Does it matter in terms of when the Celtics will next make or win the NBA Finals that they are the Number One seed in the Eastern Conference this season?
Spot on right here. The fact that Cleveland gifted the 1-seed to us shouldn't deter the accomplishment of our regular season.The "something" is that they finished with the best record in the Eastern Conference for the season which is a tremendous accomplishment and something that is unexpected for many.
I don't think it does anything to get them any further in the playoffs this year but that shouldn't obscure what really was an awesome season.
I agree with the first point as its a pretty amazing achievement especially given where they were even a couple years ago.The "something" is that they finished with the best record in the Eastern Conference for the season which is a tremendous accomplishment and something that is unexpected for many.
I don't think it does anything to get them any further in the playoffs this year but that shouldn't obscure what really was an awesome season.
5% title odds for a 1 seed - is that historically low?538 has the Celtics title probability at 5%. When it looked like they would be the 2 seed it was 4%. That's something, but given the uncertainty, probably rounds to nothing.
Well, looking further is has 3 teams in East more likely to go to finals than the Cavs--Toronto at 25%, Boston at 24%, and Washington at 22%. Cavs are at 11%.5% title odds for a 1 seed - is that historically low?
Not to be pedantic, but its also not exactly the question. I'll bet if that same model were asked to determine the likelihood of the Cs just getting to the finals, not winning it, there would potentially be a larger difference. Also, these models typically regress on plus/minus etc and aren't granular enough to look at individual match ups which I believe swing the odds further towards the Celtics.538 has the Celtics title probability at 5%. When it looked like they would be the 2 seed it was 4%. That's something, but given the uncertainty, probably rounds to nothing.
The Celtics would still have home court in every EC playoff series (aside from Cleveland naturally) with the 2-seed. The only series that would be affected by us being a 1 or a 2-seed would be if we have a Cleveland-Boston EC Finals.It means a lot. But maybe not in the way most people are answering. By having a first round home playoff series against a marginal team, one of two things will happen. If they lose, I don't think Ainge and Stevens can continue on the path. There's just too much evidence the small lineups they are running and IT4 as the only useful offense has no future. So, it will accelerate the roster reshaping, I think, if they lose, and also shut down most talk of trading a bunch of the future assets for a player like Butler.
The one seed also guarantees them a home series against the Wizards or Hawks. If they can't be competitive in that series, then, again, I think Ainge and Stevens need to get together and really figure out what the plan is.
On the other hand, if they make the ECF and take Cleveland to the limit, it might increase the willingness to deal assets for a player that could potentially take them over the top.
In and of itself, it probably doesn't mean anything, but it does, I think, adjust the playoff expectation a bit. If they'd been the 4 seed and lost in seven against to Atlanta I could easily see a lot of reason to just stay the path, extend KO, etc.
Yes now I understand what you are saying. Avoiding the Raptors is critical to increasing our chances to advance even if the Wizards are certainly not a pushover. Toronto has owned us ever since DeRozan and Lowry blended together. If I had to see DeRozan utilize his savvy to force matchups with Isaiah defending him in iso for an entire week my head may explode.Yeah, 1 or 2 seed is not a huge difference to me since the Pacers and Bulls are teams the Celtics should beat with home court in the playoffs. But, I do also think they have a much better chance against the Wizards than the Raptors, so it matters for the second round.
This. Plus, I love the juxtaposition of finishing with the best record in the East AND having the most ping pong balls in the lottery.Avoiding Toronto in the second round is huge. They're a terrible matchup. That gives them a much better chance at advancing to the ECF, which will provide valuable playoff experience.
The #1 seed might add legitimacy to the Ainge / Stevens rebuild and entice such a max player to join the cause this offseason. Horford spoke recently about how he impressed he was with the progress he saw from the C's during last year's playoffs and how that progress informed his decision in free agency. Perhaps this subsequent step will persuade a likeminded player to follow his lead.Wyc saying yesterday that it would be possible for them to sign a max player this off-season
We have a much better chance against the Wizard than we do Toronto or the Bucks, maybe even Atlanta. I really want to see the Bucks vs Cavs and see if Middleton can shut down LeBron. Over the Bucks last 22 games with Khris Middleton, they are giving up 99.4 points. Granted they are only scoring 100.1 in that time. They outscored the other team by a total of 18 points in that span and somehow finished 16-6.Yeah, 1 or 2 seed is not a huge difference to me since the Pacers and Bulls are teams the Celtics should beat with home court in the playoffs. But, I do also think they have a much better chance against the Wizards than the Raptors, so it matters for the second round.
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