[PC Load Letter]

Does anyone know what the Bulls' magic number for making the playoffs is at this point? Looking at the standings and doing some math, I come up with 7. Does anyone concur or disagree with that?

Here's the current standings:

http://www.nba.com/standings/team_record_comparison/conferenceNew_Std_Cnf.html

 

[Rhyder]

Re: The Bulls' Magic Number

I guess you would have to look at the Bulls vs. the #9 team:

Chicago 38-31 (13 games left)
Orlando 33-37 (12 games left)

If Orlando were to win out, that would put them at 45-37.

That means that Chicago needs 7 more wins (or Orlando losses) to tie with them at the end of the season.

I guess 7 is the magic number if we own the tiebreaker and 8 would be the magic number if we do not own the tiebreaker. We're 1-0 vs. Orlando and have two games left to play against them. Since the tiebreaker is not decided yet, I would say that

8

is the magic number.

There could be some cirumstances where this number would be less (i.e. #7 or #8 teams taking a dive), which would lower the magic number, but I don't want to look at team schedules. This is why magic numbers aren't calculated for anyone other than first place record or division winners. It is just too difficult to look at all the angles on a daily basis.

8 would be the conservative figure.

 

[ScottMay]

Re: The Bulls' Magic Number

Does anyone know what the Bulls' magic number for making the playoffs is at this point? Looking at the standings and doing some math, I come up with 7. Does anyone concur or disagree with that?

Here's the current standings:

http://www.nba.com/standings/team_record_comparison/conferenceNew_Std_Cnf.html

I concur -- six to tie for the 8th spot, seven to clinch.

I used Orlando as the "2nd place team" and the following equation:

(2nd place team wins + 2nd place team games remaining)-1st place team (Bulls) wins + 1

If you run the same equation with Seattle (who just clinched) and Minnesota (the 9th place team in the West) it seems to work.

 

[Rhyder]

Re: The Bulls' Magic Number

I concur -- six to tie for the 8th spot, seven to clinch.

I used Orlando as the "2nd place team" and the following equation:

(2nd place team wins + 2nd place team games remaining)-1st place team (Bulls) wins + 1

If you run the same equation with Seattle (who just clinched) and Minnesota (the 9th place team in the West) it seems to work.

Following your formula (which was the same as mine but explained differently):

(33 + 12) - 38 + 1 = 8

 

[superdave]

Re: The Bulls' Magic Number

Strange new land this talk of magic number.....

:rbanana:

 

[ScottMay]

Re: The Bulls' Magic Number

Following your formula (which was the same as mine but explained differently):

(33 + 12) - 38 + 1 = 8

You're right. I mistakenly calculated the right half of the equation as a parenthetical.

 

[PC Load Letter]

Re: The Bulls' Magic Number

You're right. I mistakenly calculated the right half of the equation as a parenthetical.

Absolutely. [looks up parenthetical]

Thanks for the help, guys. I'll keep this thread updated, using ScottMay and Rhyder's formula, as the value changes. In fact, I think a thread title change is in order...

 

[Rhyder]

To better help out, you have to look at a magic number against each team out of the playoffs. If Orlando moves into #10 in the standings, you would again have to look at the #9 team. Hence, a Bulls win will reduce the magic number by 1, but an Orlando loss might not reduce the "official" magic number by one (if another team moves ahead of them in the standings

Magic number vs. Orlando
(33+12) - 38 + 1 = 8

Magic number vs. New Jersey
(33+11) - 38 + 1 = 7

Magic number vs. Toronto
(29+12) - 38 + 1 = 4

Magic number vs. New York
(29+12) - 38 + 1 = 4

Magic number vs. Milwaukee
(27+12) - 38 + 1 = 2

The highest magic number versus any of these teams would be the official magic number.

 

[Rhyder]

"Official" Magic Number as of 3/30, 2:00pm
:banana: 8 :banana:

Magic number vs. Orlando = 8
Magic number vs. New Jersey = 7
Magic number vs. Toronto = 4
Magic number vs. New York = 4
Magic number vs. Milwaukee = 2

I would keep bumping this post, adjusting the official and magic numbers vs. each team on a nightly basis (with the highest being the "official"). I think it would be easier than calculating a new one each day. If a current playoff team falls to the number 9 seed, one would have to be calculated for them as well.

