Clippers @ Memphis
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Purple Reign
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From the Los Angeles Times
A No-Win Situation?
The Clippers would get a more favorable playoff seeding with a loss at Memphis tonight.
By Jason Reid
Times Staff Writer
April 18, 2006
MEMPHIS — On the opening tip tonight at FedEx Forum, will the Clippers and Memphis Grizzlies go after the ball?
OK, they probably will.
But with Western Conference postseason seedings still at stake in the season's final days, it wouldn't be surprising if the teams' efforts did not meet their normal standards in these strange times for the two teams.
In an intriguing twist, the Clippers might benefit more from losing in this matchup of playoff-bound teams. They potentially would have a better first-round draw, including home-court advantage against the third-seeded Denver Nuggets, if they were seeded sixth instead of fifth, creating what seems to be an awkward situation.
"This isn't our fault, we're not doing anything wrong, but the league has put us in this position," co-captain Elton Brand said Monday after practice. "The league has put people in position to have to answer these questions about seeding, first-round matchups and all of that.
"All I know is that we get the home-court [advantage] if we're sixth, and we don't get it if we're fifth. I know something doesn't seem right about that, but that's just the way it is, and we're working under the rules."
The NBA is supposed to be all about winning, the Clippers said, but that's not necessarily the way things work with the league's playoff format. Each conference has three divisions, and the division winners get one of the top three seedings.
The team that finishes sixth in the West would avoid a first-round encounter against the fourth-place team, the formidable Dallas Mavericks, who have the second-best record in the conference but are in the same division with San Antonio, which clinched the West's top mark with a victory over Utah on Monday.
"We've got to be sixth to have the home court, and we'd like to have the home court, so then we need to finish sixth. It's that simple," co-captain Sam Cassell said. "You could say that isn't right, but life isn't right, and this is how the minds of the NBA made it with this alignment[/SIZE]."
The Clippers (46-34) are a game behind Memphis (47-33) in the playoff standings, and each team has two games left in the regular season. The Grizzlies would clinch the fifth-seeded position with a victory over the Clippers tonight.
So maybe the Clippers and Grizzlies won't hustle for every loose ball tonight, battle for every rebound or give it everything they have. And under the circumstances, would that be so bad?
"Well, I know I'm going out to give optimum effort," Brand said. "That's the only way I know how to play, and nothing is going to change that. Yeah, we know we have home-court [advantage] against Denver, but you still have to play hard."
Even if the Clippers won tonight, there are other scenarios in which they could still finish sixth, including if they lost their final game, Wednesday at Dallas. The Clippers won the season series against Denver, 3-1, and are 0-3 against Dallas.
"Obviously, we would rather not play Dallas, and I think everyone knows that," center Chris Kaman said. "But there's too much pride on this team to just be dropping games. I know it looks bad because of the way we lost last night, I know what it looks like, but I know for a fact it wasn't intentional."
With Kaman and guard Cuttino Mobley sidelined because of injuries, the Clippers lost, 114-98, to the lowly Seattle SuperSonics on Sunday at Staples Center. The SuperSonics led by as many as 19 points in the first half and 30 after halftime.
In one stretch of the first half Sunday, the lineup included rookie guard Daniel Ewing, rookie forward James Singleton and rookie center Boniface Ndong.
Clipper assistant Kim Hughes, who previously worked for the Nuggets, received phone calls Monday from Denver officials, including former coach Doug Moe, who took good-natured jabs at the Clippers for their, ah, performance against Seattle.
Apparently, the Grizzlies also have been monitoring the Clippers.
"We're playing to win," Memphis forward Shane Battier said. "I've always been of the mind-frame that you've got to play."
Again Monday, Coach Mike Dunleavy reaffirmed the Clippers also play to win.
"People keep saying that it would be better to finish here or there, but I keep saying be careful what you wish for because you might get it," Dunleavy said. "We just want to be playing as well as we possibly can going into the playoffs."
Of course, things would be different if playoff seedings were based only on records.
"It should be seeded accorded to record and go from there," Dunleavy said. "It is what it is now, but that's the way it should be in the future."
A No-Win Situation?
The Clippers would get a more favorable playoff seeding with a loss at Memphis tonight.
By Jason Reid
Times Staff Writer
April 18, 2006
MEMPHIS — On the opening tip tonight at FedEx Forum, will the Clippers and Memphis Grizzlies go after the ball?
OK, they probably will.
But with Western Conference postseason seedings still at stake in the season's final days, it wouldn't be surprising if the teams' efforts did not meet their normal standards in these strange times for the two teams.
In an intriguing twist, the Clippers might benefit more from losing in this matchup of playoff-bound teams. They potentially would have a better first-round draw, including home-court advantage against the third-seeded Denver Nuggets, if they were seeded sixth instead of fifth, creating what seems to be an awkward situation.
"This isn't our fault, we're not doing anything wrong, but the league has put us in this position," co-captain Elton Brand said Monday after practice. "The league has put people in position to have to answer these questions about seeding, first-round matchups and all of that.
"All I know is that we get the home-court [advantage] if we're sixth, and we don't get it if we're fifth. I know something doesn't seem right about that, but that's just the way it is, and we're working under the rules."
The NBA is supposed to be all about winning, the Clippers said, but that's not necessarily the way things work with the league's playoff format. Each conference has three divisions, and the division winners get one of the top three seedings.
