THE PLAYOFF PICTURE COMES TO FOCUS . . . A LITTLE BIT

With the results from Monday night, the 2011 playoff picture in the SLAM League has become a little more clear: there are 7 teams for 6 spots.

I preface the below information with the fact that this is ALL “unofficial” projections by the commissioner (the numbers were crunched in my head several times and not on paper); but depending upon the results of a few key games, the landscape for the 2011 playoffs could look very different than recent history:

• HMA/RAMSA, PCF/HH and MGA have all clinched playoff spots
• SS must win one of its next two games to guarantee a spot
• FxF (already with a SLAM-record 5 rainouts to date) improbably still have 4 games to play in the next 2+ weeks, needing to win 2 of its remaining 4 games to lock up a spot

And here’s where it gets very interesting:

• Gensler controls its own destiny: Win the next two games (PCF/HH and EA) and they are in the playoffs. But if Gensler should split their next two games, and RRA/DBB wins its final game (and again, this is assuming SS doesn’t lose their final two games), then RRA/DBB would take the 6th spot because of the H2H matchup way back in April.

At the top of the standings, the seeds are just as interesting:

• PCF/HH and HMA/RAMSA each control their own destiny, making the August 8th matchup on the Great Lawn all the more important. If either team wins its remaining games, that team secures the #1 seed and a first round bye in the playoffs. Conversely, the loser could be headed for the #3 seed and no first round bye in the playoffs.
• Oddly enough, FxF, which has yet to guarantee a playoff spot could actually also lock up the #1 seed with a little help from some other teams in the league (FxF would need to win outright, GA defeats PCF/HH and PCF/HH defeats HMA/RAMSA). Got that?

In short, with two weeks to go in the regular season absolutely NOTHING is settled. And all this just as a precursor to what should be a very exciting 2011 SLAM playoffs.



STAY TUNED....