Knicks · Which seed do you guess we will end up with this year? (page 1)

Overtake the sixers, win the Atlantic, get the 3rd seed and host a first round playoff series.

Edit: I'm confused on the rules for winning the Atlantic. Can anybody confirm?

NBA Top four seed doesn't mean home-court advantage

There seems to be some confusion about seedings and home-court advantage in the first round of the NBA playoffs.

Sports-talk hosts and even 76ers CEO Adam Aron were among those unclear on the subject last week.

This should (hopefully) answer most of the questions.

Here is the bottom line: Winners of the three divisions in each conference are assured of no worse than the fourth seed, but that doesn’t guarantee the extra home game.

For example, the Atlantic Division-leading Sixers would be the fourth seed in the Eastern Conference if the season ended at the end of Saturday’s games.

The other division leaders (Chicago and Miami) would earn the top two seeds and Orlando, the Southeast Division second-placer, would be No. 3.

But because the fifth-seeded Pacers were one game ahead of the Sixers going into Sunday, Indiana would get home-court advantage in the opening best-of-seven series with the Sixers.

I confirmed it with Tim Frank, NBA senior vice president of basketball communications, on Tuesday. Via email, he said, “Better record always has home-court advantage.”

Several Sixers supporters have claimed that’s unfair because it wouldn’t reward Doug Collins’ team enough for winning their division.

I respectfully disagree.

Being assured a top-four seed could be a pretty big deal.

The sixth-seeded Hawks (25-19) went into Sunday one-half game ahead of the Sixers (25-20). If Indiana and Atlanta finish with better records than the Sixers and Philly wins the Atlantic Division, the Sixers would still get the No. 4 seed.

In that case, being fourth would mean facing the No. 5 seed in the first round without home-court advantage.

If division winners weren’t given a top four seed, the Sixers would be sixth and have to meet Dwight Howard and Orlando in the opening series.

To me, that’s a significant difference.

Should the Sixers win the division and advance beyond the first round for the first time in nine years, they’d play the top seed in the conference semifinals. Right now, that’s the Bulls, who they’d have a better chance to beat than the Heat despite a 1-2 record this season against Chicago.

Miami’s 84-78 victory Friday night was the Heat’s 10th regular-season win in a row over the Sixers.

If we can continue to play like we have been playing then I think our best/highest place to move up to is 4th - is to replace Philly as the Atlantic Champs. And that would give us our best chance of making the 2nd round as we would probably be playing Indy or Atlanta.

Thanks for the clarification of home court advantage.

Sesame

I voted #2 because everyone loves cocaine.

If they go on to win 10 in a row, yes, they can be top 3 easily.

MarburyAnd1Crossover wrote:I voted #2 because everyone loves cocaine.

LOL. Apparently Coca-Cola company made that statement true back in the days when cocaine was allowed.

4th. All we have to do is overtake the sixers we won't catch Orlando for 3rd tho

gunsnewing wrote:4th. All we have to do is overtake the sixers we won't catch Orlando for 3rd tho

I'm with you on this one. I voted #4 as well. Would be nice if we can take #3, but that's far fetched for sure.

Milwaukee is balling the last several weeks. And the first 2 games with the Monta/Jennings backcourt has looked good. They haven't beaten anyone really tough in that span, but they've been killing teams. I still think Boston is in big trouble with their remaining schedule.

JamesLin wrote:

MarburyAnd1Crossover wrote:I voted #2 because everyone loves cocaine.

LOL. Apparently Coca-Cola company made that statement true back in the days when cocaine was allowed.

I still allow cocaine.

MarburyAnd1Crossover wrote:

JamesLin wrote:

MarburyAnd1Crossover wrote:I voted #2 because everyone loves cocaine.

LOL. Apparently Coca-Cola company made that statement true back in the days when cocaine was allowed.

I still allow cocaine.

lol. I'll allow cocaine too if I'm the one making the profit.