Shuffle Up And Playoffs

The Raptors are going to the playoffs and will be hosting a game 1 these things we know entering into Wednesday. What remains unclear is what seed the Raptors will finish and just who they are going to face. Based on last night a lot of people are raising an eyebrow wondering if the Nets are trying to get away from the Bulls by losing. Washington plays Boston on this Wednesday night and with a win and a Nets loss to Cleveland would leave them with the same record but Washington would gain the 5th seed.

The Nets are banking on the Raptors winning against the Knicks and securing 3rd or the Bulls losing to Bobcats who could move up to 6th with a Wizards loss. Basically the only series in the East we know will happen for certain is the Pacers will play the Hawks in the 1 vs.8 match-up. Everything else is up in the air. When the wheel stops spinning the Raptors should hope for the Wizards to be their dance partner. Regardless of if this is in the 3 vs. 6 or 4 vs. 5 match-up.

Some talk about trying to avoid the Heat in the second round but in all reality when you haven’t made the playoffs in so long can you really is thinking beyond the first round? I would say no considering the Raptors have only won a first round series once and it was so long ago it wasn’t even a best of 7 series.

The NBA starts all games at 8pm in order to keep teams from knowing results and in theory playing to win. Safe to say everyone will be scoreboard watching and looking to do what they can to get the match-up they want.

For what it’s worth if I had to pick the Raptors three potential match-ups I would go with the following:

• Nets over Raptors in 6
• Raptors over Wizards in 7
• Bobcats over Raptors in 7

So safe to say for me the Raptors getting a Wizards match-up is the only way I see Raptors advancing. Some may see the Bobcats prediction as insulting but given the Raptors terrible history with Charlotte and match-up issues I see it as a very challenging series.

In any case by the end of the day Raptors will be back in the post-season and have a first round opponent who  would have thought that at October. The answer is pretty much nobody.