Thursday, March 15, 2007

What will the Bulls' seed be when the playoffs start?

The Bulls are currently the 5th seed, but I think they could be higher than that once the playoffs start. I decided to predict the records of the teams who the Bulls are either going to have to pass or have to stay in front of.

NOTE: I have not included the Toronto Raptors, who are currently the #4 seed. After looking at their remaining schedule, I don't think they will win as many games as the Bulls so it would be meaningless to try to predict their record. The reason the Raptors are #4 even though the Bulls are better is because they are leading their division and the Bulls are not. Division leaders are guaranteed a top 4 seed. I think the Raptors will win their division, so if the Bulls can not finish better than the Detroit Pistons and the Cleveland Cavaliers the Bulls will have a lower seed than the Raptors.

Detriot Pistons: Currently 41-22

Mar 16 at Phoenix- L
Mar 18 vs Dallas- L
Mar 20 vs Philadelphia- W (42)
Mar 22 at Houston- L
Mar 23 at San Antonio- L
Mar 25 at Milwaukee- W (43)
Mar 26 vs Denver- W (44)
Mar 29 at Chicago- L
Mar 30 vs New Jersey- W (45)
Apr 1 vs Miami- W (46)
Apr 3 at Indiana- W (47)
Apr 4 vs Chicago- L
Apr 8 vs Cleveland- W (48)
Apr 9 at New York- W (49)
Apr 11 vs Orlando- W (50)
Apr 13 at Toronto- W (51)
Apr 15 vs Philadelphia- W (52)
Apr 17 vs Toronto- W (53)
Apr 18 at Boston- W (54)

Predicted Record: 54-28

Cleveland Cavaliers: Currently 40-25

Mar 17 vs Utah- L
Mar 20 at Charlotte- W (41)
Mar 21 vs Dallas- L
Mar 23 vs New York- W (42)
Mar 25 vs Denver- W (43)
Mar 27 at Indiana- W (44)
Mar 28 at New York- W (45)
Mar 31 at Chicago- L
Apr 1 at Boston- W (46)
Apr 3 at Minnesota- W (47)
Apr 5 vs Miami- W (48)
Apr 6 at Washington- L
Apr 8 at Detroit- L
Apr 12 vs New Jersey- W (49)
Apr 14 vs Atlanta- W (50)
Apr 17 at Philadelphia- W (51)
Apr 18 vs Milwaukee- W (52)

Predicted Record: 52-30

Washington Wizards: Currently 35-28

Mar 17 vs New Orl/OKC- W (36)
Mar 20 at Portland- W (37)
Mar 21 at Seattle- W (38)
Mar 23 at Golden State- W (39)
Mar 24 at LA Clippers- W (40)
Mar 26 at Utah- L
Mar 28 vs Philadelphia- W (41)
Mar 30 vs Toronto- L
Apr 1 at Milwaukee- W (42)
Apr 3 at Charlotte- W (43)
Apr 4 vs Charlotte- W (44)
Apr 6 vs Cleveland- W (45)
Apr 7 at New Jersey- W (46)
Apr 10 vs New Jersey- W (47)
Apr 11 at Miami- L
Apr 13 at Atlanta- W (48)
Apr 15 vs Chicago- W (49)
Apr 17 vs Orlando- W (50)
Apr 18 at Indiana- W (51)

Predicted Record: 51-31

Chicago Bulls: Currently 39-28

Mar 17 at Memphis- W (40)
Mar 20 vs LA Clippers- W (41)
Mar 22 vs Denver- W (42)
Mar 25 at Indiana- W (43)
Mar 26 vs Portland- W (44)
Mar 29 vs Detroit- W (45)
Mar 31 vs Cleveland- W (46)
Apr 1 at Atlanta- W (47)
Apr 4 at Detroit- W (48)
Apr 6 vs New Jersey- W (49)
Apr 8 at Toronto- W (50)
Apr 10 vs New York- W (51)
Apr 13 vs Charlotte- W (52)
Apr 15 at Washington- L
Apr 18 at New Jersey- W (53)

