Why there's still so much to play for in the British Basketball League
There is an argument to say that the British Basketball League standings make for a boring end to the regular season. I mean all the playoff positions have been locked in and no one else can make the top eight.
But if you say that you’d be wrong, as right now there’s a scramble going on that makes for intensely exciting anticipation, particularly from fourth place down and even perhaps above that. Especially with the format changing to a best-of-three series.
Remember, if a series is tied at one-all the team finishing in the top four places gets the third game at home. That could be hugely crucial and it’s what adds spice to the race for positions that are going on.
London are dusted and done and await the eighth seed. That looks like it's either Bristol or Surrey. Both these sides will be desperate to clinch seventh rather than eighth. No disrespect to whoever finishes second but I’m pretty sure both Bristol and Surrey would rather play them than London.
If Bristol finishes seventh and Cheshire second, what a series that could be given Bristol’s recent runaway win at Cheshire. Basically, from second down to eighth anyone can beat anyone, and given a three-game series where aggregate scores don’t count, that’s exciting.
Cheshire and Caledonia look like fighting it out for second place and that’s a very close-run thing as well. It’s not beyond the realms of possibility that one of either Leicester, Newcastle or Sheffield could get into the top three but it’s looking unlikely.
This means those three powerhouse franchises are locked into a massive battle for the fourth spot and that possibility of home-court advantage in the Playoffs if needed. This is perhaps the most intriguing fight of all and a very hard one to call.
It’s not beyond the realms of possibility given the fixtures they have left that all three could win out as neither of them has to play the other. If they did that, it would be Newcastle that took the fourth spot but it’s seldom as easy as that.
Leicester have three games left. Bristol and Manchester at home and Surrey away. They’ll feel they can win all three and set the target for Newcastle and Sheffield. Remember too that Leicester have the head-to-head on both Eagles and Sharks.
Newcastle are currently fourth. They have Bristol at home, Surrey away, Cheshire at home and Manchester away. The biggest obstacle appears to be Cheshire who are desperate to finish second. That said Surrey away won’t be easy either.
Sheffield have the most to do but their last three games are all at home in ‘The Tank’ and they are pretty formidable there. They first of all, they have to go to Manchester and then have Cheshire, Caledonia and Plymouth at home.
So, Sheffield perhaps are the outsiders of the three for that coveted fourth place but any of the three vying for top four could easily drop a game or two, especially given Leicester and Newcastle have that Bristol/Surrey conundrum.
Sheffield don’t have either Bristol or Surrey to play. They have the two teams that are outside the Playoffs and the two that are likely to fill second and third. That might even play in their favour if Coaches decide certain players need rest before the Playoffs.
Ok, so I’ve outlined the scenarios so I guess I should nail my predictions to this piece. Bearing in mind I’m one of the worst tipsters in the history of the world. But here goes anyway even if I’m going to cheat a little bit!
I’m going for whoever wins the Cheshire/Caledonia match-up to finish second. I feel that might be Caledonia although everyone that has bet against Phoenix this season has almost inevitably been wrong.
Perhaps as well Cheshire having to play out the regular season on the road could be a tipping point for a side that has had a simply wonderful campaign and largely defied the odds all through it.
So, with that in mind I’ll look at seventh and eighth. I don’t know why but I just think Surrey might sneak a couple of wins in their run-in particularly at home and that might be the difference. It could also have a bearing on fourth if they do! Surrey then seventh and Bristol eighth.
Which leaves four through to six. I just have this feeling that Leicester can’t finish outside the top four. Don’t ask me why. Perhaps it’s the Paternostro and Leicester tradition I can’t back against.
So, I’m going Riders into fourth and that possible home-court advantage. I’ll take Newcastle as fifth and Sheffield sixth then to complete the Playoff picture. This makes the matchups in the first round this.
London v Bristol
Caledonia v Surrey
Cheshire v Sheffield
Leicester v Newcastle
How tasty does that all look? Boring? Na! Super exciting for me even though I’ll probably be a million miles out with my predictions and thoughts!