The team that finishes sixth in the West would avoid a first-round encounter against the fourth-place team, the formidable Dallas Mavericks, who have the second-best record in the conference but are in the same division with San Antonio, which clinched the West's top mark with a victory over Utah on Monday.
"We've got to be sixth to have the home court, and we'd like to have the home court, so then we need to finish sixth. It's that simple," co-captain Sam Cassell said. "You could say that isn't right, but life isn't right, and this is how the minds of the NBA made it with this alignment[/SIZE]."
The Clippers (46-34) are a game behind Memphis (47-33) in the playoff standings, and each team has two games left in the regular season. The Grizzlies would clinch the fifth-seeded position with a victory over the Clippers tonight.
So maybe the Clippers and Grizzlies won't hustle for every loose ball tonight, battle for every rebound or give it everything they have. And under the circumstances, would that be so bad?
"Well, I know I'm going out to give optimum effort," Brand said. "That's the only way I know how to play, and nothing is going to change that. Yeah, we know we have home-court [advantage] against Denver, but you still have to play hard."
Even if the Clippers won tonight, there are other scenarios in which they could still finish sixth, including if they lost their final game, Wednesday at Dallas. The Clippers won the season series against Denver, 3-1, and are 0-3 against Dallas.
"Obviously, we would rather not play Dallas, and I think everyone knows that," center Chris Kaman said. "But there's too much pride on this team to just be dropping games. I know it looks bad because of the way we lost last night, I know what it looks like, but I know for a fact it wasn't intentional."
With Kaman and guard Cuttino Mobley sidelined because of injuries, the Clippers lost, 114-98, to the lowly Seattle SuperSonics on Sunday at Staples Center. The SuperSonics led by as many as 19 points in the first half and 30 after halftime.
In one stretch of the first half Sunday, the lineup included rookie guard Daniel Ewing, rookie forward James Singleton and rookie center Boniface Ndong.
Clipper assistant Kim Hughes, who previously worked for the Nuggets, received phone calls Monday from Denver officials, including former coach Doug Moe, who took good-natured jabs at the Clippers for their, ah, performance against Seattle.
Apparently, the Grizzlies also have been monitoring the Clippers.
"We're playing to win," Memphis forward Shane Battier said. "I've always been of the mind-frame that you've got to play."
Again Monday, Coach Mike Dunleavy reaffirmed the Clippers also play to win.
"People keep saying that it would be better to finish here or there, but I keep saying be careful what you wish for because you might get it," Dunleavy said. "We just want to be playing as well as we possibly can going into the playoffs."
Of course, things would be different if playoff seedings were based only on records.
"It should be seeded accorded to record and go from there," Dunleavy said. "It is what it is now, but that's the way it should be in the future."
Don't be ridiculous; they won't start Rebraca...Kings113 said:
They'll start Vin Baker.
kingkung
Bench
Purple Reign said:"We've got to be sixth to have the home court, and we'd like to have the home court, so then we need to finish sixth. It's that simple," co-captain Sam Cassell said. "You could say that isn't right, but life isn't right, and this is how the minds of the NBA made it with this alignment."
That makes perfect sense. Teams strategize long term, short term, every possible angle they can. Those who say that you play to win every game are contradicting the phrase "You play to win the championship." They have negative motivation to win this game. If they LOSE this game, they play an INFERIOR team AND have home court advantage. AND, they play an inferior team in the 2ND round as well. Sooner or later, we're going to have to throw out old-world philosophy and realize that teams need to help themselves any way they can. And if that means throwing a game for the benefit of the team, so be it.
HndsmCelt
Hall of Famer
vj9999 said:I'm OK with strategizing, but I think fans who spend their hard earned money to come and watch the game should not be "cheated" by a "strategic" performance. I'd want my money back
There you go. The BIG problem here is the way the NBA set up the the seeding systme a few years back with the 1-3 for division leaders and HCA NOT being bassed on pure record. There is no perfect system for seedings but this is one of the worst and it only took 2 seasons for it to result in travisty games that mock the fans.
Lat night ESPN actually had to play the repeat of the Suns fake game against the Lakers... I was a little surprised they did not preempt it for Bass fishing or something else more exciting and meaningfull, but I suppose they had a contract for the game. Now we have a situation where teams are openenly taking about the need to loose tonights gams... that is worse than pathetic. If Stern had any backbone at all he would call the game and give them both W's out of spite!
Last edited:
BLNINJA #81
Bench
I think that's retarded. Nothing will be any better in the long run, especially title-wise. Ron said it best, it doesn't matter who you play because you will eventually have to beat these same teams down to get what you came for, the rings.kingkung said:
HndsmCelt
Hall of Famer
kingkung said:
The problem with your logic is your unstated accaptence of a the NEW twisted seeding process that created the problem. There is a reason that in the past teams did not loose their way into preferable slots. It is not and "Old World Philosophy" to expect teams to play their way into the paly offs rather than loose their way in to soft brackets created by a seeding systme that puts the second best team in the the number 4 slot.
I would say that it is some what a "New Generation" that sees nothing worng with short cuts, free lunches and pay off with out the requierd work.
Dave McNulla
Bench
it'll be a long game on turnovers. i'm not sure if they'll try to foul everybody out (rule is the last guy who fouls out stays on the court) or play no defense. come to think of it, it sounds like the all-star game... without the dunks.
Who called it? I want me some Dap!Mr. S£im Citrus said:
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