Conference 7.286::boston_celtics

    National Basketball Association Standings Through Wednesday, April 2nd 
    
                               EASTERN CONFERENCE
    ATLANTIC DIV.    W    L    PCT  GB       HOME    ROAD   DIV   STREAK
    -------------    -    -    ---  --       ----    ----   ---   ------
    X-MIAMI         54   18   .750   -       26-9    28-9  14-6   WON  1 
    X-NEW YORK      52   21   .712   2 1/2   29-7    23-14 18-5   WON  2 
    ORLANDO         40   32   .556  14       24-12   16-20 11-9   LOST 3 
    WASHINGTON      37   35   .514  17       21-16   16-19 10-10  WON  5 
    NEW JERSEY      23   49   .319  31       14-21    9-28 10-10  LOST 2 
    PHILADELPHIA    21   51   .292  33       11-26   10-25 10-12  LOST 1 
    BOSTON          13   61   .176  42       10-26    3-35  0-21  LOST 7 
    
    CENTRAL DIV.     W    L    PCT  GB       HOME    ROAD   DIV   STREAK
    ------------     -    -    ---  --       ----    ----   ---   ------
    Y-CHICAGO       63    9   .875   -       36-1    27-8  21-3   WON  8 
    X-DETROIT       51   22   .699  12 1/2   28-8    23-14 14-8   WON  2 
    X-ATLANTA       50   23   .685  13 1/2   33-4    17-19 15-11  LOST 1 
    CHARLOTTE       46   26   .639  17       26-10   20-16 11-12  WON  1 
    CLEVELAND       38   35   .521  25 1/2   23-14   15-21 12-12  WON  1 
    INDIANA         35   37   .486  28       20-16   15-21 10-14  LOST 1 
    MILWAUKEE       29   43   .403  34       16-20   13-23  8-17  WON  1 
    TORONTO         27   47   .365  37       17-21   10-26  5-19  WON  2 
    
                               WESTERN CONFERENCE
    MIDWEST DIV.     W    L    PCT  GB       HOME    ROAD   DIV   STREAK
    ------------     -    -    ---  --       ----    ----   ---   ------
    X-UTAH          55   17   .764   -       32-3    23-14 15-5   WON  10
    X-HOUSTON       49   24   .671   6 1/2   26-11   23-13 15-4   LOST 1 
    MINNESOTA       36   37   .493  19 1/2   23-13   13-24 16-6   WON  2 
    DALLAS          22   50   .306  33       13-23    9-27  8-12  LOST 8 
    DENVER          20   53   .274  35 1/2   12-25    8-28  6-16  LOST 2 
    SAN ANTONIO     18   54   .250  37       11-25    7-29  7-14  LOST 2 
    VANCOUVER       12   63   .160  44 1/2    8-31    4-32  5-15  LOST 5 
    
    PACIFIC DIV.     W    L    PCT  GB       HOME    ROAD   DIV   STREAK
    ------------     -    -    ---  --       ----    ----   ---   ------
    X-LA LAKERS     50   23   .685   -       27-9    23-14 14-5   WON  5 
    X-SEATTLE       50   23   .685   -       27-10   23-13 15-7   LOST 2 
    X-PORTLAND      43   31   .581   7 1/2   26-11   17-20 14-8   LOST 1 
    PHOENIX         34   39   .466  16       24-14   10-25 10-10  WON  7 
    LA CLIPPERS     31   41   .431  18 1/2   20-17   11-24 10-12  LOST 4 
    SACRAMENTO      29   44   .397  21       18-16   11-28  5-14  LOST 5 
    GOLDEN STATE    26   46   .361  23 1/2   15-19   11-27  4-16  WON  1 
    
