Depends on trades and injuries. Wait 10 days till the trade deadline. Then it'll depend only on injuries.
Not a bad start. 11-5 so far. Man, this next stretch is gonna be a bitch. 6-5 would be decent in my mind. Taking care of home court will be crucial.
Last year after 71 games, we were 42-29. So only 1 game off that record. http://www.basketball-reference.com/teams/POR/2010_games.html
I don't see the remaining schedule as being all that challenging. Spurs without Duncan, an OKC team that could barely hang with us pre-Wallace trade, a Dallas team we already defeated, a Hornets team that is not as good as us, etc etc. I could see the Lakers beating us and maybe the Warriors could beat us in GS, maybe the Grizz too, but that's about it. I'm thinking we close the season 9-2. Honestly.
Well we would have to finish 10-1 to make it to my prediction of 51 wins which I think unlikely. I feel 8-3 from here on out.
We're 11-6 by my count in the games we've played. I thought we'd go 15-13, which means we'd go 4-7 for the rest of the season. By my modified count, I think we finish the season 7-4, which would turn my 15-13 into 18-10.
So what are the 4 or 5 losses you guys are expecting? Lakers? OKC? Dallas? Spurs? @ OKC, @ SA, @ Utah and one more at random?
It's borderline amazing that the team still has a shot at 50 wins, this late in the season. Sure, it's not likely, but to be one strong 10-11 game stretch away, considering the losses of Oden and (effectively) Roy is crazy.
I'd go with 7-4 the rest of the way, too. Split the final four games of March and go 5-2 in April to finish it out, winning four of five at home and splitting the two road games in that month.
Is it sick that I'm just as interested in following the hornets in the hopes that they fall out of the playoffs so we get a better draft pick?
You'll be even more sick when you realize that Charlotte now owns that pick because of the Wallace trade!
How could I have possibly forgotten about that? And they're about to go on a nice little losing streak too. Now I'll just have to be satisfied with watching them lose and being happy that they won't overtake us for the 6th seed.
To get 50 wins: Portland goes 9-2. This might be hard to do, but Portland has gone into the playoffs on a role the last two seasons. Last year they were 16-5 to finish the season (8-3 their last eleven). 10-1 the year before. To fall out of the playoffs: Portland goes 6-5 and Houston goes 10-0 or Phoenix goes 12-0 and New Orleans and Memphis stay in it. Portland goes 5-6 and Houston goes 9-1 or Phoenix goes 11-1 and New Orleans and Memphis stay in it. Portland goes 4-7 and Houston goes 8-2 or Phoenix goes 10-2 or Utah goes 10-0 and New Orleans and Memphis stay in it. Portland goes 3-8 and Houston goes 7-3 or Phoenix goes 9-3 or Utah goes 9-1 and New Orleans and Memphis stay in it. Portland goes 2-9 and Houston goes 6-4 or Phoenix goes 8-4 or Utah goes 8-2 and New Orleans and Memphis stay in it. Portland goes 1-10 and Houston goes 5-5 or Phoenix goes 7-5 or Utah goes 7-3 and New Orleans and Memphis stay in it. Portland goes 0-11 and Houston goes 4-6 or Phoenix goes 6-6 or Utah goes 6-4 and New Orleans and Memphis stay in it. I think it's safe to say Portland is in.
But we didn't finish previous seasons with such a tough schedule. In the next 11 games our average opponent is .617. home..away..total..pct..team 1 1 2 .803 San Antonio 1 0 1 .718 LALakers 1 0 1 .700 Dallas 1 1 2 .657 Oklahoma City 0 1 1 .563 New Orleans 1 0 1 .556 Memphis 0 1 1 .500 Utah 1 1 2 .417 Golden State 6 5 11 .617 TOTAL