OKC Thunder: Analyzing stretch run schedules with view to seeding
Miami Heat:
Dwyane Wade may have made a move for his legacy and end up with an opportunity he never imagined. With news Kyrie Irving will likely miss the first round it serves as an opportunity for the Heat to advance.
That’s the good news. The bad news is if they do match up with the Celtics and pull off the win they’ll face the Cavaliers in the second round. Then again, who better than Wade to fill in Spoelstra on Cleveland’s system so he can do his coaching savant thing to stop the King.
How ironic would it be if Wade is the guy who stops LeBron’s consecutive run of finals appearances (let alone Easter Conference finals)?
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- Aleksej Pokusevski sidelined approximately 6 weeks with ankle injury
- Damian Lillard does not fit with the OKC Thunder
Remaining schedule includes:
- Cleveland Cavaliers,Tuesday 27
- Chicago Bulls, Thursday 29
- Brooklyn Nets, Saturday 31
- Atlanta Hawks, Tuesday 3
- At Atlanta Hawks, Wednesday 4
- At New York Knicks, Friday 6
- Oklahoma City Thunder, Monday 9
- Toronto Raptors, Wednesday 11
With eight games remaining for the heat they should have a great opportunity to land the seventh seed. That could be a nightmare for the Celtics since Spoelstra like Brad Stevens is among the best at creating game plans to shut down opponents.
In Miami’s final eight games only three are against contending squads.and two of those are on the final days of the regular season. The Heat also have only two games left to play on the road and one back to back set remaining.
In Closing:
A great line uttered in a classic old movie All About Eve is “fasten your seatbelts, it’s going to be a bumpy ride”. That may be the best description of what the next 17 days holds for NBA fans.
Cross your fingers for exciting matchups and competitive series. But first, let’s get everyone there healthy.
Next: How injuries will affect stretch run and playoffs
Tell us in the comments section which teams you believe have the hardest stretch schedule. And, let us know who you would like to see the OKC Thunder meet in the first round as well as other series you’re excited to see.