help me prioritize the games for next year - which look best to you? worst?

[John Galt]

Hi I want to ask you guys for a little assist as I get ready to split up the games for next year with my two partners (who may or may not read this board).

It is easy for me to decide which game to choose if I pick first, and the first couple rounds fall into place pretty easily.

But once I run out of weekend games against the Clippers and Warriors, when it gets to the middle of the pack and the end .... I could use some help prioritizing.

Does anybody have a ranking tool or some ranking principles that will help me in the later rounds?

If you don't want to share your secret sauce with the whole board then would you pm me with your tips and hints?

Example of what I'm looking for "stick with Western Conference opponents mostly and don't under-rank the Lakers and Spurs games - they are always great games with lively crowds".... or "Pistons, Bucks and Knicks should be last" .... that kind of stuff.

TIA

 

[pshn80]

Good luck. I just finished my annual "split two ways and then when I get one of the sets then split in two again". Split two ways is relatively easy if "fair" is your criteria. With the hope of alternating games start out that way making sure that the Western Conference pairs are split one each, if this upsets the alternate pattern then adjust. The second split is essentially alternating with adjustments for "weddings", "out-of-town" on business", etc.

In this method I pay little attention to how good an opponent is nor how popular the game will be. Probably won't help you much but it's worked for me since 1985.

 

[John Galt]

I'm splitting three ways - whoever prepares best, gets the best set of games.

Winning is my criteria not fairness lol.

I'm just trying to gather as many data points as I can so I'm ready when we get to the middle of the thing.

Right now I have it : 1) Miami 2) Malone return 3) Lakers Friday night 4) Mavericks November 5) Clippers Friday night 6) Spurs February 7) Warriors January 8) Spurs November 9) Warriors November

Anybody have em all ranked?

I will end up with 14 games and want to attend about half of them... so drafting for resale appeal is a factor.

The order above is scrambled ... or is it???? - in case my STH partners are peeking...

 

[bajaden]

This probably won't be much help, but when I used to split up my games, I tried to spread them out as much as possible, while taking into account some of the higher priority games. I hated when I had something like three games in one week. It seemed like I spent more time at ARCO than I did at home. Up to you and your partners to decide what's high priority for each of you. If I had the Lakers and the Bulls in order one week, I'd probably give up the Bull's.

 

[Capt. Factorial]

I don't think you've mentioned it, but the absolute #1 game is going to be April 9 against OKC - the last (regular season!) game in Sleep Train. Obviously opening day against the Clippers is a big one, too. Maybe those were just so obvious you didn't mention them. I'd say that some opponents you didn't mention that are high-demand would be the Cavs (even if it is a Weds) the Bulls (also Weds) and probably the Knicks (Thur, TNT game) even though they're going to stink. Houston on Fri. Nov. 6 is also nationally televised (ESPN) and those games seem to draw big crowds - Houston also seems to have a pretty big national following.

 

[jcwkings]

As far as re sale the obvious ones:

Warriors, Cavs, Bulls, Heat, Lakers, Spurs, Clippers, Rockets, Thunder, Knicks.

Underrated games:

Pelicans: Cousins vs Davis

Grizzlies: Cousins vs Gasol

Jazz: Good young team

Suns: Consistently a fun watch

Mavs: Rondo vs team he quit on, who on that team can guard Boogie? We always seem to thrash them once per season.

Celtics: IT returns, historic franchise, Rondo vs Celtics.

Wolves: young team

Historically/ potentially dud games:

Hornets, Pistons, Nets, Bucks, Hawks, Magic, Raptors, Sixers, Blazers.

 

[John Galt]

Thanks for the help guys. I wound up doing really great. I got most of the Friday games which was a goal while we were drafting in the middle of the pack, and I got the season ender with my first pick (I drew #1 - it was my actual first ranked game but I didn't want to give it away in my initial post).

My one preseason game is on the ticket board. Check it out...