Ask Washington Wizards coach Flip Saunders about the very real possibility that a couple of teams with losing records could qualify for the Eastern Conference playoffs and he answers the question with a question.
"You know what Michael Jordan's record was the first time they made the playoffs?" Saunders said during his visit to the Bradley Center last week.
Some quick research uncovers the fact the Chicago Bulls made the playoffs with a 30-52 record in 1985-'86, Jordan's second year in the league, and went on to get swept by Boston in three games in the first round.
Many teams have made the playoffs with losing records since the league starting inviting 16 teams to the postseason dance in 1984, and those Bulls, along with the 1987-'88 San Antonio Spurs who made the playoffs after finishing 31-51, were the worst.
Jordan played in only 18 games that season because of a foot injury, but he scored a playoff-record 63 points in a double-overtime loss to the Celtics. Orlando Woolridge, Quintin Dailey and George Gervin were the leading scorers for coach Stan Albeck 's Bulls that season.
Billy McKinney, a feisty 6-foot veteran point guard, contributed 22 points and 13 assists in nine games to the Bulls' cause before retiring early in the season to join the Bulls' basketball staff. McKinney is now the Milwaukee Bucks' director of scouting.
The 1987-'88 Spurs, led by the likes of Alvin Robertson, Johnny Dawkins and Walter Berry, were swept out of the first round of the playoffs in three games by the Los Angeles Lakers. The highlight of that season for the Spurs came on opening night, when they signed David Robinson, the No. 1 overall pick in the draft who then went on to serve two years in the Navy.
The way things stand now, the Bucks are involved in a muddled race with Philadelphia, Indiana and Charlotte for the final two playoffs spots in the East. But who's to say one of the teams below that grouping may not get "hot" and make a playoff run?
"Someone's got to make it," Saunders said. "When you have elite teams as we have in the East -- you have Boston, Orlando, Miami and Chicago has played at a high level -- all the bottom-feeders are going to get beat up a lot.
"It's one of those things where anyone can go out in a week and win three games in a row and you could go from being the 12 seed to all of a sudden to be fighting for 8 or 9.
"So I think what's going to happen is injuries will tell what happens the second half of the season. Whatever teams can stay the most injury-free, they're going to have an opportunity. Right now, nobody is really hot on it."
The Pacers remain in the thick of things despite being well below .500.
"In the East, we should definitely be a playoff team," Pacers president Larry Bird said. "I'll be very disappointed if we don't make the playoffs."
Said Bucks coach Scott Skiles, "We're in a cluster of a lot of teams that are struggling to be consistent against any of the teams -- the winning-record teams and losing-record teams. We're trying to be consistent and obviously we haven't gotten there. We have to try and play better. That's where our emphasis needs to be. We've got to start playing well night after night."
There remains a whole second half to sort out the playoff picture, and the records of teams that finally settle into the final two spots in the East may not be all that great.
But there have been worse.
Who's the finest?
The Spurs have compiled the best record in the league without anyone averaging 20 points per game or double digits in rebounds or assists. They don't even know who the best player is on the team.
Tim Duncan points out that Tony Parker and Manu Ginobili have been playing well but adds that it's been pretty much a team effort. As far as having a candidate for the most valuable player award, forget it.
"We don't really think in those terms," coach Gregg Popovich said.
Another bad wheel
Add Marcus Camby to the growing list of Portland players (Jeff Pendergraph, Greg Oden, Eliot Williams, Brandon Roy) who will have had knee surgery this season. Camby, Pendergraph and Camby are all centers. Joel Przybilla, another Portland center, underwent two knee surgeries last season.
Coach Nate McMillan was surprised to hear that Camby's injury was serious, saying that it looked "kind of subtle" when it occurred.
"We're not losing guys to injuries they can play through," McMillan said. "They're having surgeries."
No road magic
The Wizards' loss to the Bucks last week dropped their record to 0-20 on the road as they became the sixth team in NBA history to start the season with at least 20 straight road losses.
"It's not like we're getting drilled on the road," Saunders said. "We've played well. We've given ourselves opportunities. Early in the year, we were losing close games (at home) against good teams because we couldn't make the plays down the stretch. But we've been making those plays at home lately and have won four in a row. So now we hope what we start doing at home, we start doing that on the road. Making some of those plays and finding a way to get some wins.
"I tell our guys you don't go out and say we have to win a game. You go out to play the right way and play good basketball. If you do that, you're going to put yourself in a position to win."
Verbal shots
When the Cleveland Cavaliers were short-handed for a practice, 49-year-old coach Byron Scott joined in and made his presence felt. Verbally, at least.
"I made a few shots on them," he said. "Like I normally do, I talked a lot on the court. They heard me a lot when I made shots. It was fun."
Nose for the game
So how's things going for Sasha Pavlovic in Dallas, you ask? Pavlovic was on the eighth day of a 10-day contract when he broke his nose in the second quarter against Detroit. He bled all over the court but he came back and played the last couple minutes of a blowout. Two days later, Pavlovic started against the Lakers and broke his nose again on the first play of the game. He went to the bench, took off his "protective" mask, straightened his nose out himself and then kept playing.