    X -- CLINCHED PLAYOFF BERTH
    Y -- CLINCHED DIVISION TITLE

    EAST. CONF.      W    L    PCT  GB       HOME    ROAD   DIV   STREAK
    ------------     -    -    ---  --       ----    ----   ---   ------
    Y-CHICAGO       63    9   .875   -       36-1    27-8  21-3   WON  8 
    X-MIAMI         54   18   .750   9       26-9    28-9  14-6   WON  1 
    X-NEW YORK      52   21   .712  11 1/2   29-7    23-14 18-5   WON  2 
    X-DETROIT       51   22   .699  12 1/2   28-8    23-14 14-8   WON  2 
    X-ATLANTA       50   23   .685  13 1/2   33-4    17-19 15-11  LOST 1 
    CHARLOTTE       46   26   .639  17       26-10   20-16 11-12  WON  1 
    ORLANDO         40   32   .556  23       24-12   16-20 11-9   LOST 3 
    CLEVELAND       38   35   .521  25 1/2   23-14   15-21 12-12  WON  1 
    ---------------------------------------------------------------------
    WASHINGTON      37   35   .514  26       21-16   16-19 10-10  WON  5 
    INDIANA         35   37   .486  28       20-16   15-21 10-14  LOST 1 
    
    WEST. CONF.      W    L    PCT  GB       HOME    ROAD   DIV   STREAK
    ------------     -    -    ---  --       ----    ----   ---   ------
    X-UTAH          55   17   .764   -       32-3    23-14 15-5   WON  10
    X-LA LAKERS     50   23   .685   5 1/2   27-9    23-14 14-5   WON  5 
    X-SEATTLE       50   23   .685   5 1/2   27-10   23-13 15-7   LOST 2 
    X-HOUSTON       49   24   .671   6 1/2   26-11   23-13 15-4   LOST 1 
    X-PORTLAND      43   31   .581  13       26-11   17-20 14-8   LOST 1 
    MINNESOTA       36   37   .493  19 1/2   23-13   13-24 16-6   WON  2 
    PHOENIX         34   39   .466  21 1/2   24-14   10-25 10-10  WON  7 
    LA CLIPPERS     31   41   .431  24       20-17   11-24 10-12  LOST 4 
    --------------------------------------------------------------------
    SACRAMENTO      29   44   .397  26 1/2   18-16   11-28  5-14  LOST 5 
    GOLDEN STATE    26   46   .361  29       15-19   11-27  4-16  WON  1 

    LOTTERY          W    L    PCT  GB       HOME    ROAD   DIV   STREAK
    ------------     -    -    ---  --       ----    ----   ---   ------
    VANCOUVER       12   63   .160   -        8-31    4-32  5-15  LOST 5 
    BOSTON          13   61   .176   1 1/2   10-26    3-35  0-21  LOST 7 
    SAN ANTONIO     18   54   .250   7 1/2   11-25    7-29  7-14  LOST 2     
    DENVER          20   53   .274   9       12-25    8-28  6-16  LOST 2 
    PHILADELPHIA    21   51   .292  11       11-26   10-25 10-12  LOST 1 
    DALLAS          22   50   .306  12       13-23    9-27  8-12  LOST 8 
    NEW JERSEY      23   49   .319  13       14-21    9-28 10-10  LOST 2 
    TORONTO         27   47   .365  15 1/2   17-21   10-26  5-19  WON  2     
    MILWAUKEE       29   43   .403  18       16-20   13-23  8-17  WON  1 

     Could someone clear this up ?  I thought the recent expansion
     teams (Vancouver) could not acquire the #1 pick in this years
     draft. I thought I read this in this notes conference. I take
     it this is not ture.

    It is true.  But only the number 1.  Perhaps someone will reiterate the
    exact ball dropping procedure.

    
    	Yes, Vancouver can not get the #1 pick. However Vancouver can still
    finish in last place and receive more lottery chances (ping pong
    balls). Then anybody else in the lottery. The lottery is weighted so
    that the team with the worst record has the best chance to get the #1
    pick. If Vancouver wins the lottery, they swap places with the team
    with the #2 pick.
    
    Ron

    I take it they could pick Vancouver with the first ball
    				"        "    "  second "
    				Toront   "    "  third  "
    				San Antonio      fourth
    
    And result in SA with #1
                  Vanc.   #2
    		  Toronto #3
    		Celtics   #4
    
    	Even with a finish of Vancouver,Boston,SA,...Toronto in reverse
    order.

    
    Wow, you can teach an old dog new tricks 8^)
    
    You are correct Bill.
    
    Marc
    

	The lottery drawing on Mat 18 ...

	The NBA sets up a lottery (similar to Megabucks/Powerball/etc)
	with 1000 possible combinations ... these are commonly referred
	to as the "ping pong balls" ...

	The worst team in the NBA is given 250 of these combinations,
	the second worst finishing team is given 200 combinations,
	with each NON-playoff team getting increasingly smaller numbers
	of combinations ...

