The 40-20 Contender Rule: Will the Celtics Qualify?

[zoyathedestroya]

Teams remaining on the hunt:
• BOS: needs to win 1 of the next 4
• MIL: needs to win 2 of the next 4
• DEN: needs to win 2 of the next 3
• PHI: needs to sweep the next 6

40 of the last 43 champions have qualified for the 40-20 rule.

Do you think injury played a factor for the 3 that didn't qualify? Adding a key player midway through the season for example?

Was this a rhetorical question? Funny enough, one of the champs that didn’t qualify were the 1994-95 Rockets who added Clyde Drexler via midseason trade. The 2006 Heat started slow (15-12) had an in-season coaching change, going from Van Gundy to Riley but almost still qualified (39-20).

I forget who the third team is.

[Tatumfor2]

Teams remaining on the hunt:
• BOS: needs to win 1 of the next 4
• MIL: needs to win 2 of the next 4
• DEN: needs to win 2 of the next 3
• PHI: needs to sweep the next 6

40 of the last 43 champions have qualified for the 40-20 rule.

Do you think injury played a factor for the 3 that didn't qualify? Adding a key player midway through the season for example?

Was this a rhetorical question? Funny enough, one of the champs that didn’t qualify were the 1994-95 Rockets who added Clyde Drexler via midseason trade. The 2006 Heat started slow (15-12) had an in-season coaching change, going from Van Gundy to Riley but almost still qualified (39-20).

I forget who the third team is.

Not a rhetorical question. I just was curious and thought you'd know. I'd say it's a safe bet both the Rockets and Heat would have qualified if they were complete to start the season. So what I'm saying is...

[TheMartian]

So, did the Celtics qualify yet?

[zoyathedestroya]

Bump. We did it!!!!

[GWVan]

I want to know how teams that went 40-16 finished at tge end of the season

[TheMartian]

Would it be too much to ask that they win the next 26 games and finish with the same record as the 2008 title team?

[zoyathedestroya]

Read on Twitter

Celtics last did it in 2018 (ECF), 2011 (ECSF), 2009 (ECSF), and 2008 (Champs). Bird and co. did it in 5 consecutive years (1984-1988).

[Parliament10]

Read on Twitter

Celtics last did it in 2018 (ECF), 2011 (ECSF), 2009 (ECSF), and 2008 (Champs). Bird and co. did it in 5 consecutive years (1984-1988).

Well. We's on our Way!!!

[zoyathedestroya]

Teams remaining on the hunt:
• BOS: needs to win 1 of the next 4
• MIL: needs to win 2 of the next 4
• DEN: needs to win 2 of the next 3
• PHI: needs to sweep the next 6

40 of the last 43 champions have qualified for the 40-20 rule.

Do you think injury played a factor for the 3 that didn't qualify? Adding a key player midway through the season for example?

Was this a rhetorical question? Funny enough, one of the champs that didn’t qualify were the 1994-95 Rockets who added Clyde Drexler via midseason trade. The 2006 Heat started slow (15-12) had an in-season coaching change, going from Van Gundy to Riley but almost still qualified (39-20).

I forget who the third team is.

The third team is the 2004 Pistons. The outlier of outliers among NBA champions in the modern era.

[zoyathedestroya]

Teams remaining on the hunt:
• BOS: needs to win 1 of the next 4
• MIL: needs to win 2 of the next 4
• DEN: needs to win 2 of the next 3
• PHI: needs to sweep the next 6

40 of the last 43 champions have qualified for the 40-20 rule.

UPDATE: Cs, Bucks, and Nuggets all made it. Sixers need to sweep their next 3 games.

Suns looking to be the exception to the rule with midseason addition of KD.

[zoyathedestroya]

With Sixers loss to the Cs, they were unable to qualify for the 40-20 rule. So it’s just the Bucks, Nuggets, or Celtics winning it all this year.

[Larry_Russell]

I want to see 50 wins before 20 losses

[London2Boston]

With Sixers loss to the Cs, they were unable to qualify for the 40-20 rule. So it’s just the Bucks, Nuggets, or Celtics winning it all this year.

They are the three elite teams so makes sense. I think Phoenix with KD can be added to the Trio now too.

[zoyathedestroya]

With Sixers loss to the Cs, they were unable to qualify for the 40-20 rule. So it’s just the Bucks, Nuggets, or Celtics winning it all this year.

Bucks lost in the 1st round (Giannis injury).

Both Nuggets and Celtics advance to the Final Four.

[zoyathedestroya]

Celtics just need to go .500 in next 24 games to cross this threshold.

[steefP2]

**** that, lets go 40-10

[dans1230]

Celtics just need to go .500 in next 24 games to cross this threshold.

I feel like this team wont have a sub .500 10 game stretch all season. In years past we would see a let down against lesser talent which we really arent seeing this year. Those kinds of losse can sometimes propel a 3 or 4 game skid.

[Grahf]

Point differential per game is another great stat for measuring success. Double digit point differential means a team is historically great.

Celtics are currently at +10.8. This would tie them for sixth-best all time with the 1997 Chicago Bulls.

The top three teams all time in this stat are very close: 3. 1996 Chicago Bulls (72 wins, Jordan, Pippen, Rodman) - +12.24 2. 1971 Milwaukee Bucks (66 wins, Kareem and Oscar Robertson's championship team) - +12.26 1. 1972 Lakers (Arguably the most underrated team in history, Jerry West's first ring, 33 game winning streak still best ever, 69 wins were a league record) + 12.28

Of the top ten teams in this stat, seven of them won the championship. That includes our beloved '08 Celtics, who are number 10 with + 10.2. The three that didn't win it all: 1. 1972 defending champ Milwaukee Bucks, had the misfortune of running into an even greater team in the 72 Lakers. 2. 2016 Warriors (the 73 wins team) and 3. the 2016 Spurs (lost to OKC's best Durant team, who then nearly took down the Warriors before predictably choking it away).

[fallguy]

Celtics will get the 40 wins but I don't believe this rule. Celtics in 2009-2010 should have won the championship and we all know the Celtics in 2017-2018 were not real contenders.

Sorry, don't buy Phil Jackson's rule.

To me, in order, the four best teams in the KG-PP-RA-RR era:

2008-09
2007-08
2010-11
2009-10

[fallguy]

It should be a Denver-Celtics final this year.