Predicted Record: 53-29

Miami Heat: Currently 34-29

Mar 15 at New Jersey- W (35)
Mar 16 vs Sacramento- W (36)
Mar 18 vs Orlando- W (37)
Mar 21 at Atlanta- W (38)
Mar 23 at Indiana- W (39)
Mar 24 vs Philadelphia- W (40)
Mar 26 vs Atlanta- W (41)
Mar 28 at Toronto- L
Mar 30 at Minnesota- W (42)
Apr 1 at Detroit- L
Apr 3 vs Toronto- W (43)
Apr 5 at Cleveland- L
Apr 6 at Boston- W (44)
Apr 8 vs Charlotte- W (45)
Apr 10 at Charlotte- W (46)
Apr 11 vs Washington- W (47)
Apr 13 vs Indiana- W (48)
Apr 16 vs Boston- W (49)
Apr 18 at Orlando- W (50)

Predicted Record: 50-32

Here is my predicted playoff seeding:

1. Pistons 54-28
2. Bulls 53-27
3. Wizards 51-31
4. Raptors
5. Cavaliers 52-30
6. Heat 50-32

I have the Bulls getting the 2nd seed in the playoffs. I offer no guaranttees. It is very likely that each team will have 1-2 less wins than my predictions. There are many games each team could very easily lose, but I have picked the wins based on games they should win. For example, it can be argued that the Cleveland Cavaliers could beat the Washington Wizards on April 6. However, because the game is in Washington, I said that the Wizards would win. Now, you may notice that I have the Bulls beating the Pistons in Detroit. I picked the Bulls to win because the Bulls beat the Pistons by 17 points in their 1st meeting and then lost by 2 in Detroit after leading by as many as 16 points. I think the Bulls should beat the Pistons, because I don't think Detroit is better than the Bulls and I don't see any reason for me to believe that the Bulls will lose. I hate making predictions because I'm not always right. We'll see how close (or far away) I was at the end of the season.

Is 50 wins still realistic for the Bulls?

A while ago, I made my predictions on how many more games the Bulls would win. The Bulls have 39 wins, so they are still 11 wins short of 50 wins.

Here is how I did so far with my prediction (actual result in parentheses):

Feb 20 vs Atlanta- W (W)
Feb 22 at Cleveland- L (W)
Feb 23 vs Washington- W (W)
Feb 25 at Detroit- L (L)
Feb 26 vs Orlando- W (L)
Feb 28 vs Golden State- W (W)
Mar 2 vs New Orl/OKC- W (W)
Mar 4 at Milwaukee- W (W)
Mar 7 at Miami- L (L)
Mar 8 at Orlando- W (W)
Mar 11 at Boston- W (W)
Mar 13 vs Boston- W (W)
Mar 14 at Philadelphia- W (W)
Mar 17 at Memphis- W (?) (40)
Mar 20 vs LA Clippers- W (?) (41)
Mar 22 vs Denver- L (?)
Mar 25 at Indiana- W (?) (42)
Mar 26 vs Portland- W (?) (43)
Mar 29 vs Detroit- W (?) (44)
Mar 31 vs Cleveland- W (?) (45)
Apr 1 at Atlanta- W (?) (46)
Apr 4 at Detroit- L (?)
Apr 6 vs New Jersey- W (?) (47)
Apr 8 at Toronto- L (?)
Apr 10 vs New York- W (?) (48)
Apr 13 vs Charlotte- W (?) (49)
Apr 15 at Washington- L (?)
Apr 18 at New Jersey- W (?)(50)

I still have the Bulls winning 50 games. I want to make changes to my current predictions. I have decided to change my predicted losses to Denver, Detroit away, and Toronto away into wins. That would have the Bulls finishing the season with 53 wins.