Around the League: Week of 3/24-3/30

[TOO]

Thanks Clippers.

[Mori Chu]

Yay, Mavs lost. Suns in sole possession of 8th place.

[Cap]

It would be absurd for a team with 50 wins to miss the playoffs, right??

If anyone can do it, it's the Phoenix Suns.

The best records in NBA history to miss the playoffs:

49-33 Phoenix Suns 1971-72
48-34 Phoenix Suns 1970-71
48-34 Golden State Warriors 2007-08
47-35 Seattle Supersonics 1971-72
46-36 Phoenix Suns 2008-09

[In2ition]

It would be absurd for a team with 50 wins to miss the playoffs, right??

If anyone can do it, it's the Phoenix Suns.

The best records in NBA history to miss the playoffs:

49-33 Phoenix Suns 1971-72
48-34 Phoenix Suns 1970-71
48-34 Golden State Warriors 2007-08
47-35 Seattle Supersonics 1971-72
46-36 Phoenix Suns 2008-09

That is amazing, yet seems so typical. Boooo!

[JeffreyLee]

It would be absurd for a team with 50 wins to miss the playoffs, right??

If anyone can do it, it's the Phoenix Suns.

The best records in NBA history to miss the playoffs:

49-33 Phoenix Suns 1971-72
48-34 Phoenix Suns 1970-71
48-34 Golden State Warriors 2007-08
47-35 Seattle Supersonics 1971-72
46-36 Phoenix Suns 2008-09

That is amazing, yet seems so typical. Boooo!

Wasnt surprised sadly.

[Shabazz]

It would be absurd for a team with 50 wins to miss the playoffs, right??

If anyone can do it, it's the Phoenix Suns.

The best records in NBA history to miss the playoffs:

49-33 Phoenix Suns 1971-72
48-34 Phoenix Suns 1970-71
48-34 Golden State Warriors 2007-08
47-35 Seattle Supersonics 1971-72
46-36 Phoenix Suns 2008-09

Freaking Matt Barnes.

[In2ition]

Just add that to another reason it seems that the Suns are by far the most cursed franchise in the NBA.

[Cap]

Commiserating about the Suns' perennial bad luck. It feels like coming home.

[Superbone]

It would be absurd for a team with 50 wins to miss the playoffs, right??

If anyone can do it, it's the Phoenix Suns.

The best records in NBA history to miss the playoffs:

49-33 Phoenix Suns 1971-72
48-34 Phoenix Suns 1970-71
48-34 Golden State Warriors 2007-08
47-35 Seattle Supersonics 1971-72
46-36 Phoenix Suns 2008-09

Freaking Matt Barnes.

Yep, that game in Utah.

[carey]

Marshall is going to try and sign Marshall graduate Mike D'Antoni if (when) he is fired: CLICK

[carey]

The 5 biggest games left that will determine who makes the playoffs in the West: CLICK

March 28: Memphis @ Golden State

April 1: Golden State @ Dallas

April 4: Phoenix @ Portland

The Suns have stayed in the no. 8 spot by winning seven of eight, mostly taking care of business on the road against inferior teams. They’re hanging tough with the 11th-best point differential in the league, and they’ve re-fortified their defense behind the combination of Eric Bledsoe’s return and a soft-ish recent schedule.

The team has continued to struggle offensively when Bledsoe plays without Goran Dragic, per NBA.com, and Channing Frye, a crucial floor-spacer, has looked gassed for most of the last two months — understandable after a year off. But it keeps finding ways, and Bledsoe is on a nice four-game scoring roll that culminated with a game-sealing long bomb Wednesday night in D.C. The best season-long story in the league will not die.

The schedule gets much harder after winnable games against New York and the Lakers, and Phoenix does not yet own a single tiebreaker. It can change that with a win in Portland, which would give it the season series, 3-1.

The Blazers have already lost tiebreakers to Memphis and Dallas, they trail both Golden State and Phoenix 2-1 in head-to-head games, and they have the worst conference record among all these teams by a very slim margin. In other words: They could really use this game, and other games like it.