	They pull the first "ping pong ball" ... that team gets the first
	pick in the NBA draft ... EXCEPT if that team is one of the two
	most recent expansion clubs (Vancouver or Toronto) ... those two
	teams are forbidden from winning the lottery last year and this 
	year ... if Toronto or Vancouver win the lottery, they are given the
	second draft pick ...

	They then pull a "ping pong ball" to award the second draft pick ...

	And again to award the third draft pick ...

	After that, the teams are placed in the reverse order of finish ...

	So ... absolute worst case for the Celtics would be:

	- Someone with a better record than the Celtics (other than Dallas)
	  wins the lottery, wins the second draft choice and wins the third
	  draft choice AND Vancouver finishes with a worse record than the
	  Celtics ... that would give the Celtics the fifth pick in the
	  draft and the Dallas pick ...

	  An example of this would be:
	  (1) Milwaukee
	  (2) Toronto
	  (3) New Jersey
	  (4) Vancouver
	  (5) Boston
	  (6) San Antonio
	  (7) Philadelphia
	  (8) Denver
	  (9) Dallas pick (to Boston)

	This would suck royally ...

	Best case scenario for the Celtics is:

	- Boston or Dallas pick wins the lottery, Boston or Dallas pick
	  wins the second draft choice ...

	(1) Boston
	(2) Dallas pick (to Boston)

	This would be INCREDIBLE and would make every Celtic fan jump
	for joy!

	Reality:

	- The Celtics have about a 30-40% chance of getting the first pick
	  in the draft, and a better than 60% chance of getting a top three
	  pick ...

	So we will probably get something like:

	(1) San Antonio/Philadelphia
	(2) Vancouver
	(3) Boston
	(4) Philadelphia/San Antonio
	(5) Denver
	(6) Dallas (to Boston)

	Or

	(1) Boston
	(2) Vancouver
	(3) Denver
	(4) San Antonio
	(5) Philadelphia
	(6) Dallas (to Boston)

	Gotta have hope! May 18 will be a big day in determining the
	future of the Boston Celtics ...

	Vinny

So, do you think Bird will be the Celtics representative at the Lottery?

db

    Anyone in here good enough to calculate the Celtics exact chance of
    winning number 1?  Somewhere obviously between 20% and 45% and I'm
    guessing around 35% as Joe said.  But it has to be a specific,
    calculable number.

Actually there is a catch that makes it inexact.  I believe the Bullets 
surrended their first pick for the right to re-sign Juwan Howard after his 
Heat signing was disallowed.  So the number of lottery teams is different 
if the Bullets do or do not make the playoffs.  No one can precisely figure 
out the odds until the fate of the Bullets is known!

Greg

    Back in 1994, the number of balls went like this:
    
                                 No. 1  Top 3
Pos Team            W   L   Pct  Pick   Pick   Number of combinations 
 1  Dallas          11  69  .138 25.00  64.84        250
 2  Milwaukee       20  60  .250 20.30  57.10        203
 3  Minnesota       20  60  .250 16.20  48.47        162
 4  Detroit         20  60  .250 12.60  40.02        126
 5  Washington      23  57  .288  9.40  31.18         94
 6  Philadelphia    24  56  .296  6.60  22.68         66
 7  L.A. Clippers   27  53  .338  4.40  15.51         44
 8  Sacramento      27  53  .338  2.70   9.70         27
 9  Boston          31  49  .388  1.50   5.46         15
10  L.A. Lakers     33  47  .413  0.80   2.94          8
11  Charlotte       40  40  .500  0.50   1.84          5

    If the number of combinations are the same this year (not sure if that
    is fixed or not), the Celtics would have 203 balls for being #2 and 66
    balls since Dallas is #6.

    
    
    Okay, so Boston gets 203 balls, Vancover 250, Dallas 66, and Toronto
    27.  This means the Celtics chances are:
    
    C or D first + Vancover 1st, C or D second + Toronto 1st, C or D second
    
    269/1000 + (250/1000 * 269/750) + (27/1000 * 269/973)
    
    36.6% chance of the Celtics getting the number one pick
    
    Marc
    

    
    BTW, that assumes that the Canadian balls are included in the pot for
    the first pick.  If not, then the chances are just 269/723 or 37.2 %
    
    Marc