I don't mind keeping this up to date.

 

[PC Load Letter]

"Official" Magic Number as of 2:00pm, 3/30
:banana: 8 :banana:

Magic number vs. Orlando = 8

Magic number vs. New Jersey = 7

Magic number vs. Toronto = 4

Magic number vs. New York = 4

Magic number vs. Milwaukee = 2

I would keep bumping this post, adjusting the official and magic numbers vs. each team on a nightly basis (with the highest being the "official"). I think it would be easier than calculating a new one each day. If a current playoff team falls to the number 9 seed, one would have to be calculated for them as well.

I don't mind keeping this up to date.

Beautiful! Thanks, Rhyder.

 

[thunderspirit]

well, i'll be the first to say that the magic number is now 7. :clap:

(sorry if i'm steppin' on your toes, Rhyder.)

 

[Rhyder]

"Official" Magic Number as of 3/31, 9:00am
:banana: 7 :banana:

Magic number vs. Orlando = 7
Magic number vs. New Jersey = 6
Magic number vs. New York = 3
Magic number vs. Toronto = 2
Magic number vs. Milwaukee = 0

Chicago wins :clap:

Orlando wins
New Jersey wins
Toronto loses
New York DNP
Milwaukee loses

Milwaukee can now no longer officially overtake Chicago.

 

[bigdbucks]

"Official" Magic Number as of 3/31, 9:00am
:banana: 7 :banana:

Magic number vs. Orlando = 7
Magic number vs. New Jersey = 6
Magic number vs. New York = 3
Magic number vs. Toronto = 2
Magic number vs. Milwaukee = 0

Chicago wins :clap:

Orlando wins
New Jersey wins
Toronto loses
New York DNP
Milwaukee loses

Milwaukee can now no longer officially overtake Chicago.

:boohoo: what happened to my Bucks....oh well GO BULLS! :cheers:

 

[Rhyder]

:boohoo: what happened to my Bucks....oh well GO BULLS! :cheers:

This is only the magic numbers for teams overtaking Chicago. They are not yet elimnated from the playoffs.

 

[spongyfungy]

http://www.nba.com/statistics/playoff_picture.html

Let's hope that's autogenerated because I'd hate to be the one that had to manually update that thing.

 

[Rhyder]

"Official" Magic Number as of 4/1, 10:00am
:banana: 6 :banana:

Magic number vs. Orlando = 6
Magic number vs. New Jersey = 5
Magic number vs. New York = 2
Magic number vs. Toronto = 1


Chicago wins :clap:

Orlando DNP
New Jersey DNP
Toronto DNP
New York DNP

 

[Rhyder]

http://www.nba.com/statistics/playoff_picture.html

Let's hope that's autogenerated because I'd hate to be the one that had to manually update that thing.

The most important part of last night's victory, besides the obvious change in record, is that we now own the tiebreaker with Cleveland if we tie in record at the end of the season.

Head to Head: 2-2

Conference Record:
Chicago 25-16
Cleveland 22-20

 

[Hustle]

As of today it's 3, says me.

Seriously is Orlando going to win all their games, are we going to lose al of our games, who care about some &@$% magic #.

 

[Pay Ton]

Rhyder, I hope you don't mind if I update this.


"Official" Magic Number as of 4/3, 4:17 PM
:banana: 4 :banana:

Magic number vs. Orlando = 4
Magic number vs. New Jersey = 3

Toronto and New York can no longer overtake us.

Now, it's only the Jerz and Disney World. :banana:

 

[Rhyder]

Rhyder, I hope you don't mind if I update this.


"Official" Magic Number as of 4/3, 4:17 PM
:banana: 4 :banana:

Magic number vs. Orlando = 4
Magic number vs. New Jersey = 3

Toronto and New York can no longer overtake us.

Now, it's only the Jerz and Disney World. :banana:

Not at all. A friend of ours got married yesterday, so I haven't been around the computer all weekend.