Portland has pooped the bed during its road trip through the Southeast Division, though it might have pulled off a crazy comeback in Miami had Chris Bosh not continued his personal last-second assault on the Blazers. Their defense finally buckled without two of their three reliable big men, and the small-ball 3-point attack they’ve used without LaMarcus Aldridge went cold. But Aldridge should be back Thursday, and Portland has both a head start on the field and a relatively easy schedule down the stretch. Portland has just one back-to-back left, and three rest advantage games.

That schedule will get even easier if the Clippers are locked into their seed going into the season finale against Portland and decide to rest key players.

Keep an eye on the Spurs in this regard as well. They’re three games up in the loss column on Oklahoma City, and Games 79 and 80 come against Dallas and Phoenix. If they’ve clinched the top overall seed by then, the Mavs and Suns may catch the San Antonio “B” team. Then again, the Spurs’ “B” team tends to beat opposing “A” squads, or at least play them to the hilt. Long live Pop.

April 12: Phoenix @ Dallas

A potential monster game on my sister’s wedding night. It’s totally appropriate to check League Pass broadband on your mobile device during your little sister’s wedding reception, right? Just cross your fingers that I don’t yell “I LOVE YOU, GORAN DRAGIC!!!!” during my father’s toast.

This is Game 3 of a season series locked at 1-1, so at the very least, it will determine a tiebreaker that may still be relevant.

April 13: Golden State @ Portland

[INFORMER]

Marshall is going to try and sign Marshall graduate Mike D'Antoni if (when) he is fired: CLICK

It would be interesting to see D'Antoni coach at the college level. I don't know if he would have the patience to do all the other things outside of coaching that college coaches are asked to do.

[INFORMER]

I just realized the Spurs are on a 15 game win streak. Ridiculous.

[carey]

It would be interesting to see D'Antoni coach at the college level. I don't know if he would have the patience to do all the other things outside of coaching that college coaches are asked to do.

This is D'Antoni we're talking about. He hates developing guys. He only plays young guys when out of options so he's going to coach college? No way. Just, no way. I bet he'd go coach in Europe again before having to deal with the AAU prima donnas.

[SwingMan]

It would be interesting to see D'Antoni coach at the college level. I don't know if he would have the patience to do all the other things outside of coaching that college coaches are asked to do.

This is D'Antoni we're talking about. He hates developing guys. He only plays young guys when out of options so he's going to coach college? No way. Just, no way. I bet he'd go coach in Europe again before having to deal with the AAU prima donnas.

Oh boy - I'd love to see how "7 starters" floats in college.

I'm with you, carey - D'Antoni's developmentally challenged, even extending into his ability to adjust in-game as well as game-to-game.

[INFORMER]

This is D'Antoni we're talking about. He hates developing guys. He only plays young guys when out of options so he's going to coach college?

Apples and oranges. I don't think one can just translate preferences like that from the NBA to college. It's a whole different set of dynamics.

[INFORMER]

I bet he'd go coach in Europe again before having to deal with the AAU prima donnas.

AAU prima donnas aren't exactly banging down Marshall's door. I think he'd have a program like SMU, San Diego State, or Virginia. He wouldn't go to college level to be John Calipari.

[INFORMER]

Oh boy - I'd love to see how "7 starters" floats in college.

Actually, there are a ton of college coaches that play a short bench. Usually only 7-8 players receive substantial minutes.

[LazarusLong]

I remember the Runnin' Rebs when Tark played 6 guys for most of the game, two of them splitting at center. Larry Johnson, Stacey Augmon, Greg Anthony and Anderson Hunt, with George Ackles and Elmore Spencer sharing the paint.

More to the present, UofA is deep in talent, but Miller essentially plays 7 guys.

[carey]

More to the present, UofA is deep in talent, but Miller essentially plays 7 guys.

Yeah, I was going to say with Ashley out that's definitely been Sean Miller.