atlanta-hawks-kevin-pelton

ESPN.com's Kevin Pelton took a look at some of the close races in the NBA's playoff picture including the battle (for lack of a better word) for the eighth spot. Here is what he had to say:

Projections: Atlanta Hawks: 92 percent; New York Knicks: 7 percent

The Hawks have lost 14 of their past 15 games, making this question worth asking, but their playoff spot should still be safe. Atlanta's true talent still is judged that of a 36-win team, as good as the Knicks and better than both the struggling Cleveland Cavaliers and Detroit Pistons. Plus, three games is a lot to make up in such a short span. In fact, with Paul Millsap back, the Hawks remain more likely to finish seventh in simulations (41 percent of the time) than out of the playoffs.

[Jody23]

There's nothing good coming from finishing 7th or 8th seed.