After the game, the Mavericks rewarded him with a second 10-day contract.
Perkins feeling better
Celtics center Kendrick Perkins is aiming for a game against Dallas on Feb. 5 as a target for his return. That's the team's first game back from a Western trip. Perkins, coming off knee surgery, went through his first-full contact practice last week, and with Kevin Garnett also back it made for a lively workout.
"It was loud and I mean that in a very complimentary way," coach Doc Rivers said. "It was the loudest practice we've had all year because our two best talkers -- Perk and Kevin -- were on the floor. They were both barking instructions and holding everyone accountable. Perk practiced like it was the world championship because it's been so long. Kevin practices that way all the time."
Houston's problem
Rockets coach Rick Adelman is having difficulty establishing a rotation because he has a logjam of talent at some positions.
"If the guy doesn't play, sometimes it rubs him the wrong way," he said. "As a team, we haven't been real successful lately. You just try to find combinations. All our people can play but there are only so many minutes to go around. It's always going to be an issue."
Fast breaks
Boston's Shaquille O'Neal, on his playing time: "I'm only playing 19, 20 minutes a game and I could do that with my eyes closed."
Charlotte has only three victories over teams with winning records, two of them against Chicago.
McMillan on the Trail Blazers' injuries: "I wish I was dreaming but I'm not."
The younger Spurs players are affectionately referring to 36-year-old veteran Antonio McDyess as "Old Man Dice."
Nets guard Devin Harris on general manager Billy King apologizing to several players whose names were mentioned in Carmelo Anthony trade rumors: "He said we were complete professionals and he appreciated the way we carried ourselves."
The offensively challenged Bobcats have been told by coach Paul Silas that the only way they can get benched is to not take an open shot.
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DOWN THE LANE
THIS WEEK IN THE NBA
Guard Ray Allen will continue to chase Reggie Miller's NBA record for three-point baskets made (2,560) when the Celtics hit the road for a four-game trip that will open in Portland and Phoenix. "When I'm home, in between games, it's great for people like my friends to talk about," said Allen. "About how fun the games are to watch. But once we get into the locker room, it's all business. I don't want to be that guy who's running around trying to shoot a three-pointer all day long. I want to be thirsty from behind the three-point line, so I just want to play the game that I've always played." Dallas can try to sort out its problems during a four-game home stand that begins Tuesday against the Clippers. Charlotte faces six straight road games, including four in five nights this week against Sacramento, Phoenix, Golden State and the Clippers. The Wizards will have several opportunities to get that elusive first road victory as they will play at New York, Oklahoma City and Memphis. All of the stars will be out Thursday at Madison Square Garden when the Heat pays a visit.
GAME OF THE WEEK
The Bulls will be seeking some payback when the Magic visits the United Center on Friday. Orlando beat the Bulls on Dec. 1 in Chicago, 107-78, but that was before the Magic reshaped its roster through trades.
BUCKS WEEK
It's another in-and-out-of-town week. After playing at Chicago on Monday, the Bucks on Wednesday will host the Hawks, who will have a chance to see what real winter weather feels like. The Bucks will be in Toronto on Friday to play the Raptors for the first time and then take on the Carmelo-less Nets on Saturday night at the Bradley Center.
QUOTE
"Anytime anybody in the NBA scores 47 points on you, you should be smacked. We can't play like that. He just had his way against us." -- Indiana forward Danny Granger, after the Clippers' Blake Griffin scored 47 points against the Pacers
PLAYER OF THE WEEK
A big campaign -- "Send L.A. to L.A." -- has been under way in Portland to get LaMarcus Aldridge on the Western Conference all-star team. Aldridge admits the Trail Blazers would have to win 10 straight games or some such thing for him to get noticed, especially with the likes of Minnesota's Kevin Love and the Clippers' Griffin posting gaudy statistics for teams with losing records. Last week, Aldridge scored a career-high 37 points with 12 rebounds in a victory over Love's Timberwolves, and had 28 points and eight rebounds in a victory over Griffin's Clippers that put Portland a season-high four games over .500 (24-20). Over a 19-game span, Aldridge averaged over 26 points and 10 rebounds per game. "I've been waiting for this (from Aldridge)," said coach Nate McMillan, who added that Aldridge could dominate a game on either end of the floor. "This guy is special because he can do both."
NUMBERS GAME
The Clippers went 14-13 during Griffin's streak of 27 consecutive double-doubles that ended last week.
The Timberwolves are 6-23 during Love's current streak of 29 consecutive double-doubles.
The Nets have potentially six first-round picks in the next three drafts, three of their own and three acquired in trades (Lakers in 2011, Houston 2012, Golden State 2012).
The Bobcats' victory over the 76ers last week gave them a 1-6 record against Indiana, Milwaukee and Philadelphia.
Dallas is 18-1 when scoring 100 or more points, with the lone loss a 117-107 decision to Orlando during the Mavericks' six-game losing streak.
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